Dodo Vols Regional Meeting weekend in Mpwapwa

 Mpwapwa....

I had really wanted to visit this funny sounding rural town from the first time I had met Claire!

VSO vol from UK, Claire, had been working in the Teachers' College and was ending her 2 year placement in October...So, the Dodoma Vols decided that our Regional Meeting had to occur there before she left. What a memorable weekend that became!! Thanks Claire and Katie for sharing your people and the wonderful work you have been doing with them.

The Dodo Vols: Fredrick, Liesbeth, Fe, Susan, Judith, Me, Claire

 Wrapped in our kangas ready to visit the local rural women who are being taught how to build a poultry business. Katie, Peace Corps volunteer is leading them ....each woman who has qualified and is participating is making the commitment to their new business enterprise by building their chicken banda. When it is completed they will receive their quota of chickens. They are quite extraordinary and extremely hard working.

 

Heading back to Claire's little oasis at the base of the hills.

 Kuku banda #1

Serious productivity....a seriously good chicken banda!

 

The walls are lined with copies of Femina Hip magazine (the mag for which Hanna, VSO Dar is working),   from which Mama has gained much of her inspiration to dream big and work productively.

The main highway in Mpwapwa is for all the locals!

 Kuku banda #2

 Proud Mama sharing her vision with Susan.

Excitement for everyone as  mzungus mwengi invade!

 Happy that the delivery of 'Femina Hip' mag had arrived!

 Claire, VSO UK and Katie, Peace Corps USA

 The poultry business is a family concern!

 Kuku Bunda #3.

' Proud Mamas'

A typical social ending!

Ulugurus.... Dar....kukuta rafiki yangu (to meet my friends).. @ Slipway....na Kwa heri!

You CAN NOT come to Morogoro and leave without having hiked the Uluguru Mountains!

So we did!

As we waited for the dala the Ulugurus beckoned us with their awesome charm...

 We arrived in town and I organised two pikis to take Evie and I up past Rock Gardens and on to the rural school higher up in the mountains. It was exhilarating to be out in the open, climbing and winding our way into the folds of these beautiful mountains so early in the morning! 

How to pack so much into one day?....seems to be what I do well these days...

....we will show you!!!

 

The young children had swept this path high in the mountains with a fagia..(small broom)  early in the morning before they had trekked their way down the valley to school.

 We met Mustafa's friends who recognized me as his mzungu friend. A friendly encounter with so many locals.

Evie enjoying the clean mountain water cleverly redirected along a bamboo shaft. This water source has been made accessible to all the locals with this simple innovation.

 We passed the local homes and found ourselves back at the rural government school high in the Ulugurus. We walked all the way down into town, caught pikis back home and were on the bus to Dar by 11.30am! ....a morning I would love to repeat often!! Arriving in Dar, I had decided that Evie needed to acclimatise back into her world so we booked into a nice hotel at Slipway, Mzungu heaven, and found our way to my favorite bar overlooking the ocean! All that was needed was some friends to share it with....and BINGO....in rocked Hanna...Claire....and our other Dar social gang!! Good seafood....beer and laughter topped off with another BEAUTIFUL sunset...this time captured by Hanna's photographic skills!

Me and My mate Hanna, chilling out, enjoying sundowners at Slipway.....

............trying not to think about the fact that Evie was leaving Tz within 24 hours!
The following morning we did some retail therapy @ Slipway and filled Evie's suitcase with memorabilia and Africana sawadis....pressies for the fam and finally had to succumb to the fact that all good things must come to an end....all too quickly but.....OH WHAT WONDERFUL MEMORIES we had created! 
ASANTE SANA DADA YANGU TAMU KWA TEMBELIA MIMI . 
KARIBU MOROGORO NA SEGA NA NYUMBANI KWANGU TENA!
NINAKUPENDA...
Thank you my darling sister for visiting me.
Welcome back to Morogoro, Sega and my home.
I love you.

SEGA Tena....another day at the office....plus!

 Oh I LOVE this time of the morning.....7am...locking the gate then sharing the morning....it is always so beautiful...It doesn't matter which season it is!!!....

Take a look:..........

I never know whether the Ulugurus are going to share their full splendour or wrap them selves in cloud and wait for the day to unfold. The sharp rays of this early morning sun are beckoning them to come out and play

...some of them have responded!

o

Off down the dusty track ... to catch the bus to school... hopefully!! 

 ...And so another day begins:

Back in the classroom...

 .....the canteen....

 dependent on the school bell to keep order in our day!!....

 twende mjini  (off to town) in the Suzuki with Peter our school driver...

 past houses being built...

 past the fish (samaki) shop (duka)...

 Evie has a good friend called Liz Duka....She was the reason I remembered the name Duka...when I was desperately trying to learn Kiswahili...association is the key..!!? Thanks Liz!
This is the shop for medicine (dawa)...otherwise known as a Chemist.

 One of the 3 Mzungu Dukas...Shops for expatriates (and Tzs)

Oh NO...A blow out...the sole nearly detached from the sandal....2 minutes later the fundi had repaired it....It only cost a mere 1000 Tsh. (75 Aus cents)

We got pikis from town to make our meeting with the Morogoro International School Headmaster and Deputy to discuss our restarting swimming timetable. Ben and Jason were very welcoming and Ben was pleased to share the fact that he had been a VSO Vol in Nepal for 2 years and understood my commitment and life as a vol!! It was very reassuring to have an ally in the Head of MIS. Unexpectedly he offered, not only myself, but my fellow VSO colleagues, David and Jan (with whom I stayed recently for a week ) complimentary passes to the MIS swimming pool!!! WOW....@ 4K Tsh a visit....I was wrapt!...and I knew that Jan and David were going to be happy with this news! New to MIS, Ben and Jason were looking to strengthen links with local schools and to share resources...both I am seeking to achieve for SEGA...A productive meeting with two friendly colleagues!We caught a dala and took the scenic route, to visit my friends from school, also living nearby in Kihonda,  Pauline(Counselor, Lifeskills teacher), and Grace (Science, Biology). Pauline's daughter, Milka and her younger sister who cares for Milka, were staying in Moro for the week so we were treated to their company as we enjoyed sundowners at their local bar.

Pauline and Milka...as I met the locals!

 Mama Milka na Milka

 Mama Gemma (aka Gemma's Mum...aka ME!!) na Milka....proudly wearing the jumper Bebe Gemma (Grandma Gemma...or generally know to us as Gran!) had sent to Tz earlier this year.

Evie and the Girls