I've finished my project and so am waiting for another one to do. It was good for me to learn all the Rights of the Child and to reflect on how these are or are not being put into practise here in Tanzania. One of them (there are altogether 42) is the right to an education, and trying to make that happen has been my work here for so many years. It means so much to youngsters, especially girls, to have that opportunity. One reason, of course, is that education opens so many doors for a person. It prepares her to make her own way in the world, gives tools for making a living, and is most of all a broadening, mind-expanding process. I think that for girls in some of the more traditional cultures around the world, education allows them to grow up, to mature, to become an adult before marriage and having children forces them into that role. Traditionally many girls are married as soon as they reach puberty, so if they have a chance to go to secondary school, that means that they have four more years to grow up, to mature, to learn, to be ready for the responsibilities of marriage and motherhood. Don't you think that's really important?
It is now the policy of the Tanzanian government to have a secondary school in every Kata. Let's see if I can tell you a bit about how the country is divided. There is first of all the central government, and then the country is divided into Regions (there are I think almost 30 now). Regions (Mikoa) are divided into Districts (Wilaya), Districts are divided into Divisions (Tarafa), Divisions into Wards (Kata), and Wards into Ten Cells (Nyumba Kumi) or Ten Households. So when I lived in Singida my points of reference were: I lived in Singida Region, Singida Rural District, Ilongero Division, Maghojoa Ward, Murigha Cell. So going back to the first sentence in this paragraph, each Kata (Ward) is supposed to have a day secondary school. The implementation of this policy has been more or less successful, with the community expected to build the classrooms and teachers' houses up to the lintel, and then the government finishes the buildings by providing the roofing materials. They also supply teachers, books and supplies. And there is the problem. There aren't enough trained teachers for all of these schools and so many of them are very inadequately staffed. However, that problem is recognized and more training is now being provided, so hopefully that situation will be resolved before too many years pass.
Having said all of that, there is still a great advantage that I see of having these schools, as problematic as they may be. I was really happy to hear from so many of the folks I saw at Murigha and Msange that their children were attending secondary school. Because these schools are of the community, the fees are relatively little, and although there are probably other contributions required (like they need to go with their own desk !) still many families will do their best to manage those fees and contributions. One woman I met in Msange when I visited was a woman who I knew from the early 1990's, a woman who had quite a few children and was always a bit sick and destitute. She was about as skinny as my arm, short and wrinkled, very talkative. I remember that at one time we provided milk for her baby, Micah, every day. She would come with him when he was just little, and we'd have milk for her to give him since she couldn't provide enough for this tiny wrinkled infant who resembled her so much. Anyway, although we were so sure that he didn't have a future, he managed to survive and she told me with great pride that he is attending secondary school at Maghojoa!! That would never have happened a few years ago, and I think it's marvelous. Girls go to that school, too, and all the youngsters go to their own homes every night.
And so education is really important for so many reasons. In the developed world it's so much taken for granted and everyone has that advantage and privilege. In the developing world we're still struggling for that gift to be given to everyone. Some day .... And that, please God, is not an April Fool's joke.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
25th March 2009 - Routine Days
I've finally gotten back to my early morning walk every day, and am glad about that. I walk to the main road, which is about 2 kms. away, and then back again so I'm usually gone about 1/2 hour. I get out of the house about 6.15 a.m. as the dark just starts to turn into light. It's a paved road that I walk on so I don't have to spend all the time watching that I don't step into holes or ruts. One difference that I note from the road that I used to walk on near Maryknoll is that this one has cow pies on it .... and so I do watch for those!
On the way out I don't see too many people but by the time I turn around to come back there are more on the road. I rarely meet a car but usually do meet several bicycles and then a lot of people walking. Some are obviously going to work and there are several youngsters in their school uniforms going to school. The students normally greet me in English and are probably happy to have someone with whom to practise on in the mornings. I'm sure the older ones aren't sure if I know Swahili and so many aren't the first to greet me. According to custom here, that's not usually the way it's done, eg. the younger person is supposed to be the first to greet the older one. And so if I'm not greeted I break the ice and start the greeting. I've noticed that I'm meeting some of the same folks every day and so they're doing the respectful thing and saying hello first.
The road is lined with trees and flowers and there's an irrigation ditch running alongside it. I don't know the source of that water but near this area are coffee plantations so maybe this water is part of their system. I see some folks filling their pails with this water so for sure some of the houses alongside the road don't have piped-in water.
I smell cows as I walk by so I'm sure that behind the trees and hedges some of the people have little sheds with a cow or two for their milk. I know a woman who has one cow (and now a calf as well) and who sells four litres of milk every day (she also keeps some for herself and gives away one litre to a woman with a small baby who she can't nurse). At TShs. 500/= per litre, that's 2000/= per day or 60,000/= per month, a nice little income. She has taken in a young girl, an orphan, who has finished primary school and probably isn't capable of going to secondary school, and this girl takes care of the cow for room and board and clothing and some spending money. After a couple of years she will be sent to a course to learn sewing, she'll be given a sewing machine, and hopefully will be able to make it on her own. Anyway, this is an example of how folks manage to live.
I also smell pigs at one section of the road so there must be a shed with some pigs, too. My NYC and other city friends don't believe me when I tell them that I can smell the difference in the manure of cows and pigs and chickens and horses, but it's true. There's a real distinction, just ask any farmer.
I'm working on a project for Emusoi Centre to keep me occupied and out of mischief. It's doing a draft of a Child Protection Policy Statement, using the United Nations Convention for the Rights of a Child as a basis. It's an interesting project to do and I'm learning a lot. Children have a good amount of rights according to the Convention but there are many places in this world where these are disregarded, and poverty certainly plays a role in that.
I hope you see some flowers today.
On the way out I don't see too many people but by the time I turn around to come back there are more on the road. I rarely meet a car but usually do meet several bicycles and then a lot of people walking. Some are obviously going to work and there are several youngsters in their school uniforms going to school. The students normally greet me in English and are probably happy to have someone with whom to practise on in the mornings. I'm sure the older ones aren't sure if I know Swahili and so many aren't the first to greet me. According to custom here, that's not usually the way it's done, eg. the younger person is supposed to be the first to greet the older one. And so if I'm not greeted I break the ice and start the greeting. I've noticed that I'm meeting some of the same folks every day and so they're doing the respectful thing and saying hello first.
The road is lined with trees and flowers and there's an irrigation ditch running alongside it. I don't know the source of that water but near this area are coffee plantations so maybe this water is part of their system. I see some folks filling their pails with this water so for sure some of the houses alongside the road don't have piped-in water.
I smell cows as I walk by so I'm sure that behind the trees and hedges some of the people have little sheds with a cow or two for their milk. I know a woman who has one cow (and now a calf as well) and who sells four litres of milk every day (she also keeps some for herself and gives away one litre to a woman with a small baby who she can't nurse). At TShs. 500/= per litre, that's 2000/= per day or 60,000/= per month, a nice little income. She has taken in a young girl, an orphan, who has finished primary school and probably isn't capable of going to secondary school, and this girl takes care of the cow for room and board and clothing and some spending money. After a couple of years she will be sent to a course to learn sewing, she'll be given a sewing machine, and hopefully will be able to make it on her own. Anyway, this is an example of how folks manage to live.
I also smell pigs at one section of the road so there must be a shed with some pigs, too. My NYC and other city friends don't believe me when I tell them that I can smell the difference in the manure of cows and pigs and chickens and horses, but it's true. There's a real distinction, just ask any farmer.
I'm working on a project for Emusoi Centre to keep me occupied and out of mischief. It's doing a draft of a Child Protection Policy Statement, using the United Nations Convention for the Rights of a Child as a basis. It's an interesting project to do and I'm learning a lot. Children have a good amount of rights according to the Convention but there are many places in this world where these are disregarded, and poverty certainly plays a role in that.
