tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36062346751742503692024-03-12T20:09:25.433-07:00Shannon Heads EastA documentation of my time in East Africa as a Western Heads East InternShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-26011752813468595442011-05-08T09:59:00.000-07:002011-05-08T09:59:38.523-07:00<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Re-cap of my final week in Tanzania</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Monday I went to visit the Mamas! It was so great to see them again and working harder than ever! I spent the majority of the morning helping them prepare chapattis for the Mtoni secondary school children and then visited them in the kitchen for part of the afternoon. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was also finally able to meet Esther! Esther is the Western Heads East liaison here in Tanzania. When I arrived in January she was off on maternity leave so I didn’t get a chance to see her. I have heard so many positive things about her, so it was great to finally get a chance to talk to her. She updated me with where things are at with all of the women’s groups in Mwanza and I provided her with some additional information from when I was here from January to March. </span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPh-PR46YVMD65yJCHea_W6uUVz4EKCfjCvesHwHE8vLqhPcdNs2gYXjVBq9S-8BsL62r4Zs7aq_v8aShOxdrcCFZkBh6B6wae2vg8gGhqUPtY_MTkCe80GuuLmxW3VZtXpevlhhnI36ga/s1600/Making+Chapattis.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPh-PR46YVMD65yJCHea_W6uUVz4EKCfjCvesHwHE8vLqhPcdNs2gYXjVBq9S-8BsL62r4Zs7aq_v8aShOxdrcCFZkBh6B6wae2vg8gGhqUPtY_MTkCe80GuuLmxW3VZtXpevlhhnI36ga/s320/Making+Chapattis.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making Chapattis</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkf5wCjQN5kwkVqFnpf8LDYvY5EyuvFEO4zORP1oBvMgLNM8FLnNo2Yi9MzDENGKTFrR7uaK7dHSnYNlF9mzqmvPngNgjLZf5jO5OJiX2dD4s_Xg0DAlgX1jittJ8OOpc7OgzK4YO_NlX/s1600/Me+and+mama+Elizabeth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkf5wCjQN5kwkVqFnpf8LDYvY5EyuvFEO4zORP1oBvMgLNM8FLnNo2Yi9MzDENGKTFrR7uaK7dHSnYNlF9mzqmvPngNgjLZf5jO5OJiX2dD4s_Xg0DAlgX1jittJ8OOpc7OgzK4YO_NlX/s320/Me+and+mama+Elizabeth.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me and Mama Elizabeth</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Tuesday I went to St. Augustine University to meet up with a friend I met when I was in Mwanza from January to March. It was really nice to be in the university atmosphere and of course to visit Lina again! The students are just finishing up their last month of classes before exams begin in June. Lina is in her final year and about to graduate with her bachelor’s in Sociology. I attended a Human Rights lecture with her, and she also brought me to her home, which is conveniently located right beside the university! We had a really nice day together, and I am really going miss Lina when I go back to Canada! On Saturday she aIso invited me to “Shafiq” beach located just a short distance from SAUT and located right on Lake Victoria. Her and a group of her classmates had arranged a gathering to discuss various topics including; graduation, comprehensive exams, defending their research, and opportunities in today’s job market. It was a wonderful afternoon and the view was gorgeous! I just want to say thank-you to Lina (who I know frequently reads my blog), I am so happy I met you, I have learned so much from you, and have enjoyed experiencing what University is like in Tanzania. I wish you all the best in the future, you are a very smart girl and I know you can accomplish anything you set your mind to! I hope to see you in Canada one day! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNR97hq01BQPuhxqqTt3k6e0ApvpGGO-N0Plrwduy4D7if_tPy1RmbvQzIZLZoLrqUBAR_N0vhjFG-Ki4Nmn77mm9oU9QP4FtlzOnpW43lGiz1DjWiibK6enecVVu6m-Che_utDeWBUHl1/s1600/Lina+and+I+at+SAUT.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNR97hq01BQPuhxqqTt3k6e0ApvpGGO-N0Plrwduy4D7if_tPy1RmbvQzIZLZoLrqUBAR_N0vhjFG-Ki4Nmn77mm9oU9QP4FtlzOnpW43lGiz1DjWiibK6enecVVu6m-Che_utDeWBUHl1/s320/Lina+and+I+at+SAUT.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lina and I at SAUT (ready for lecture!)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7n6OVqz2AoP2dSGmHJCV2zw2Wx1LP9aNteAG2j_U2cfFlodsUTR4_5TaCG5qH-hABxiZZWP6wdacuwd1irmatL5RfUDWKDxBR2RX1K-1fj25Scu4NLLZnCWIUGWla1c_dDiC1wI9Yx1p7/s1600/Lake+Victoria.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7n6OVqz2AoP2dSGmHJCV2zw2Wx1LP9aNteAG2j_U2cfFlodsUTR4_5TaCG5qH-hABxiZZWP6wdacuwd1irmatL5RfUDWKDxBR2RX1K-1fj25Scu4NLLZnCWIUGWla1c_dDiC1wI9Yx1p7/s320/Lake+Victoria.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lake Victoria</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBA2XPKO8e3gq1bAqm1eDELg81i98_CR2MkiQn59G02pkD9Q7JRLZZ8Sh8Vb8UR0M9XfwZUgbVRHq-wU6_3pNnxG-BFOQyMfZ06-Te3J1NLkXyP7fWziABjucinPpE3Ue_yNcnRLZikbD/s1600/Shafiq+Beach+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBA2XPKO8e3gq1bAqm1eDELg81i98_CR2MkiQn59G02pkD9Q7JRLZZ8Sh8Vb8UR0M9XfwZUgbVRHq-wU6_3pNnxG-BFOQyMfZ06-Te3J1NLkXyP7fWziABjucinPpE3Ue_yNcnRLZikbD/s320/Shafiq+Beach+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shafiq beach</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhepTLhyzmScGE6HhL8gQ2RXh6tV05cg8fjuneCRSzTtQ66SQBbZVeV-r2e3pphNGFBR2WzFLZbGXptcW3vdOKpyqVCBozNHe-haWrZwlsTT2_dlwSPCwdzOMiVMEfS2WeO0SrOa8786urk/s1600/Me+at+Shafiq+beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhepTLhyzmScGE6HhL8gQ2RXh6tV05cg8fjuneCRSzTtQ66SQBbZVeV-r2e3pphNGFBR2WzFLZbGXptcW3vdOKpyqVCBozNHe-haWrZwlsTT2_dlwSPCwdzOMiVMEfS2WeO0SrOa8786urk/s320/Me+at+Shafiq+beach.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgau-39vJabBnjm_2BuHE9pnEmek33BHfeRc06vE5-f0jbDN-JC5ymP12_J7SQ7wyuNS-nR1gRx4JayFIpqACfvAJEsRH-CWQiqpyQEcX9tSmRv-a4Oqz-XvEGRnDASeqIymW6BIEdrvJUa/s1600/Me+with+SAUT+students+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgau-39vJabBnjm_2BuHE9pnEmek33BHfeRc06vE5-f0jbDN-JC5ymP12_J7SQ7wyuNS-nR1gRx4JayFIpqACfvAJEsRH-CWQiqpyQEcX9tSmRv-a4Oqz-XvEGRnDASeqIymW6BIEdrvJUa/s320/Me+with+SAUT+students+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me with the SAUT students!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wednesday I made my final visit to the ChemChem program with Mama Lau. This is a program that I attended multiple times during my first 2 months in Mwanza and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It is a NGO that focuses on health and nutrition issues for mothers and their malnourished children specifically those under 5 years of age. They visit different regions in Mwanza and provide nutrition education and demonstrations on how to prepare Uji (thin porridge made of a mixture of millet, rice, soy, and maize flours). Although it is very difficult to understand what is being said because it is completely in Swahili, I am still happy to go and see such a positive program being delivered to the community free of charge. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcOAXL27lJKrxXg8sYydkjAP6u0e-HQtRsuWS0fkk7qUSgtOuJouV0QeW-XHCXar-FDsJIPfo0zS3XoCv-q2kme2sTA6dcBtKnDI7Ii573TYMQv9VjmRiQRf69RBQe6H2h-5R4IX5d8mc/s1600/Drinking+Uji.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcOAXL27lJKrxXg8sYydkjAP6u0e-HQtRsuWS0fkk7qUSgtOuJouV0QeW-XHCXar-FDsJIPfo0zS3XoCv-q2kme2sTA6dcBtKnDI7Ii573TYMQv9VjmRiQRf69RBQe6H2h-5R4IX5d8mc/s320/Drinking+Uji.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mmmmm Uji!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Visit to Bugando!</span></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week I also had the wonderful opportunity to visit Bugando hospital. My teacher friend from Mtoni secondary school, Perpetua, has a husband who is a working as a nurse in the adult intensive care unit there. I was talking to him the other day and mentioned the possibility of me coming to work with him one day just to observe and get a sense of what it is like working in a hospital in Tanzania. In addition, I am interested in nursing as a possible career so I thought it would be neat to see how things operate. He ran things by the matron, and of course it was fine, so I spent that day shadowing him and touring the hospital. It’s definitely very very different here, not near as advanced in terms of facilities, equipment, food etc, etc. In fact, the food preparation that day was taking place outside at the back of the hospital because the stoves weren’t working and there was water leaking all over the kitchen. They were cooking massive amounts of ugali, rice, beans, and meat in huge pots using fire wood! It looked like such intense work! But, I guess you have to do what you have to do, they have 800 people they have to serve, and they won’t let broken equipment get in the way!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also a fee required to be treated which is a huge burden and limits many people for being able to receive the appropriate medical care. Overall, it was a really great experience, and made me feel even more fortunate for the health care system I have access to in Canada. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Friday I went back to Buswelu primary school to pick up some cards/question sheets that I had left with the headmaster back in March for the students. I was pleasantly surprised to find them all completed wonderfully by the class 5 and 6 students with pictures included and everything! I am looking forward to bringing them back to show the children at Tecumseh school in London Ontario. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Note:</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span>The Western Heads East project has facilitated a twinning program between the Tecumseh School in London, Ontario and the Buswelu Elementary School in Mwanza, Tanzania. Since 2005, the Tecumseh Public School has contributed to the building of desks and has raised funds to support other needed supplies. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The questions that I had them complete were:</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>What is your favourite thing about Tanzania?<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>What is your favourite food?<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>What is one question you have about Canada? <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really enjoyed looking through their answers and the pictures they drew! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is a little taste of some of the answers provided:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-collapse: collapse; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"><tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: black 1pt solid; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: black 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Question 1 Answers</span></span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: black 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Question 2 Answers</span></span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: black 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Question 3 Answers</span></span></b></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: black 1pt solid; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Traditional Dances</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rice and Beans</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When are you coming to Tanzania?</span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: black 1pt solid; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tanzania’s National Parks (i.e. Serengeti, Ngorogoro)</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ugali and Tilapia</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you learn Kiswahili at school in Canada?</span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: black 1pt solid; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tanzania’s National Flag</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fried Sardines (dagaa)</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How is the weather in Canada this month? Is it warm or cold?</span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: black 1pt solid; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lake Victoria</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pilau</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How is life in Canada in 2011?</span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: black 1pt solid; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mount Kilimanjaro</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rice and Meat</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How do you get to school? By foot or bus?</span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: black 1pt solid; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mineral Resources</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ugali</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are there many children at schools in Canada?</span></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdAPGa7eKeLYZCCSBwGv312f4vxrw7EZcuDjFgEUQj7tSwK7EWgfqXhAe5go8LlUhvEdJVDp05kfU1KPH79I7b4q4sOdFDk74fPhpH1Z-3RVC6DhBOmhJceBD6Dr3Se9QumH0mtOPQmOM/s1600/Buswelu+School.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdAPGa7eKeLYZCCSBwGv312f4vxrw7EZcuDjFgEUQj7tSwK7EWgfqXhAe5go8LlUhvEdJVDp05kfU1KPH79I7b4q4sOdFDk74fPhpH1Z-3RVC6DhBOmhJceBD6Dr3Se9QumH0mtOPQmOM/s320/Buswelu+School.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buswelu Primary School</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRal1GKy_LOcdt9-uH41lM56OyMmW8jfG3UIFWY6FvfBIkG-lAl6Pnt5Gg3_wwtBCNEu9oPGq6SakZ-nmGiVLY3pPg4Pzbh9yaXDajLqAGqRO8fmZg5JUhvsbTyJDhRaQhFThegknXjhl1/s1600/Buswelu+Primary.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRal1GKy_LOcdt9-uH41lM56OyMmW8jfG3UIFWY6FvfBIkG-lAl6Pnt5Gg3_wwtBCNEu9oPGq6SakZ-nmGiVLY3pPg4Pzbh9yaXDajLqAGqRO8fmZg5JUhvsbTyJDhRaQhFThegknXjhl1/s320/Buswelu+Primary.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYH88-1KWYd8LveMIyzYQB09M_fcf6mcCTuvVX9t9uU-VrVDo325V9N5EP7H-CiCrEbFnFb5Jz67nuox9bBgg4L1XQslV69YoEVEMq_yqWzROxZnfkBVZct5Uy-XXXBxkb8TfON7RtqZuk/s1600/Buswelu+Students+work+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYH88-1KWYd8LveMIyzYQB09M_fcf6mcCTuvVX9t9uU-VrVDo325V9N5EP7H-CiCrEbFnFb5Jz67nuox9bBgg4L1XQslV69YoEVEMq_yqWzROxZnfkBVZct5Uy-XXXBxkb8TfON7RtqZuk/s320/Buswelu+Students+work+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wonderful work of Buswelu Students!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">A few things I’ve learned from being in Tanzania for 4 months:</span></strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Always carry toilet paper with you! It’s a luxury when toilet paper is provided in the bathroom, or let alone having a bathroom to access (isn’t that what bushes are for?)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">If you’re lucky enough to experience a bus ride in Africa, girls wear a skirt!! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Having power is somewhat of a luxury. When the power is on, charge ALL your electronics! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Just because you are walking on the sidewalk does not mean that you won’t be hit by a daladala, car, or motorbike!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">"Muzungu's" (aka non-African people, usually white skinned) are a hot item to be stared at, waved at, pointed at, and frantically yelled at with a Muzungu!!"</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">There are no fenced in fields of grazing animals. Single cows and goats are literally tied up in the ditches at the side of the road</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are many signs in the town of Arusha that say: Street Kids + Glue = Drugs <br />
this is very true, the street kids very openly do drugs. There are organizations set up to help these children but they are choosing the streets and the drugs. I have seen them throw food to the ground when it was given to them, and then ask for money</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">There are more than a 120 different tribes in Tanzania. Every person in Tanzania knows which tribe that they are from. People in the city may live and work the same no matter which tribe they originated from. The only difference that I have noticed in the city is that some people from different tribes may like different foods. If you ever come to Tanzania you will soon see how the children make their way into your heart. It is interesting to see how they make unique homemade toys to keep themselves entertained. They may use an old suitcase, scrap metal, a stick, or old wire formed into a little car. When watching them you quickly learn that they have nothing, yet they are so content. They find joy in everything that they do. They are most always smiling and laughing and are so friendly to visitors</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The longer I live in Tanzania the more I learn that people are just people. We all have a lot of the same struggles, same personalities, same feelings. The poverty is what has the greatest impact on the people of Tanzania. It affects every aspect of life in Tanzania. It truly determines the culture and why people do what they do.The thing I like the least about this is the corruption and theft among the people especially among those who are in charge or has any sort of authority. But my favorite thing about the people in Tanzania is their hospitality and family togetherness.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Mannerisms </strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">No matter who you are or where you are it is completely socially acceptable to pick your nose, and I mean really pick your nose. It can be quite awkward when a superior starts doing this in the midst of a conversation </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">People also burp all the time here and never say excuse me – it’s just a normal thing that everyone does any and everywhere. Sometimes I forget that this is acceptable and sometimes pause after someone burps, waiting for them to say “excuse me” but they just look at me funny</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Something very surprising is that virtually everyone has cellphones! Even people who are extremely poor with no running water or electricity have cellphones and will answer them in any situation!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div></span></span><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>“Did you know….”</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The writings around the edges of Kangas (wrap around skirts) range from armorous outpourings to pointed humor. For a sampling of what’s being said, see </span></span><a href="http://www.glcom.com/hassan/kanga.html"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">www.glcom.com/hassan/kanga.html</span></span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Tanzania has one of the lowest rates of secondary school enrolment in the world, with less than 7% of suitably aged youth enrolled</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It’s common for a woman to drop her own name, and become known as Mama followed by the name of her oldest son (or daughter if she has no sons)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">About 6% (59,000 sq km) of mainland Tanzania is covered by vast inland lakes</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In addition to boasting Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro (5896m), Tanzania also has the continents lowest point – the floor of lake Tanganyika, at 358m below sea level</span></span></div></span><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Pb1MC9j3-G1gEZF_UuH0qHs-IGgGXygcnMDkrh_BTJ1pqIjgk8tVTM10VIXU-RXFdAR1G7ny34hl2XSDixzGOz_Lkc_e7SeC4Gp7WW06V18LJXV4EpUePiPpRkhPJP3Y6_r89oGp3-Ip/s1600/TWG+group+shot+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Pb1MC9j3-G1gEZF_UuH0qHs-IGgGXygcnMDkrh_BTJ1pqIjgk8tVTM10VIXU-RXFdAR1G7ny34hl2XSDixzGOz_Lkc_e7SeC4Gp7WW06V18LJXV4EpUePiPpRkhPJP3Y6_r89oGp3-Ip/s320/TWG+group+shot+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-80684104719862457362011-05-01T10:02:00.000-07:002011-05-01T10:02:40.862-07:00Enjoying my last couple weeks in Tanzania<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Zanzibar!</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKo2dkWGpWcih5_qqkjDnRMEkpEXr3QQMAJ6QfOBHMntYAiTzgOL6sJtBN7T5Fitmj9F3h805T2koKg9eOF9KhD3m5APxIq4oBH-RQP9D1yU0fxT7w5PtXSadf1B0Re1QkCmzKA5Dxrtlr/s1600/zanzibar.