I am now starting to shake the jetlag after our long tiresome journey! Missy and Dane have been amazing hosts and have taken us around town for tours while pointing out some good shops (duka) and places to eat. I also had the privilege of being at the opening of the first coffee shop EVER in Mwanza! Apparently this is a huge deal to the people, and it was pretty cool to be there on the opening day. This is so different from Canada where there is essentially a Tim Horton’s located on every street corner. The new Coffee shop is located in the more upscale end of town and the atmosphere was so relaxing and beautiful, we must have spent at least two hours there, and I’m sure it won’t be long before we return.
Mountain Dew takes over Mwanza!
Another premier I am fortunate to witness is the arrival of Mountain Dew in Mwanza for the first time! This is a very big deal, and it is being advertised everywhere! 
Kivulini Tour
This week we toured Kivulini Women’s Rights Organization with Missy who now works there. We got a chance to meet the director (Maimuna) who is very nice! Unfortunately most people were not there because they thought Tuesday was the “real” day back, I guess Monday was the “prepare” to come back to work day.
Missy told us about the Research she is doing at Kivulini. She works in the advocacy department doing proposal editing/writing. She just finished creating a handbook for community leaders on how to respond to domestic violence. Right now she is doing research on domestic violence and maternal morbidity and mortality, as well as sexual violence against children. She said she absolutely loves the work she is doing, but sometimes the stories she hears can be very horrific. Kivulini is such a great organization and I’m so glad Mwanza has something like this.
Luchalele
Luchalele
After our tour of Kivulini, Maimuna took us to Luchalele which is a lake region about 20 minutes from Kivulini. We met with a lady who is currently managing a large farm all on her own! It was really quite inspiring, she works so hard. She has about 300 chickens, 3 turkeys, 3 ducks, 5-10 roosters, 20 rabbits, 15 baby rabbits, and 10 other unidentified birds. The farm is located on about 1 ½ acres of land in a beautiful area located right on Lake Victoria. Maimuna spoke to the lady (Sarah) and told her all about the Yoghurt Mamas. Currently, the mamas own a piece of land, but it is not being managed well and they are losing money from it. We think Sarah may have some useful tips for the Mamas regarding how to profit, including which feed/crops she uses, and how they can use their man power effectively. After this we watched a beautiful sunset over Lake Victoria, a perfect end to an eventful day!
Interesting Fact: Chris has a huge fear of chickens and we were in a pen of about 300 chickens! I’m so proud of him, talk about facing your fears!
Sunset
Major Adjustments/Observations
I have now officially been in Tanzania for a week and already I have noticed many differences from Canada that will undoubtedly take some getting used to.
1. Water
- You cannot drink any water from the tap. It has not been purified and can contain various amoebas/worms which could make you extremely sick. It’s amazing how much we rely on water, and I have already found myself running back to get my bottled water before brushing my teeth. It’s the simple things like this that we are so fortunate to have in Canada. I know many people here are not as cautious and brush their teeth and wash their fruits in vegetables with tap water, but their systems are used to this, and I definitely don’t want to take any chances.
2. Showers
- Luckily it is safe to shower in this water; however it is freezing cold! This is a BIG change for me and is not easy! I think the first time I showered it was the fastest one I have ever taken. Nevertheless, I realize I should be fortunate that we have running water because for many people in Tanzania this is a luxury.
3. Prices
- I’m still trying to get a handle on how much things actually cost. The currency they use here is Tanzanian Shillings (TSH) and $1.00 Canadian dollar, is equal to about $1000 TSH. It’s quite weird when you look at the menu and you see that a meal costs 6000 TSH, but in reality this is actually less than $6.00 CDN which is quite cheap! It is also very rare to tip in restaurants and no one ever expects it. However, a large group of us went out to dinner and there was only one waitress working and the whole restaurant was very busy. She did such a great job so we gave her a tip and she was so happy!! Before buying something I always ask Missy how much I should expect to pay, because foreigners are always charged higher prices. So I’m working on my bartering skills (Punguza bei = lower the price).
4. Language
- You can never spend too long exchanging greetings in East Africa! They vary depending on whether you’re speaking to one person or several, or to an older or younger person. People often spend a few minutes with their hands clasped, catching up on all the latest news. You are expected to shake hands often, and always using your right hand. If your right hand is full or dirty, you are supposed to offer your wrist instead. When greetings elders you say “Shikamoo” to be respectful and then they say “Marahaba.” There are so many greetings that all essentially mean the same thing, and I am still learning new ones every day. It is so amusing to walk by the children. They learn a few basic English things in school, and whenever they see a “Mzungu” (Foreign white person) they will sometimes say “I am fine”, “Teacher” (because many assume all white people are teachers), “give a me money” (because they assume white people are rich), or “good morning” even when it is the late afternoon.
Common Greetings:
Jambo – Hello
Habari? – Hello/How are you?
Habari? – Hello/How are you?
Mambo (Vipi) – How are things?
Shikamoo – Hello said to an elder
“Shikamoo” is a respectful way to say hello to elders or people of prominent position. In the English language there is no distinct word to signify that, which just shows how important introductions and greeting are taken in Tanzania.
- Just making an attempt to say a few things in Swahili results in a lot of respect from the people here, so I am making an effort to smile at everyone and say “Mambo! Habari!” (Hi, How are you?). You can reply to almost any greeting using nzuri (good), salama or safi (fine). If things are really good, you can add sana (very), or kabisa (totally).
5. Driving Conditions
- First of all, the driver’s seat is on the opposite side as in Canada and people drive on the left side of the road or at least they are supposed to. In my opinion, there doesn’t seem to be any rules of the road, the lanes are not marked and drivers are constantly weaving in and out. The driving conditions are pretty horrific! As a pedestrian, you are risking your life every time you go into town. Cars, Taxi’s, Dala Dalas, and Pikipikis (motorcycles) are constantly honking their horns which basically means “move” because they will not slow down! Even being on the sidewalk does not ensure complete safety as vehicles will drive up on to the curb to maneuver around people or objects. In my opinion, if you are going to get injured in Mwanza, it will be from a motor vehicle!
The ProjectToday Chris and I made some good progress! While I was at the Kitchen, Mama Joyce's son Stanley was there and he was helping me with my Swahili. I mentioned to him that I was looking for a translator to assist me with communicating to them because they don't speak English. He said he would be happy to help us! He is currently in College and his English seems pretty good. Next week I will follow up with him and arrange our first meeting with the Mamas!!!
Mtoni Secondary School
This week I was able to go to Mtoni Secondary School with the Mamas a couple times. This is where they run a breakfast program every weekday morning. Every morning the women go to the school around 7 or 8 to cook about 200 chappatis and 200 mandaziis as well as chai for the high school students. They sell the food and tea at a low cost to make sure that the students all have access to an affordable breakfast. Since the ingredients in the food are inexpensive the Mamas actually make a profit off of the program as well and it benefits everyone. The school kids really seem to love what the Mamas provide and the sales are great! Next they are going to teach me how to make them! :)
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