I hope you see some flowers today.
Friday, March 20, 2009
21st March 2009 - New Season
Thanks to all of you who have commented on this blog, either on this site or in emails to me. If you're finding it informative then that's great. I'm glad to be sharing some of my life with you.
I thought that you might be interested in some of the items I've been reading about in the newspaper:
-The global economic crisis and its impact on Tanzania. The other day the President was talking about two projects to which investment commitments had been made, nickel mining and aluminium production, and that these are now on hold for an indefinate period because of the economic situation. They would have madeTanzania self-sufficient in aluminium production as well as created thousands of jobs. Tourism and export earnings have also declined in the past few months, and one example is given of coffee and the 30 per cent drop in price that it has experienced. Have you all noticed a 30% drop in the price of the coffee you buy? What's wrong with this picture???
- A shameful phenomenon that the government is trying to stop is the killings of albinos for their body parts. It appears that some traditional healers believe that the blood, bones and skin of albinos have magic powers that bring luck to those that wear them, and so there have been about 45 albinos killed in Tanzania during the last 18 months. Unfortunately, when things are difficult some people revert to fear and witchcraft and that has led to this awful situation. It's a great shame to the country and there is now a concerted effort to stop it. This is happening far from the cities, of course.
- A talk given by the Irish Ambassador to Tanzania on St. Patrick's day stated that she's worried about the situation of maternal health here in the country. She gave the statistics that 578 Tanzanian women out of 100,000 die in childbirth while in Ireland it's l (one) out of every 100,000. That's a big difference, isn't it.
- The minibus drivers were on strike for some few hours because the government wanted to reduce the fares because the price of fuel has decreased. That didn't go over very well with the owners of those buses and there hasn't been a resolution yet but they did go back to work. Almost everyone in the towns uses these buses so they're badly needed.
- Right here in Arusha people are worried about the lack of rain. It's unseasonably warm and dry these days, and folks say that the maize (corn) that was planted last month is now all dried up. If this were a usual season it would be raining every day now, they say.
Have a good weekend, and for all of you who are celebrating the coming of spring, Enjoy the warmth!
I thought that you might be interested in some of the items I've been reading about in the newspaper:
-The global economic crisis and its impact on Tanzania. The other day the President was talking about two projects to which investment commitments had been made, nickel mining and aluminium production, and that these are now on hold for an indefinate period because of the economic situation. They would have madeTanzania self-sufficient in aluminium production as well as created thousands of jobs. Tourism and export earnings have also declined in the past few months, and one example is given of coffee and the 30 per cent drop in price that it has experienced. Have you all noticed a 30% drop in the price of the coffee you buy? What's wrong with this picture???
- A shameful phenomenon that the government is trying to stop is the killings of albinos for their body parts. It appears that some traditional healers believe that the blood, bones and skin of albinos have magic powers that bring luck to those that wear them, and so there have been about 45 albinos killed in Tanzania during the last 18 months. Unfortunately, when things are difficult some people revert to fear and witchcraft and that has led to this awful situation. It's a great shame to the country and there is now a concerted effort to stop it. This is happening far from the cities, of course.
- A talk given by the Irish Ambassador to Tanzania on St. Patrick's day stated that she's worried about the situation of maternal health here in the country. She gave the statistics that 578 Tanzanian women out of 100,000 die in childbirth while in Ireland it's l (one) out of every 100,000. That's a big difference, isn't it.
- The minibus drivers were on strike for some few hours because the government wanted to reduce the fares because the price of fuel has decreased. That didn't go over very well with the owners of those buses and there hasn't been a resolution yet but they did go back to work. Almost everyone in the towns uses these buses so they're badly needed.
- Right here in Arusha people are worried about the lack of rain. It's unseasonably warm and dry these days, and folks say that the maize (corn) that was planted last month is now all dried up. If this were a usual season it would be raining every day now, they say.
Have a good weekend, and for all of you who are celebrating the coming of spring, Enjoy the warmth!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
18th March – Return to Arusha with Gratitude
This is the last installment of the saga of my journey around the country and visit to my old home.
I had another close friend to visit before leaving Singida and so spent Friday evening with her. She had been my right hand in more ways than one while we were at Murigha, and was the person I always went to for advice. She was loaned to Murigha from the Government and so when I left she returned to the Ministry of Education and is now Head Teacher of a primary school near Singida. We had a wonderful evening of catching up on the news, including all the news of her seven children and by now several grandchildren. It was a late night and by 5.00 a.m. the next morning Bibiana and I were up and getting ready to leave. We left on the bus at 6.30 and were about 50 kms. out of Singida when we came upon about eight lorries stuck on the road. By good luck our bus had a very good driver, and so (after one failed attempt) managed to thread his way around the lorries and pass through. The bus itself looked like it was sort of put together with this and that, and there was some contraption behind the driver that I think took the exhaust from the motor out the top of the bus. The door handle on the bus was two bolts welded together in some fashion – it reminded me a bit of Greg’s pliers …… But the driver got us here to Arusha by about 1.30 p.m., for which I was very grateful. I had a front seat so the bumps weren’t bad; however, it was a seat for three people and the other two women were as wide as I or more so and the bus got no marks for comfort as we squeezed in. The main thing is that we arrived safely. Bibiana got off the bus at Nangwa where she went to spend the weekend at home.
Arriving here I was both energized and tired, energized by being with so many good friends and by the fantastic welcome by everyone, and tired by a lot of excitement and conversation and speaking constant Swahili. I realized from this trip that there were three things that I need to get used to again: one is using bed nets in order to sleep at night without the company of mosquitoes. These nets do a good job but it’s a pain to have to fix them to the bed every night and then my feet usually touch the net anyway. Still they help. Another thing I needed to do that I hadn’t done for awhile was have a bucket shower. Again, that works ok but it isn’t quite the same as having warm water flow over you. And the third thing that I need practice on is the Asian (squat) toilets. When I left five years ago I was very used to them and actually preferred them because they seem to be a cleaner alternative. My knees have forgotten, however, how to squat and so I need to practice. I hope that all I need is practice/exercise and that it’s not aging knees that cause the pain.
I hope to be able to scrounge up some help for scholarships for students. The school has had to raise school fees in order to pay salaries and to replace the roof tiles that have broken. When we built the school we opted to use locally made tiles for the roofs but it seems as though they were not the best choice. Almost all of the roofs are leaking quite badly now (there are actual gaping holes in the roof of the dining hall) and they need to be replaced with iron sheets. The administration still wants to give priority of access to education to girls from the local area but the families of most of those girls can only afford part of the nearly $400. per year school fees. We’ll see what happens.
Life is a great gift and mine has been wonderously blessed. I am so grateful.
I had another close friend to visit before leaving Singida and so spent Friday evening with her. She had been my right hand in more ways than one while we were at Murigha, and was the person I always went to for advice. She was loaned to Murigha from the Government and so when I left she returned to the Ministry of Education and is now Head Teacher of a primary school near Singida. We had a wonderful evening of catching up on the news, including all the news of her seven children and by now several grandchildren. It was a late night and by 5.00 a.m. the next morning Bibiana and I were up and getting ready to leave. We left on the bus at 6.30 and were about 50 kms. out of Singida when we came upon about eight lorries stuck on the road. By good luck our bus had a very good driver, and so (after one failed attempt) managed to thread his way around the lorries and pass through. The bus itself looked like it was sort of put together with this and that, and there was some contraption behind the driver that I think took the exhaust from the motor out the top of the bus. The door handle on the bus was two bolts welded together in some fashion – it reminded me a bit of Greg’s pliers …… But the driver got us here to Arusha by about 1.30 p.m., for which I was very grateful. I had a front seat so the bumps weren’t bad; however, it was a seat for three people and the other two women were as wide as I or more so and the bus got no marks for comfort as we squeezed in. The main thing is that we arrived safely. Bibiana got off the bus at Nangwa where she went to spend the weekend at home.