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKo2dkWGpWcih5_qqkjDnRMEkpEXr3QQMAJ6QfOBHMntYAiTzgOL6sJtBN7T5Fitmj9F3h805T2koKg9eOF9KhD3m5APxIq4oBH-RQP9D1yU0fxT7w5PtXSadf1B0Re1QkCmzKA5Dxrtlr/s320/zanzibar.gif" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last Friday (Good Friday) my wonderful holiday to Zanzibar began! I successfully survived my first flight on my own to Zanzibar, where I would later meet Chris and Kendra. Everything went very smoothly. When I got off the plane I basically just walked into the airport, and then kept on walking…nobody bothered to even check my passport or yellow fever card. Not much security to say the least! From there, I met our guide from GAPAdventures who would be assisting us for the four days we would spend in Zanzibar. He escorted me to the Dhow Palace Hotel in Stone Town where we would spend two days. The hotel was fabulous! Compared to the conditions I have been living in for the past 3 ½ months, I definitely felt like I was living in luxury! I had my own bed, bathroom, and T.V (I don’t even have this at home!). I must admit that having a T.V was a pretty awesome addition! I haven’t watched T.V in over 3 months so I was pretty mesmerized…and there were over 60 channels!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAd1JwRt9MIssPsEU__EhOJomXoZ0YY4eKr8KoViSWwDnLtPc3hZsmVqxZyuqbUYOm2un3Fn-L4l_OQldjGn4BEmLiQnB4JmRdskWmGITz00sepeU5RKcsN56Z9C2xdvt-pYJEAVgJDSIP/s1600/Zanzibar+Airport+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAd1JwRt9MIssPsEU__EhOJomXoZ0YY4eKr8KoViSWwDnLtPc3hZsmVqxZyuqbUYOm2un3Fn-L4l_OQldjGn4BEmLiQnB4JmRdskWmGITz00sepeU5RKcsN56Z9C2xdvt-pYJEAVgJDSIP/s320/Zanzibar+Airport+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Zanzibar Airport</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0GO8nAhwMBj9_euIyDzO5QgTY9ciho0k13P91FMN_msghZKhvuZQLg_hJy_tCy1U4IFWN0eWKBoHG9v09_1AfCgxcubtaC49-95iSHnbxY85jLSZx_fww0SbptXsQ90MFBKsRjG_25w6/s1600/Dhow+Palace+door.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0GO8nAhwMBj9_euIyDzO5QgTY9ciho0k13P91FMN_msghZKhvuZQLg_hJy_tCy1U4IFWN0eWKBoHG9v09_1AfCgxcubtaC49-95iSHnbxY85jLSZx_fww0SbptXsQ90MFBKsRjG_25w6/s320/Dhow+Palace+door.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsagWGkvb3wyr7ZAJlhzJQby1ShWi1h-OOL4Szbfr7u2AuBsjR5dZIuu60cjgK-c4yqNsXoTfldOKppS0C99pZAfK0lhJYfMEQ2H1SARZSsiPZxknOCpHMQIbnlxMNW92QO9bxwB6uUwV/s1600/Room+14+Dhow+Palace.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsagWGkvb3wyr7ZAJlhzJQby1ShWi1h-OOL4Szbfr7u2AuBsjR5dZIuu60cjgK-c4yqNsXoTfldOKppS0C99pZAfK0lhJYfMEQ2H1SARZSsiPZxknOCpHMQIbnlxMNW92QO9bxwB6uUwV/s320/Room+14+Dhow+Palace.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Room #14 (My room at the Dhow)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Later in the evening we met up with some friends and had a delicious Indian meal! The service was incredible, like nothing I have ever encountered in Tanzania! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTiRnw7nOA09YyXPysA_aI1gQ8Ge_GCoj0Bq-zq3O9fuLLqZggHUdAZtPad7sSEZSf7ksKzMCP-ZpAuDDmoSDjoq7WyQZYcEsK3rzs43hBI66w5AdmnNaL48fOvk-cqu-lzs2wtuavCn_/s1600/Indian+Food.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTiRnw7nOA09YyXPysA_aI1gQ8Ge_GCoj0Bq-zq3O9fuLLqZggHUdAZtPad7sSEZSf7ksKzMCP-ZpAuDDmoSDjoq7WyQZYcEsK3rzs43hBI66w5AdmnNaL48fOvk-cqu-lzs2wtuavCn_/s320/Indian+Food.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chakula Kizuri</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSATFB3NZb2HLfWcZDtk5wRwPBjsFsm9y3LKONL482dK1x5ScItV0xLJ9soFlNC4-9sJ70uaNS8wzi7v8-hWI73ZkcuCvkCaR1jo-4vwD-DpfhehyphenhyphenIJB8iBG85b3_hTuaUQ7WKywkT0Ohj/s1600/first+meal+in+Zanzibar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSATFB3NZb2HLfWcZDtk5wRwPBjsFsm9y3LKONL482dK1x5ScItV0xLJ9soFlNC4-9sJ70uaNS8wzi7v8-hWI73ZkcuCvkCaR1jo-4vwD-DpfhehyphenhyphenIJB8iBG85b3_hTuaUQ7WKywkT0Ohj/s320/first+meal+in+Zanzibar.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First night out!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stone Town</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Saturday morning, our guide Salum picked us up from our hotel for a wonderful walking tour of Stone Town! Stone Town is the oldest living historic city in East Africa and the cultural heart of Zanzibar. Due to its heritage, Stone Town is also a major visitor attraction in Tanzania, and a large part of the economy depends on tourism – related activities. It is extremely difficult to navigate your way through the narrow maze-like streets, which are more like what we consider alleys than streets that even cars cannot pass through, but it is a very unique place. It is pretty much a given that you will, at some point, get lost wondering through Stone Town (or at least I know I would!) The good news is that Stone Town is very small so eventually you will find yourself at the ocean or one of the main roads. It was recently declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000! Some of the sites we visited included the house of wonders, fish market, and slave market. It was really eye opening to see the slave chamber where the slaves were kept, the conditions were absolutely treacherous! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTKOc0kc1xvPs4ae8IFWsx-a8BEN3tcYGtUuM8mZu6E2zLa-VqDN3LCC2gVCIJcA4g5GzfeKO8AXIz97a5ChMhrbs4woxhIm7jIIH6Hv_FvYvH_oq1ZRlIxFB3TtQ28LQUOHVsfB7V40m/s1600/Stone+Town+street.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTKOc0kc1xvPs4ae8IFWsx-a8BEN3tcYGtUuM8mZu6E2zLa-VqDN3LCC2gVCIJcA4g5GzfeKO8AXIz97a5ChMhrbs4woxhIm7jIIH6Hv_FvYvH_oq1ZRlIxFB3TtQ28LQUOHVsfB7V40m/s320/Stone+Town+street.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Street in Stone Town</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJ6BKAoDodNI_XW_h9qHoUHuYcU3ro_4kQEGOgn98PhVBYd9oNMr5ZtAk4IBjyL-kcB3uQ7FLYRS_lcBu7VkZSkUM1a71xweDjnm1cB6R9PhR2aJx20rTCINW54PqVGhZa_TcSka3oINr/s1600/Stone+town.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJ6BKAoDodNI_XW_h9qHoUHuYcU3ro_4kQEGOgn98PhVBYd9oNMr5ZtAk4IBjyL-kcB3uQ7FLYRS_lcBu7VkZSkUM1a71xweDjnm1cB6R9PhR2aJx20rTCINW54PqVGhZa_TcSka3oINr/s320/Stone+town.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Walking through Stone Town </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXfaBji9wGoeGm5CACMInJtaUVbUY5C1U-Jf5WWNAxq70krUr6-ciGA1nhjHdmuHXgPkLjhm90AJ9SXR37G-IAaz06BjXpCZT4c0s7vos_zA2Qqv2iyhUaLRv8HylLG2upPY7zOxahJ0x/s1600/Slave+chamber+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXfaBji9wGoeGm5CACMInJtaUVbUY5C1U-Jf5WWNAxq70krUr6-ciGA1nhjHdmuHXgPkLjhm90AJ9SXR37G-IAaz06BjXpCZT4c0s7vos_zA2Qqv2iyhUaLRv8HylLG2upPY7zOxahJ0x/s320/Slave+chamber+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slave Chamber </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>SLAVERY IN AFRICA</strong> <br />
The height of slavery was in the mid 19th century; It is estimated that between 80,000 and 100,000 Africans per year were sold into slavery or were killed by the Swahili Arabs and dominant local tribes. Most were taken from Zambia and Malawi and taken to the shores of Lake Malawi and sold to wholesalers and then taken across the lake. They were then marched across Mozambique usually chained or tied and carrying elephant tusks for export. Any slaves too ill to make the journey were simply abandoned. Most died of dehydration or were killed by wild animals. At the coast they were loaded into dhows and shipped to Zanzibar. They would be packed tightly together with no food and water and lying in their own excrement. The bodies of those who perished were left lying amongst the living. Those who survived where auctioned in Zanzibar and then shipped to places such as Arabia or India.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2t-ebAMKlO5D8w5XN-Q67ZEX-v5WhRF9ItNXBlFxnfbqkXkjfqvVuC2Xg7rPkaSGePr6dJKbDTtACan-hAJcNALJwtXhOYuFGomhQ9szjqGd3wweKAkIB3GVHV6E_R78TglNxFdJv6gTK/s1600/Chris+with+slave+statue.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2t-ebAMKlO5D8w5XN-Q67ZEX-v5WhRF9ItNXBlFxnfbqkXkjfqvVuC2Xg7rPkaSGePr6dJKbDTtACan-hAJcNALJwtXhOYuFGomhQ9szjqGd3wweKAkIB3GVHV6E_R78TglNxFdJv6gTK/s320/Chris+with+slave+statue.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris by the Slave Statue</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stone Town has many tourist shops that I thoroughly enjoyed looking at! Especially the earrings…which I have a bit of a fetish for <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sTgsNS_lYVR2b2grnZkXU-pNh26KH5QQ_4-aNuBw2zioxcqDgR1GWC0kqpWQnVhX1eQm0YK9wWCdR3ocerqkm5FDQJcOShHFHqz-Qu2oG-Jm5RsU6szNNNbolUxeOZh0BE9K-Wx8YNby/s1600/Earrings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sTgsNS_lYVR2b2grnZkXU-pNh26KH5QQ_4-aNuBw2zioxcqDgR1GWC0kqpWQnVhX1eQm0YK9wWCdR3ocerqkm5FDQJcOShHFHqz-Qu2oG-Jm5RsU6szNNNbolUxeOZh0BE9K-Wx8YNby/s320/Earrings.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So many choices!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVP9N8pE2qu_vLhIIyC4QulXsTXZ5VIcElbDIgpkGg12mOYJF2iBhGfaDEmkGt8aMhuiM_B1_8NvIMj-PFIyxtuv90ngxu-EsyY8F09b7LwN-rXpnKqu8OqnjYCLL9B-C4Xy_RDo6HwhFN/s1600/Me+with+Jewelerry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVP9N8pE2qu_vLhIIyC4QulXsTXZ5VIcElbDIgpkGg12mOYJF2iBhGfaDEmkGt8aMhuiM_B1_8NvIMj-PFIyxtuv90ngxu-EsyY8F09b7LwN-rXpnKqu8OqnjYCLL9B-C4Xy_RDo6HwhFN/s320/Me+with+Jewelerry.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me with all the Jewellery </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Night Fish Market!</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The night fish market was definitely a highlight in Stone Town! If you go to Zanzibar, you will quickly see that seafood is a pretty big deal. The fishing contributes to a large percentage of the whole Tanzanian GDP and the market for fish is especially enhanced with the tourism and tourists expecting seafood. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Stone Town has an amazing night food market every evening from 7:00pm until around 1:00am, that sells mainly seafood which is cooked right in front of you. I got to experiment with tasting many types of fish such as king fish, octopus, calamari, and lobster! They were all absolutely delicious, but Kendra , who has eaten these same kinds of fish before, said they taste nothing like this in Canada! Another specialty at the market is the famous Zanzibar Pizzas! I tried a dessert pizza which consisted of mango, banana, and nutella (kind of like a casadia) it was fabulous! </span></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Feast your eyes!</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1drRHuhhzJVSLKKURuwiB5Z6kMqK3Tu0VZJE2ErGfYFm03oic2vmuFlLf3aJLta_aD2amgYivJ1MVYrk1wgWItWC2tGNhB9vjC4gfQrUYW0bV95kOgT5J0E5qkzPlBVzQB4MRqx9G5f6/s1600/Fresh+Fish+market.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1drRHuhhzJVSLKKURuwiB5Z6kMqK3Tu0VZJE2ErGfYFm03oic2vmuFlLf3aJLta_aD2amgYivJ1MVYrk1wgWItWC2tGNhB9vjC4gfQrUYW0bV95kOgT5J0E5qkzPlBVzQB4MRqx9G5f6/s320/Fresh+Fish+market.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6H2UAolDl6l0YZ6pI51PfwKUburJQYNft4Y1HUjqpDU5aKnCSYxc5wca6rgGMAr5LdmuFtw6Gzv6HP6-y8pinMtmckvxzKyKC-kgfm7gND07b4X7fonA1F3VYZXCCJr_RUW6D9mE3VAF2/s1600/Night+fish+market.+%25289%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6H2UAolDl6l0YZ6pI51PfwKUburJQYNft4Y1HUjqpDU5aKnCSYxc5wca6rgGMAr5LdmuFtw6Gzv6HP6-y8pinMtmckvxzKyKC-kgfm7gND07b4X7fonA1F3VYZXCCJr_RUW6D9mE3VAF2/s320/Night+fish+market.+%25289%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxYTOmMlN5B5zSxUzKheFEcMb-ZeIlHsrspI26PqbNk_vAoCz7HGr3CqTeOfwJ2EIZ5n05CoSV1tF-jiiB0toMQkiFHdEejrpolE0QuWHOKTAXzgnWjz45AMzhPy0oqPku_u0QRs71nck/s1600/Night+fish+market.+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxYTOmMlN5B5zSxUzKheFEcMb-ZeIlHsrspI26PqbNk_vAoCz7HGr3CqTeOfwJ2EIZ5n05CoSV1tF-jiiB0toMQkiFHdEejrpolE0QuWHOKTAXzgnWjz45AMzhPy0oqPku_u0QRs71nck/s320/Night+fish+market.+%25285%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spice Tour </span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Easter Sunday we made our way to Nungwi, which is located at the north tip of the island. On our way we stopped for a spice tour in a beautiful spice plantation filled with countless spice and fruit trees! Zanzibar is often referred to as the Spice Island because back in the day it was a major spice grower and exporter. Apparently, the sultans and emperors found the climate in Zanzibar to be perfect for growing almost anything. I learned so much about so many varieties of spices including turmeric, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, cocoa, vanilla, etc, etc, etc! We were told about the many medicinal properties of the spices such as turmeric being anti-cancerous, and cloves beneficial to chew on if you have a toothache! We also saw the trees where countless fruits such as bananas, papaya, passion, mango, avocado, custard apple, etc grow! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Following the tour we were provided with a scrumptious feast of all the fruits we had just learned about. It was the best tasting fruit I have ever had!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we got to witness one of the men from the spice farm climb a coconut tree which was amazing! I have no idea how he did it! Chris and Kendra also gave it a try, and I’d say they gave an excellent effort! </span></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLs-jdFVLMZwyoJEjcrTRbRVTNxsJLp8R1ALv2iCUxgg7FQgORNrWNBaTWlZ2WZWB9CnUxyqcnVhlAKm_mHep2OYzv7mKhZXL0f8Etj1pmQMmeQ0MoBsaVrjpDtTPfTfE69BskeOHGXKzK/s1600/Girls+on+Spice+tour.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLs-jdFVLMZwyoJEjcrTRbRVTNxsJLp8R1ALv2iCUxgg7FQgORNrWNBaTWlZ2WZWB9CnUxyqcnVhlAKm_mHep2OYzv7mKhZXL0f8Etj1pmQMmeQ0MoBsaVrjpDtTPfTfE69BskeOHGXKzK/s320/Girls+on+Spice+tour.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the girls with our leaf "baskets" to collect our spices</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLH0n6RZXG8IAb1LgkhS6l374Uygo79F4T5n6TvN2Uf8SemCehNeTJCQc4iMAC6FN1H9kEQIJHQuFn0vpgl_X-yCcFNXzdnDQHvAWWav7W5rn0B9PT1vZRmP8YaAg0SgVglc-Q6F6Xd7Jk/s1600/Me+with+Passion+fruit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLH0n6RZXG8IAb1LgkhS6l374Uygo79F4T5n6TvN2Uf8SemCehNeTJCQc4iMAC6FN1H9kEQIJHQuFn0vpgl_X-yCcFNXzdnDQHvAWWav7W5rn0B9PT1vZRmP8YaAg0SgVglc-Q6F6Xd7Jk/s320/Me+with+Passion+fruit.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lovin the Passion Fruit</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijG39XdiT2AptI8ubXzOiBewSlCIbhjyE7hud1qg9PVnesRMcGHkz9_y6-x4X5j5iz8EHhXOzAMwhRPjvAT9HLk5cXB9bUmK5jNZA-lHsBRw43FxcYBFLVnxLvoTbFaZAzvsnYFwHG2UfO/s1600/Climbing+coconut+tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijG39XdiT2AptI8ubXzOiBewSlCIbhjyE7hud1qg9PVnesRMcGHkz9_y6-x4X5j5iz8EHhXOzAMwhRPjvAT9HLk5cXB9bUmK5jNZA-lHsBRw43FxcYBFLVnxLvoTbFaZAzvsnYFwHG2UfO/s320/Climbing+coconut+tree.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No idea how he does this??</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFC3Ku8PsxihYtIuL3l-JJOsAFUKZz4ezfhLHt51mo2r-bMgFexSAlwvhTZbubICZj2g4oY9YgsOYVtFjBwaI4RVv6sMDRnNSRLC6bs1vYRwpMxmzS4oAs2MUxB8O0YxszwyRUxN0xB_2/s1600/Chris+climbing+coconut+tree+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFC3Ku8PsxihYtIuL3l-JJOsAFUKZz4ezfhLHt51mo2r-bMgFexSAlwvhTZbubICZj2g4oY9YgsOYVtFjBwaI4RVv6sMDRnNSRLC6bs1vYRwpMxmzS4oAs2MUxB8O0YxszwyRUxN0xB_2/s320/Chris+climbing+coconut+tree+%25282%2529.JPG" width="213" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Solid effort by Chris!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nungwi Beach </span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Located on the northern tip of Zanzibar, is nothing less than spectacular. With sugar-fine, soft white sand and unbelievably clear turquoise waters, this beach must rank as one of the world’s best. It is the perfect place to jolt you away from reality and put you in a restful state of mind. There are countless activities to enjoy including swimming with the dolphins, parasailing, sunset cruises, snorkeling and lots more! Chris, Kendra, and I decided on the snorkeling which was absolutely amazing! We had the perfect day for it which made It that much more enjoyable! We were taken out on a boat filled with about 20 other tourists to Mnemba Island (about a 1.5 hour boat ride). Once we reached our destination, Kendra and I jumped off the top of the boat and I made my first plunge into the Indian Ocean. Words cannot even describe how awesome this was! Snorkeling was also a very cool experience, and I was surprised with how comfortable I felt in the middle of the Ocean! After snorkeling we headed to the island for a delicious freshly prepared lunch of king fish, rice, vegetables, watermelon, and bananas! I felt like I was in paradise, and the beach was just like something you would see on a postcard! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikIzpPu8fxlQybkrXUOep1z7J8WewWbZTUSnx0KVg-ub87_KA6psOicDK4MWUuPDST2BHzW7RAuJHfNPKysPo6fU1uKShOpbHaq-nggu1yz636PpogLDkJUjSOYb6YpmhENURdqVsh4OyA/s1600/Beach+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikIzpPu8fxlQybkrXUOep1z7J8WewWbZTUSnx0KVg-ub87_KA6psOicDK4MWUuPDST2BHzW7RAuJHfNPKysPo6fU1uKShOpbHaq-nggu1yz636PpogLDkJUjSOYb6YpmhENURdqVsh4OyA/s320/Beach+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nungwi Beach</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1Ja59Q75G3nMMPFqFZNpQq8QcJSC9iZH8UMqWGwdS4clmmXV2fMoINZMD6sZa9X2O3r8J5Bo6VrnLubPJ9kUvgv8VeyDWm6SJYHRlfsdoKSEk7F3FIRKMeu9_VruGFAFycALXY040YtE/s1600/Mnemba+Island+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1Ja59Q75G3nMMPFqFZNpQq8QcJSC9iZH8UMqWGwdS4clmmXV2fMoINZMD6sZa9X2O3r8J5Bo6VrnLubPJ9kUvgv8VeyDWm6SJYHRlfsdoKSEk7F3FIRKMeu9_VruGFAFycALXY040YtE/s320/Mnemba+Island+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"aaahhh"...Paradise</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0lD2Hu7MOf_w9I5bFd8eFkGfKK3K3KiPseGqQB2scbsRfi6IQyjANahhgeOvWaUWWHYuLJ6sFp6pCth2ny_Vu1CiWJTd30b_LAhvtLw4185oifC1xwzd8fgni58OxYQ0VZ-OMtEe2erx/s1600/Chris+and+Kendra+diving.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0lD2Hu7MOf_w9I5bFd8eFkGfKK3K3KiPseGqQB2scbsRfi6IQyjANahhgeOvWaUWWHYuLJ6sFp6pCth2ny_Vu1CiWJTd30b_LAhvtLw4185oifC1xwzd8fgni58OxYQ0VZ-OMtEe2erx/s320/Chris+and+Kendra+diving.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris and Kendra dive in!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUONgJdeW8saoDR3La3-je90kOMSFnLMTto3yPUvSU_sRhg0uUDPdQOu-7TGvoyWNgJBNjqWlYcAzkWmvv8KQg5Yh0CW8Q1a9FSnRL7O6Y09esN45yOjfGg-UdZ_cC3MZVWfjok8RXycss/s1600/On+top+of+the+boat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUONgJdeW8saoDR3La3-je90kOMSFnLMTto3yPUvSU_sRhg0uUDPdQOu-7TGvoyWNgJBNjqWlYcAzkWmvv8KQg5Yh0CW8Q1a9FSnRL7O6Y09esN45yOjfGg-UdZ_cC3MZVWfjok8RXycss/s320/On+top+of+the+boat.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soakin up the sun ontop of the boat</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had such a wonderful time in Zanzibar; I just want to say Thank-you so much to Chris and Kendra for everything! They were awesome travelling companions and I will remember this vacation forever! </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back in Mwanza!</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I left Arusha on Saturday and I am currently back in Mwanza for just over a week before I make the long trek back to Canada! Fortunately everything went very smoothly with my flight. I was very much over the luggage weight allowance, but I somehow worked some magic and was able to pay less than half that was required! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was very little direction as to where I was supposed to go after I checked my bags, so I asked some “mzungus” if they were going to Mwanza. Luckily they were, and said I could wait with them in the lounge! They were a husband and wife from the U.K who are doctors volunteering in Sudan. They were engulfed in numerous newspapers about the Royal Wedding, so I was able to catch up on some much needed gossip! It was also great to talk to them a little bit about England, because on my way back to Canada I will stop there for a few days to visit my Aunt! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s nice to be back in Mwanza, the weather is much warmer than Arusha, which I obviously love! It is a dry heat so also much more tolerable than both Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a way it feels like I am back “home.” On Sunday morning I went out for a short stroll around town just to familiarize myself with my surroundings again. There is such a different vibe here in Mwanza compared to Arusha. It feels so much quieter, and I don’t receive near as much harassment. I think I only got one “mzungu” comment all day, which is a record! I definitely feel 100x more comfortable in Mwanza this time compared to when I first arrived in January! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Sunday afternoon I was invited to Perpetua’s home! She is a Teacher from Mtoni Secondary school whom I became very close with when I was teaching about the health benefits of probiotic yoghurt a couple months ago. She just had a baby boy on April 12<sup>th</sup> so I was super excited to see her and her new son Inocent. We had a wonderful afternoon! