Iringa.

 Teaching Mae how to be domestic...lots of cooking and eating done! Great work Mae.

 Sharing skills. Renee working with the Physiotherapist at Neema's Crafts disability center.

 Pip, My Melbourne friend, Jenny's daughter from Melbourne Carey, doing the community component of her World Challenge trip to Tanzania....They just happened to be at Neema's Craft Centre.....and so were we!!! I couldn't believe my luck to stumble across them.....as I had been disappointed in missing them in Morogoro!

 THE CRAFT PEOPLE AT NEEMA'S

Tuesday 7 Dec. Sharing Skills....Changing Lives!

I made an early start into town to get photos printed and shopping done. Subira helped me shop and by-pass mzungu bei! As soon as I approach a vendor they think...

“Mzungu...she will have money....I will charge her x3 times the value!”

I am aware of this, frustrated by it but not savvy enough yet to know acceptable prices...The vendors who have realised that I am reasonable and have been fair to me are the ones to whom I have returned and purchased from. It wears me down as I am always trying to get them to understand that I am LIVING here.... that I am NOT a tourist and that I DON’T have heaps of money....but then I suppose it’s all relative really!!!!

VSO’s motto is: ‘Sharing skills; Changing lives’.....I have realised that this is a two way exchange: Subira you have certainly been a part of this for me! Thank you...I had fun learning and sharing my morning with you!

Rahema was keen to learn how to bake using mzungu methods and I had promised her that we would bake her family a banana cake. I explained that importance of baking powder and soda as she happily mixed the batter and poured it into the paper cups ready for cooking. Preparing the yeast for the bread was easy to explain as its purpose was similar to the baking powder!

Whilst the cake baked and the yeast fermented, she decided our pots needed cleaning (Mzungu’s just don’t know how to clean properly!) So often I have become Rahema’s student as she has carefully explained the Tanzanian method. Result = x3 shining, sparkling clean, pots and a beaming Rahema!

 The first picking of our mchicha

Reluctantly she headed home, a freshly baked cake under one arm, a huge, freshly picked bunch of mchicha under the other and a pipi (barley sugar) for her brother secured in her hand. She won’t see me until Sunday but is happy to be coming to water the garden and play with Kehawa!

With not power and nothing packed for my safari, I crawled into bed to the sound of torrential rain drumming on the roof and instantly fell asleep!

PS: .... excitement today: The snails are moving! Letters arrived from Katie and Laura....Nina furahi sana! I am so happy!

Monday 6 Dec. Skills for Subira

I am sitting here in total darkness as, yet again, the electricity has gone off but at least now we have gas! This I am excited about because I picked a fresh bunch of mchicha and enjoyed my first meal of produce from our veg garden! I had to venture out in the rain with my headlight and pick the crop, assisted by the natural illumination of lightening. The long awaited rain is falling and I have Angus and Julia Stone for company, singing Paper Aeroplane into my darkness. So romantic...Savoury mchicha and pumpkin á la Fran...by candlelight!

My day started @ 7am. Having heard “Hodi hodi” at our gate, I welcomed Subira into my home. Having been delayed at the celebrations yesterday, I couldn’t receive Subira yesterday so thinking I had said come at 10am.....she had arrived! Hamna sheda!....no problem. I had been encouraging Subira, our Form 1...soon to be Form 2 student.... in learning the skills involved in photography. Friday she had captured most of the Graduation ceremony. Today I taught her how to download from the camera onto Kelly, my computer, edit/crop/prepare and export the selected pics to the USB stick in preparation for printing.

Our trip into town was frustrating as the first option was extremely busy and told us to come back tomorrow and by the time we found a second option, the electricity had gone off! Kesho...Tomorrow will have to do!

Time in town was productive as my visit to Zantel ensured internet access (we will wait and see the authenticity of the statement!) of 2GB for the month.

Last week I made a decision to employ a house girl to clean the house. Tamasha arrived as arranged this morning just after we had farewelled Elisabet on her last leg of her journey to Dodoma. This time the house wasn’t filled with 7 people so it was easier for me to explain exactly what I wanted her to do. The linen took her all morning to wash and the cleaning, all afternoon. I had to buy some extra cleaning tools....another big dish, a mop to reach the cobwebs high on the ceilings etc...to assist this cleaning process!

Tired of shopping, Subira and I walked to her home. As we walked the streets of her neighbourhood, she proudly introduced me and acknowledged her friends’ interest in me. Her Mum, sister, daughter, niece, nephew and neighbours all gathered to welcome me. I had the pleasure of being warmly welcomed into their humble home which was obviously filled with love. 

 

Sunday 5 Dec. Celebrating Tanzanian style!

With an early start we walked to the daladala and farewelled each other. Anna and Subina headed off to Dar on their journey to Bagamoyo and I headed in the opposite direction not really knowing where I was going or what was going to unfold for me! I had agreed to attend Felister’s church. Having witnessed her passionate devotion and experienced the pleasure of her beautiful gospel voice, I was looking forward to sharing the service and meeting her congregation.

Thinking that I was going to a 1 ½ hour service, I found myself involved in a whole day’s celebration...

(so often I don’t quite get the whole picture when I am organising things with Tanzanians... regardless of the level of their command of English!!!)  

.... 3 hours of service followed by 5+ hours of song and dance: A celebration of their Pastor graduation from his studies. Felister had said that she was VERY HAPPY to have me come to celebrate.....now I understand why!!

During the afternoon celebration I had given my camera to Felister as she was keen to learn how to use it. Between singing and dancing, she aptly captured the day’s events as they unfolded. I was made to feel like royalty as they warmly welcomed the mzungu from Australia. Fortunately I understood those 3 words! Without Felister beside me to prompt me, I nearly missed the fact that I had to stand up and accept their welcome by thanking them. I was very proud of myself as I successfully stumbled through this in my limited Kiswahili! The whole congregation was focused on me with their friendly eyes and welcoming smiles. I felt so comfortable and at ease, their warmth was overwhelming. Everyone wanted to meet me and welcome me.

The entire celebration was in song and dance with all age groups praising their leader. Gifts were given/intense serious moments encountered/prayers,dancing and more songs were offered and shared....so much passion and energy expended in the heat of the day, and pleasure gained.

I didn’t understand many of the words but their meaning were clear. I was happy that song and dance was a universal language.

Unfortunately I had to leave before the day of celebration ended as Elisabet was coming to stay on her way from Zanzibar to Dodoma. I dragged myself away, Felister saying “No Madam Fran, stay for food....”  If only I could have stayed...my legs were nearly falling off from hunger as I had only had a light breakfast of fruit salad! I knew the best part of the day was yet to come as the women had been cooking all day in preparation for the inevitable feast!

I knew I was probably going to miss a very special part of this Tanzanian celebration however I had little choice. Maybe another day!

 l left knowing that I had been so blessed to have shared this day!