Arriving here I was both energized and tired, energized by being with so many good friends and by the fantastic welcome by everyone, and tired by a lot of excitement and conversation and speaking constant Swahili. I realized from this trip that there were three things that I need to get used to again: one is using bed nets in order to sleep at night without the company of mosquitoes. These nets do a good job but it’s a pain to have to fix them to the bed every night and then my feet usually touch the net anyway. Still they help. Another thing I needed to do that I hadn’t done for awhile was have a bucket shower. Again, that works ok but it isn’t quite the same as having warm water flow over you. And the third thing that I need practice on is the Asian (squat) toilets. When I left five years ago I was very used to them and actually preferred them because they seem to be a cleaner alternative. My knees have forgotten, however, how to squat and so I need to practice. I hope that all I need is practice/exercise and that it’s not aging knees that cause the pain.
I hope to be able to scrounge up some help for scholarships for students. The school has had to raise school fees in order to pay salaries and to replace the roof tiles that have broken. When we built the school we opted to use locally made tiles for the roofs but it seems as though they were not the best choice. Almost all of the roofs are leaking quite badly now (there are actual gaping holes in the roof of the dining hall) and they need to be replaced with iron sheets. The administration still wants to give priority of access to education to girls from the local area but the families of most of those girls can only afford part of the nearly $400. per year school fees. We’ll see what happens.
Life is a great gift and mine has been wonderously blessed. I am so grateful.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
17th March 2009 - Singida and Murigha
After a good night’s sleep and some breakfast, Bibiana went off to school and I got a taxi and went to visit some friends and acquaintances in Singida town. I hadn’t announced that I was coming so hoped that I’d just see some people that I knew. And I did! Just walking around I met several, and got a very welcoming response from them all. Some were restrained in their welcome, some made a big fuss. It was just fun to see them all and they appreciated the fact that I had come. One HUGE difference from five years ago is that almost everyone has a cell phone, and so when I’d ask about someone, soon I’d be given their number. There were some people, business people, who had been very helpful and so I went to see them and expressed my appreciation of their help for all those years. And they in return were grateful that I had taken the time to visit them. I also got some stories of how things were after I had left, stories that I took with a grain of salt. Change is almost never easy for anyone.
By early afternoon I was back with Bibiana and after a late lunch we went to another secondary school in the town, where I had heard that two teachers (husband and wife) whom I had left at Murigha were now teaching. I found the man there (his wife was sick that day) and made arrangements to visit them later that evening. He wasn’t too surprised to see me since he said that he had gotten a phone call from another teacher who we had been with and who is now in Tabora. The message was: “Mama amekuja!” (Mother has come!) How that word got from Singida to Tabora and back to Singida in that short time is amazing. We then went to visit Bibiana’s brother and his family. Basil is an agricultural officer there, and I knew him from long ago when he was working with the Heifer Project in our area. That was even before I knew he was Bibiana’s brother.
The changes I noted in Singida town were not too many. Because of the newly paved road going west and north and the improvement to the Dodoma road, there is a bit more business going on, and more building of houses on the outskirts of the town. There are a few new shops as well, but the roads in the town are as impassable as ever. Singida is an underdeveloped region, historically no one has wanted to go there because of how difficult it is to travel on those roads. There is also the problem of water, and that shortage of water is probably the reason that there is no significant manufacturing or business opportunities. Most of the business has to do with sunflower oil production. That area farms a lot of sunflowers and there are several small factories that press the oil and then truck it to other parts of the country.
It was interesting to hear the reflections of people and how they saw our time together. I am grateful that their memories are positive, and they talked about how well we worked together, how they appreciated my style of leadership, especially how they were involved in the decision making process, and how they felt that they had an opportunity to get ahead (mostly due to the farming that they were able to do along with their jobs). I was also told that their sense of service to others was fueled and inspired by our working together. I felt a lot of good will and affirmation and love from them all.
I had made arrangements with Sister Monica, the Headmistress of Murigha Girls’ School and the school I founded beginning in 1990, and had anticipated that I would use public transportation to get there to see them. She assured me, however, that she would send the school transport to pick me up, and so that was settled. By 10.00 a.m. on Thursday, 12th March, she phoned to say that they were in town and would be arriving shortly. I expected to see her and the driver in the school pickup, but what came in was that alright plus students in the back followed by a minibus with more students and some of the school’s non-teaching staff whom I knew from five years before. And they came in singing and clapping with a very warm welcome. That was the beginning of hours of welcoming and loads of memories.
The trip to Murigha from Singida town still takes more than an hour (for only 35 kms.) and I think I remember the same ruts and pot holes. There had been rain along part of the way, and I saw fields upon fields of onions. There are quite a few low areas along the way with a black, clay-like soil, and these conditions seem to be excellent for raising onions. The crop looks very good this year, and hopefully the folks will get a good price and have some cash for their needs.
Arriving at the school I was met at the gate by several of the neighbors and right inside were the students, lining the road to meet me. I greeted the people I knew and was given a bouquet of flowers, then walked further into the school grounds while the students sang. All of a sudden there was a flurry and running down the road came Maria, arms and legs and dress flying. Maria had worked on and off doing odd jobs at the school and for us at our house for over ten years. She had begun as soon as she finished primary school by asking for work, then after a few years got married and had two children. By the time the second one was born, her husband had begun drinking heavily, and so she left him and depended on her work with us along with doing some farming in order to care for her children. When we left, I proposed that she be given the job as assistant cook for the school, and she did begin that work. In the past five years she has risen to be chief cook, and is the pillar of the kitchen. I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone so hard-working, and one who doesn’t mind what kind of work she does. She does everything quickly and well, with no complaints. I was thrilled to see her, and very glad that she looks so healthy. I didn’t get a chance to see her boys, but she assures me that they’re fine and both in primary school.
The school had prepared an assembly to welcome me. The students, the teachers, the non-teaching staff, neighbors: all had been invited. There were songs and dances by the students, a traditional ngoma (dance) by the staff, speeches, gifts. After the program there was a lovely meal prepared for all of us, after which I had the opportunity to go around the school. The student population is now nearly 300, and two new classrooms and an additional dormitory have been built. The environment has been kept up very well, the trees and flowers are beautiful. The tractor driver and the chief animal keeper (along with several others) took me around, to see the fields and the animals. This year they have planted sunflowers, maize, onions and coriander, a total of about 75 acres. When we were looking at the fields I thought that the crops looked good but were in need of rain before long. We went to look at the cows, pigs, goats, chickens, and the fellows pointed out to me which ones were from my time. It’s a good thing that they remembered because I certainly didn’t. Actually I think there was one cow that I would have recognized anywhere (brown with droopy ears), but the others were all a blur.
After looking around at everything, I went out of the school property to visit with some of the neighbors. Many were hearing that I was there so came to say hello. Some folks who knew that I was coming had prepared soda (pop) and chicken for me and we had a good time sitting around, remembering our times together. I was amused when they told me that I hadn’t changed a bit: “You look exactly the same, like you just left yesterday.” When I reminded them that I had gained weight, they replied, “Oh, yes, truly you have gotten heavier.” One of the young men told me that he thought before I arrived that he might not have recognized me because I may have aged so much in five years, and was glad to find out that he did know me! I’m also glad that that fear was unrealized ….. Soon darkness was upon us and I went to the Sisters’ convent for a rest and dinner. As we were eating dinner, about 9.00 p.m., the rain started, and it rained beautifully for nearly an hour. I knew what I would be hearing the next day: that I had brought the rain.
After a good sleep I awoke and took an early morning walk around the campus. Because of the rain everything was fresh and clear, with a gorgeous sunrise. I met the guys who were milking the cows, and just as I thought, the first words out of their mouths were: Thank you for bringing the rain. When I assured them that I have no ability to do such a thing, they nodded, but I’m sure they’re still saying the same thing.