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Interesting fact:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> In Tanzania, maternity leave is only 84 days</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeCkJ4dv1t91xi3tbnTUNLHLnps7XrHCYlEfb7PyPQnZmE-hJauFrscMBfaQm_fagD0MDeBdyGnUeBdlTlIfAS4zXQQ84ZgpGxu26KN_BOqtt2FBRBHGuQMhf3Ho9WNZiUUOVZlAS7hz1/s1600/Me+and+Inocent.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeCkJ4dv1t91xi3tbnTUNLHLnps7XrHCYlEfb7PyPQnZmE-hJauFrscMBfaQm_fagD0MDeBdyGnUeBdlTlIfAS4zXQQ84ZgpGxu26KN_BOqtt2FBRBHGuQMhf3Ho9WNZiUUOVZlAS7hz1/s320/Me+and+Inocent.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me and baby Inocent</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9N-e2F9DqF0Zt7sdAEpkPGtANKDWrJ10pHvoefE3ZUsESWAi9TfPxdm3NBFF1M9y1erT20Hivq0EffyS9sRZyEfUtRz1TsmQnkSbOpqOggcPVvGaZSCltGXgbxApDG23xYfa2qYfseVw/s1600/Irene%252C+me%252C+Inocent%252C+and+Perpetua.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9N-e2F9DqF0Zt7sdAEpkPGtANKDWrJ10pHvoefE3ZUsESWAi9TfPxdm3NBFF1M9y1erT20Hivq0EffyS9sRZyEfUtRz1TsmQnkSbOpqOggcPVvGaZSCltGXgbxApDG23xYfa2qYfseVw/s320/Irene%252C+me%252C+Inocent%252C+and+Perpetua.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me with Perpetua and her two kids!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week I will spend my time catching up with the Mamas and seeing some old friends before I leave Mama Africa on May 9<sup>th</sup>! </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-52924032268607359512011-04-17T12:04:00.000-07:002011-04-17T12:04:20.257-07:00<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week we finally had the long awaited “launch” event of the delicious yoghurt!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Wednesday, the mamas and I spent the day preparing signs, and organizing things for the event. Thursday was the big day, and overall I felt it was a huge success! Things were a little slow to get moving, but once we started things really took off!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David (the owner of The New Sahara Café) agreed to allow us to distribute free samples of the yoghurt to customers. So, I spent the majority of my time at the café giving out samples in small cups and informing customers about the health benefits with a sign/information prepared in Swahili. We received rave reviews and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the yoghurt. Many people were asking me where they can buy more, so we directed them to the yoghurt kitchen which is only about 4-5 minutes from the café. I think David was also impressed with how much the customers enjoyed the yoghurt, so hopefully he will consider purchasing a few liters of yoghurt from the mamas each week to sell at his café! </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmJ8GztH73C3LDtAWcY5NfnDPzejLNylOKBNhlFHDW84m3Zg-WgIMGvm6cKUnx7VO11J4Sk-_lbGwO-s94vLcx4Htr-QLd9GzZaS_sojWtKQrVAWeutwJGEXzL7CkS6490WMcA0lmAdCN/s1600/David+and+I+on+launch+day.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmJ8GztH73C3LDtAWcY5NfnDPzejLNylOKBNhlFHDW84m3Zg-WgIMGvm6cKUnx7VO11J4Sk-_lbGwO-s94vLcx4Htr-QLd9GzZaS_sojWtKQrVAWeutwJGEXzL7CkS6490WMcA0lmAdCN/s320/David+and+I+on+launch+day.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David and I all set to promote the yoghurt!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBv6BRhrY4POFuzvf7UNw_336E3J6bNyx_2Ce8unkyry74WBlAydLP07tTcjajUf_VjpmXNH2Re_iOLQP9G_za0ao1VACjH1b9mpeOKxXyRBK563bDEF1QQBrsfWGudq6TNF6wQLcSt6Sr/s1600/Baraka+drinking+yoghurt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBv6BRhrY4POFuzvf7UNw_336E3J6bNyx_2Ce8unkyry74WBlAydLP07tTcjajUf_VjpmXNH2Re_iOLQP9G_za0ao1VACjH1b9mpeOKxXyRBK563bDEF1QQBrsfWGudq6TNF6wQLcSt6Sr/s320/Baraka+drinking+yoghurt.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Staff at Sahara enjoying the yoghurt</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thursdays and Sundays are market days in Ngaramtoni so things are very busy! We took advantage of this by also distributing samples to people in the market. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m very pleased with how everything went and believe we generated a greater awareness regarding both the availability and health benefits of the yoghurt! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1XAQcP_kKGehbzncBXCjP8dUeopI6AhiKehkMrOCmM71un0zPKV1-_00lcLnuKkaZfZ1X5DlO_HD9liqlYrPdQcALm09iIlvRNf3Ff5DZ-kfVLRdGnhm0j0_A5t9KQaYIC79Un73neNz/s1600/Thursday+Market.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1XAQcP_kKGehbzncBXCjP8dUeopI6AhiKehkMrOCmM71un0zPKV1-_00lcLnuKkaZfZ1X5DlO_HD9liqlYrPdQcALm09iIlvRNf3Ff5DZ-kfVLRdGnhm0j0_A5t9KQaYIC79Un73neNz/s320/Thursday+Market.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Busy Market day in Ngaramtoni!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Friday I was ready for a relaxing day after a busy week. I was kindly invited to Mama Anna’s home for the afternoon which was a wonderful experience and will definitely be one of my favourite memories from Arusha. Her daughter Pendo met me in Ngaramtoni where she informed me we were going to take a piki piki (motorcycle) to their house because no dala dalas go up that way! After being in Tanzania for three months, I still had never taken a piki piki which is extremely rare as they are a very cheap/common form of transportation. Come to think of it, I’ve never been on a motorcycle, so Friday was a big day already! Their home was a lot further than I expected, but the ride was quite enjoyable. We went through forests, maize fields, a maasai village, etc! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once we arrived, Mama Anna greeted us with open arms and was so happy to show me around her home. I was so amazed, they live on a beautiful large piece of land with a farm where they have a cow and grow maize (corn), beans, and have a banana tree. Their house is made out of soil with an iron sheet for the roof. Following the lovely tour it was time to prepare lunch!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbete65JWyvPLu7YTKsyQ2RZV6U95CdNH2U7HjO381opOz_JLXROPs1PI5W4i603gOp1HLcqpHmMGrIAzpJ66vTUbKNa7snXi2hatG7wBpAVA-j59kKlTVAQDeuSkpdNbib7bwSEWems_/s1600/Mama+Anna%2527s+home.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbete65JWyvPLu7YTKsyQ2RZV6U95CdNH2U7HjO381opOz_JLXROPs1PI5W4i603gOp1HLcqpHmMGrIAzpJ66vTUbKNa7snXi2hatG7wBpAVA-j59kKlTVAQDeuSkpdNbib7bwSEWems_/s320/Mama+Anna%2527s+home.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mama Anna's house </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2g8yb4elcf8V0fdtGxdXikSo_Gtp5Kfw4q5wYRxd7JkzWvTpuIFBcbP7hOEjmBooYH1LTQAuXdTnKsOsBxsJqigmFsj5nAJhBrBInWOz6-LewZYDeKlr2KFc4r8aDdYT8ETEKwfoc1Ay3/s1600/Mama+anna+cooking.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2g8yb4elcf8V0fdtGxdXikSo_Gtp5Kfw4q5wYRxd7JkzWvTpuIFBcbP7hOEjmBooYH1LTQAuXdTnKsOsBxsJqigmFsj5nAJhBrBInWOz6-LewZYDeKlr2KFc4r8aDdYT8ETEKwfoc1Ay3/s320/Mama+anna+cooking.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mama Anna Cooking</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVwGPWcFTC7mVjNMMSKc3YYIUcIREfVKk0qGZtXcOzXJ4rKGUmOGo-fyFim1TzbTzRwFXpiP74ZYwaQuO4Cp6jfWC3z2B3Tpif8kd8UYXamkFi8q1n4jy2ZtnC5-LAEXm9EKKVzhb2px_/s1600/Cooking+mboga.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVwGPWcFTC7mVjNMMSKc3YYIUcIREfVKk0qGZtXcOzXJ4rKGUmOGo-fyFim1TzbTzRwFXpiP74ZYwaQuO4Cp6jfWC3z2B3Tpif8kd8UYXamkFi8q1n4jy2ZtnC5-LAEXm9EKKVzhb2px_/s320/Cooking+mboga.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cooking green leaves </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Karibu Chakula </span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would be hard to travel to Tanzania – a land renowned for its hospitality – without hearing the phrase karibu chakula (welcome – join us for some food) at least once. If you do hear it, you should try to accept this invitation to dine with Tanzanians as a treat not to be missed. The first step is hand washing. For this, the hostess will bring around a bowl and jug of water where you hold your hands over the bowl while the hostess pours water over them. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Next comes the meal itself which frequently centers around ugali. To enjoy it Tanzanian style, you take come ugali with your right hand from the communal pot, roll it into a small bowl with your fingers, making an indentation with your thumb, and dip it into whatever sauce is served. Eating with your hands is a bit of an art I have yet to master. You are never to use your left hand to take or give food, as it’s destined for ablutions and is considered unclean, no matter how much you’ve washed it</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Except for fruit, desserts are rarely served; meals conclude with a second round of hand washing. Saying chakula kizuri or chakula kitamu are ways to let your host know that the food was appreciated. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The above description was followed almost exactly at Mama Anna’s. It was also really neat to be involved in the whole process of food preparation. She has a small hut behind her house that is used to cook/prepare food. We first began my preparing the mboga (vegetables). This consisted of shredding carrots and tomatoes, chopping onions, cabbage, and green leaves from the pumpkins they have growing in their backyard. Then, we had to fetch some fire wood to make the fire to cook the food. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once the fire was burning we put in the onions with oil until they browned slightly followed by the carrots and green leaves, then came more oil and salt (Tanzanians really love their salt!!) While the vegetables were simmering for a while we began heating the water for ugali which is relatively simple to prepare. Once the water boils, you add maize flour and stir and stir and stir until it becomes like a stiff porridge. Although it doesn’t have much taste I’ve really grown to love it and everyone tells me to eat lots and I will be strong! People in Tanzania love it when you eat a lot, the more you eat the happier they are! It is very different from N.A where, especially for young girls, there is a desire to be thin and more “lady like” to eat less. Here, it is the complete opposite; Mama Anna has already told me what to eat and how much in order to get big stomach, because this is “better!” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s actually quite refreshing how people here view food, and I’m quite confident that eating disorders are completely unknown to Africans! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Later in the day, Mama Anna’s husband arrived, and we had a very nice conversation about Canada and Tanzania. He told me to come back soon with my whole family and we can stay at their home! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, Friday I rode my first piki piki through tight bumpy forest type paths, was welcomed to a house made of soil, saw the farming of many different crops, cooked fresh food over fire, and enjoyed a delicious Tanzanian meal with some wonderful people. I really enjoyed myself, and I would say that it closely resembled a typical day of many Tanzanians! I definitely won’t forget this day! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQrUU0phThei0Vv9M4YR8N9jBNPKrE5Te-PQPUzTB71RIEJLHvcE3ZTSgWxzCFJ5q69qL7xXVRLhNF9Cpv7y7scAv2XQleOnFMpGx0HA3lSgJamq92j6LmXZ2QycFRCSq46knXR_k2UNx/s1600/Me+and+Mama+Anna%2527s+husband.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQrUU0phThei0Vv9M4YR8N9jBNPKrE5Te-PQPUzTB71RIEJLHvcE3ZTSgWxzCFJ5q69qL7xXVRLhNF9Cpv7y7scAv2XQleOnFMpGx0HA3lSgJamq92j6LmXZ2QycFRCSq46knXR_k2UNx/s320/Me+and+Mama+Anna%2527s+husband.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me and Mama Anna's Husband</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Saturday, Chris’s friend Kendra from Canada arrived! This was extremely exciting and it’s great to have a new face around Sakina Campsite! She will be here for two weeks, and Chris has lots of great things planned, so I’m confident she will love her time here. In fact, Friday we are going to Zanzibar for a little holiday to end off our time in Arusha. We will be in Stone Town for two days, and Kendwa for another two days. I’m really looking forward to some relaxation and beach time, and have only heard amazing things about Zanzibar from those who have visited. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Church in Tanzania!</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunday I had my first church experience in Tanzania! The director of Home of Hope (school I volunteer at) is also a pastor so he invited me to come along. It was definitely a unique experience. I’ve heard some pretty crazy stories about church in Tanzania from some friends who have attended, so I had myself prepared for anything. Although the service was extremely long (over three hours) and entirely in Swahili, I did enjoy myself and luckily a nice man beside me helped translate some of the prayers. The whole service was extremely upbeat and had a very motivating, joyful vibe. The first hour or so was all singing and dancing. Everyone was smiling, laughing, clapping, it was very uplifting and I enjoyed watching the kids dance in the isle! For the remainder of the time, different people came up to the front to say prayers or announcement, and Pastor Herry gave his sermon. Although I had a very hard time understanding what he was saying, the passion and energy in his voice really said a lot. You can tell he really enjoys what he does! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At the end of the service Herry introduced me to the church and asked me to say a few words. I tried my best to use the little Swahili that I do know, although there were a few smirks/chuckles, everyone seemed to understand and was extremely welcoming!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vGqOV-eGMJzgvX62G4_VxyiTKq-x5YxJjEAgtRb0sN-PaX4_1hBvQ68-xVImE5-BbLqvkkoI_B_Y7c3WgasX1UFm6N7I9ihHXN5mLSVEP1JlT8Upm-6OTYJVMCkoinkvnB2KaGZRVLVu/s1600/Herry%2527s+Church.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vGqOV-eGMJzgvX62G4_VxyiTKq-x5YxJjEAgtRb0sN-PaX4_1hBvQ68-xVImE5-BbLqvkkoI_B_Y7c3WgasX1UFm6N7I9ihHXN5mLSVEP1JlT8Upm-6OTYJVMCkoinkvnB2KaGZRVLVu/s320/Herry%2527s+Church.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Herry's church</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVxatO9MDEQ_21GPOqh1-PHCVAXQcJyhdc6ltt9GjvlHz7YbFPMdxCOyKJdb5TOOWFMemxXvMrNV0l54GMSi_UX9zVcH54OhOXyk7v20ApqARJehYEEDk2coTHjWYdMoDgQ6jkGICxeZ8/s1600/Singing+at+Church.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVxatO9MDEQ_21GPOqh1-PHCVAXQcJyhdc6ltt9GjvlHz7YbFPMdxCOyKJdb5TOOWFMemxXvMrNV0l54GMSi_UX9zVcH54OhOXyk7v20ApqARJehYEEDk2coTHjWYdMoDgQ6jkGICxeZ8/s320/Singing+at+Church.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Singing and dancing</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnSO8NS8J3d6NsMBRnVyNqa_XCMaodjxjcQxTyhdSXxTI7cZCzKBcl2cuy0HQwAYkUDmtqmoGE7xHRs4la7zehzuj6s4auU2tuQADbI3TaaMGyJIUEU3KP6cczMz3YfvkWIEOngMxiw_9/s1600/Dancing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnSO8NS8J3d6NsMBRnVyNqa_XCMaodjxjcQxTyhdSXxTI7cZCzKBcl2cuy0HQwAYkUDmtqmoGE7xHRs4la7zehzuj6s4auU2tuQADbI3TaaMGyJIUEU3KP6cczMz3YfvkWIEOngMxiw_9/s320/Dancing.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kids dancing</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1nEMKkmli03UcAcb8EQ7SKE3zuEMaSjTqaH0uO6B5BEEalWvi4-wtvhmI9B-tjcJ8iuby_lqFHVn5hnF8bfYsc-iYbsiqGCrK8lsaPHVD3ivFT8_G12BX0bHq6yvfFLFuLxkoveVtO9F/s1600/Herry+at+church+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1nEMKkmli03UcAcb8EQ7SKE3zuEMaSjTqaH0uO6B5BEEalWvi4-wtvhmI9B-tjcJ8iuby_lqFHVn5hnF8bfYsc-iYbsiqGCrK8lsaPHVD3ivFT8_G12BX0bHq6yvfFLFuLxkoveVtO9F/s320/Herry+at+church+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Herry delivering his sermon</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>“Babu Loliando has a miracle cure” </strong></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A couple weeks after arriving in Arusha, Chris and I started hearing about this “Babu” guy who apparently can cure you of any chronic disease. An area called Loliondo has become very famous in Tanzania (and apparently in many other parts of the world) due to this miracle cure that is given by Babu which can apparently cure you of any chronic disease including cancer, HIV/AIDS, ulcers, etc. Babu (real name: Ambilikile Mwasapile) is a 76 year old retired pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania, </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anna’s husband was telling me all about him and said that over 7000 people per day from all over the world make the journey to visit Babu to take this “miracle medicine.” The curing plant that is used there is called Carissa edulis from the Apocynaceae family. The former pastor insists that for effective healing, one has to get to his home clinic and drink one cup of a concoction of that herbal medicine. Furthermore, he has to prepare the medicine himself and one has to pay 500Tsh, equivalent to 35 cents of American dollar. The acclaimed Babu’s healing power may fall into the category of superstitious beliefs aimed at cheating death through miracles. Human beings fear death more than <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">anything else, and that is why healing always seems like a sacred profession. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the modern world the mission of healing people is left to the practice of medicine, which is solely based on scientific treatment. With all the advanced medical technology we have, still human beings die at the hands of medical professionals, and that is where the opportunity for other forms of healing emerge. Therefore, apart from scientific medicine, we do have other forms of healing, including traditional healing like Chinese and African, which depends on herbal medicines and other therapies such as acupuncture; as well as spiritual healing.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently people with HIV have gone to Babu and claimed that they were cured! However, I’ve heard that the medicine can “mess” with the CD4 count in ones blood so it looks as if they don’t have HIV anymore, but they actually do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Personally, I have a hard time believing these healing wonders of Babu, and witchcraft medicine that we have come across here in Tanzania, but some people believe very <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">strongly in him, and many claim that they have cured them of many chronic ailments. But anyway, he is now offering hope to desperate people. Let us see how far the whole thing will go.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Here is something I found on the internet that Babu said:</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"I am like the hand of God. He has instructed me to do this. It first came as a dream in 1991, later in 2009 when I first administered the healing drink to my first patient. </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wonder medicine</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thereafter, he was tested for his illness and found to have been cured. That is when other people started coming here. I officially started this work in July, last year."</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He administers the ‘drug’ to the high and the mighty in Tanzania and the ordinary people at his Samunge village, Sale District in Loliondo.</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The cleric claims he discovered the wonder ‘medicine’ two months ago.</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And deep into the Ngorongoro National Park where the village is situated, Mwasalipe threatens to rival President Jakaya Kikwete’s popularity owing to the large crowds that gather in this tiny village.</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">According to media reports from Tanzania and by the BBC, Mwasalipe’s concoction consists of a poisonous plant in the area known as Elamuriak.</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The ‘drug’ reportedly cures terminal diseases such as cancer, high blood pressure, HIV and Aids and diabetes.</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The drug is the reason thousands of people have braved the rugged park roads and spent chilly and dusty nights around his compound for the past two months to book an appointment with him.</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">According to the BBC, Mwasalipe, 76, a retired preacher with the Lutheran Church, is an instant hit in Tanzania. </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And the news of this miracle cure is spreading like bushfire with reports in the local media and even blogs and facebook updates partly fuelling his popularity.</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">However, the ‘medicine’ is no ordinary drug — it is only Mwasalipe himself who can administer it. It ceases to be effective if administered by anybody else.</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"It has to be administered by babu himself. I can tell you I have witnessed people who have been healed," adds a Tanzania in one of the social network sites.</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The crowds have been growing by the day since the retired cleric began administering the ‘medicine’, which is in liquid form and given out in a cup.</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And the Tanzanian Government has been forced to provide security to the cleric by deploying police to control the large crowds.</span></i><br />
