Liverpool University Law Clinic contributes

As the end of term approaches, advice letters are finished and the pace has started to slow a little at the Law Clinic.  What better to do then, than to fit in a little baking to raise money for the St. Maria Goretti women’s refuge in Tanzania?   I am very grateful to the staff of the Law School who supplemented my cake-making efforts and produced some delicious offerings for a cake and coffee morning- and to those staff and students who came by to eat, chat and donate!  Special thanks to Marie (my lovely mum) who was chief organiser!  £127 raised and every penny counts... 

Calendar Production

Calendar production is now in full flow!  It gives me the excuse to surround myself with lovely African memories and is the latest in my efforts at fundraising for Sr. Brigitte’s  women’s hostel.   She moves to Shinyanga this week where she will be joined by the fist of the young women planning to join her order.  Also waiting for her is a woman who has been badly abused and has been hiding in a church - word of her work had gone before her.  Sadly, I have a feeling she’ll be kept busy...

So, calendars are now available if anyone would like to support this project!

Caki, caki

Last Friday, friends (Jo & Cath) at St. Mary’s College Crosby, helped me organise  a coffee morning.  We were raising money  for Sr. Brigitte’s charity which will provide  safe refuge, education and care for girls living on the streets in Tanzania. (See 'Continuing Links')  Staff and 6^th formers gathered in the library at break time where tea, coffee and copious amounts of cake were served.   Everyone was extremely generous and we made £100 which is just great.  Many thanks to all who ate!  Only £1100 to go now...

Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman

Today Pope Benedict beatified Cardinal Newman.  While writing a short piece on Newman this week, I found myself particularly engaged with two aspects of his work.  Firstly his ‘Theology of Conscience’ which holds that while the individual’s conscience should be informed by papal authority it is the conscience itself that is primary.  I also admire Newman’s insistence that faith is a matter of both the head and the heart.  His works fused the objective and the subjective elements of faith, resulting in a dynamic theology and beautiful prayers, poetry and prose.   One of my favourites:

“God has created me to do Him some definite service; 

He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another.

I have my mission – I may never know it in this life but I shall be told it in the next...   

I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. 

He has not created me for naught.  

I shall do good, I shall do His work...  

Therefore I will trust Him.   

Whatever I am, I can never be thrown away.   

If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him.   

If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him.   

He does nothing in vain.  

He knows what He is about.   

He may take away my friends.   

He may throw me among strangers. 

He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me 

-- still He knows what He is about.”

Racial Justice Sunday

It’s two months since I left Tranzania and I am very much missing the place and the people – not to mention the sun!  I’ve started work as a Pastoral Assistant for the Parishes of St. Agnes and St. Aidan .  Not having my days dictated by timetables and bells is a little strange but I’m sure I’ll get used to it...  As part of the job, I’m writing a weekly reflection for the newsletter and I thought that as I’m also missing writing the blog a bit (and I notice that it is still getting occasional visitors), I’ll post some of the reflections.  

Sunday just gone was Racial Justice Sunday.  My six months in Tanzania gave me a little insight into  what it is like to be an ‘imigrant’, part of a minority.  I’m very aware though that my experience as a mzungo in Tanzania was overwhelmingly positive and that this is not always the case for imigrants and minority groups in the UK.  It was with a particular interest then that I perused the Racial Justice Sunday web site and  put together the reflection:

“Racial Justice Sunday offers us an opportunity to reflect on the fact that we are all members of the human family, bound together by our common humanity.  The theme this year is: ‘Migration - Building Bridges or Barriers?’

Part of our Christian heritage is the Biblical tradition of migration and the welcoming of strangers, particularly those who are vulnerable and in need.  It is not a new phenomenon and is an essential aspect of our mission and ministry.  Migration is also an integral part of British history and an important dimension of our current reality.  It continues to be a pressing social issue that touches deeply on human dignity.

The scriptures teach us that migration is also a theological event:  God’s covenant was revealed to the chosen people when they were in the process of migrating.  Jesus and his family were forced to become refugees in Egypt, to escape persecution.