Friday morning I was taken to the village (about 10 kms. by the road) in order to greet some of the folks there. They didn’t know that I was around so it was a big surprise, and still I was able to see several people from the days we lived there in the village before the school was built. One person that I was especially happy to see was the fellow who had been a local leader when we arrived and facilitated a lot of things for the school. He had retired from leadership before I left but I found him as village chairman again now. He does have a gift for leadership, so it’s good he’s using that talent again. After visiting around for awhile I went back to school for lunch and then we were to leave. As we were eating lunch the heavens opened again and there was another lovely rain. For sure my visit was a blessing, for the crops as well as for me.
It was 4.00 before the rain had subsided enough to leave, and again the pick-up was full of people. Kusindikiza is an important concept here. It means to accompany someone, and so when a guest comes to visit you don’t say good-bye at the door but you walk along, sometimes quite a distance, with the guest as he/she leaves. And so the secretary, the storekeeper, the tractor driver, the grinding machine operator, Maria, the Headmistress – all of them rode in the back of the pick-up to town in order to accompany me along the way. The road was muddy and slippery but we managed to arrive safely in town, where we said our good-byes.
By early afternoon I was back with Bibiana and after a late lunch we went to another secondary school in the town, where I had heard that two teachers (husband and wife) whom I had left at Murigha were now teaching. I found the man there (his wife was sick that day) and made arrangements to visit them later that evening. He wasn’t too surprised to see me since he said that he had gotten a phone call from another teacher who we had been with and who is now in Tabora. The message was: “Mama amekuja!” (Mother has come!) How that word got from Singida to Tabora and back to Singida in that short time is amazing. We then went to visit Bibiana’s brother and his family. Basil is an agricultural officer there, and I knew him from long ago when he was working with the Heifer Project in our area. That was even before I knew he was Bibiana’s brother.
The changes I noted in Singida town were not too many. Because of the newly paved road going west and north and the improvement to the Dodoma road, there is a bit more business going on, and more building of houses on the outskirts of the town. There are a few new shops as well, but the roads in the town are as impassable as ever. Singida is an underdeveloped region, historically no one has wanted to go there because of how difficult it is to travel on those roads. There is also the problem of water, and that shortage of water is probably the reason that there is no significant manufacturing or business opportunities. Most of the business has to do with sunflower oil production. That area farms a lot of sunflowers and there are several small factories that press the oil and then truck it to other parts of the country.
It was interesting to hear the reflections of people and how they saw our time together. I am grateful that their memories are positive, and they talked about how well we worked together, how they appreciated my style of leadership, especially how they were involved in the decision making process, and how they felt that they had an opportunity to get ahead (mostly due to the farming that they were able to do along with their jobs). I was also told that their sense of service to others was fueled and inspired by our working together. I felt a lot of good will and affirmation and love from them all.
I had made arrangements with Sister Monica, the Headmistress of Murigha Girls’ School and the school I founded beginning in 1990, and had anticipated that I would use public transportation to get there to see them. She assured me, however, that she would send the school transport to pick me up, and so that was settled. By 10.00 a.m. on Thursday, 12th March, she phoned to say that they were in town and would be arriving shortly. I expected to see her and the driver in the school pickup, but what came in was that alright plus students in the back followed by a minibus with more students and some of the school’s non-teaching staff whom I knew from five years before. And they came in singing and clapping with a very warm welcome. That was the beginning of hours of welcoming and loads of memories.
The trip to Murigha from Singida town still takes more than an hour (for only 35 kms.) and I think I remember the same ruts and pot holes. There had been rain along part of the way, and I saw fields upon fields of onions. There are quite a few low areas along the way with a black, clay-like soil, and these conditions seem to be excellent for raising onions. The crop looks very good this year, and hopefully the folks will get a good price and have some cash for their needs.
Arriving at the school I was met at the gate by several of the neighbors and right inside were the students, lining the road to meet me. I greeted the people I knew and was given a bouquet of flowers, then walked further into the school grounds while the students sang. All of a sudden there was a flurry and running down the road came Maria, arms and legs and dress flying. Maria had worked on and off doing odd jobs at the school and for us at our house for over ten years. She had begun as soon as she finished primary school by asking for work, then after a few years got married and had two children. By the time the second one was born, her husband had begun drinking heavily, and so she left him and depended on her work with us along with doing some farming in order to care for her children. When we left, I proposed that she be given the job as assistant cook for the school, and she did begin that work. In the past five years she has risen to be chief cook, and is the pillar of the kitchen. I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone so hard-working, and one who doesn’t mind what kind of work she does. She does everything quickly and well, with no complaints. I was thrilled to see her, and very glad that she looks so healthy. I didn’t get a chance to see her boys, but she assures me that they’re fine and both in primary school.
The school had prepared an assembly to welcome me. The students, the teachers, the non-teaching staff, neighbors: all had been invited. There were songs and dances by the students, a traditional ngoma (dance) by the staff, speeches, gifts. After the program there was a lovely meal prepared for all of us, after which I had the opportunity to go around the school. The student population is now nearly 300, and two new classrooms and an additional dormitory have been built. The environment has been kept up very well, the trees and flowers are beautiful. The tractor driver and the chief animal keeper (along with several others) took me around, to see the fields and the animals. This year they have planted sunflowers, maize, onions and coriander, a total of about 75 acres. When we were looking at the fields I thought that the crops looked good but were in need of rain before long. We went to look at the cows, pigs, goats, chickens, and the fellows pointed out to me which ones were from my time. It’s a good thing that they remembered because I certainly didn’t. Actually I think there was one cow that I would have recognized anywhere (brown with droopy ears), but the others were all a blur.
After looking around at everything, I went out of the school property to visit with some of the neighbors. Many were hearing that I was there so came to say hello. Some folks who knew that I was coming had prepared soda (pop) and chicken for me and we had a good time sitting around, remembering our times together. I was amused when they told me that I hadn’t changed a bit: “You look exactly the same, like you just left yesterday.” When I reminded them that I had gained weight, they replied, “Oh, yes, truly you have gotten heavier.” One of the young men told me that he thought before I arrived that he might not have recognized me because I may have aged so much in five years, and was glad to find out that he did know me! I’m also glad that that fear was unrealized ….. Soon darkness was upon us and I went to the Sisters’ convent for a rest and dinner. As we were eating dinner, about 9.00 p.m., the rain started, and it rained beautifully for nearly an hour. I knew what I would be hearing the next day: that I had brought the rain.
After a good sleep I awoke and took an early morning walk around the campus. Because of the rain everything was fresh and clear, with a gorgeous sunrise. I met the guys who were milking the cows, and just as I thought, the first words out of their mouths were: Thank you for bringing the rain. When I assured them that I have no ability to do such a thing, they nodded, but I’m sure they’re still saying the same thing.
Friday morning I was taken to the village (about 10 kms. by the road) in order to greet some of the folks there. They didn’t know that I was around so it was a big surprise, and still I was able to see several people from the days we lived there in the village before the school was built. One person that I was especially happy to see was the fellow who had been a local leader when we arrived and facilitated a lot of things for the school. He had retired from leadership before I left but I found him as village chairman again now. He does have a gift for leadership, so it’s good he’s using that talent again. After visiting around for awhile I went back to school for lunch and then we were to leave. As we were eating lunch the heavens opened again and there was another lovely rain. For sure my visit was a blessing, for the crops as well as for me.
It was 4.00 before the rain had subsided enough to leave, and again the pick-up was full of people. Kusindikiza is an important concept here. It means to accompany someone, and so when a guest comes to visit you don’t say good-bye at the door but you walk along, sometimes quite a distance, with the guest as he/she leaves. And so the secretary, the storekeeper, the tractor driver, the grinding machine operator, Maria, the Headmistress – all of them rode in the back of the pick-up to town in order to accompany me along the way. The road was muddy and slippery but we managed to arrive safely in town, where we said our good-byes.