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</div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-31630846575850791542011-04-10T04:33:00.000-07:002011-04-10T04:33:07.157-07:00<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 207.15pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Visit to the AICC – ICTR</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 207.15pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple weeks ago <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I visited the AICC (Arusha International Conference Centre) which is where the international Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) is located. This is something I’ve wanted to check out since I’ve been here, which I am glad I did, but I must admit it wasn’t the most exciting scene of events. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 207.15pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ICTR was set up by the UN in 1994 following the horrific hundred day genocide which claimed the lives of over 800,000 people. The tribunal delivered the world’s first condemnation for genocide in September 1998, when former Rwandan Prime Minister Jean Kambanda was found guilty, but has been dogged by controversy for much of his life. Fifteen years after the genocide the court has so far convicted just 34 people and acquitted six. Twenty three remain on trial and eight trials have yet to begin. However, the successful conviction in 2008 of the so called “mastermind” of the genocide, a colonel in the Rwandan army, together with two of his cohorts, was seen as a sign that the tribunal is producing results. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSGDSGaSPw7peR7hoUJa5d_N1hS6UgBasDAhrM7agnVI0x4u-CoVovA3dC8UwYIc1EhOHDHgbcjZBFsY-J6r2NhVk4hPrpdKLnXbPP39Atx7yMRWjlCkqUe0CLBZ_OC22FKD_ZUKxZzgOJ/s1600/AICC.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSGDSGaSPw7peR7hoUJa5d_N1hS6UgBasDAhrM7agnVI0x4u-CoVovA3dC8UwYIc1EhOHDHgbcjZBFsY-J6r2NhVk4hPrpdKLnXbPP39Atx7yMRWjlCkqUe0CLBZ_OC22FKD_ZUKxZzgOJ/s320/AICC.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 207.15pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meeting with Mamas</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 207.15pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have met with the Mamas and provided them with the same probiotics education as the Mwanza Mamas. The information sheets are now posted in the kitchen for the Mamas and customers to refer to if needed! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 207.15pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last Thursday was an extremely productive day! We found out that the probiotics have been successfully cultured and are ready at the hospital. The only struggle is getting the two doctors to agree to provide this service free of charge as a way to benefit the health of the community and women's empowerment. On Friday we brought two of the Mamas to the hospital to introduce them to the doctors, probiotic procedures and to exchange phone numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will now be their responsibility to ensure they pick up the probiotics on a continuous basis. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 207.15pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will also be following up with the Archdiocese of Arusha to see if they will be willing to support this program to empower women while bringing health to the community. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 207.15pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 207.15pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also had a brief meeting with the Mamas where I expressed my interest in having a “mini launch” event for their delicious yoghurt. I truly believe creating a greater community awareness regarding both the availability and health benefits of the yoghurt could substantially benefit their sales! So we are planning the event for next Thursday (April 14<sup>th</sup>) which is also a market day so it should be very busy in Ngaramtoni. The Mamas are going to speak to the village chairperson as well as the health officer to see if they are willing to say a few words which would enhance the reputability and attract more attention to the event. I’m really looking forward to this event and am happy that the community will learn about this great product being produced right here in their village!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtc8h7CmS_JkoiAGrZXEpFJoW8b47h6zTPg0s_BEh-JViKzXmBw8i39Iwg6wilk2Dy_Dqr4GlRzolCZtUBF9hrl7Hxyj-tUpH5QR7PQ7EgolbmvK-UPfHwTJ-NeQwitj3EUZ6DPojkwpPN/s1600/Probiotics+sheets.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtc8h7CmS_JkoiAGrZXEpFJoW8b47h6zTPg0s_BEh-JViKzXmBw8i39Iwg6wilk2Dy_Dqr4GlRzolCZtUBF9hrl7Hxyj-tUpH5QR7PQ7EgolbmvK-UPfHwTJ-NeQwitj3EUZ6DPojkwpPN/s320/Probiotics+sheets.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Probiotics information sheets</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoAvUzGBGg5KC0WappemHK-uMLtRSDPDQxTnsucKOiOhQwB9fzrufi4LJDU9bttuBadsMxqEJFzn6Mp4xEOu7cF44hki0U6XUf0QvqSg1YGXkkgf4ejypZNbRoRY02T-2cQpm6_RRdWpL/s1600/Mama+Anna+and+I+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoAvUzGBGg5KC0WappemHK-uMLtRSDPDQxTnsucKOiOhQwB9fzrufi4LJDU9bttuBadsMxqEJFzn6Mp4xEOu7cF44hki0U6XUf0QvqSg1YGXkkgf4ejypZNbRoRY02T-2cQpm6_RRdWpL/s320/Mama+Anna+and+I+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me drinking delicious yoghurt with Mama Anna</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbDXdT-XaTJj1HmfYE_srP66_oTnYtQe-P0_fDVw0zxOlu7nr1AKdesYVIxNfRlYh0TNffBVPKEM9vyb31tB21YnQaof4Rq52b6aqtj7KAtRI0uCCpADSZ0LXp6Hv8qLuTb1srRZ41oVhY/s1600/Mama+cooking+yoghuty.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbDXdT-XaTJj1HmfYE_srP66_oTnYtQe-P0_fDVw0zxOlu7nr1AKdesYVIxNfRlYh0TNffBVPKEM9vyb31tB21YnQaof4Rq52b6aqtj7KAtRI0uCCpADSZ0LXp6Hv8qLuTb1srRZ41oVhY/s320/Mama+cooking+yoghuty.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mama Stella heating milk for Yoghurt!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 207.15pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Home of Hope</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 207.15pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Home of Hope nursery school that I have been volunteering at is closed now until after Easter. However, the older students who attend in the afternoon still have classes so I have been teaching English in my spare time. These students are working to complete their secondary school education (most are over 20 years old, but are very keen on learning and I really admire them).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUnikIpL4w7JnOZVEVcKELsF0ayrf7nlsO1yU2QnzuOyrd4Kq5IL8pnaZCeZlJ_c9VIGsbBxcRem7zu-sRPHcnUUCN373urlR5A8li1n3AdeV2yBP8PIvjymVkZNNfKo0XbIuoTbhOOVE/s1600/Me+teaching+English.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUnikIpL4w7JnOZVEVcKELsF0ayrf7nlsO1yU2QnzuOyrd4Kq5IL8pnaZCeZlJ_c9VIGsbBxcRem7zu-sRPHcnUUCN373urlR5A8li1n3AdeV2yBP8PIvjymVkZNNfKo0XbIuoTbhOOVE/s320/Me+teaching+English.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Weekend in Dar es Salaam</strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last weekend Chris and I took a trip to Dar es Salaam. It was really nice to get away for a few days and see another city in Tanzania. It actually reminded me a little bit of Toronto, Ontario mainly in terms of the excessive traffic, I even spotted a small subway which is the first fast food restaurant I’ve seen since being in Africa!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dar is Tanzania’s largest city and its economic capital, but it is not the official capital city which is actually Dodoma and the seat of government in the country.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dodoma is much smaller and less developed than Dar, but it remains a centre for national politics. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dar lost its </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">official status as capital city to </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodoma"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dodoma</span></span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in 1974, it remains the centre of the permanent central government bureaucracy and continues to serve as the capital for the surrounding </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dar_es_Salaam_(region)" title="Dar es Salaam (region)"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dar es Salaam Region</span></span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dar is located in a quiet bay off the</span> Indian Ocean coast, and the city has grown in economic importance to become a prosperous centre in the East African region. Its bustling harbour is the main port in Tanzania and its industrial area produces products for export and use throughout the country. Government offices all have their main base in Dar es Salaam, and diplomatic missions and nongovernmental organizations in the country all have a presence in the bustling urban centre. With a population rate increase of 4.39% annually the city has become the 3rd fastest growing in Africa (9th fastest in the world) after </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamako"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bamako</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagos"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lagos</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">,</span> respectively. The metro population is expected to reach 5.12 million by 2020. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We were extremely fortunate to travel there with a friend we met from Arusha who has family in Dar. They were great hosts and took us to the beaches and showed us all around the city. The weather was extremely HOT! I definitely felt like I was in the African sun. I was literally sweating by 8:00am, which really says a lot, but I love the heat so I’m not complaining and it was nice because Arusha is generally quite cool (well for Africa that is). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MhN8ImDZYwvHObN8ro8sJmUzuQthkfc5CPHvVRKPUJqWjhkgDTsN5-OWkbxBN2HkmnhPPn_ghjfH8REi1bBGk7tjmrRNmtM-SJf9TmQTRcmhszXg3xZtlqDtGd7zgcW8aZy89YPICag0/s1600/View+of+Dar+from+Boat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MhN8ImDZYwvHObN8ro8sJmUzuQthkfc5CPHvVRKPUJqWjhkgDTsN5-OWkbxBN2HkmnhPPn_ghjfH8REi1bBGk7tjmrRNmtM-SJf9TmQTRcmhszXg3xZtlqDtGd7zgcW8aZy89YPICag0/s320/View+of+Dar+from+Boat.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of Dar from a boat</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElBAU6PxOfWDGAPbODm38lI_8R62EcasyKtKZX_w5e0FnbL0qWOIEQ_tsfut2rzzT35v4lsid1WPBcT7zHsYRl0H4X1dFWOiEu9bIL_pwSeOyJFBbAUXeJg_8lyOrS5hviNWeu2GE0Esa/s1600/Lunch+stop+on+the+way+to+Dar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElBAU6PxOfWDGAPbODm38lI_8R62EcasyKtKZX_w5e0FnbL0qWOIEQ_tsfut2rzzT35v4lsid1WPBcT7zHsYRl0H4X1dFWOiEu9bIL_pwSeOyJFBbAUXeJg_8lyOrS5hviNWeu2GE0Esa/s320/Lunch+stop+on+the+way+to+Dar.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lunch stop on the way to Dar!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETVuDIN2OMooXmuK0k-h7Vfya_9txcbqTVg6YHS0PAyw7731eonBIcpQwDcCggQ4MDdvI7YYyPm7PRL1Bxl31RkpGUfw9uV3JT9OsfSi2c6QX2MhmM1q3Hp7BrXg7WIhdRq8WCgkctwys/s1600/Me+by+the+beach+in+Dar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETVuDIN2OMooXmuK0k-h7Vfya_9txcbqTVg6YHS0PAyw7731eonBIcpQwDcCggQ4MDdvI7YYyPm7PRL1Bxl31RkpGUfw9uV3JT9OsfSi2c6QX2MhmM1q3Hp7BrXg7WIhdRq8WCgkctwys/s320/Me+by+the+beach+in+Dar.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me by the beach in Dar</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 207.15pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Interesting Facts</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The other day I was sitting in the New Sahara Café talking to a very nice man who was helping me with my Swahili. When I told him I was 22, he was so shocked that I don’t have any children!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are a lot of Maasai people in Ngaramtoni and I am learning a lot about their culture! One thing that is quite disturbing is that polygamy is completely acceptable and some men will have up to 20 wives! HIV/AIDS is a big problem here, especially within this tribe</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m starting to get used to people always being late, but sometimes I wonder. For example, even teachers arrive up to half an hour late for a lesson. However, if you observe how people drive around here it’s like they are always in a rush to get somewhere. They speed, pass in oncoming traffic, honk their horns, etc. But why? It’s not like they care if they are late? </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A couple weeks ago Chris and I went into a really expensive jewelry store in Arusha Town. My Grandpa told me before I left that I should try and see home “real” tanzanite while I’m here. Well, after two months I finally found some! Apparently, Arusha is the best place to buy Tanzanite, a brilliant blue gemstone found in the hills surrounding Arusha and Moshi. The gemstone is used by the Maasai to celebrate birth and gained international prominence after a Tanzanite was featured in the movie Titanic as the centre jewel to the Heart of the Ocean necklace. </span></div><br />
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</div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-20434667679420976812011-03-28T11:10:00.000-07:002011-03-28T11:10:12.769-07:00<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yoghurt Project up and Running!</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am so pleased to announce that the yoghurt project is up and running! The Mamas received their startup capital in the form of a loan and purchased everything required for business. I spent this week visiting and getting to know them a little better. There are currently three “yoghurt mamas” – Mama Anna, Mama Stella, and Mama Paulina. Mama Anna is the only Mama who knows a little bit of English, but also asked me if I would teach her more, which I was happy to do! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67v_kCirmZdIVx1xaTV6AIKin7tvSgF994FUfK_RRc0VXGtuJb1574yliXSNrqiX8Gi7O5b9O57LqfhJt1kz7S7Y8-bNgIAQOU_j30TBkz5tk6w4Hu1xfbfmP3BpEslhCbMtaR-nJjz7X/s1600/Teaching+English+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67v_kCirmZdIVx1xaTV6AIKin7tvSgF994FUfK_RRc0VXGtuJb1574yliXSNrqiX8Gi7O5b9O57LqfhJt1kz7S7Y8-bNgIAQOU_j30TBkz5tk6w4Hu1xfbfmP3BpEslhCbMtaR-nJjz7X/s320/Teaching+English+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Teaching Mama Anna English</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Mamas have voiced their desire to maintain maximum operational freedom and make their own decisions. They feel the project failed previously due to prescriptive top down management leading to a lack of personal involvement. As a result, I will take somewhat of a distant role in terms of decision making, but will provide guidance and support as needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would also like to provide them with education regarding the health benefits of probiotics and/or reviewing appropriate quality control procedures in the kitchen</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wvv4wKLoxvk7YggOHEQYieOa4FT8Mjaqx7zoVicT7rzCwx2nynfB-REHd8JhhQJ-CRjskdxHNDX_8hPJHhImipC2M7GhDqIb0Kq5kBFhMbGbL4W0eCHNok4EMxXBRLAnjFK8PY1yu20R/s1600/Sign+in+the+Kitchen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wvv4wKLoxvk7YggOHEQYieOa4FT8Mjaqx7zoVicT7rzCwx2nynfB-REHd8JhhQJ-CRjskdxHNDX_8hPJHhImipC2M7GhDqIb0Kq5kBFhMbGbL4W0eCHNok4EMxXBRLAnjFK8PY1yu20R/s320/Sign+in+the+Kitchen.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">logo painted on the wall of the kitchen - created by the wonderful 2010 summer interns!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">St. Elizabeth Hospital Visit</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week I visited the St. Elizabeth Hospital which is where the probiotics will be cultured for use in the yoghurt. I met the two doctors (Patrick and Charles) who will be preparing them and they informed me that they have all the materials required. The only obstacle at this time is that the area of the hospital where the autoclave is to be situated is under construction. Therefore we have to wait for this to be completed, which I was told should take a week or so. However, this is Africa so I’m not really sure what that means? </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Note:</b> an autoclave is an essential instrument required for sterilization. It is needed in order to safely carry out the process of preparing the probiotics. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Olevolos Project </span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple weeks ago three girls from Boston University came to the New Sahara Café while I was working. I asked them a little bit about what they were doing here and they told me they were on their spring break volunteering with the Olevolos Project. I told them I am looking for additional volunteer opportunities and they said my help is definitely needed. I got in touch with the Director (James) and last <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Friday I visited the Olevolos Project and learned more about it!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is the Olevolos Project?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This project is based on the belief that all kids have a right to meet their full potential; but in our world today, too many kids never get a chance. The Olevolos project is a not-for-profit organization formed to benefit orphans and disadvantaged children in the Olevolos village of Tanzania. Their aim is to develop young leaders in the Olevolos village through formal schooling, tutoring programs, and extra curricular activities. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In January 2010, the opened their doors to the first class of nursery school students; this year they welcomed the second class. They have also started three community initiatives (an adolescent counseling group, youth recreational program, and women’s microsavings group) in addition to their ongoing education sponsorship program. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Mission</b>:</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To develop young leaders in the Olevolos Village through formal schooling, tutoring programs, and extra-curricular activities.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vision</b>:</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A village where young people become educated leaders and serve as role models for future generations.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Values</b>:</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Excellence in teaching</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Local community involvement, ownership, and investment</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Equitable access to education, particularly for vulnerable children</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Supportive and nurturing environment for children to learn and grow</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Life-skills and leadership development </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">History:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Education sector reforms began in Tanzania in 1995. The main purpose of the reforms was to ensure equitable access to education. However, the reforms were not comprehensive and only focused on primary school. Additionally, students were still expected to pay for their own uniforms, books, and school supplies. Because of this, it was not an economic reality for everyone. Many children do not have the financial support to pay for the necessary materials or for the fees associated with pre-primary and secondary schooling.