Following the life and teachings of Jesus then, demands that we be prepared to follow his example; crossing borders of all kinds, to create a community of compassion and generosity reflective of God’s unlimited love for all people.

The parables in today’s Gospel present us with the image of a seeking, welcoming, loving and embracing God.  We are likewise encouraged to welcome the excluded, wounded, vulnerable and despairing.  Our relationship with God cannot be separated from our relationship with fellow human beings.   God calls us to ‘live fully’ and there is a joy in living lives geared towards wholeness and inclusion.” 

More information on Racial Justice Sunday can be found at: www.ctbi.org.uk/490

A little Liverpool in Tanzania

Towards the end of my stay in Dodoma I was asked if I could help with the purchase of church benches for a satellite parish in the village of Miyugi. The village is extremely poor and the Jumuiyas (small Christian communities) are unable to afford benches. My parish, a good friend and Erin’s family agreed to fund benches. The whole time we were in Tanzania, our names were ‘reinterpreted’ – in Erin’s case with a regularity and lack of concern for gender which caused much hilarity. The plaque on her (Ferris) family’s bench now proudly reads the ‘Perris family’, while my parish is in the interestingly named ‘LiverSpool’. The vagaries of names aside, it is nice to think that there remains a connection between us and Miyugi!

Continuing LInks

As I type this I am back in the UK experiencing the delights of a British summer- dodging ‘showers’ and trying to keep warm! Our final days in Dodoma were packed with events as they coincided with the parish’s feast day, leaving parties for three of the Jesuits and various other unexpected celebrations. Some of the goodbyes were particularly difficult but I know that I’ll maintain links and friendships...

One of the continuing links will be with Sr. Brigitte, one of the teachers at the school. Sr. Brigitte is beginning a new project to help girls and young women who are living in distressed situations. They may be homeless, abused or subjected to various forms of domestic and social violence. Disordered cultural and social practices have pushed them into abusive or forced marriages, slavery in domestic service or the sex trade. Some are subjected to abuse through witchcraft. Their situation is perpetuated by ignorance or fear, which means they are unable to extricate themselves from their situations. Sr. Brigitte’s project is aimed at helping young women to recover mentally, physically and spiritually form abusive backgrounds. She has been given land from the Tanzanian government and hopes to build a hostel for girls and young women, a school building and a retreat centre. Although the support from the government and bishops so far is encouraging, there is a long way to go and funds are low so I’m hoping to come up with ingenious ways of helping... All bright ideas gratefully received!

Rounds of Goodbyes

The rounds of goodbyes are well and truly under way and involve much ‘visiting’, speech making and drinking of soda! I spent Sunday afternoon at the home of a teacher from school who has been a really good friend to me. Vincent is about the most committed and enthusiastic teacher I have ever worked with. He has a tremendous thirst for knowledge and is always coming up with new ways to enrich the curriculum for the kids. His two room home was nice but very simple- stand pipe in the yard for washing, non-flushing latrine, open air kitchen etc. The contrast to my lifestyle as a teacher in the UK was immense.

Then, yesterday we visited his mother’s village. As I’ve been based in town my exposure to village life has been limited. The village, Zuzu, has water pumped to it only twice a week and there is no electricity. ‘Mama Vincent’ lives in a small (crumbling) one room mud house. This year her maize crop failed and she greeted us and the bag of flour we brought her like the biggest blessing. Seeing the background Vincent has come from made his achievements even more impressive. He is the only one of his 7 siblings to have been to secondary school. As so often happens, the older ones clubbed together to pay his fees but barely made them and he had to rely on the kindness of teachers for basics such as soap... It is now up to him to support his family- sobering stuff.

Beginning of the End

Last week schools finished for their long holiday – I keep calling it summer holidays but as this is effectively winter, that’s definately not the case (I even need a big blanket at night at the moment).  The close of school involved all the kids from kindergarten up, undertaking a serious clean-up operation of the whole school and grounds.  They did this with great cheer and enthusiasm, standard 6 boys skidding and sliding round the classroom and they ‘washed the floor’ – teachers nowhere in sight. 