This is already too long so I'll finish tomorrow. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Monday, March 16, 2009
16th March 2009 - Trip to Dodoma
I'm back in Arusha with so much to write about. I'll do this in installments, so I'll see how far I get today.
When I wrote last from Morogoro I had a bus ticket which was supposed to be for Monday 9th March at 7.00 a.m. We got to the station about 6.45 and learned that the bus was coming from Dar es Salaam and passing at 8.00 a.m., not 7.00. I should have known/remembered that these young men who act as agents for the buses don't usually tell the entire truth; after all their job is to get passengers and once a ticket is bought they have done their job. Anyway, the Sisters left to go to their teaching that morning and I sat and visited with one of these ticket agents. Three parts of the conversation were especially interesting. Firstly, he told me that he had a three year old daughter who was "very, very smart" and so he wanted her to have a good education. Since he just gets by with what he makes from the job he has, he asked me if I wanted to take her, live with her, educate her so that she gets a better chance in life. Of course I told him that I couldn't do that, but we talked about how he might help her develop her talents in the home that she has. Secondly, he told me about how important it was to do an honest days' work and how he manages. He gets a little bit of money here and there, and with that he pays the rent on the room he rents, buys simple food, fuel to cook it with, etc. It was amazing to me to hear how he manages. Finally, after someone had come and told him about an accident that had occurred, he gave me his take on drug use in the town. He said that it is extensive among the young men, both smoking (I assume marijuana) and needles (heroin??). When I asked how they manage to buy the drugs, he told me that they indeed are the thieves that harass the people and steal what little they have. And they are the reason that more wealthy people's houses have walls and locked gates and watchmen and watch dogs.
The Morogoro bus station is like all bus stations here in Tanzania: full of sellers walking around with things that a traveller might need: bread, candy, peanuts and cashews, shoes, handkerchiefs, flashlights, phone vouchers, coffee, water, soda -- you name it and it will be available. One guy was walking around with a three foot stack of hats on his head!
The road to Dodoma is all paved and very good so the bus ride was comfortable. An interesting exercise is now being used to try to lessen the number of deadly bus accidents. Buses tend to be driven very fast, because the first bus to pass any point most often gets the passengers, and so speed causes some horrific accidents. Now each bus leaves its station with a timetable of where it is supposed to be at what time, and traffic police sign that timetable at those points. I don't know if it helps, but at least there's an attempt to control the speed. By about 12.30 we were in Dodoma and again I noticed how the city has grown. A place that I remembered as being a bit out of town is now surrounded by buildings and a part of the city. Dodoma is the official capital of Tanzania although much of the commerce and many embassies remain in Dar es Salaam. Parliament meets in Dodoma, however, and some of the government offices have moved. Dodoma Region used to be known for its underdevelopment and aridity but the city of Dodoma looks really nice now. It seems to be developing according to some kind of plan, and so that makes the city attractive. I was told that after the new water scheme was completed there is no longer a water shortage (and there was plenty of water at the hostel where I stayed). Electricity and communications are good, because Parliament needs those services, and I was told that there are two universities also being built there. I found the city attractive, and what I saw made me even more interested in settling there. It was also cooler than Morogoro. I wanted to see the Bishop to get his ideas but unfortunately he wasn't in town. The Sisters who are in his office were very welcoming, and I'll go back after making an appointment. This Bishop is also the Chairman of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference so he's a busy person.
The next morning, Tuesday, I was off on the bus to Singida by 8.00 a.m. When I had previously lived in Singida it was always after taking a deep breath that I left Dodoma for Singida because the road was so bad. Now it is paved for all but about 100 kms. out of about 25o kms. What a difference that makes! We arrived by about 1.00 p.m. and there I was met by Bibiana Mkenda, a very dear friend with whom we lived in Nangwa and who is Headmistress of a large secondary school in Singida town. Tuesday was a national holiday in Tanzania (Maulid, celebrating the birthday of Prophet Mohamed) so Bibiana and I had the afternoon to chat and to try to catch up on five years of separation. It was a wonderful visit, and her welcome of me was so generous, including giving up her bed for me. She lives in a small and simple house on the school grounds; her husband remains at the family home in Nangwa and teaches there and her children are all in boarding schools, secondary and university. She goes home to Nangwa almost every Saturday and returns to Singida on Sunday, an arrangement that many families make.
This is enough for now so later I'll continue the saga.
When I wrote last from Morogoro I had a bus ticket which was supposed to be for Monday 9th March at 7.00 a.m. We got to the station about 6.45 and learned that the bus was coming from Dar es Salaam and passing at 8.00 a.m., not 7.00. I should have known/remembered that these young men who act as agents for the buses don't usually tell the entire truth; after all their job is to get passengers and once a ticket is bought they have done their job. Anyway, the Sisters left to go to their teaching that morning and I sat and visited with one of these ticket agents. Three parts of the conversation were especially interesting. Firstly, he told me that he had a three year old daughter who was "very, very smart" and so he wanted her to have a good education. Since he just gets by with what he makes from the job he has, he asked me if I wanted to take her, live with her, educate her so that she gets a better chance in life. Of course I told him that I couldn't do that, but we talked about how he might help her develop her talents in the home that she has. Secondly, he told me about how important it was to do an honest days' work and how he manages. He gets a little bit of money here and there, and with that he pays the rent on the room he rents, buys simple food, fuel to cook it with, etc. It was amazing to me to hear how he manages. Finally, after someone had come and told him about an accident that had occurred, he gave me his take on drug use in the town. He said that it is extensive among the young men, both smoking (I assume marijuana) and needles (heroin??). When I asked how they manage to buy the drugs, he told me that they indeed are the thieves that harass the people and steal what little they have. And they are the reason that more wealthy people's houses have walls and locked gates and watchmen and watch dogs.
The Morogoro bus station is like all bus stations here in Tanzania: full of sellers walking around with things that a traveller might need: bread, candy, peanuts and cashews, shoes, handkerchiefs, flashlights, phone vouchers, coffee, water, soda -- you name it and it will be available. One guy was walking around with a three foot stack of hats on his head!
The road to Dodoma is all paved and very good so the bus ride was comfortable. An interesting exercise is now being used to try to lessen the number of deadly bus accidents. Buses tend to be driven very fast, because the first bus to pass any point most often gets the passengers, and so speed causes some horrific accidents. Now each bus leaves its station with a timetable of where it is supposed to be at what time, and traffic police sign that timetable at those points. I don't know if it helps, but at least there's an attempt to control the speed. By about 12.30 we were in Dodoma and again I noticed how the city has grown. A place that I remembered as being a bit out of town is now surrounded by buildings and a part of the city. Dodoma is the official capital of Tanzania although much of the commerce and many embassies remain in Dar es Salaam. Parliament meets in Dodoma, however, and some of the government offices have moved. Dodoma Region used to be known for its underdevelopment and aridity but the city of Dodoma looks really nice now. It seems to be developing according to some kind of plan, and so that makes the city attractive. I was told that after the new water scheme was completed there is no longer a water shortage (and there was plenty of water at the hostel where I stayed). Electricity and communications are good, because Parliament needs those services, and I was told that there are two universities also being built there. I found the city attractive, and what I saw made me even more interested in settling there. It was also cooler than Morogoro. I wanted to see the Bishop to get his ideas but unfortunately he wasn't in town. The Sisters who are in his office were very welcoming, and I'll go back after making an appointment. This Bishop is also the Chairman of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference so he's a busy person.
