Tanzania 2010

Samjambo (greetings to all)

Where to start.... so much has happened in just a few short days! The plane ride was uneventful except for the length - 24 hours counting layovers. We left very early on the 20th and arrived in the afternoon of the 21st.One of the flights was 8 hours with an hour refueling and staff change during which we were not allowed off the plane followed by an 8 hour flight. Needless to say we were Zombies upon arrival in Kilimanjaro.

To catch everyone up. I was in Moshi, Tanzania last summer for 2 weeks visiting Lee Ann. We volunteered for an NGO called TAFCOM. They work with families affected by HIV & AIDS. They also have a children's center (preschool) for kids 2-6 years old, with up to 45 children attending at any time, a women's tailoring group for 12 women 10 of whom are single mothers aged 16-21 years old and recently started a micro business lending program for 20 people. I came with Megan, who is the daughter of a friend at work. Megan turned 18 today!!

Speaking of work, we met a woman traveling to Kenya to visit her missionary sister. She was from Portsmouth, a case manager for MRDD and her mother had her home weatherized by the Scioto County Community Action!!! 

Arriving at the airport on Saturday August 21, we were picked up by Nie (she and husband, Jonas, are founders of TAFCOM) and Farryl, a friend of lee Ann's from Canada who worked together the last 2 summers and accompanied us on safari last year. It was a very emotional reunion and i thought Nie and I would never let go of each other. Farryl will be here until September 11 and is planning to return for a 5th time in April 2011 for a year. 

Everything felt very surreal the first day but there was also a feeling of coming home. This place totally captured my heart in a mere 2 weeks last year and my feelings remain as strong. The streets are full of life (and potholes) - cars, bicycles, motorcycles zooming in and out of traffic. Most people walk everywhere, there are vendors selling things on the streets and in their small crowded shops. Most roads are dirt. It is wintertime and the weather is perfect - 75-80 degrees and NO humidity. It is however very dry and dusty so we are filthy most of the time and are feet are unrecognizable from the dirt!!

Tanzania government elections are being held in October so there is much campaigning. Campaigning here consists of truckloads of people blaring their message over loudspeakers followed with more trucks of people playing trumpets.

We are staying at the Umoja (unity) Hostel in Moshi. It is like a hotel. We have a room with 2 single beds (with mosquito nets), a wardrobe and table. We also have our own bathroom that actually has a real toilet and shower!! It is very simple and is fine for our needs. We ate local food for lunch, bought a cell phone, ventured around town and then met up with Jonas. In the meantime we met a woman, Mona, from Germany also staying at the hostel. She is here for a 6 month internship working with a water project. Needless to say we were exhausted and in bed by 8pm (which was really 8am Ohio time!!). As is typical here I was woken up around 4am by the Muslim call to prayer. This goes on at various times throughout the day starting at 4am every morning. I believe the person is using a bull horn as it is very difficult to make out the words.