Once the clean up was complete it was time for prize giving and presentations.   Erin and I are leaving as the school opens again, so it was also our goodbye.  The kids were incredibly sweet, loads of hugs, tears, letters, gifts and I even had a song written for me.  Teaching these children really has been a joy and it was hard to leave them, harder still to say goodbye to my little classes at the orphanage and the toddler hangers-on who regularly put in appearances...   Many of the children there are headed back to their original villages during the holidays, so my time formal time there is over too.   The goodbyes really are starting and I don’t like it one bit! 

Zanzibar

Last week Erin and I met with two other JMV volunteers in Dar Es Salaam and headed to Zanzibar for a few days.  Anthony and Helen are working in Zambia, Anthony working on a school radio project for children living in isolated areas, and Helen (a retired GP) helping to run and develop an HIV/ AIDS clinic in Lusaka.  It was great to catch up, hear what they’ve been up to enjoy beautiful Zanzibar together. 

Zanzibar although officially part of Tanzania, has its own government and feels completely different due to its Arabic history.  We spent two nights in Stone Town where I loved roaming round in the maze of allies, spotting Zanzibar doors, cute little shops and groups of people hanging out, playing games or just watching the world go by.  We also discovered an amazing massage place using local, traditional mixes of flowers and spices.  Apart from being heavenly, it was great to see the owners employing both a blind and a deaf masseuse – I’m aware that people with disabilities often get a particularly raw deal in Tanzania.  

From Stone Town we went on one of the almost compulsory ‘spice tours’ which was really interesting – particularly impressed to see the giant cocoa pods!   We then headed to Jambiani beach on the East coast for a few days.  There’s nothing I love more than lying in the sun with a good book and this was a particularly stunning location to do just that...  We did venture out with Captain Zappy in his locally made catamaran for a spot of snorkelling at the edge of the reef and Erin & I both indulged in a henna tattoo, but nothing too strenuous!  The hotel we were staying at made a real effort to benefit the local village.  Captain Zappy and the henna lady were two examples, we dealt directly with them and the money they make helps to support their families.   A reminder of the importance of ‘ethical travel/ tourism.’ 

Community

I’m learning what a big deal community is here, particularly when it comes to the major events of life.  I still find the insistence on visiting the (temporarily) sick bemusing though.  I’ve been fortunate enough to avoid any illnesses necessitating such a show of friendship and support but as soon as any of the teachers are off school, their colleagues rush round to see them – can’t imagine anything worse! 

What I do think is lovely however is the support of the bereaved.  Deo, our school bus driver recently lost his father and the whole community rallied round with visits, prayers and financial support to pay for the funeral, travel expenses etc. 

It is the same for weddings, ordinations and other big life events.  It’s not just left to the people concerned; these are real community affairs... A committee is formed which helps to organise everything and anyone who may be vaguely involved contributes what they can to the cost of the celebration. 

This month we’ve been to both a wedding and an ordination.  Both were beautiful and both demonstrated the strength and importance of community.  With everyone so involved the sense of celebration and joy really permeates proceedings, and I’ve said many times how much these people like to party!   

Everyday Life

Since Easter, life has largely been jogging along in a routine of school, orphanage, and community.  Standard 4 and 7 students are preparing for National Exams and are being ‘tested’ within an inch of themselves!  The pressure is particularly on for Standard 7 as their results will decide their entry to secondary school and in Tanzania, where only 25% of children get a secondary education this is really important.  The present Standard 7 is the first one to go through St. Ignatius’ but they seem to be excelling and have the promise of a brand new Jesuit High School waiting for them if they pass.  It is incredible to witness the hard work of the staff and students – school days from 7:30am–4pm and Saturdays from 7:30–1pm, then there is the homework, which is almost always done...  So different from home! 