The next morning, Tuesday, I was off on the bus to Singida by 8.00 a.m. When I had previously lived in Singida it was always after taking a deep breath that I left Dodoma for Singida because the road was so bad. Now it is paved for all but about 100 kms. out of about 25o kms. What a difference that makes! We arrived by about 1.00 p.m. and there I was met by Bibiana Mkenda, a very dear friend with whom we lived in Nangwa and who is Headmistress of a large secondary school in Singida town. Tuesday was a national holiday in Tanzania (Maulid, celebrating the birthday of Prophet Mohamed) so Bibiana and I had the afternoon to chat and to try to catch up on five years of separation. It was a wonderful visit, and her welcome of me was so generous, including giving up her bed for me. She lives in a small and simple house on the school grounds; her husband remains at the family home in Nangwa and teaches there and her children are all in boarding schools, secondary and university. She goes home to Nangwa almost every Saturday and returns to Singida on Sunday, an arrangement that many families make.
This is enough for now so later I'll continue the saga.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
8th March 2009 - Sunday
One more post before heading off tomorrow. I can imagine that next week will be a "dry" one as far as writing is concerned, but I'll remember lots of things to write about when I return to Arusha. This afternoon I want to tell you about this morning.
We left the house at 8.00 a.m. to go to Kingolwera prison, a few kilometres outside of Morogoro town. The Sisters who live here in Morogoro (Janet and Gladys) go each Sunday, for Mass and then they meet with the prisoners who attend the church service. When we arrived we met the priest and a seminarian who had just arrived as well. We left Janet at the church, and Gladys and I went along to a building further into the prison grounds, a building normally used as a nursery school for children of the staff. Some of the staff soon appeared, followed by two groups of prisoners: one a group of about twenty women and another group of about 10 men. They sat separately, each with one guard, and the rest of the about two dozen benches were occupied by staff members and families. Mass began, and the women had obviously prepared well: nice songs, well-done readings, prayers, etc. When Mass was finished, Father went off to the church to have Mass with another group of men prisoners and the staff that is concerned with them, and the others who had attended mass also left. We then had about a 45 minute session with those remaining, today being extraordinary that there were men who joined the group. Gladys asked that we sit around in a circle, and at first the men's guard said that we needed to have two circles. But then he came up with the solution that if I sat at one end of the group of men and Gladys at the other, then that would be separation enough. And so it was. It was a good time with them, Gladys talking about some ways to cope with the stress of being in prison. They were open and interested and seemed to be grateful for the chance to learn these techniques. We had previously asked to see some of the handwork that the women did, and so at the end of the session we were invited into where they really live. We actually didn't have a chance to see their living quarters, but could see through the fence that their "cell blocks" were quite open and airy. We were told that the usual number of women in each block is about 14. They seem to be treated well, and when we asked if they are given everything they need, the answer was yes, although it might be a little short. For example, two young men came while we were there bringing a few bars of laundry soap for their relative who was imprisoned. The guard said that she was one of the lucky ones because she has family close by and so they can bring her some extra things now and again. This women's prison is the main one for Tanzania, eg. it holds all the women who have been convicted and sentenced to long terms. They all learn a craft and do some beautiful handwork, mostly basket weaving, embroidering tablecloths and other decorative cloths, sewing.
We saw the blackboard in the main office that had the census, and there were 59 women there today. And three children. Two of them are still nursing but the third is a bit over two years old. The Matron told us that she needed to see if the Sisters who run an orphanage near here would take her because she was beginning to worry that the environment might be affecting her adversely. The mother is from the other end of the country and has no family who could take the child so they're looking at other alternatives for her. It would seem to be kind of a dilemma: the advantage of keeping a child with her mother and yet the concern that there might be other factors which wouldn't be good for her. She's a darling little girl, and greeted us so politely.
After Janet and Father returned from the church and their session, we were invited for lunch at the home of one of the guards. She is a member of the Small Christian Community (all parishes in Tanzania are divided into these Communities) and these Communities take turns cooking for their guests each Sunday. After the nice lunch we returned home for some rest in the heat of the day, grateful for the chance to spend time with people we don't normally meet.
Hope you all have a great week.
We left the house at 8.00 a.m. to go to Kingolwera prison, a few kilometres outside of Morogoro town. The Sisters who live here in Morogoro (Janet and Gladys) go each Sunday, for Mass and then they meet with the prisoners who attend the church service. When we arrived we met the priest and a seminarian who had just arrived as well. We left Janet at the church, and Gladys and I went along to a building further into the prison grounds, a building normally used as a nursery school for children of the staff. Some of the staff soon appeared, followed by two groups of prisoners: one a group of about twenty women and another group of about 10 men. They sat separately, each with one guard, and the rest of the about two dozen benches were occupied by staff members and families. Mass began, and the women had obviously prepared well: nice songs, well-done readings, prayers, etc. When Mass was finished, Father went off to the church to have Mass with another group of men prisoners and the staff that is concerned with them, and the others who had attended mass also left. We then had about a 45 minute session with those remaining, today being extraordinary that there were men who joined the group. Gladys asked that we sit around in a circle, and at first the men's guard said that we needed to have two circles. But then he came up with the solution that if I sat at one end of the group of men and Gladys at the other, then that would be separation enough. And so it was. It was a good time with them, Gladys talking about some ways to cope with the stress of being in prison. They were open and interested and seemed to be grateful for the chance to learn these techniques. We had previously asked to see some of the handwork that the women did, and so at the end of the session we were invited into where they really live. We actually didn't have a chance to see their living quarters, but could see through the fence that their "cell blocks" were quite open and airy. We were told that the usual number of women in each block is about 14. They seem to be treated well, and when we asked if they are given everything they need, the answer was yes, although it might be a little short. For example, two young men came while we were there bringing a few bars of laundry soap for their relative who was imprisoned. The guard said that she was one of the lucky ones because she has family close by and so they can bring her some extra things now and again. This women's prison is the main one for Tanzania, eg. it holds all the women who have been convicted and sentenced to long terms. They all learn a craft and do some beautiful handwork, mostly basket weaving, embroidering tablecloths and other decorative cloths, sewing.
We saw the blackboard in the main office that had the census, and there were 59 women there today. And three children. Two of them are still nursing but the third is a bit over two years old. The Matron told us that she needed to see if the Sisters who run an orphanage near here would take her because she was beginning to worry that the environment might be affecting her adversely. The mother is from the other end of the country and has no family who could take the child so they're looking at other alternatives for her. It would seem to be kind of a dilemma: the advantage of keeping a child with her mother and yet the concern that there might be other factors which wouldn't be good for her. She's a darling little girl, and greeted us so politely.
After Janet and Father returned from the church and their session, we were invited for lunch at the home of one of the guards. She is a member of the Small Christian Community (all parishes in Tanzania are divided into these Communities) and these Communities take turns cooking for their guests each Sunday. After the nice lunch we returned home for some rest in the heat of the day, grateful for the chance to spend time with people we don't normally meet.
Hope you all have a great week.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
7th March 2009 - Trip to Mgeta
Yesterday we decided to explore some part of the mountains and by 7.30 a.m. we were in the car and beginning to head out of town. After about 20 km. on the main road (heading toward Iringa) we made a left and started toward the highlands. The paved road ended quite soon, and we were on a washboard road that wasn't actually too bad. Soon we began to climb, and did that for an hour until we reached the village of Mgeta. What did we see along the way? Well, lots of fields, small ones, most of them with folks working in them, either weeding or planting or some still plowing. The maize is almost knee high in that area so they must have been getting rain for some time already. We saw lots of banana trees but not too many other fruit trees at the beginning of the climb. The road is winding, blind curves constantly. There were a couple small buses that we met and a few small trucks but otherwise the mode of transport is walking and bicycle. And a lot of the bicycles were being walked on the steep road. As we drove higher we met more people on the road carrying their hoes - they had obviously been working in their fields since sun-up and were now going home for some breakfast and/or rest. We could see on the side and usually quite far below the road, a river with not a lot of water in it. There were also some parts of the road that had paving stones and culverts so that probably helps the road to be passable when the rain is heavy. There's a nice bridge and a lovely scenic view just before reaching the village of Mgeta. At Mgeta there's a church, a primary school and a secondary school, also a few shops. I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't a Health Centre also, although we didn't see it. Apparently the big market day is on Thursday so we missed that.