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Olevolos Project was founded in 2007 to create educational opportunities for disadvantaged children from the Olevolos Village in Tanzania, Africa. Our mission is to develop young leaders through formal schooling, tutoring programs, and extra-curricular activities. Because we aim to improve access and equality to education, we pay for all the expenses for students who are unable. Given that many of these kids lack proper nutritional meals, we have developed a school-feeding program.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lastly, engagement with the local community is a defining part of our project. Understanding the importance of this engagement, we work closely with the District Commissioner, Village Council, and village people to leverage goals and maximize impact in the community. Because of this, they are incorporated into every aspect of our programming. Villagers volunteer at the site, join us in parent meetings, and sit on our advisory board. We believe the ultimate success of the project lies in the hands of the Olevolos people. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Currently the children will be off school for one month. On Friday a lottery was held to determine which children will have the opportunity to attend the school next month. There are 100 children registered but only 24 spots! The 24 children have now been selected and next week will be spent visiting their homes to make sure they qualify for the sponsorship. To qualify they must be either a two parent or single parent orphan. The children who are not orphans can still attend but they are required to pay the school fees. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris is back!</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris returned last Thursday from his 6 day adventure climbing Mount Kilimanjaro! He called me on his way back and asked me to bring him home three doughnuts from the Café, so I knew he was still his old self! Haha <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span> </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so happy to see him alive and walking! He was absolutely exhausted, and I admit, he looked pretty warn out, actually extremely warn out! He told me he got more than enough food (which says a lot), but I still think he shed a few pounds! He said the climb is definitely one of the hardest mental and physical things he has ever done. I’m very glad he’s back and really admire his mental and physical toughness in conquering this grueling task! Chris, you should be so proud of yourself. The memories you acquired will be with you for a lifetime! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I encourage you to check out his blog to learn more about his adventure at: </span><a href="http://christopherstuartheadseast.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://christopherstuartheadseast.blogspot.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Highlight of the Week</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coincidently I met up with a friend from Mwanza on Saturday who was in Arusha with her Mom for a short holiday. They told me they were going on a waterfall hike the next day, and invited me to come along! Since this was on the top of my list as one of the things I’ve wanted to do, I decided not to pass up the opportunity! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It turned out to be a great decision! The hike was extremely challenging and tiring, taking 5 hours to reach the waterfall, but it was all worth it!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLfgPzmZI1RlL7eHJyad2_CVs0sv9dDdpmWbEze5sisIfKXuCDPY1X3ffYX3xSXkLy-XDAIsEBZxhNg4ZvKEDugd7STGMP2vaRhl63OJZQq7LoW-73xixVNedHvd8h7sGhux-TpGEKvkv/s1600/Waterfall+Hike.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLfgPzmZI1RlL7eHJyad2_CVs0sv9dDdpmWbEze5sisIfKXuCDPY1X3ffYX3xSXkLy-XDAIsEBZxhNg4ZvKEDugd7STGMP2vaRhl63OJZQq7LoW-73xixVNedHvd8h7sGhux-TpGEKvkv/s320/Waterfall+Hike.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Waterfall!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmHoYfz3KWOHrJwCs6znhkT31vVg7lwc12wnjXxNgivJ0UMg5G3QKZd5LJ7YvZDF-UT3FLHnDJuuShpTqpd99X-4tHDcvfgdKW97ee01lKwcp0AfdR5b4hHarb1A-zCgGpZu1dA6YO17A/s1600/Stream+Path.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmHoYfz3KWOHrJwCs6znhkT31vVg7lwc12wnjXxNgivJ0UMg5G3QKZd5LJ7YvZDF-UT3FLHnDJuuShpTqpd99X-4tHDcvfgdKW97ee01lKwcp0AfdR5b4hHarb1A-zCgGpZu1dA6YO17A/s320/Stream+Path.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Path on the way to the waterfall</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDU1iLAJZWEIxxU6sSOnErk9cWSj0nkztirmBFIm_GGE-UNvKOpDF15TW4GpCxoSLuzW0F3r-wN22z1lAQHpEDsHWRrBci2JsTVHD335IGLIOrw30Z3lyUd5GOkoJuVSRVcuByTC7PgEC/s1600/Waterfall%2521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDU1iLAJZWEIxxU6sSOnErk9cWSj0nkztirmBFIm_GGE-UNvKOpDF15TW4GpCxoSLuzW0F3r-wN22z1lAQHpEDsHWRrBci2JsTVHD335IGLIOrw30Z3lyUd5GOkoJuVSRVcuByTC7PgEC/s320/Waterfall%2521.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-30401754614250980542011-03-20T06:59:00.000-07:002011-03-20T06:59:13.850-07:00First full week in Arusha<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This week I spent some of my time experimenting and talking to people about various volunteer opportunities as I wait for the yoghurt mamas to receive their startup capital. I spent some time at Home of Hope to help teach English to nursery school children but I think they appreciated me playing with them a lot more! Every time I go, they run up to me and compete aggressively for a chance to hold my hand or touch me. All the children come from very poor families; they are so sweet and innocent! There is also a program at Home of Hope for older children (at a separate time) who only have their primary school education and are trying to complete their secondary school education. This program just started in February and currently only 15 students are enrolled. It is really great because it gives these kids a chance to further their education, who maybe thought they were destined to a life of poverty. I spoke with one of the teachers at this program and learned that the students are learning English, Math, Biology, Chemistry, Geography, History, Kiswahili, and Civics. I am hoping to help the students with English next week. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxU8GHDLCHaERaHVq1iShcuNdTTuvywiZFtsA6gryFRCJ6eCKQZemd1DtNu2KBj6S6wVl0Be0BmPHA3cE3nS4SaTFxMpPGz_KOlu1QFbijsTFeyX9dUn3hQVUabli9r54jIEJNTVsypR-4/s1600/Me+with+Home+of+Hope+kids.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxU8GHDLCHaERaHVq1iShcuNdTTuvywiZFtsA6gryFRCJ6eCKQZemd1DtNu2KBj6S6wVl0Be0BmPHA3cE3nS4SaTFxMpPGz_KOlu1QFbijsTFeyX9dUn3hQVUabli9r54jIEJNTVsypR-4/s320/Me+with+Home+of+Hope+kids.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I also spent some of my time volunteering at the New Sahara Café. It’s been a really great experience, but as a whole it’s really not a lot different than working at a small restaurant in Canada apart from the Kiswahili, food served, sanitary conditions, and a few other minor things. Only one of the other waitresses speaks English so I am forced to use/learn Swahili. I realize that in order to really learn a language you have to be in an environment where everyone is speaking it. Yes reading books helps, but it’s just not the same as physically surrounding yourself by those who constantly speak it. I think I’ve learned more Swahili in one week than I did in one month!</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Wednesday Chris and I had planned to visit the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC), which is where the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is located. We had already found out earlier that all that was required was a passport and you were free to come in and watch the court proceedings. However, for some reason there were no trials taking place this week so we’ll have to reschedule our trip! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since that was our plan for the day, we were a little uncertain about what to do for the remainder of our time. So, we just started walking and soon came across “The Arusha Hotel”. We decided to go inside and check it out. I was so impressed! It is absolutely gorgeous; I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in a hotel that nice before. I felt like I was in a different world. The first thing on my mind was to use the bathroom, which was beautiful. It was so clean; it smelled great, there was soap and hot water, and toilet paper! (I’ve learned that I have to carry extra toilet paper in my purse everywhere I go because it’s rare to come across bathrooms let alone toilet paper!). I think it is definitely worth the daladala trip into town just to use the bathroom…which says a lot! We also checked out the restaurant that had a delicious salad bar set up which definitely made my mouth water. This may sound odd, but one thing I really miss about Canada is my daily salad!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked how much it costs to stay there for one night, the answer: $250 USD! I admit it was pretty hard for me to get up out of the comfy, clean leather chair to leave. When we left Chris and I were discussing how unreal it is how close the rich and the poor are. One minute we are in this rich high class hotel, and then we walk out the door into a poor run down town with people begging for money, children in tattered clothes, and people trying to make their dollar go as far as possible just to get by. It is quite an eye opening experience. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After this, we came across a tourists dream destination! It was like a small market selling everything you can imagine in one location! There were bracelets, necklaces, earrings, kangas, scarves, paintings, purses, bags, etc, etc, etc! And most of the people in the shops make everything! They are so talented! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I felt kind of like a celebrity walking through, all the mamas were competing for my attention, telling me they would give me a good price, and pulling me into their shops! I told them that day I was just looking but I would definitely be back! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Early this week Chris made the bold decision that he wanted to climb Mount Kilimanjaro! He got in touch with a good company and before we knew it, he found out he had the chance to go on Saturday with two other people from Melbourne Australia! I decided I would just do the day trip which involves trekking the mountain for one day to the first point (campsite). On Saturday morning we were picked up by a big safari jeep by 7:30am and made the two hour trip to Moshi. The entire ride was in the pouring rain (Arusha is currently in the rainy season) which was a little unsettling, but luckily when we arrived at the gate for our route the rain had stopped, at least for a little while. I started ahead of the others with my day trip guide Godluck. He was such a nice guy, and he helped the time pass by providing me with a lot of interesting facts about the mountain and all the different times he’s climbed. One thing that I can’t get over is how strong the porters (people who carry all your bags, food, etc) are! They carry up to 20kg up the entire mountain, and they must stay ahead of the climbers so they arrive in time to set up at each campsite. Some of them will climb up to 3 or 4 times per month! And keep in mind that it takes about 6 days to get up and back down the mountain! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Overall my hike was a pretty cool experience. The scenery was really beautiful and most of the time the paths had fairly even footing. There were many steep areas but also flatter parts for some down time. It took about 3 hours to get to the first point (my goal), and by the last hour it had started to pour rain again! I did have a rain jackets, pants, and an umbrella so it wasn’t that bad. But, when we reached the first point there was no shelter (like the trees provided when we were walking) so we had to walk down a ways to find a place to eat our picnic lunch which was provided. We found a spot and huddled under my umbrella where we quickly consumed half of a cheese and carrot sandwich, a hardboiled egg, a piece of chicken, some glucose biscuits, and a juice box! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The way down was obviously much easier and took about half the time. We passed Chris and his crew and I wished him the best of luck and told him to stay positive! One thing the climbers are constantly told is to take it very pole pole (slowly slowly). They say many young fit people go too fast at the beginning and don’t have the strength left at the end to make it to the summit. On day 4 the climbers wake up at 12:00am and make the final trek to the summit for 6 hours! I was pretty tired after the climbing for over 4 hours, and admit the day trip was enough for me! I’m wishing Chris and all the climbers the best of luck this week as they make their way up Mount Kilimanjaro; it truly is a remarkable task that takes extreme mental and physical toughness! I can’t wait to hear all Chris’s stories when he returns next week! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KGTzdH5P03axzfx-lG19Y4vVpefpUKSAYNEed4l3_23Pk-GIjpVONbWKIFBUmCcW5n6iKdxLHlKvBD17_xHf6WpMkEhVKpKRQR863Mg5k24-RRdP97BuVlMrzkWG2IvRlf2jgqnj6B5_/s1600/Jeep+to+Moshi+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KGTzdH5P03axzfx-lG19Y4vVpefpUKSAYNEed4l3_23Pk-GIjpVONbWKIFBUmCcW5n6iKdxLHlKvBD17_xHf6WpMkEhVKpKRQR863Mg5k24-RRdP97BuVlMrzkWG2IvRlf2jgqnj6B5_/s320/Jeep+to+Moshi+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Jeep we took to Moshi</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NCxmIOc7BVUZZvCNonvZNy2uENFIB-OdqYhWOVHQTIwPdI9s_JgLmTggRu05jxqRt3msNLnGFw5hToUs2tqyS7FOygs1cHbr2RARh93nLQDV9Rimgxwd60nM9nFhmDOxlskk4JRXPcDw/s1600/Climbing+team.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NCxmIOc7BVUZZvCNonvZNy2uENFIB-OdqYhWOVHQTIwPdI9s_JgLmTggRu05jxqRt3msNLnGFw5hToUs2tqyS7FOygs1cHbr2RARh93nLQDV9Rimgxwd60nM9nFhmDOxlskk4JRXPcDw/s320/Climbing+team.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Climbing team!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNEfuw38gQfXz1io9amcHCqQ5GAel2Iguo1PbgSl0JaQ9uTHL4Zl6ijX4BYiIFRijs1hsTVcI83ax_UmjqAJePQ61-8iLLdWvuSuzbJFJiiwK7FdqkQHdoE-btNTpM0XXqsn1-YzrNJpw/s1600/Me+and+Godluck.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNEfuw38gQfXz1io9amcHCqQ5GAel2Iguo1PbgSl0JaQ9uTHL4Zl6ijX4BYiIFRijs1hsTVcI83ax_UmjqAJePQ61-8iLLdWvuSuzbJFJiiwK7FdqkQHdoE-btNTpM0XXqsn1-YzrNJpw/s320/Me+and+Godluck.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me and my guide!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEIEZGW1q5JLsGTeCN_NT74Cg5MjW4YfP7h7kP1jC4kzqVvRKN2cYjGdVifjWWrQQCojyJiQ24u9r57jb5Q4T74sBOv-brkm-lBY-K8TFqFb28VEraditdScxTv42LOowJp92d2na5PEH/s1600/Porters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEIEZGW1q5JLsGTeCN_NT74Cg5MjW4YfP7h7kP1jC4kzqVvRKN2cYjGdVifjWWrQQCojyJiQ24u9r57jb5Q4T74sBOv-brkm-lBY-K8TFqFb28VEraditdScxTv42LOowJp92d2na5PEH/s320/Porters.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The super strong porters!!!</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mount Kilimanjaro Facts</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and the fourth highest of the seven summits. It is the tallest freestanding mountain in the world, rising to an altitude of 5,898m (19,341 ft) above sea level. In addition, it is one of the biggest volcanoes on Earth, covering an area of approximately 388,500 hectares. It began forming a million years ago when lava spilled from the Rift Valley zone. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are six official climbing routes by which to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, namely: Marangu, Rongai, Lemosho, Shira, Umbwe abd Machame. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris will be taking the Machame route. It is regarded by many as the most enjoyable, although it is longer and according to most, more arduous. The route begins on the south side of the mountain; the trail passes through some of the mountain’s finest features, including the cloud forest of Kili’s southern slopes, the dry and dusty Shira Plateau and the delightful senecio-clad <b>Barranco Campsite</b>. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unlike the Marangu Route, on the Machame Route you don’t use the same path to descend as you took to climb up the mountain, but instead you come down via the <b>Mweka Route</b>, a steep but very pretty descent encompassing inhospitably dry mountain desert and lush lowland forest in a matter of a few hours. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Weather on Kilimanjaro</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kilimanjaro is big enough to have its own weather pattern. The theory behind this pattern is very simple. Strong winds travel across the oceans, drawing moisture as they go up. Eventually they collide with a large object (Mt. Kilimanjaro). The winds are pushed upwards as they hit the mountain slopes, and the fall in temperature and atmospheric pressure leads to precipitation (snow and rain). </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The south-east trade wind brings rain from the Indian Ocean between March and May. Then there are the dry ‘anti-trade’ winds from the north-east which carry no rain and hit Kilimanjaro between May and October. A second seasonal rain-bearing wind, the north-east monsoon, having already most of its moisture after travelling overland for a long period, brings a short rainy season between November and February. However, all the rain falls mainly below 3000m. You may be wondering how the snow on the summit got there if all the precipitation falls below 3000m? The answer is blowing in the (anti-trade) wind: though these winds normally blow very strongly, as those who walk north across the Saddle will testify, they occasionally drop in force, allowing the south-east trade winds that run beneath them to climb up the southern slopes to the Saddle and on to the summit. Huge banks of clouds then develop and snow falls. This, at least, is the theory of Kilimanjaro’s climate. In practice, of course, the mountain is rarely so predictable. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 234.25pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What is the temperature on Mount Kilimanjaro?</b><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 234.25pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The short answer is that the temperatures on Mount Kilimanjaro range from hot to bitter cold. The journey from the gate to the peak is like traveling from the equator to Antarctica in a matter of days. This is because the routes to the Uhuru peak cross different ecological zones. Mount Kilimanjaro has five major ecological zones, each approximately 3,280 feet (1,000 m) in altitude. Each zone is subject to a corresponding decrease in rainfall, temperature and life as the altitude increases.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 234.25pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mount Kilimanjaro does not experience wide temperature changes from season to season. Instead, the temperatures on Mount Kilimanjaro are determined more so by the altitude and time of day. At the beginning of the climb, at the base of the mountain, the average temperature is around 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 27 degrees Celsius). From there, the temperatures will decrease as you move through Mount Kilimanjaro's ecological zones. At the summit, Uhuru Point, the night time temperatures can range between 0 and -15 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 to -26 degrees Celsius).</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0.25in 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Note: </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">The Seven Summits, a well-known mountaineering objective, are the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. The Seven Summits, from highest to lowest, are:</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 28.05pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">Asia:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"> </span></span></span><a href="http://climbing.about.com/od/mountainclimbing/a/EverestFacts.htm"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mount Everest</span></span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> 29,035 feet (8850 meters) </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 28.05pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">South America:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"> </span></span></span><a href="http://climbing.about.com/od/thesevensummits/a/AconcaguaFacts.htm"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aconcagua</span></span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> 22,829 feet (6962 meters) </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 28.05pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">North America:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"> Denali AKA Mount McKinley 20,320 feet (6194 meters) </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 28.05pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">Africa:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"> </span></span></span><a href="http://climbing.about.com/od/mountainclimbing/a/KilimanjaroFact.htm"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kilimanjaro</span></span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> 19,340 feet (5895 meters) </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 28.05pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">Europe:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"> Mount Elbrus 18,510 feet (5642 meters) </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 28.05pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">Antarctica:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"> Mount Vinson 16,067 feet (4897 meters) </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 28.05pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">Australia:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"> </span></span></span><a href="http://climbing.about.com/od/mountainclimbing/a/KosciuszkoFacts.htm"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mount Kosciusko</span></span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> 7,310 feet (2228 meters)<br />