I have to say though, I feel really sorry for them with all the constant testing and cramming – not that they seem to mind!  I’ve made a point of taking word searches, games and puzzles for my standard 4s this week though.  The excitement this causes is unbelievable and I’m constantly having kids accost me with finished puzzles, begging for more... 

Lessons at the orphanage have benefitted from the arrival of ‘dress up dolls’ (courtesy of mum) and glossy ‘I Wonder Why?’ type books (courtesy of Uncle Frank).  These have provided opportunities to play (the dolls) but to then introduce the character and describe her outfit in English and to do some basic science complete with funny facts.

We’ve met a lot of very interesting people over the last few weeks.  A friend of ours took us to dinner with her dad who is an MP (he’s held various ministerial positions in the past but is now a back-bencher).  He offered to take us to parliament and sent his driver to collect us after school for the evening session.  They were debating a bill about agriculture of which we understood little except for bits about honey, eggs & foodie type words we’ve learned!  It was interesting to see it in action though – the procedures were incredibly like the House of Commons – right down to the mace.  The sessions are filmed and there was one acutely embarrassing moment  when we became aware of a close up of our white legs beaming out of the big screens – followed swiftly by not-too-well-stifled giggling an numerous  PMs turning round to gaze at us in the balcony!      

In the community, May seems to be the month of birthdays and we started with Erin’s – her celebration at community night was something to behold, with both cake and drink being danced round on heads!  I’m looking forward to the rest of the birthdays and the excuse to bake more cake...

Easter Holidays

Even here it was nice to break up for the school holidays.  Holy Week started with a Palm Sunday procession of impressive proportions.  Thousands of people gathered at the youth centre, bringing an array of greenery to wave and were accompanied en route to church by various choirs singing enthusiastic ‘hosannas.’

We spent a busy week preparing for Easter and ensuring Martin and Mira’s birthdays were suitably celebrated!  The triduum services were quite an experience.  Good Friday attracted about 4000 people, half of whom were outside the church – with so many present, I shouldn’t have been surprised by the three hour liturgy! 

The Easter Vigil was spectacular – parishioners had decorated the church beautifully, the choir had been practicing for months and the bonfire was crackling.  I don’t think I’ve ever been to such a joyful Mass.  There were about 50 children dressed in white and leading the liturgical dance and the choir excelled themselves – particularly with their Kiswihili rendition of the Halleluiah Chorus.  The congregation themselves were in fine voice with plenty of trilling, whooping and dancing.  Then, in the midst of all that, 80 adults were baptised.  By 1am, after 4 hours, it was finally all over and time for the party to begin at the parish!  Truly a night of celebration...

Easter Sunday saw 100 babies being baptised and we were on duty providing party games for the ‘dancing children.’  We’d made a piñata which they were unbelievably excited about (as were we)!  The rest of the day was spent visiting families in the parish before dinner and dancing at the sisters’ in the evening.

On Easter Monday, Erin, Mira and I left for Nairobi.  We stopped overnight with American volunteers in Moshi and saw the magnificent Kilimanjaro.  Nairobi was great fun – tourist activities included Karen Blixen’s farm (Out of Africa), feeding giraffes, visiting an elephant orphanage, playing with a cheetah and spending far too much at the Masai market.  We also went to the Kazuri bead factory, where single mothers make the most beautiful jewellery – clearly it was only right to make a few purchases to support such a cause!  Off the tourist track we visited an inspirational orphanage and grandparent/ children village and the new centre for Peace Studies – both Jesuit foundations.

After a stop back in Dodoma for Mira’s goodbye party, Erin and I accompanied her to Dar for her flight back to Germany.  It’s been really sad to see her go – she’s been great fun to live with.  Still, she’s already e-mailing us instructions and tantalizing me with accounts of lovely German food.  Her departure made me realize that I’m over half way through my own time here – can’t believe how fast it is going! 