We decided to keep climbing and did so for another 45 minutes or so. The higher we got the cooler the air was, of course, and there were signs that they had had more rain. At the place where we decided to turn around the view was spectacular: looking across valleys to other parts of the mountains we saw almost every inch of land being farmed, and a lot of terraced fields. Everything was so green and lush. We came upon a large open area with some buildings that looked like warehouses, and it is here that the trucks come to pick up produce to take down to the lowlands and cities. At one point along the road we were surprised to meet a group of about 10 young white folks, accompanied by two Tanzanians. We stopped to talk, and found out that the young people were students from Norway, studying at the Agriculture University, and were on a field trip to talk to some of the farmers in the area.
I guess what surprised me most was the way these farmers can farm the side of the mountains as they do. Coming from probably one of the flattest places on earth, it is amazing how people can farm on such steep slopes. And these mountains must be quite densely populated. It's hard to see many homes from the road since the road is just carved into the side of the mountain, but I'm sure if we had left the main road we would have come across many homes.
We found a place along that river where we could pull the car off the road and it was there that we stopped to eat our lunch. We sat on some stones, watched the river, and had a nice lunch and rest. Once in awhile we could hear the voices of people walking above us on the road, but otherwise it was as though we were alone in the world. It really was a wonderful trip, a nice contrast to the town and lovely cool air.
In the evening we went "out" - it was Friday night after all. We went to a restaurant called "Dragonaires" - decorated with red Chinese lanterns but featuring pizza on Friday nights! The pizza was very good, and apparently they use the cheese which is made by the Seminary we visited the other evening. Altogether a very nice day.
I have my ticket for the bus to Dodoma on Monday but I'll see if I can write again before that. Have a good weekend.
We decided to keep climbing and did so for another 45 minutes or so. The higher we got the cooler the air was, of course, and there were signs that they had had more rain. At the place where we decided to turn around the view was spectacular: looking across valleys to other parts of the mountains we saw almost every inch of land being farmed, and a lot of terraced fields. Everything was so green and lush. We came upon a large open area with some buildings that looked like warehouses, and it is here that the trucks come to pick up produce to take down to the lowlands and cities. At one point along the road we were surprised to meet a group of about 10 young white folks, accompanied by two Tanzanians. We stopped to talk, and found out that the young people were students from Norway, studying at the Agriculture University, and were on a field trip to talk to some of the farmers in the area.
I guess what surprised me most was the way these farmers can farm the side of the mountains as they do. Coming from probably one of the flattest places on earth, it is amazing how people can farm on such steep slopes. And these mountains must be quite densely populated. It's hard to see many homes from the road since the road is just carved into the side of the mountain, but I'm sure if we had left the main road we would have come across many homes.
We found a place along that river where we could pull the car off the road and it was there that we stopped to eat our lunch. We sat on some stones, watched the river, and had a nice lunch and rest. Once in awhile we could hear the voices of people walking above us on the road, but otherwise it was as though we were alone in the world. It really was a wonderful trip, a nice contrast to the town and lovely cool air.
In the evening we went "out" - it was Friday night after all. We went to a restaurant called "Dragonaires" - decorated with red Chinese lanterns but featuring pizza on Friday nights! The pizza was very good, and apparently they use the cheese which is made by the Seminary we visited the other evening. Altogether a very nice day.
I have my ticket for the bus to Dodoma on Monday but I'll see if I can write again before that. Have a good weekend.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
5th March 2009 - Morogoro
Early morning in Morogoro is lovely, with a cool breeze coming in the windows and the sun not yet at its strongest. Morogoro town is, I think, among the ten largest towns in Tanzania and is situated at the foot of the Uluguru Mountains. Anywhere one goes in the town the mountains can be seen, and they are beautiful. This area is know for its wonderful vegetables and fruit, grown in the mountains and brought to the town for sale.
I notice a slower pace, fewer people, a bit less congestion in comparison with Arusha. The people here seem more friendly and open; I suppose that's all due to the smaller town. Tuesday morning I spent with Janet as she did some beginning of the month things, like paying bills and shopping. She spent about one hour at the bank, just to get cash. Then it was off to Vodacom to pay the telephone and internet bill, then to Tanesco (electric company) to try to pay the bill and get connected with a new meter. That didn't work and she was told to return after 3.00 p.m. So we shopped for some food items in an Indian run "supermarket", which had four aisles. There are a lot of things to buy there, many of them imported and therefore expensive; we stuck with the local goods like yoghurt and chicken. Some of the imported things come from Kenya but many from South Africa.
By this time the sun had gotten quite hot and there were a lot more people on the streets. One more stop before the market was a fish shop, and that had frozen fish from both the ocean (Dar es Salaam) and Lake Victoria (Mwanza). Finally we went to the market and that was really crowded. It seemed as though so many more stalls had been added (we used to stop at this market when returning to Singida from Dar es Salaam) and there was hardly room to walk in between the stalls. But the produce is wonderful and reasonably priced. I probably should say "cheap" since for about $.40 we could buy a pineapple, or a kilo of potatoes or a bunch of 10 bananas or two avocados -- well, you get the picture.
As I was waiting for Janet at the Tanesco office, I was looking across the bicycle path and saw a typical business, a way that many women make a living, especially in towns. There was a lean-to made of poles and cardboard and that was where the cooking was being done. Customers came and sat down on an old tire that was on the ground outside the lean-to. The woman came out and offered water for washing hands, and then brought out a plate of food for each, setting the plate on the ground. And there was the restaurant. I couldn't see what was on the plate, but I assume it was rice and beans. When the men finished their meal, she came to collect the plate and spoon, and offered each a cup of water. They paid her and off they went. And outside the lean-to was her little girl, probably about 15 months old, sitting on the ground and playing with a couple of cups. Sometimes men come to the towns for work and leave their families in the villages, so they often use these outdoor restaurants for their meals, quick and cheap.
In the afternoon we spent another two hours at Tanesco until the business was finally completed. Some things take a l0000ng time here ..... Then we drove to the outskirts of town to see Sokoine University, the agricultural university of Tanzania. It has a lovely campus with the mountains towering above; everything looks very well kept and clean. We saw sections for Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Pest control, Crop Production, Food Science, and there were probably others we didn't see. On our way out we stopped at a canteen and enjoyed a drink with some roasted bananas. Nice.
Morogoro is about three hours from Dar es Salaam on a very good road so it has become the home for many, many Catholic religious communities who do the formation of their candidates here. There are probably more than a dozen congregations with large campuses, and there is certainly some pooling of resources, i.e., professors, etc. The Maryknoll Sisters who live here in Mororgoro teach, among other places, at a Wholistic Centre, which is for Sisters of many different local communities. In the past many of the Sisters' communities didn't put an emphasis on education, and so that is now trying to be corrected and education of different kinds is being offered to these Sisters. Many, many Tanzanians continue to join Religious Life and the Priesthood, in both local and international communities.
I'll try to post again before leaving for Dodoma and Singida on Monday.
I notice a slower pace, fewer people, a bit less congestion in comparison with Arusha. The people here seem more friendly and open; I suppose that's all due to the smaller town. Tuesday morning I spent with Janet as she did some beginning of the month things, like paying bills and shopping. She spent about one hour at the bank, just to get cash. Then it was off to Vodacom to pay the telephone and internet bill, then to Tanesco (electric company) to try to pay the bill and get connected with a new meter. That didn't work and she was told to return after 3.00 p.m. So we shopped for some food items in an Indian run "supermarket", which had four aisles. There are a lot of things to buy there, many of them imported and therefore expensive; we stuck with the local goods like yoghurt and chicken. Some of the imported things come from Kenya but many from South Africa.