OR </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 28.05pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">Australasia/Oceania:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"> </span></span></span><a href="http://climbing.about.com/od/mountainclimbing/a/CarstenszFacts.htm"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carstensz Pyramid</span></span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> 16,023 feet (4884 meters)</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 28.05pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>Other interesting Facts!</strong></span></span></span></div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just when I thought the daladala rides couldn’t get any worse I was proven wrong. On the morning of my birthday (Thursday) it was pouring rain! Luckily I had my umbrella, so I made my way to catch the daladala. Thursdays and Sundays are market days in Ngaramtoni so the daladalas are absolutely packed! After letting a few jam packed daladalas pass, I realized I just had to get on the next one or else I’d never get there. I don’t know how I fit, but all I know is that the door was open and I was hanging on for dear life! Later in the day Chris returned to tell me he also had a horrible daladala experience. He was sitting beside a man holding around 20 live chickens by the feet which were flapping right at his legs! This must have been extra disturbing for Chris as he has a fear of chickens! Pole sana!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I ate a fish eye! Usually when you order fish from a restaurant here you are served exactly that – a whole fish – eyes and brains included. I haven’t had the guts to do it for a while, but finally on my birthday I went for it! I’ve heard they have a lot of protein too! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLgDK52Rk-MZSgz2fMwgSVyvEsq-jURlrRPc2xkOiVaOmBbRUgC9kma1_Cym6ixzEkWkXvHQ0STmeLkXw_cOO5i35kg8S3YlTbQk_uKBkJw4d5f9PHkM80IrafwGPOrmSo_YRgwZOTLA4/s1600/Birthday+dinner+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLgDK52Rk-MZSgz2fMwgSVyvEsq-jURlrRPc2xkOiVaOmBbRUgC9kma1_Cym6ixzEkWkXvHQ0STmeLkXw_cOO5i35kg8S3YlTbQk_uKBkJw4d5f9PHkM80IrafwGPOrmSo_YRgwZOTLA4/s320/Birthday+dinner+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;">Boiled Tilapia </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in;"><br />
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</span>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-48847613482601905022011-03-13T09:04:00.000-07:002011-03-13T09:09:23.634-07:00Arusha!<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bus Trip to Arusha</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Tuesday morning Chris and I awoke bright and early at 3:30am to complete darkness, as the power was out yet again! Luckily we had done most of our packing in the daylight and only had a few last minute items to pack up! Stanley arrived to pick us up at 4:00am (on time!) and kindly drove us to the bus station. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our bus departed Mwanza at 6:00am and we arrived in Arusha at 7:00pm! Yes, it was a very long 13 hours! We had one stop at the side of the road and one stop at an African café for a total of about 10 minutes. Other than that, there were only a few short stops at random bus stations where there was virtually no time to leave your seat! The ride was not exactly the most comfortable either, for the majority of the time we weren’t even driving on paved roads – they were all dirt roads with huge pot holes that jostled me around my seat and there was virtually no space between Chris and I. But, all in all in wasn’t as bad as some of the horror bus ride stories I’ve heard, and I can now say that I survived a 13 hour bus ride in Africa!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Arriving at the Arusha Bus station is another story! It was probably the most stressful experience I’ve had since arriving in Tanzania. It was dark when we arrived so Chris and I knew we had to be quick and efficient in collecting our bags and finding a taxi! As soon as I stepped off the bus I was surrounded by about 5 different men asking me if a I needed a taxi, grabbing my arm, trying to take my bags, etc. Then a young British man asked me if I was from Western Heads East and I quickly said YES!! It was Tom, a man who works with the Mondo Foundation and had arranged to meet us at the bus station! Wow, I was so relived! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Side note: What is the Mondo Foundation? </span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The MondoChallenge Foundation was registered by the Charity Commissioners in October 2004 and has already raised more than £550,000 to support education and business development in countries across the developing world. The donors include UK and international companies, grant giving trusts, individuals and mondochallenge volunteers, who have long been supportive of the Foundation. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What are their Aims?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They believe in community based programmes, providing education and business support projects to those who are most in need. The local managers guide and monitor donations. This enables them to act quickly, with the support and help of local people, on grassroots projects that make a huge difference to people’s lives.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their efforts are focused towards providing support for education at all levels, as well as working towards the relief of sickness and financial hardship through for example:</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making grants of money to enable those suffering from HIV and related illnesses to set up small businesses, as well as providing local support to maximize the success of these businesses.</span></span></b><span style="color: #555555;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">In Tanzania, they have already helped 300 HIV affected widows to create a livelihood and to provide their families with better food and housing.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Mondo Foundation is the organization that is helping the Yoghurt Mamas here with the startup capital for their business. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris managed to get our bags from beneath the bus, but not without having to pay money because apparently they were too big. I was relieved to finally be in a taxi with all our belongings and heading to Sakina Campsite, my new home for the next month and a half. We were kindly greeted by Robert (a worker here) and Regina (the cook). I was absolutely exhausted, and basically dropped by suitcases into my room ate some dinner and went to bed! </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was feeling much better when I awoke on Wednesday morning to the beautiful sunshine! I had finally caught my breath and ready to take in my new surroundings. I walked around the campsite a little bit and there is an amazing view of Mount Meru from the backyard. Mount Meru, is a dormant volcanic cone that, at 4566m, is Tanzania’s second-highest mountain. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNy7GXblc4NkFcqXngd7-lLDQhKX5NBm2iGE5GtebhajBS9XIebMlxRzoSdkk9EVGf6qA9vEbJmfvDiEpT_PyHTta7YIvhC1FrW80pQUtM2-TMSVj3MlMwdNsnFdQeeUaMIAbQg53f5JJ/s1600/Mount+Meru+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNy7GXblc4NkFcqXngd7-lLDQhKX5NBm2iGE5GtebhajBS9XIebMlxRzoSdkk9EVGf6qA9vEbJmfvDiEpT_PyHTta7YIvhC1FrW80pQUtM2-TMSVj3MlMwdNsnFdQeeUaMIAbQg53f5JJ/s320/Mount+Meru+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mount Meru View from Campsite </div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sakina camp is a very nice bed and breakfast type hostel located between Arusha town and Ngaramtoni (which is where the yoghurt project is). Currently, Chris and I are the only people staying here so it feels like we have so much space and attention, especially coming from Mwanza where we shared a room and were living with 3 other people in a small apartment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything is so new and different and feels like we are living a completely different lifestyle than Mwanza. However, we were informed that there are 14 missionaries arriving on Monday for 2 days, so the peace and quiet we’ve enjoyed sounds like it may come to an end for a couple days, but it will be nice to meet some new people! We were spoiled in Mwanza where we lived with two previous interns who showed us all around and introduced us to lots of people. Here, Chris and I are little bit more on our own to find places and meet people! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClfgG-f3eNhMQqz-c2s0QcGwVHkYRHm9TDolGVJzPKMEOB9xNJP6dz19QKa5D9M-gjFH3uXPRxNXOTL1F7dGUDGfU3kSB0E_N0-Gco_DLu539vgJcAUokzS1np2KNyzR5-MgKZ6pf00no/s1600/Sakina+Camp+front.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClfgG-f3eNhMQqz-c2s0QcGwVHkYRHm9TDolGVJzPKMEOB9xNJP6dz19QKa5D9M-gjFH3uXPRxNXOTL1F7dGUDGfU3kSB0E_N0-Gco_DLu539vgJcAUokzS1np2KNyzR5-MgKZ6pf00no/s320/Sakina+Camp+front.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Front View of Sakina Campsite</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJaGe_tahakcpuv2qZDTg1KWw0gdEpNFKGFyMJCziSH1jhq4nhWmFF2QPPSxrhwlt43A9-lnHTNz0NYapGQhDGS5DTxBlnBcWdT4Emo0strsAl_MU2FbiiC04iYj7k4oOq9q122ccQl4YQ/s1600/Front+lawn+Sakina.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJaGe_tahakcpuv2qZDTg1KWw0gdEpNFKGFyMJCziSH1jhq4nhWmFF2QPPSxrhwlt43A9-lnHTNz0NYapGQhDGS5DTxBlnBcWdT4Emo0strsAl_MU2FbiiC04iYj7k4oOq9q122ccQl4YQ/s320/Front+lawn+Sakina.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Front lawn of Sakina Campsite (great for tanning)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On Wednesday Regina (the cook here) took Chris and I into Arusha town to the Market. Arusha is a lot different from Mwanza, it is much more developed and there are many more tourists as Arusha is essentially the gateway to many tourist destinations including, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro crater, Mount Meru, Mount Kilimanjaro, etc. Walking around town for the first time, I found I didn’t get as many stares or “mzungu” comments which was kind of nice! Coming from Mwanza to Arusha town is somewhat like going from London Ontario to New York City. Chris and I continued to explore the town for a couple hours to try and figure out where things were and get oriented. We realized this it will definitely take a few days, especially for me and my poor direction sense! As we were walking, we came across a store called “Shoprite” which is essentially the Superstore of Africa. It sells a wide selection of American foods and when I walked in I felt like I was in a grocery store in Canada, but to be honest I don’t miss the American feel. I was expecting the products to be outrageously priced, but I didn’t find this, in fact it is the cheapest place to buy water I’ve seen yet and is now the go to place to stalk up!</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other Opportunities</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyone who knows me well is aware that I love to be busy…ALL the time! Since the mamas have vocalized that they really want to lead the project and their business, my involvement with them won’t be everyday especially for the time being while we are waiting for them to receive the funds. This means I need something else to keep me occupied!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I expressed this to Robert who works at Sakina Camp and he kindly got me in touch with a man named Herry who is the director of an organization called Home of Hope, which is a small non-profit organization that provides support in a variety of ways for families who are victims of extreme poverty. They have a new centre which just opened in 2010 that is used as a nursery school and also holds awareness classes for adults in the village. The classes teach about HIV/AIDS and educate people on how they can try to improve their lives and bring themselves out of poverty. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I met with Herry on Friday and he basically told me his life story. He came from a very poor family and I think this is where is motivation to start this school comes from. The school located in Ngaramtoni as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is very tiny with only two small classrooms and two teachers. There is a morning program from 8:30-11:30 for 3-7 year olds then older children come at 3:00-5:30pm. He said they always need volunteers to play with the kids, teach, etc. I got a good vibe from the school and the kids when I visited so I told him I will be back on Monday to see where I can help! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYxpPylPQ4LQW3MSrYtrk_9nkm35nXj9QhKvgNLDMF6ms-WEbX_KjKEvOn-H0zW_DQCkIsZL5qPGD0laCqcEFEc1BbH5oVhEMibIEawIegMbgx4kfGG58wDXH5JLu-bL5p7IYZDB9dygi/s1600/Home+of+Hope+school+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYxpPylPQ4LQW3MSrYtrk_9nkm35nXj9QhKvgNLDMF6ms-WEbX_KjKEvOn-H0zW_DQCkIsZL5qPGD0laCqcEFEc1BbH5oVhEMibIEawIegMbgx4kfGG58wDXH5JLu-bL5p7IYZDB9dygi/s320/Home+of+Hope+school+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Home of Hope School</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8QoqrMEToYJ98iqkRo2UI9geO9zR-peI8JS3uZCgs8MKroVI2Fu0nQ-MriFJ9jhSs5wBAkCoQqw3WgiTzeQknFp7bTFMVBSceOh022bSpUQ9uNwtyWzQOQn7EaBdFTsR-jiv20rZMsT5/s1600/Home+of+Hope+class.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8QoqrMEToYJ98iqkRo2UI9geO9zR-peI8JS3uZCgs8MKroVI2Fu0nQ-MriFJ9jhSs5wBAkCoQqw3WgiTzeQknFp7bTFMVBSceOh022bSpUQ9uNwtyWzQOQn7EaBdFTsR-jiv20rZMsT5/s320/Home+of+Hope+class.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Classroom</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3U5SOA7OeBFHl54_yuEH4BXaY-VzVqLDsnRZV9t0JiY9rUHfeiowDh9KmbhRIrZhH2AAL7iZmEqrHV4u_afhcYLFWmyTHrkxk8EgR1EgEYuB1fxcu7dS7pZNck8Cvd-pwLjgDwJekAme/s1600/Me+and+Chris+with+Home+of+Hope+kids.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3U5SOA7OeBFHl54_yuEH4BXaY-VzVqLDsnRZV9t0JiY9rUHfeiowDh9KmbhRIrZhH2AAL7iZmEqrHV4u_afhcYLFWmyTHrkxk8EgR1EgEYuB1fxcu7dS7pZNck8Cvd-pwLjgDwJekAme/s320/Me+and+Chris+with+Home+of+Hope+kids.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris and I with some of the kids</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New Sahara Café</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This café is also located in Ngaramtoni and as mentioned earlier David owns the Café. David is a member of the Mondo Foundation and is involved with helping out the Naserian Yoghurt Mamas. He is such a kind man and is constantly welcoming me and asking me if I am ok. He has hosted many volunteers at his home and said he loves introducing foreigners to Ngaramotni. I decided to ask him if I can help him out at all with his café. He said he would love my help! So, on Friday he introduced me to the staff and he taught me the basic Swahili words to say as a waitress (i.e, Karibu = welcome, una taka nini: what do you want? Una ongeza = do you want more? Etc) and I began serving the customers! It was an awesome experience! The Café is really popular serving authentic African dishes including Uglai, Wali, Mboga, Nyama, Beans, Mchicha, chapatti, chai, doughnuts, etc. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are about 3-4 waitresses, 2 cooks, 1 dish lady, and 1 cashier who work every day of the week from 7:00am-9:00pm!!! Talk about a long day! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1S90VKyUF_OBL_WOHHfbmePWfKBPCwi9gSdnpJ_t0uC30rao6_59wazXrnvQDvtScQK8KKW5T7oeYZ-5l1P-kaxfztMZfb9_ysrrdHMQJqcJTwtq-Bg46m6xUL4gdF7n_-_6l_0i4zOMY/s1600/New+Sahara+Sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1S90VKyUF_OBL_WOHHfbmePWfKBPCwi9gSdnpJ_t0uC30rao6_59wazXrnvQDvtScQK8KKW5T7oeYZ-5l1P-kaxfztMZfb9_ysrrdHMQJqcJTwtq-Bg46m6xUL4gdF7n_-_6l_0i4zOMY/s320/New+Sahara+Sign.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other interesting observations</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Dust town!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I thought Mwanza was extremely dusty/dirty, but to my surprise, I find Arusha to be<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a lot dustier, and Ngaramtoni even more so! There are times when Chris and I will be walking through town and all of a sudden a huge dust storm blows in and we can’t see one step in front of us! At the end of the day I pretty look another shade darker than I actually am because I have a film of dirt covering me! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsuc36HLv79N1WF8FO_30oM1SbmklnFJnxA3NeZpWvefG9jzUiZblHPXlGCkWVwxeYZR1IG66-gQFeGwii7MRR57QsDn3kfSsADrMiSPC0OdjMa5EL6j8rZhFqKnX3xVhKLTq6rVeHVJSV/s1600/Ngaramtoni+dust.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsuc36HLv79N1WF8FO_30oM1SbmklnFJnxA3NeZpWvefG9jzUiZblHPXlGCkWVwxeYZR1IG66-gQFeGwii7MRR57QsDn3kfSsADrMiSPC0OdjMa5EL6j8rZhFqKnX3xVhKLTq6rVeHVJSV/s320/Ngaramtoni+dust.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Street in Ngaramtoni </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2. -<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Sakina Camp is located on an unfinished highway, so when we walk out it is basically just <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rocks that are very hard to navigate through. The other day, a taxi that came to pick us up got stuck and the boys had to push it free!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoPxoM_n6bOtC-SzbqjzpEZ914k5_71Q_yeCc9pmnEjqMle7TT3J0FK2Dt-DES4O9lcNXX50Ls8DFs-ZmzTQ8dtD-nbthSjldR0vI0QmffHfdDU3GXDGpm_ASeynILx0Vboc1t1LX1FE5/s1600/Pushing+the+Taxi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoPxoM_n6bOtC-SzbqjzpEZ914k5_71Q_yeCc9pmnEjqMle7TT3J0FK2Dt-DES4O9lcNXX50Ls8DFs-ZmzTQ8dtD-nbthSjldR0vI0QmffHfdDU3GXDGpm_ASeynILx0Vboc1t1LX1FE5/s320/Pushing+the+Taxi.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pushing the stuck taxi!</div></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-29425244918697749982011-03-04T11:32:00.000-08:002011-03-04T11:38:43.864-08:00Last Week in Mwanza!<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> <br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris and I have just finished our last week in Mwanza working with the yoghurt mamas and will soon be off to Arusha! We have had an amazing time here and met so many awesome people. I’ve done things I never imagined I could do and have learned a lot about myself! We will be leaving for Arusha on March 8<sup>th</sup>, and although we are sad to leave, we are both excited for the next adventure that awaits us in Arusha. I am looking forward to living in another area of Tanzania and experiencing a new atmosphere and meeting new people. We are scheduled to work with another group of Yoghurt Mamas in Arusha who have just started, but are not exactly certain on the status of the project. But, we are excited to see what Arusha has in store for us!