The Little Things

I’ve been really struck over the last couple of weeks at how little, unexpected things can bring such joy.  Mum has been sending me bits and pieces to use with the kids.  One of these was ‘Sparkle World’ – an activity magazine for children.  I took it to the orphanage and the kids’ eyes nearly popped out of their heads.  I would never have anticipated the excitement and pleasure it could give – we’ve spent hours doing puzzles, playing games, sticking stickers and reading stories.  £2:45 incredibly well spent!  There are no gender issues either, the boys have loved it every bit as much as the girls...

The bike rides to and from the orphanage have become one of my favourite parts of the week.  You see so much of life going on along the roads – women & men labouring hard to widen the road, children playing in the new ditches, students coming from school and practicing their English greetings (usually “good morning” even at 6pm).   I particularly love the part of the route through the bush – I’m passing at a time when the Masai pastoralists are driving their animals home, so I often have to give way for the cows and goats which saunter across my path.  There are also women making their way home with their loads on their heads or farming their small plots.  The whole journey is spent exchanging greetings most often “salama” (peace). 

When I arrive at the orphanage, there are always a couple of kids at the gate – not waiting for me as much as for my bike, which is promptly commandeered and ridden round the enclosure with numerous kids aboard.  Even the older girls love their turn.   Annunciata likes to accompany me part of the way home – she’s trying to get me to perch behind her, which I just can’t master, so I end up having to peddle with her behind, resulting in the two of us veering at bizarre angles across the road!   

A couple of weeks ago one of these jaunts led to an unfortunate meeting with a thorn bush and by the time I got to the tarmaced  road, my back tyre was completely flat.  Luckily there was a fundi right at the side of the road.  (Fundis are wonderful menders-of-all-things.  Nothing is ever thrown out here – there’s always a handy fundi to fix the seemingly unsalvageable).  So, I ended up perched on a log at the side of the road while the fundi fixed my puncture, rapidly becoming a specimen of extreme interest for the local children.  I had foam animal stickers with me which they were really excited to put on their clothes.  After we’d swapped names, I’d taught them the animals in English and they’d taught me them in Kiswahili, I was running out of ideas so we ended up singing “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” – much to the amusement of the fundis and the gathering adults.  The next week as I went past, a small crowd gathered clapping & waving as I cycled past puncture free! 

These little things, the unexpected connections and the easy fun will stay with me as much as the safaris and the beaches I am sure.

Safari Shenanigans

We went on safari to Mikumi national park last weekend.  The DIY nature of our escapade meant that the whole thing only cost £60 but also that there were a number of mishaps/ adventures along the way.  On Friday we skived work, packed up the Jesuits’ elderly Land Cruiser and headed to Morogoro.  About half way there we got a puncture, so we all piled out while Martin changed the wheel.  In Morogoro we stayed at a Salvatorian seminary where one of the Dodoma community is teaching – it’s in a beautiful situation at the foot of the Uluguru mountains.  We had a good evening at a local restaurant, followed by a bit of star gazing!

On Saturday we headed to Mikumi where we managed to find a bargain motel with, luxury of luxuries, air con in each room!  Even before we got into the park, we’d seen giraffes, elephants and baboons along the side of the road.  The park itself is teeming with life, much of which proved to be obliging when it came to posing for photos!  It was amazing to be so close to the animals in their own habitats.  The natural habitats became less alluring however when we inadvertently drove through an area infested by tsetse flies.  A frantic killing spree ensued after which the Land Cruiser was liberally splattered with blood – killing those things is not pretty!  We then sweltered our way out of the area with all the windows closed, only to emerge with another puncture.  Changing this in the park while in search of lions made the second change of tyre a particularly swift operation!

 

After dinner that night, we returned to my room for Konyagi (local gin) only to have Erin jump on my bed and the whole thing collapse!  By the time the staff had hammered it all back together again we’d nearly finished laughing.  Erin’s bruises are still serving as amusing reminders however...

Sunday was a very early start in the continuing quest for the illusive big cats.  This time we took a guide with us but even he didn’t manage to locate them.  Still, we did find a beautiful spot to have Mass – lovely to celebrate together amidst the early morning sights and sounds of the park.   