By this time the sun had gotten quite hot and there were a lot more people on the streets. One more stop before the market was a fish shop, and that had frozen fish from both the ocean (Dar es Salaam) and Lake Victoria (Mwanza). Finally we went to the market and that was really crowded. It seemed as though so many more stalls had been added (we used to stop at this market when returning to Singida from Dar es Salaam) and there was hardly room to walk in between the stalls. But the produce is wonderful and reasonably priced. I probably should say "cheap" since for about $.40 we could buy a pineapple, or a kilo of potatoes or a bunch of 10 bananas or two avocados -- well, you get the picture.
As I was waiting for Janet at the Tanesco office, I was looking across the bicycle path and saw a typical business, a way that many women make a living, especially in towns. There was a lean-to made of poles and cardboard and that was where the cooking was being done. Customers came and sat down on an old tire that was on the ground outside the lean-to. The woman came out and offered water for washing hands, and then brought out a plate of food for each, setting the plate on the ground. And there was the restaurant. I couldn't see what was on the plate, but I assume it was rice and beans. When the men finished their meal, she came to collect the plate and spoon, and offered each a cup of water. They paid her and off they went. And outside the lean-to was her little girl, probably about 15 months old, sitting on the ground and playing with a couple of cups. Sometimes men come to the towns for work and leave their families in the villages, so they often use these outdoor restaurants for their meals, quick and cheap.
In the afternoon we spent another two hours at Tanesco until the business was finally completed. Some things take a l0000ng time here ..... Then we drove to the outskirts of town to see Sokoine University, the agricultural university of Tanzania. It has a lovely campus with the mountains towering above; everything looks very well kept and clean. We saw sections for Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Pest control, Crop Production, Food Science, and there were probably others we didn't see. On our way out we stopped at a canteen and enjoyed a drink with some roasted bananas. Nice.
Morogoro is about three hours from Dar es Salaam on a very good road so it has become the home for many, many Catholic religious communities who do the formation of their candidates here. There are probably more than a dozen congregations with large campuses, and there is certainly some pooling of resources, i.e., professors, etc. The Maryknoll Sisters who live here in Mororgoro teach, among other places, at a Wholistic Centre, which is for Sisters of many different local communities. In the past many of the Sisters' communities didn't put an emphasis on education, and so that is now trying to be corrected and education of different kinds is being offered to these Sisters. Many, many Tanzanians continue to join Religious Life and the Priesthood, in both local and international communities.
I'll try to post again before leaving for Dodoma and Singida on Monday.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
4th March 2009 - From Morogoro
The trouble with not writing every other day or so is that then there's SO much to write about! I'll try to be a bit selective so that you're not straining your eyes.
Last Thursday morning we left Arusha bout 7.30 a.m. heading east and south. After taking some time to get out of Arusha with the morning traffic, the first town we passed is Moshi, which is at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It was completely covered with clouds, normal for that time of the morning. It depends on the time of the year as to what time of the day the mountain can be seen with all its splendor, and it is a magnificent sight when it does appear.
The road is quite good, and after travelling east to Moshi, before reaching the Kenya border the road starts going south. It's pretty much south and east all the way then until Chalinze. If you want to follow on a map, the road goes south at Himo, then passes Same, Hedaru, Mombo, Korogwe, Segera and then Chalinze. Between Himo and Mombo there are continuous mountain ranges on the left, first the Pare Mountains and then with hardly a noticeable break, the Usambara Mountains begin. So on the left of the road are mountains, and on the right the plains. I noticed a few different things: The towns seem bigger, more people, more buildings. There are also more trees. It seems that there's been a real push toward more tree planting and I think that it has succeeded. There are also many, many sisal plantations along that road, and they appear to me to be in better shape, so obviously there has been an effort to revive them. Most look well cared for and hopefully they are productive. At many places alongside the road there are folks selling their produce: mangoes, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, pineapple, honey, live chickens, baskets -- anything that they have that someone going along in a car or bus might need. I was also noticing the different farming methods. Because the rain has sort of started in some places, there was a lot of plowing being done. Some of it is done by tractors, small ones pulling two and three disc plows. Other times you see single disc plows pulled by oxen, but more often the plowing is done by a person and a hoe. Obviously those fields aren't very big; that's really hard work. All the seeding was being done by hand.
At Chalinze we headed west, and nine hours after leaving Arusha arrived in Morogoro. We did stop to eat our lunch after passing Mombo, so my estimation of eight hours wasn't too far off. There are two Maryknoll Sisters living and working here, Gladys and Janet. Since I was to stay on after our meeting, I was privileged to get a bed at their house. The others from Arusha, Sisters from Iringa and Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Nairobi, all stayed at Amabilis Hostel, run by the local Tanzanian Sisters. That was where we had our meeting on Friday and retreat/seminar on Saturday and Sunday. During the retreat we were joined by seven Tanzanian friends, so the mix was wonderful and the days very helpful and inspiring. The heat made the days a bit uncomfortable and sometimes made us all sleepy; the heat and humidity reminded me of my days of living in Dar es Salaam, and these are the months that are the worst, as we wait for the long rains to really begin.
Let this be enough for now, and I'll soon tell you more about the town of Morogoro. There's a lot to write about....
Last Thursday morning we left Arusha bout 7.30 a.m. heading east and south. After taking some time to get out of Arusha with the morning traffic, the first town we passed is Moshi, which is at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It was completely covered with clouds, normal for that time of the morning. It depends on the time of the year as to what time of the day the mountain can be seen with all its splendor, and it is a magnificent sight when it does appear.
The road is quite good, and after travelling east to Moshi, before reaching the Kenya border the road starts going south. It's pretty much south and east all the way then until Chalinze. If you want to follow on a map, the road goes south at Himo, then passes Same, Hedaru, Mombo, Korogwe, Segera and then Chalinze. Between Himo and Mombo there are continuous mountain ranges on the left, first the Pare Mountains and then with hardly a noticeable break, the Usambara Mountains begin. So on the left of the road are mountains, and on the right the plains. I noticed a few different things: The towns seem bigger, more people, more buildings. There are also more trees. It seems that there's been a real push toward more tree planting and I think that it has succeeded. There are also many, many sisal plantations along that road, and they appear to me to be in better shape, so obviously there has been an effort to revive them. Most look well cared for and hopefully they are productive. At many places alongside the road there are folks selling their produce: mangoes, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, pineapple, honey, live chickens, baskets -- anything that they have that someone going along in a car or bus might need. I was also noticing the different farming methods. Because the rain has sort of started in some places, there was a lot of plowing being done. Some of it is done by tractors, small ones pulling two and three disc plows. Other times you see single disc plows pulled by oxen, but more often the plowing is done by a person and a hoe. Obviously those fields aren't very big; that's really hard work. All the seeding was being done by hand.
At Chalinze we headed west, and nine hours after leaving Arusha arrived in Morogoro. We did stop to eat our lunch after passing Mombo, so my estimation of eight hours wasn't too far off. There are two Maryknoll Sisters living and working here, Gladys and Janet. Since I was to stay on after our meeting, I was privileged to get a bed at their house. The others from Arusha, Sisters from Iringa and Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Nairobi, all stayed at Amabilis Hostel, run by the local Tanzanian Sisters. That was where we had our meeting on Friday and retreat/seminar on Saturday and Sunday. During the retreat we were joined by seven Tanzanian friends, so the mix was wonderful and the days very helpful and inspiring. The heat made the days a bit uncomfortable and sometimes made us all sleepy; the heat and humidity reminded me of my days of living in Dar es Salaam, and these are the months that are the worst, as we wait for the long rains to really begin.
Let this be enough for now, and I'll soon tell you more about the town of Morogoro. There's a lot to write about....
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