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!