When we finally gave up on our simba search, we headed back to Morogoro and our 3rd puncture.  The spare wheel hadn’t yet been mended, so poor Martin had to roll it miles back down the road to have it fixed.  Fortunately someone gave him a lift back on their motorbike. 

After a meal and tyre fix in Morogoro we left for Dodoma and puncture number 4 – in the pitch black for variety!  There then only remained the requisite stop by corrupt police who were hard pushed to find a reason for bribery until they hit on the fact that the interior light wasn’t working.  Kiarie played the priest card and eventually we were ‘let off’ again.   So we’re back with happy memories, great photos and exhaustion we’re hoping isn’t sleeping sickness courtesy of the tsetse flies..

Land of Contrasts

The longer I’m here, the more I become aware of the many layers and contrasts of life in Tanzania.  The greatest joy of being here is the emerging relationships and friendships and the fun and sharing arising from these. 

A couple of weeks ago Mira was really ill and the care, concern and practical help offered to her and us as she struggled to get a diagnosis and treatment was remarkable.  At the same time, the reality of inadequate health provision was brought home.  Mira was eventually admitted to a private clinic.  ‘Private’ in this instance was misleading – although she had a private room it was extremely basic and the actual medical treatment available was limited.  For a ‘real’ hospital you need to make the 7 hour journey to Dar Es Salaam.  They diagnosed her with Typhoid and Malaria (as they apparently do with almost everyone, the theory being that these are likely culprits for most symptoms, so treat for them and hope for the best). 

Almost as soon as she was admitted people started to visit from the Cheshire home where she works.  They came bearing freshly baked bread, juice and fruit.  We soon realised that you don’t get and food or drink in hospital here – friends and relatives provide.  Even Consolatha, a delightful 13 year old from school appeared at our house, helped me make soup and raided my craft pack to head up the production of get well cards. 

The rallying round didn’t seem enough though when we arrived in the evening to find Mira had accidently pulled out her drip, was covered in blood and rehydration fluids and was unable to get the attention of a nurse.  Plus of course, you’re very aware that even this standard of care is beyond most people who have to take their chances at the over-crowded government clinics, or simply go without.

Another eye opener was while playing a ‘Snakes & Ladders’ type game with the kids at the orphanage.  The game encourages the practice of English by giving a topic to talk about on each square.  One of the topics was ‘family’ which I was nervous about but thought we’d stick to siblings.  It turned out that a number of the kids also talked about their parents though.  When I asked the sisters about this later, they explained that lots of the children do have one or both parents but they can’t afford the HIV drugs, so they send them to the orphanage where they know they’ll be given the anti-retrovirals and diet they need.

The contrasts were even more evident last weekend when a now fully recovered Mira, Erin & I enjoyed a fabulous couple of days at Kipepeo beach just south of Dar Es Salaam.  Being surrounded by white tourists and travelling types felt a bit strange at first, but the beautiful beach, warm Indian ocean, good food and mojitos saw off any scruples pretty fast! 

The trip came about as two of the Jesuits were going to Dar to collect a new school bus and we went along for the ride – a ride that was on a bus run by a Muslim company and as it was Friday, we were subjected to 2 hours of loud Arabic chanting & prayers over the radio!  It turned out the ‘new’ school bus is a 1989 Japanese model which they still had to pay £15000 import duty on. (The widespread corruption is incredibly frustrating.  I first encountered it when collecting a parcel for Erin from the post office.  Despite the duty slip saying the equivalent of about 60p was owing, it was not released until I’d handed over £12).  Even after the port officials had been satisfied, we were stopped on the journey home by police who accused us of being a commercial vehicle travelling illegally at night.  The paperwork showing purchase that day did little to persuade them otherwise and they spent an hour trying to extract a bribe.  Eventually they came on the bus and quizzed Erin, Mira & me for a bit in Kiswahili.  We answered what we could and attempted to look as if we understood the rest.  The police then decided we had nice smiles, told the Jesuits they should get us home and let us go without payment.  Can’t imagine quite what they were looking at as I was hard pressed to manage anything like a smile to them!