Meaghan and I began our morning writing up our blogs and sorting out pictures from the week before. When we were done we headed into town to post them on the internet. The internet was surprisingly good and we were able to post all the text and pictures, and check our email. We then went to the post office so I could send some letters home. We had a quick lunch before heading home to pick up the English lessons and went straight to Mabatini. We were running a bit late and so decided to skip yoga in the evening and spend more time at the Kitchen. The English lesson went well and we were invited for dinner of rice and beans. We then took Mama Cesilia and Mama Asha to the internet café near our apartment and taught them how to use the internet and access their gmail account that Meaghan set up for them. Cesilia and Asha are two of the younger members and they are also very bright. They were able to learn all the steps very easily despite never using a computer before. In the evening, Meaghan and I stayed in and watched some DVDs that Meaghan was sent from home. It was a very quiet and nice evening in.
Tuesday, November 13th, 2007
We began the morning with project work and calls out to make appointments with various groups that can aid with our project. We had a productive meeting with Maimuna (Director of Kivulini) about meeting with the landlord, our utility bills, TASAF, EDFO, Moishi and charity groups who we have been in contact with. Maimuna is a wonderful woman and is well respected in Mwanza. She was a great help to us and arranged a meeting with our landlord and give us some contacts and great advice about certain interests. We also got in contact with another organization who were interested in supporting a charity group and were looking to the Tukwamuane group as a possible candidate.
We made other plans to meet with the Principle Planning Officer, Mr. Kiamba, about registering the Tukwamuane group as an NGO. There are several steps that we must take to complete this process and we hope to get a good start on the application before we have to go back to Canada. The next interns to come will have to carry on the projects that have been started by us and I know they are very capable of doing a great job. One of the difficulties with the internship position is that we are only here for a short period of time and many things, such as grant proposals and expansion of the project, can take many months and sometimes year to implicate.
We then went to the Pizzeria for lunch and then to the internet café until our Swahili lessons began. In class we learn the connective words for ‘of’ and the various meanings of ‘kwa’. We went for a swim after class at the international pool and then to dinner at the Yacht Club.
The large and disguisting birds at Saba Saba.Wednesday, November 14th, 2007
This morning we scheduled a meeting for the afternoon with Dr. Sokombi from the Heifer institute to obtain more information for Ivan Le Mintier from Danone. We made the English lesson for the day and did some printing of documents. We went into town after to use the internet and get some prices for my trip with my mom in December. I will have to go back a few times in the next few weeks to sort out all the details. I met Meaghan at home and she was busy trying to get a taxi, who knew how to take us, to the Heifer institute. We headed off and when we got there Meg called Dr. Sokombi and he regretted to tell us that he was not at the building but driving somewhere and would not be back for another hour and a half. So Meg and I took the dala-dala to the Mama’s Kitchen and rescheduled our meeting for another day. At the Kitchen we had our English lesson and picked up yogurt for us and our friends.
We came home and finished up some photocopies of Yogurt brochures while waiting for Mama Asha and Cesilia to meet us for another internet lesson. We visited the tailoring shop that is just down our street to see if our dresses were ready. We have found a tailor who makes very nice, modern designs for a very reasonable price. Meaghan’s Charity Ball dress was made by this lady. We came home to find Ruben starting dinner and he decided on a ‘sweet’ dinner of chapattis and baked bananas with chocolate sauce. We managed to convince Ruben to save the bananas for dessert and let us make a vegetable medley for the main course. We had another quiet night in and watched ‘About a Boy’ before going to bed fairly early.
Thursday, November 15th, 2007
We spent the morning running around trying to get information and contacts for various projects Meaghan and I are taking on. We were able to meet with our landlord and Maimuna helped to mediate the conversation because she could not speak English. We were able to renew our contract with her for another year which is great news because our apartment is a perfect location between the Kitchen in Mabatini and the city. Meaghan and I tried to set up meetings this morning but were for the most part unsuccessful in confirming anything. Amongst the many things we are taking on we are trying to organize packaging and labels for the yogurt, delivery and culturing of the probiotic milk, getting a plot of land near Mabatini, organizing grants to pay for the construction of the new building, getting information from Heifer, applying Tukwamuane as an NGO and a business, sending out yogurt order forms and information to larger companies, getting our product certified by TBO and TFDA, organizing a delivery system with the Chairman, and many other smaller projects.
We then headed into town to use the internet and so I could go to the bank to take out shillings to pay for some of the flights my mom and I will be going on. I had to go to 2 different flight agencies because they book different flights. We had lunch at the Pizzeria again, but the prices are so reasonable and the profit goes to charity that it would not make sense to walk 15 minutes to go home and then another 15 minutes to come back into town for our Swahili lessons.