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>Here are a few highlights from our last week!</strong></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Sunday, Chris and I were invited to a teacher’s house from Mtoni Secondary School (Perpetua). Once we finally arrived it was a lovely afternoon visit, but..getting there was another adventure! It began with a squishy, sweaty ride in a daladala where Chris and I were virtually scrunched up into pretzels, sitting two feet from the floor. Perpetua informed us to tell the driver of the daladala to let us out at the “bodany” (or something like that) stop and she would meet us there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem was that the driver didn’t seem to understand what we were saying and neither did anyone else in the daladala. So after arriving in the village of Buswelu where she lives, we randomly decided to get out before we got too far away! It felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. There was one stone and one or two shops in sight, apart from that, a long dirt road etched by rivulets and sinking tires. So, I called Perpetua and tried to describe to her where we were, but of course she had no idea. So we started walking down the deserted road to try and find some kind of landmark. Finally we reached a sign pointing in the direction of a school so we stopped and called her again. But, still she didn’t understand where we were, and the poor reception with the phone cutting in and out didn’t help much either! A few minutes later a man called me and asked where I was…he explained that he was Perpetua’s husband and that he would come and pick us up. I put Chris on the phone and he told the man where we were. About 15 minutes later a black van pulled up beside us with a man inside saying he was here to pick us up. Hmmm…this was definitely a little sketchy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chris said we were not getting in that van as it might be some scam to rob or kidnap us or something. The man said he was Perpetua’s husband, so Chris told me to call her back again and ask if her husband had a black van, etc, etc. It turned out that it was him and he was an extremely nice man and kindly escorted us to their home. Finally…we had arrived, at times I had my doubts that we would never find her! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I was so happy when we arrived! They have a beautiful home (definitely upper class for African standards) with a couch, t.v, hot plates for cooking, running water, etc. We were introduced to her beautiful daughter Irene who is two years old and her house girls. We were served delicious pilau, mchicha, and nyama which I was also pleased about because I knew Chris would be happy about this, and I was feeling a bit bad, because I did kind of drag him along on this expedition (pole Chris!). But I definitely wouldn’t have made it there without him! I guess I should take a minute to thank Chris so much for being so helpful and tolerant of my severe lack of direction! He seems to have a built in compass in his brain, which is great for me because for some reason me and directions just don't mix!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On Monday, I went back to Igombe with one of the ChemChemi Mamas. I really enjoy visiting the women there, and I think what the ChemChemi program is doing for young women and their children is amazing! I had the opportunity to speak with a woman there who provides nutrition education to both pregnant women and women with small children. I was thankful that she spoke some English so I was able to ask her some questions about what types of things she talks to the mamas about since this is essentially what I am studying in school and part of the role of a dietitian. She told me that the first thing she asks them is what type of food they have. This is extremely important because there is no use preaching to people about what they should eat, if they can’t afford that type of food. She also said that she tells them to leave the maize flour unpolished so all the nutrients remain and are not washed off. I also learned that if the children are not following a healthy pattern on the growth chart they must attend the education and uji preparation session that is provided free of charge. It’s really nice to see such a great health education program here in Africa because in general, I feel like people are no aware about the importance of health and nutrition. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Following this I gave the yoghurt Mamas in Igombe two fact sheets on the health benefits of probiotic yoghurt. Currently they do not add the probiotics to the yoghurt as they have few resources and are just starting to build their business. They were very thankful to receive the resources and one mama read the entire fact sheet out loud to everyone! </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3H4Qiof_GFwYbL-OpnU5llwVKtOL_4x9kw2HrFKn-lvsOIYIfijdmVkGrGmHr_sBf1sUfoGkcabuCGlGs6Hcpo4B3y0BQhASjNQcjld6kYmXOnyiePdjhVNcFyZnIXbuJ8c41JeremmZb/s1600/Mama+reading+probiotics+sheet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3H4Qiof_GFwYbL-OpnU5llwVKtOL_4x9kw2HrFKn-lvsOIYIfijdmVkGrGmHr_sBf1sUfoGkcabuCGlGs6Hcpo4B3y0BQhASjNQcjld6kYmXOnyiePdjhVNcFyZnIXbuJ8c41JeremmZb/s320/Mama+reading+probiotics+sheet.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mama reading the Probiotic health benefits to everyone!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_H9U2eiMqMIvat7HyFwc1UBxzdpcFeBQLhxNSObccebW7a9p0XB-X5gzKSdJnCiNDbzZv3rfI3TxMfOaS9u6Sd1cg6LolyQkI_fWByA5VehjqBChecLLAdXxUIHhx9gdCJepPvq-LkYpw/s1600/Babies+getting+weighed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_H9U2eiMqMIvat7HyFwc1UBxzdpcFeBQLhxNSObccebW7a9p0XB-X5gzKSdJnCiNDbzZv3rfI3TxMfOaS9u6Sd1cg6LolyQkI_fWByA5VehjqBChecLLAdXxUIHhx9gdCJepPvq-LkYpw/s320/Babies+getting+weighed.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Babies getting weighed at the Igombe Health Center</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWBspcgXsx8WTKdxT62_uNj3KOK51QcTHKVScM2H-npkT6X5SqevNmb-vMCZdK2O1_6dck9q6bDhs1ZdGR6XBptPkTano6PMQnjAlAH4arMMi6wKczsRA3ZPM99XPXi_jVIcKOwdPYyfA/s1600/Growth+Charts+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWBspcgXsx8WTKdxT62_uNj3KOK51QcTHKVScM2H-npkT6X5SqevNmb-vMCZdK2O1_6dck9q6bDhs1ZdGR6XBptPkTano6PMQnjAlAH4arMMi6wKczsRA3ZPM99XPXi_jVIcKOwdPYyfA/s320/Growth+Charts+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tracking their progress on growth charts</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRvoKB6acdx59Ir2WHs0wI3aNCfHQjIyneQDe_Be70Ew0ISzrNSnIT8pJyov5cIhQtQJFK1_gf7W-f8HHhLn_7IDhMMlLt0LH_ErWC7_N3AJeiWgp6d2yh0YJh_ZDUgUJZTJ_2a1qaYiP/s1600/Me+and+Mama+reading+probiotics.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRvoKB6acdx59Ir2WHs0wI3aNCfHQjIyneQDe_Be70Ew0ISzrNSnIT8pJyov5cIhQtQJFK1_gf7W-f8HHhLn_7IDhMMlLt0LH_ErWC7_N3AJeiWgp6d2yh0YJh_ZDUgUJZTJ_2a1qaYiP/s320/Me+and+Mama+reading+probiotics.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Reading the health benefits of probiotics</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On Wednesday I visited Buswelu Primary school which, like Mtoni is partnered with a school in London Ontario called Tecumseh. The Tecumseh school has contributed to the building of desks and raised funds to support other needed supplies. Once we finally located the headmaster we were kindly ushered into his office where Stanley and I were presented with a large dusty guestbook to sign, which happens very frequently at various places we visit. I gave Leonard (headmaster) some paper and pencil crayons for the students and it is my hope to have them answer a few questions which I will collect before returning back to Canada. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Following this Stanley and I visited a few classrooms. Every time we entered a new class the students immediately stood up and said “Good Morning Madam, how are you Madam?” I felt so respected! Then, they asked me a few questions. One recurring theme I find that students ask about is related to the government in Canada. It seems like they are a lot more interested in Canadian politics than students in Canada. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here are some of the questions asked:</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1. </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Who was the first Prime Minister of Canada</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2. </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Who is the current Prime Minister</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3. </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How many members of Parliament are there in Canada?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4. </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What is the largest denomination of money (for one bill)?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5. </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Is there a rainy season in Canada like in Tanzania?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6. </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do you like the black people?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">From what I have observed, Buswelu is a more rural and impoverished area. By the stares and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>looks of surprise I received, it became evident that these roads hadn’t seen many ‘mzungus’. Chickens, dogs, and goats darted onto the road at times, and the homes are generally constructed of clay or concrete. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqOGncb3z672bqGdHAuReNRrCx-N5iM_qKTvloJrjh_AWmzNaw3W6qEC9kvZeXAQpym_z3YIfkd2RhBVENHRdKxtb9sgJH4n_X5xbNET9QKOnuaWyDZVnI4wf3hboHuvFaoC35aw9mOtr/s1600/Buswelu+Primary+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqOGncb3z672bqGdHAuReNRrCx-N5iM_qKTvloJrjh_AWmzNaw3W6qEC9kvZeXAQpym_z3YIfkd2RhBVENHRdKxtb9sgJH4n_X5xbNET9QKOnuaWyDZVnI4wf3hboHuvFaoC35aw9mOtr/s320/Buswelu+Primary+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Buswelu Primary School </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHrluA_iLJeIGy1L4diwB5Y9bNSqKzB48PxYnM45bw7WH_-JF8SU0L_zcmU_JP1L2O6jfLvICO3DX37VZwDGLF6ZyIkG21XnQqIAt-SCsdtg14SmXY-btWCVyYmDSYWbfKun1xH8W96qg/s1600/Me+with+Buswelu+Class+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHrluA_iLJeIGy1L4diwB5Y9bNSqKzB48PxYnM45bw7WH_-JF8SU0L_zcmU_JP1L2O6jfLvICO3DX37VZwDGLF6ZyIkG21XnQqIAt-SCsdtg14SmXY-btWCVyYmDSYWbfKun1xH8W96qg/s320/Me+with+Buswelu+Class+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me with a Buswelu Class </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>SAUT Lecture</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Thursday I arranged to attend a lecture at St. Augustine University with a friend I met taking sociology. She kindly sent me her timetable and I chose to attend the Human Rights lecture which was a great decision. It was a cool experience to attend a university lecture outside of Canada and even more amazing to be in Africa! I would say most things were very similar, apart from the more advanced technology in Canada. For example, none of the students had laptops, just small notebooks, and there was no power point. The professor only used a small chalkboard to write down a few key words which I admit did make it hard to stay focused. Some similarities I noticed were that, students were free to ask questions, many students were on their phones text messaging, and some students left early. The lecture was 3 hours long with only one short 5 minutes break! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I really enjoyed the topics discussed in the lecture. All were very controversial but really made me think and I enjoyed being back in a classroom setting. The main focus was “The right to life” and the different aspects discussed were: the death penalty, abortion, euthanasia, and disappearance. Thank-you very much to Lina for inviting me! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Farewell Dinner</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">On Friday evening Chris and I took the Mamas and a few friends out for our "goodbye" dinner. Although not all the mamas were able to attend it was a wonderful evening and I want to say a big thanks to Missy who helped out so much with arranging the location and menu! We couldn't have done it without you! I could tell all the mamas thoroughly enjoyed themselves and the food! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This pictures speak for themselves:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx3JhCULYRLjoCcjY8qFNHPX0A7XL0CZPwCGr0XdGGs3xRAaniHmjoomm_ItJBs_XbPO2U9tf3SIFbBK41wJMh5FP3CHMOvqohdurhDqvEj586bl9h30ktMnMBrk7Tl17YgvqvB5T4Ai4Q/s1600/Chris+and+I+-+farewell+Mwanza.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx3JhCULYRLjoCcjY8qFNHPX0A7XL0CZPwCGr0XdGGs3xRAaniHmjoomm_ItJBs_XbPO2U9tf3SIFbBK41wJMh5FP3CHMOvqohdurhDqvEj586bl9h30ktMnMBrk7Tl17YgvqvB5T4Ai4Q/s320/Chris+and+I+-+farewell+Mwanza.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Chris and I before the dinner!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvUH5GzcuIxdwLI0NuK67GNFL5nXXVSu9YiAQhdJqWLS4zUbbInyCuVXe1J74Sj-9zDrZU7G1sNZx6ehmsCTnXfp5Iu_dSEZ19j2y2qIz0mvukdprbu7KcR5pRnl_uFZpgYK5ec4-UAwD/s1600/Food+at+farewell+dinner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvUH5GzcuIxdwLI0NuK67GNFL5nXXVSu9YiAQhdJqWLS4zUbbInyCuVXe1J74Sj-9zDrZU7G1sNZx6ehmsCTnXfp5Iu_dSEZ19j2y2qIz0mvukdprbu7KcR5pRnl_uFZpgYK5ec4-UAwD/s320/Food+at+farewell+dinner.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mmmm Chakula!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8FuOovVXFNC090MQ7EG7eXPXg_7wM_C3E6k4ue5-oB9NkHgPNwWt2yQjOF9wTn_Hdp1wsZczbkOFiQUZn6rjrCpRtthJz325KIt510p4f3I-vhqJ2TJxTYVUuZ1KfeK-vKtwoZr7h_gd/s1600/Mamas+getting+their+food.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8FuOovVXFNC090MQ7EG7eXPXg_7wM_C3E6k4ue5-oB9NkHgPNwWt2yQjOF9wTn_Hdp1wsZczbkOFiQUZn6rjrCpRtthJz325KIt510p4f3I-vhqJ2TJxTYVUuZ1KfeK-vKtwoZr7h_gd/s320/Mamas+getting+their+food.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mama's digging in!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDy6k1HrL3UJaSCFRfJ3tZIcCNMMVCTIen1w2w7510iwlz-FitCQe-2IfdZt71VIIV6ilc5BW_eZFMIjQRLGybm3Gtmyaal7MH8LFmmw4u0vn6YfS3vvnYZiOj18I-6mrQ9oFHgLYG2Unm/s1600/My+plate%2521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDy6k1HrL3UJaSCFRfJ3tZIcCNMMVCTIen1w2w7510iwlz-FitCQe-2IfdZt71VIIV6ilc5BW_eZFMIjQRLGybm3Gtmyaal7MH8LFmmw4u0vn6YfS3vvnYZiOj18I-6mrQ9oFHgLYG2Unm/s320/My+plate%2521.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Delicious!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uegVHtotGs2AKIYD6WMMd9SVV_AzoMYtnVh6OU7UWDVtz-_hfykne9yf-cBf2klgmVQy2SnDF0j-McXI3Yx5n8Bc0OlNUSlWWidgHaJPG6vauTE4e6MeOsuJv1w0ZuImdANuMCMkvdEM/s1600/Enjoying+the+meal+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uegVHtotGs2AKIYD6WMMd9SVV_AzoMYtnVh6OU7UWDVtz-_hfykne9yf-cBf2klgmVQy2SnDF0j-McXI3Yx5n8Bc0OlNUSlWWidgHaJPG6vauTE4e6MeOsuJv1w0ZuImdANuMCMkvdEM/s320/Enjoying+the+meal+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Enjoying the meal!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Picture from our last meeting:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZYQvmzerOqKtTDrMpVPqCI6_YHUryXKkGGu1fV5cE22FIi2UxnF4-vZntQBNj5gMJpA1_69mvkI-f92jxw8zPBrUh4Ly9XUftcQ6RImGEYynNMbdZcFYUtKCDoXyJNRoFT_0iQCBb_IV/s1600/Yoghurt+Mamas+group+shot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZYQvmzerOqKtTDrMpVPqCI6_YHUryXKkGGu1fV5cE22FIi2UxnF4-vZntQBNj5gMJpA1_69mvkI-f92jxw8zPBrUh4Ly9XUftcQ6RImGEYynNMbdZcFYUtKCDoXyJNRoFT_0iQCBb_IV/s320/Yoghurt+Mamas+group+shot.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">A few more interesting facts: </span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Swahili vs. Kiswahili</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I was starting to wonder what exactly the difference is between Swahili and Kiswahili because it seems to me that the words are used interchangeably. But now, I think I finally understand: Kiswahili is the noun (the language) and Swahili is the adjective (i.e Tanzanians are Swahili people). </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Wild Life</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dogs, goats, chickens, cats, and cows wonder freely along the streets and fields. The other day there was a goat on the soccer field during a game, but this phenomenon didn’t even phase the players. I also witnessed a cow on the playground of a primary school. If such a scene occurred in Canada I’m sure it would be making all the headlines!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Schedules</span></b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t think there is a word in Swahili for schedule. People here are so “go with the flow.” Things are constantly changing, and a new unexpected adventure always seems to occur! Planning out your day can be helpful, but you have to realize, it almost never goes as planned.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">It’s virtually impossible to go out and do just one thing. One event always leads to another unexpected adventure!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Although this is completely different from how I operate in Canada, I’m starting to get used to the random uncertainty and always enjoy the surprises each day brings! People here also have no concept of time. I’m starting to get used to waiting around. Arriving late here is not seen as a sign of disrespect, because everyone is always late! Also, if someone says I’m ready (tayari), you may still have to wait another hour</span></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is officially my last blog post in Mwanza! I will miss Mwanza dearly, but I am scheduled to return in May for one last time before heading home to Canada. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay tuned for my first update from Arusha where another adventure will begin…</span></span></div><br />
