Ups and downs...
Trip Start
Jan 10, 2008
1
4
12
Trip End
Oct 2008
Iringa,
Tanzania
Friday, February 15, 2008
Sorry it's been a while again since the last update, but this is because all the volunteers have now moved into a Baptist Conference Centre a little further out of town than where most of us were staying before.
Since my last entry, I've finished formal Kiswahili training, moved out of the Pastor's house and now into the Baptist Centre. On the penultimate night with my homestay family, my whole Swahili class plus a couple of other volunteers all come over for dinner, which was good fun but a little strange - as each and every one of us had to say a prayer before bedtime, with no warning!
However the next morning, Tino (my youngest kaka, 6yrs old) ran away from home without any word of where he was going. At the time I thought he'd just gone for a wander for a day, but after dinner when it was dark it was clear that he wasn't coming back that night, and Mama told me that she expected this day to come at some point because he was a street child that they had a adopted a year ago, and that in her experience, street children tend to desire freedom and will often return to that life. She took it very well and pragmatically, but I was upset in my last day in their house because it was business as usual, and everyone was acting as though nothing was awry.
So I was glad to be moving out at that point, although sad that there was nothing I could do to help. But he returned a few days later - he'd been to visit his old family, but now he's back at the Pastor's place now - much to my delight!
The Baptist Centre is ok - it's good to be back with the other volunteers, but the accomodation sucks. Most of the time we have no water, so many people are getting sick now - and I have become one of the five international volunteers to have had to visit the hospital - three have had malaria, one an ameoba, and mine was thankfully just suspected amoeba, and I was feeling better a couple of days later. Sadly, one of our group has had to return to Australia now, because she has had illness after illness since she arrived here four weeks ago.
We've also met the Tanzanian volunteers now, as they're living at the same place. They're a mixed bunch, ranging from the great, enthusiastic volunteers here for the right reasons, to those that are here because they've nothing better to do while they wait for their school results, and seem like they're here for an expenses paid holiday - though they'll get a shock when they get to village and actually have to do some work for themselves!
Two days ago we had to submit our partner choices, and I really wanted to work with a Maasai guy from Arusha, with whom I have a good bond and could see myself working well with in village. However the final say went to the SPW management here, and they decided that a more suitable partner would be a guy named Godson, who has just finished his A-levels in Dar-es-Salaam - but I am happy, I've been sharing a room with him all week and we get on well, so hopefully we can develop a strong bond and become effective in village when we get there for the first time on Sunday. We'll have our first trip to our village on Sunday, and will stay for a week to conduct a situational analysis before returning to the Baptist Centre for more training, after which it's back to the village for 6 months!!!
Oh, also yesterday Leo and I became minor heroes! We were late back to class from lunch, and on the way back we saw smoke coming from the little candy shop in the Baptist Centre, so went to investigate, and found a chip pan fire in full flow, with the door locked! Initially we had to stop the locals from dousing it with water through the metal grill in the front of the shop, since the fire was spreading to the electrics, then attempt to break down the door, by kicking it through. We didn't get anywhere with that method, so found a bench and another man to help, so the three of us used it as a battering ram to get the door down. After much effort, the door finally began to crack and break. Suddenly, the man with the key showed up!!! So we again had to stop people from using water, then Tom suggested that the crowd that had gathered should dig up the sand to throw over it - a method that proved very successful, and the fire was soon out, with no injuries!
But hey - TIT! (This is Tanzania) - and crazy stuff happens!
Sorry there are no photos yet, as I've left the camera in my room, but hopefully they'll be posted up soon.
Love you lots,
Kwaheri
Dipak