After our Swahili lesson we went to Tunza with Claire for yoga and to deliver the yogurt to our friends. We stayed for dinner afterwards but headed home right after for an early night’s rest.
Friday, November 16th, 2007
We left this morning at 9:30am to go to Mabatini to drop off the English tests and to pick up 20L of yogurt! Six liters is going to the Forever Angels orphanage and 14L we are donating to the Charity Ball dinner tomorrow evening. We got a taxi to take us and our 20L to Andie Wilson’s home, member of the Charity Ball committee, to drop off the 14L of yogurt and then to City Council so that we could meet with the Mayor about getting a plot of land for the Mamas. We had a short but pleasant meeting with the Mayor and he set us up with a meeting with the City Planner and he will come by Mabatini on Monday to survey the size needed and the general area that we are looking for.
After our City Council meeting we went to the orphanage to deliver the yogurt and see the babies and toddlers. There were a lot of women there interviewing for a day care position at the orphanage. We were told that it was a bit hectic at the home for the entire week because they have been having interviews and also got 3 new babies. There was a thunderstorm while we were there and so all the kids were moving indoors to play. Many of the rooms are being renovated and extended to prepare for more babies and toddlers to come to the home. They currently have about 20 but are hoping to double the number in the next few months. They were given yogurt for their snack again today and were so adorable.
We came home after a long day and had a nice evening in.
Haji making a big mess.
Gracie and her sippy cup of yogurt. Saturday, November 17th, 2007
I slept in this morning and had a great day getting ready for the Charity Ball tonight. Meaghan, Claire and I went into town in the mid-day. Claire was looking for fabric and ribbon to make some clothing out of and so Meg accompanied her. I went to the bank and then to pay for the second flight and then to another travel agency to book my return tickets. Unfortunately the stores were all closing and I would have to do it another day. We met back up for lunch then came home to finish getting ready for the Ball.
Charity Ball was at the BOT (Bank of Tanzania) this year and they decorated it very nicely. It reminded me of a high school prom or semi-formal event. The ticket included a beverage and a very good buffet. We spent the beginning of the evening helping sell raffle tickets for the draw later in the evening. After dinner, there were auctions and raffle draws with an intermission of dancing and then some more draws. The ‘Tanzanites’ played live music and were very good. The evening was very nice and the dancing was especially fun.
Ruben, Claire, Meaghan and I all dressed up.
At Charity Ball with our friends.
Sunday, November 18th, 2007
I woke up late this morning after a long night, but had promised Mama Asha to go to her home to visit her family. Her sister came by the apartment at 11am and we walked together to their home. We looked at some pictures of her family and past interns that visited her home and she gave us some chai tea and some fruits and bread. We took some pictures together and I was really surprised when they ‘attacked’ me and put dark make-up on my eyebrows. They did the same to Meaghan and then proceeded to paint our nails. It was very unexpected but hilarious at the same time.
Mama Asha's family.
Paintin my nails...
Paintin my nails...
... and painting my eyebrows.
We walked home and rested a while before taking a taxi to Tunza. We got a ride with one of the regular drivers outside our apartment, Jane. (The next part of the day I will never forget for the rest of my life and am very thankful that no one was seriously injured). While driving down Airport Road there were, as usual, a group of people standing in the median trying to cross the road. I clearly remember a little boy, about 8 years old in a lime green t-shirt, hesitate to cross as our car was coming close and Jane slowing down but then picking up speed again after seeing the boy pull back. At the very last second the boy darted in front of the car without any time for Jane to stop and we hit him going about 40 Km/h. There was a brief second where he was out of sight and I was thinking the worst. But then he appeared crawling off the road and he did not seem to be seriously injured. He stood up, rubbed his head and then Jane got him into the car with an older relative of the boy. We took him to the hospital but he was only looked at briefly before being told to come back later for x-rays. Meg and I were dropped off at Tunza and Jane took the boy back to the hospital. I really hope there were no internal injuries and that he was well looked after. I could not believe how calm and unshaken the boy was. He did not shed one tear or complain, he only had a bump on the back of his head.
The reason we were going to Tunza in the first place was to celebrate Ross’ birthday and so we stayed for dinner and then went home shortly afterwards. We had a pleasant evening but I could not stop thinking about the little boy. Driving in Mwanza is pretty dangerous because the rules are not strongly enforced or made at all. You have to be very careful in a car or just being a pedestrian.
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