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</div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-71459620929326886512011-02-25T06:32:00.000-08:002011-02-25T06:32:22.141-08:00Wiki Sita<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last Sunday (My Mom’s birthday – Happy belated birthday mama!) I slept in and had a nice relaxing day. I made a trip to the market then took advantage of the sun which had been hiding all week, and tanned for a couple hours on the roof of our apartment. One vitamin I know I’m not missing is vitamin D! Later in the day I received a message from a friend I met at SAUT (Lina) that there was a football game at 4:30pm between the second year sociology students and second year law students. I wasn’t doing too much so I decided this would be a good opportunity to meet some new people and attend a sporting event at a university. Apart from the Daladala rides (I am always harassed and forced to pay more because I am a “mzungu”), it was a great afternoon! Lina and I probably spent more time talking and asking each other different questions about Canada and Tanzania then we did watching the game, but I did manage to witness a few good plays. She told me that the season begins in February and ends in April and is very popular among the students which I can confirm by the number of people at the game! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I really enjoy visiting the SAUT campus. As I mentioned earlier there is a certain vibe you get at university’s that I can’t really describe…I just love the atmosphere! Even though, I am still for the most part the only white person, I don’t get the same stares or comments that I do when walking down the streets, which I must say is quite peaceful and refreshing! I think the students have attained a certain level of education resulting in the respect I feel while visiting. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46Dq8BM5_oVsnfasExK02AU51-LpkqODK6_EX1Uhiqpu5BQtX5Kct7baTli5f8gXj4gBjcN3W-KsZJr6NB4ouC471aIMXlV2dJEJnzA_zJvlIELwuwCbwlFDEdLrXNpJOydfBHmtllzuY/s1600/Soccer+game+at+SAUT+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46Dq8BM5_oVsnfasExK02AU51-LpkqODK6_EX1Uhiqpu5BQtX5Kct7baTli5f8gXj4gBjcN3W-KsZJr6NB4ouC471aIMXlV2dJEJnzA_zJvlIELwuwCbwlFDEdLrXNpJOydfBHmtllzuY/s320/Soccer+game+at+SAUT+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">SAUT Soccer Game</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGhxGUwApFbe0sCsvX4gANRzp6z_ABsvwmzFj8DY0_5GRh4c-KpFWpYk14eFJxOG_ksIxm12SVtLsJi5fBn8O2BQMsOWDN3mJdfQBi4VktmzHe3XKce3CHJ0jzT9LpH29V606VX3LN0gd/s1600/Soccer+game+at+SAUT+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGhxGUwApFbe0sCsvX4gANRzp6z_ABsvwmzFj8DY0_5GRh4c-KpFWpYk14eFJxOG_ksIxm12SVtLsJi5fBn8O2BQMsOWDN3mJdfQBi4VktmzHe3XKce3CHJ0jzT9LpH29V606VX3LN0gd/s320/Soccer+game+at+SAUT+%25286%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On Monday I went with Mama Asia and Mama Joyce to Igombe to visit the group of yoghurt mamas there. Mama Asia works at Kivulini Women’s Rights Organization and provided entrepreneurial/business training for these Mamas and Mama Joyce is from the Tukwamunae group and helped train the mamas to make the yoghurt. I was pleasantly surprised when I learned that the ChemChemi project takes place in Igombe on Mondays so we got to spend some time visiting these mamas when we arrived. Just to remind you, the ChemChemi project is an NGO that works under Kivulini. The program focuses on health and nutritional issues for malnourished children under five. The Mamas bring their children each week where they are weighed and measured and then uji (thin porridge) is prepared for them. Many of the mamas who bring their children to ChemChemi are the mamas who are part of the yoghurt group as well. So, after this we went to visit the yoghurt kitchen. There space is very tiny and they have few resources but I see a lot of potential in this group. They have fifteen mamas and they are selling in the market every day. They are also interested in adding the probiotics into the yoghurt. I hope to visit them again next week to provide some education on probiotics and leave them with a facts sheet. </span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisV4tjo6cc9iEdXOIvRUPhf6jqPnYSfMBxYJXd_-CUT56gVVltryAxi1DsroHg_DbdBgGvEqipVAXosj-VIJ4ceswNhgP4plwOrnG2tZeZ2_B9TEX5U8ZXvCJISyUMS4WnhVlAZRsVmOiI/s1600/Me+with+the+ChemChemi+group+Igombe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisV4tjo6cc9iEdXOIvRUPhf6jqPnYSfMBxYJXd_-CUT56gVVltryAxi1DsroHg_DbdBgGvEqipVAXosj-VIJ4ceswNhgP4plwOrnG2tZeZ2_B9TEX5U8ZXvCJISyUMS4WnhVlAZRsVmOiI/s320/Me+with+the+ChemChemi+group+Igombe.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me with some of the ChemChemi Mamas</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW0GYNq6kvwwagWVnjnM7NoFKErviM428NN00WHmTYuTrShL1CScRd9wdssQgN_mCHtD82FF6ev4FC2-Ij51zuqj_qsnlRqGtyrnckFoYkYH_lm0uwujh1emhRUJyrs9n-4pYZR9DdCKO/s1600/serving+uji.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW0GYNq6kvwwagWVnjnM7NoFKErviM428NN00WHmTYuTrShL1CScRd9wdssQgN_mCHtD82FF6ev4FC2-Ij51zuqj_qsnlRqGtyrnckFoYkYH_lm0uwujh1emhRUJyrs9n-4pYZR9DdCKO/s320/serving+uji.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Serving the Uji!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAy1O_msvqd9ML9srdZWjN2xLtA7rFXtud_jHczQYe-M3HGIrnxwvzQHaxltwv_tXOhrFIQLCUm6toudY9TO9rEcX04rmDuP9Q1x3YIOXmNzGxHEtCFtoSoDC4jjyBvlMaKtfFXodBssM/s1600/Feeding+the+kids+Uji.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAy1O_msvqd9ML9srdZWjN2xLtA7rFXtud_jHczQYe-M3HGIrnxwvzQHaxltwv_tXOhrFIQLCUm6toudY9TO9rEcX04rmDuP9Q1x3YIOXmNzGxHEtCFtoSoDC4jjyBvlMaKtfFXodBssM/s320/Feeding+the+kids+Uji.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mamas and their kids drinking Uji!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOpG7medwfUPzigUInQoWD6DL81w312gQmlg6KY69mW473ClWTtvaGqSiPaKRlE81Vl2ZJZ01JPDWvLM6ewy_Ztm1Aryog242i-342JR84WNxAjTxsdeo4Cv2U-8lRTvE2uCetOXAMm16/s1600/Me+with+Igombe+Mamas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOpG7medwfUPzigUInQoWD6DL81w312gQmlg6KY69mW473ClWTtvaGqSiPaKRlE81Vl2ZJZ01JPDWvLM6ewy_Ztm1Aryog242i-342JR84WNxAjTxsdeo4Cv2U-8lRTvE2uCetOXAMm16/s320/Me+with+Igombe+Mamas.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me with some of the Igombe Mamas</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interview Questions:</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week Chris and I were contacted by some Global Health Science Students doing course work related to public health promotions in Tanzania in regards to probiotic yoghurt. They sent us four salient questions that they want us to ask the yoghurt mamas and some Tanzanians from the general population. I am quite excited about doing this and interested in the various responses: There are 4 salient questions we have been requested to ask:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">What does it mean to you to be healthy</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">What is bacteria?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">How does your community view people with HIV/AIDS?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">What do you think the benefits of probiotic yoghurt are in your community?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Mtoni Presentations</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week I continued with educating the students at Mtoni secondary school about the health benefits of milk and yoghurt. I spoke with Form 2 students so they are older and thus their English is a little better. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Some of the questions from the students:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1. Is milk still as healthy if you add sugar?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2. Why do you have to boil the milk first, but you don't have to boil breast milk for babies?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">3. Do all cows produce the same type of milk?</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week I finally built up the courage to get my hair braided! It is something I’ve wanted to do since I’ve been here, but very few (if any) “mzungus” (white foreigners) have their hair in braids. Nevertheless, I went to a well-known beauty salon and got it done. It took much longer than I expected…a total of five hours spread over 2 days! But overall a very cool experience!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuHhnbdAh8rvnQAtoCColLlZL_5yC-zT0DCScDJZwgUUPkf-uDQr6yDIZSOcQcO2csnbjMB6n7mSBmAcGHCAoK5vNQ6v4FUxROiVJYfDUOgQBVsoLxYCL02gvonk_M0-54WtQlLViftOk/s1600/DSC04399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuHhnbdAh8rvnQAtoCColLlZL_5yC-zT0DCScDJZwgUUPkf-uDQr6yDIZSOcQcO2csnbjMB6n7mSBmAcGHCAoK5vNQ6v4FUxROiVJYfDUOgQBVsoLxYCL02gvonk_M0-54WtQlLViftOk/s320/DSC04399.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1l2DGuiyDyVJ2u6Sz5jdqvd7Z-thXBzC5NHKHsX8Cjri_OtmfbzCHrQhhP3WMdZDNqRp3mF2tERsSbUBfkFIFQxUNx7UgRBRXerD5qwKW582aIIZj2NIu0ENAdOopG50FpH0sbE1Ijt5/s1600/DSC04402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1l2DGuiyDyVJ2u6Sz5jdqvd7Z-thXBzC5NHKHsX8Cjri_OtmfbzCHrQhhP3WMdZDNqRp3mF2tERsSbUBfkFIFQxUNx7UgRBRXerD5qwKW582aIIZj2NIu0ENAdOopG50FpH0sbE1Ijt5/s320/DSC04402.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Thursday my translator Stanley took me to Nyakato which is where the Mahina yoghurt Mamas are located. I gave them another “simpler” probiotics fact sheet for them to post on the door of their kitchen. One of my goals is to get them including the probiotics in their yoghurt which I feel they are ready to start doing. So, I brought one of the Mamas to NIMR and introduced her to the staff and they informed her about the probiotic yoghurt drop off and pick procedure. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything went smoothly apart from getting caught up in some riots on the streets! It was actually pretty crazy there were tons of people from the opposition party protesting against the party in power (I’m not exactly sure why, but I think it was something to do with them charging high prices, etc). We got held up in our daladala for about 15 minutes as rioters crowed the streets and banged on the doors of the daladala as they passed by. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Qctbi69a8SSf_C3iOIijrMi_U1AcE1b3vwbbP4wssu16GUCch6Cw-3JWB-mXbsg98VVYkr569Hn83HuacaJ48idAVYynMRwV4ljQqn9hHE8M6Eht1WB9WtAQ5QqJVN6GXU7YpZIrps7v/s1600/DSC04406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Qctbi69a8SSf_C3iOIijrMi_U1AcE1b3vwbbP4wssu16GUCch6Cw-3JWB-mXbsg98VVYkr569Hn83HuacaJ48idAVYynMRwV4ljQqn9hHE8M6Eht1WB9WtAQ5QqJVN6GXU7YpZIrps7v/s320/DSC04406.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Protests on the sreet!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGxSE9jo8M6bjYeM8h8BilcyhS8Xt-pXHJyX8b_XHxsaxzM92TqkFlS5LcppVWOqSHPEcnTfbYsbi13I8G0nx9P7cZj-XZzNA8E6R6KZifW-LtxzNlWC3s4ace48H7ZQW4lW7U_9_dc9E/s1600/DSC04409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGxSE9jo8M6bjYeM8h8BilcyhS8Xt-pXHJyX8b_XHxsaxzM92TqkFlS5LcppVWOqSHPEcnTfbYsbi13I8G0nx9P7cZj-XZzNA8E6R6KZifW-LtxzNlWC3s4ace48H7ZQW4lW7U_9_dc9E/s320/DSC04409.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhFkpoChSxa0AIfhhX69Jk0oXrbqT13tieYsaZvWpiqsPmDNqrsYYVMG8kuLTPWQFzaF0Asa-GmqGgleVuBcqv1JRhxJqgwn302E-S0KjbNauPl416BMg2CDhS5GvgvGNWgqZjAFTPEL5/s1600/DSC04415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhFkpoChSxa0AIfhhX69Jk0oXrbqT13tieYsaZvWpiqsPmDNqrsYYVMG8kuLTPWQFzaF0Asa-GmqGgleVuBcqv1JRhxJqgwn302E-S0KjbNauPl416BMg2CDhS5GvgvGNWgqZjAFTPEL5/s320/DSC04415.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Probiotic fact sheet on the Mahina Kitchen door!</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interesting Facts!</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Noise</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our apartment is located right in the centre of town so it is ALWAYS super loud! There is frequently loud music blaring from trucks/cars as they drive by, and many times people go by yelling things into megaphones. The other night there was a wedding close by and the noise lasted well into the early morning. It’s also not uncommon to hear dogs barking for hours on end and sometimes there are even dog fights. There are certainly no noise by-laws in Mwanza, all I can say is that I’m glad I brought ear plugs!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Weather</span></b></span></span></span> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The weather has been absolutely beautiful for the most part. The rainy season usually occurs during November and December but apparently Mwanza received very little rain fall during this time, so sometimes there is a torrential down poor in the afternoon. During this time the city essentially shuts down. Fortunately this only lasts for about an hour, then it is clear and sunny again and the city returns back to its busy vibrant self! Some days it is quite cool, but I shouldn’t complain because I know it is better than being in the Canadian winter! The seasons in East Africa don’t correspond to those of other parts of the world. They vary greatly depending on the altitude and latitude, which roughly corresponds to June, July, and August, can be cold in the southern highlands of Tanzania, pleasant on the cost and hot in the northern regions of Kenya. People may refer to the following seasons but have different times of year in mind: cold, harvest, hot, and rainy</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Missy took me up on the roof of the apartment which is a very peaceful location to read or, I have been using it as a prime tanning spot! It’s also a good way to get away from all the staring from the streets. However, occasionally these huge ugly scruffy birds land on the roof which is a little creepy! </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurQlId-oiBZzC-bimdzNwbh5Sj-OZZwK3kD3dMFaVbBuxX2jhEwc8aoNmLxodjMIjjNEpZKn5u5SCD9SXG5alLVM491AV9SfkWcnoUwHYmrKl77ux9bFQ9fL-_90JoDIxWm1Ut1d2UWgF/s1600/bird+on+roof+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurQlId-oiBZzC-bimdzNwbh5Sj-OZZwK3kD3dMFaVbBuxX2jhEwc8aoNmLxodjMIjjNEpZKn5u5SCD9SXG5alLVM491AV9SfkWcnoUwHYmrKl77ux9bFQ9fL-_90JoDIxWm1Ut1d2UWgF/s320/bird+on+roof+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Crazy Bird on the Roof!</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Other points!</strong></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The power also goes off very frequently at the apartment, but this is unrelated to the weather. I think it has probably gone out on average 5 days a week for a couple hours. This is no problem during the day but at night it can make cooking and ultimately seeing a little difficult. Luckily we have lots of empty wine bottles with candles stuck in them that are very helpful! I’m actually starting to get used to the random power outages and it always makes for an interesting night of conversations!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think I’ve failed to mention that we have a squat toilet in our apartment. Although I have to use it every day, this is something I just don’t think I will ever get used to. The other thing that is extremely difficult is the cold showers! Actually, I admit that I have resorted to boiling water and having “bucket baths” on the days I just can’t hack it!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When I see such young children taking care of other children. It’s quite a different concept than in Canada. Responsibility is foisted on and accepted by youth at such a young age. But with the sheer level of poverty, there is little time for parental supervision</span></span><br />
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xoxox sending my love from Tanzania!</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div></span></span>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-41633014688883813462011-02-18T13:46:00.000-08:002011-02-22T11:02:13.211-08:00Wiki Tano (Week 5)<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Last weekend I went on my first camping adventure! Well, actually I was informed by my travelling companions that it was nothing like “real camping”, and I think I would have to agree. It began on Saturday when we headed to the bus station which was a bit of an adventure in itself. It was so chaotic with people everywhere pestering us to buy things, and crowding us to purchase tickets. I found the whole ticket buying process so informal and random. There were buses everywhere and they were all brightly colored, they sort of resembled carnival buses. We basically just walked over to the bus and bought our tickets from a man standing infront of it, and were told the bus would be leaving in 45 minutes (it actually left in about 15 so it was a good thing we got on immediately). About 5 minutes into the bus ride, a man stood up and began preaching over a microphone in Kiswahili, and at one point I thought I would be listening to this for the entire 3 hour bus ride. Luckily this was not the case, and the rest of the ride went pretty well, apart from the bumps and dust. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We arrived in Bunda (our destination) and were taken up a HUGE hill (about 6km high) by the manager of the campsite we were staying at. I must admit my heart was racing a little bit, because we were pretty much in 4 wheel drive the whole time, and sometimes I couldn’t see the road and it looked as if we might drive off the cliff, but the view was pretty spectacular. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">We arrived around 3:00pm and I was blown away by how beautiful it was! There were 12 of us, and we were the only people staying at the site. We had a restaurant/bar all to ourselves, and 4 tents. But these were not your typical camping tents – they consisted of beds, warm blankets, a bathroom, and hot water! Definitely 5 star camping if you ask me! We were also spoiled with having a restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The only downfall was the weather because shortly after we arrived there was a huge rainstorm and it was really cold, probably the coldest weather I have been in since arriving in Mwanza. But we still had the opportunity to explore and admire the picturesque few from the mountain we were on which overlooked the Serengeti! I would say it was a great way to ease me in to my first time camping! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gXoHMuDZ7pkl2wtVOaQv9j58rV4VkcQ2hNR-9E7HYoIP_vGmk_JxERflhgJaDwm4YDyufk6l2f3JoVBVdgLkhU3mMKL34ApCAL_2gCR30dMLF7bjQh8RtegkshU_VrNVayt3RKcB5bIn/s1600/Bunda+Bus+stop+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gXoHMuDZ7pkl2wtVOaQv9j58rV4VkcQ2hNR-9E7HYoIP_vGmk_JxERflhgJaDwm4YDyufk6l2f3JoVBVdgLkhU3mMKL34ApCAL_2gCR30dMLF7bjQh8RtegkshU_VrNVayt3RKcB5bIn/s320/Bunda+Bus+stop+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Bunda Bus Stop!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaoeX7qV_BfXgIsmqxRlJJ9IOXFHwcqJFxAn3RHlvak2OKDwGi0ZN-un6QqOGePovs5gGZCWMj84Pmk8CUMjZjqU5k8o8jaIiRBjBgtkOBuesUw6lrGJvgRZmIeYjC7GxcZ3ZeHwtEiCU/s1600/Bunda+bus+stop+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaoeX7qV_BfXgIsmqxRlJJ9IOXFHwcqJFxAn3RHlvak2OKDwGi0ZN-un6QqOGePovs5gGZCWMj84Pmk8CUMjZjqU5k8o8jaIiRBjBgtkOBuesUw6lrGJvgRZmIeYjC7GxcZ3ZeHwtEiCU/s320/Bunda+bus+stop+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The crazy colourful buses!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEHtLaR64jBVI7RChtCt6suc8ST60EUyRpocbuActrGxYopC91jDKHL7MEOvZj4ExqxM3M1RAdNZVsqbe5hRD3R6KpXJaPUlArgMBbdECpg5JykMh6ozZWQub1TVqnQavwONe69jhN-Ju/s1600/Bunda+view.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEHtLaR64jBVI7RChtCt6suc8ST60EUyRpocbuActrGxYopC91jDKHL7MEOvZj4ExqxM3M1RAdNZVsqbe5hRD3R6KpXJaPUlArgMBbdECpg5JykMh6ozZWQub1TVqnQavwONe69jhN-Ju/s320/Bunda+view.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">View at the Bunda Campsite</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcOb6yBj0TQS2-mJ82qeGb0-jCS2CRpjUZvdtdAgiooAVT70eSg_pkiewfelVDB9eJ762mwq83Juh8x6Uuw59ibxCseB7zDUPyAM5nZyxXjyyrEFc8Au04jso9QAD9CAgXXBi-hFIuDzcK/s1600/Unloading.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcOb6yBj0TQS2-mJ82qeGb0-jCS2CRpjUZvdtdAgiooAVT70eSg_pkiewfelVDB9eJ762mwq83Juh8x6Uuw59ibxCseB7zDUPyAM5nZyxXjyyrEFc8Au04jso9QAD9CAgXXBi-hFIuDzcK/s320/Unloading.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Unloading everyone at Bunda!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rDaMH4AZD6IoGXuj_tMtHlfDAMyfqQixr7Bn4jQKHMRlVZyEHaDpJ5HZblPRwTBzfjvwumEWVT5nynl_Z42K_5QxWTEViBqzNSvtgXgpBGAVVB6D9-Ioxdg1lslqOyk9lbuSnJ1noypZ/s1600/Moody+takking+in+the+view.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rDaMH4AZD6IoGXuj_tMtHlfDAMyfqQixr7Bn4jQKHMRlVZyEHaDpJ5HZblPRwTBzfjvwumEWVT5nynl_Z42K_5QxWTEViBqzNSvtgXgpBGAVVB6D9-Ioxdg1lslqOyk9lbuSnJ1noypZ/s320/Moody+takking+in+the+view.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Awesome view!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFj4xMo53IodZyA_jFBAZLfIclMdtIyGgyMj4zwnd2XLlomGoawGoAz8uka7F9fiOSL7NCGttyvZhsk3R6ZfHj0sh-dAexzmk-PvB4tv7P7f79dqyrZsOKgSL0wkETN5kTRE7COZaiUUfn/s1600/My+bed+at+Bunda.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFj4xMo53IodZyA_jFBAZLfIclMdtIyGgyMj4zwnd2XLlomGoawGoAz8uka7F9fiOSL7NCGttyvZhsk3R6ZfHj0sh-dAexzmk-PvB4tv7P7f79dqyrZsOKgSL0wkETN5kTRE7COZaiUUfn/s320/My+bed+at+Bunda.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> My bed in our amazing tents!</div><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Valentine’s Day in Mwanza</span></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Valentine’s Day in Mwanza is nothing like the hype it receives in Canada. There were no signs, announcements, advertisements or anything leading up to the day or on the day itself. In Canada, the ads begin weeks in advance but here, you wouldn’t have even known it was Valentine’s day! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">This week I received my schedule for my Mtoni Secondary School Presentations for the next 3 weeks! I gave two presentations this week to two different sets of Form 1, which is the youngest group of students (around 13-14 years old). They went extremely well and I had my translator assisting me as these students do not know too much English. I discussed the health benefits of both milk and yoghurt as simply as possible including the important nutrients they contain and why they are important to consume on a regular basis. I began with asking them a few questions at the beginning to get a sense of how much they knew. I quickly realized they didn’t know much at all about nutrition and the teachers confirmed this by explaining that many people in Tanzania are not educated at all about the importance of healthy eating. I think this is an area that can use a lot of work which is good news for dietitians looking for international work! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFOecRgAlKcL9nChCR7hwkuzFIOf5n9gocdSPnz4nH1-zTm3qA292hmWtekKHa4_D1nd_tuZAs5MtHqcXdkrEFcmqyebTd3hLtjEd1NtyydJe4K-piZ3giQEDod42QG6YPrUS9TiZOPZx/s1600/Form+1+class+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFOecRgAlKcL9nChCR7hwkuzFIOf5n9gocdSPnz4nH1-zTm3qA292hmWtekKHa4_D1nd_tuZAs5MtHqcXdkrEFcmqyebTd3hLtjEd1NtyydJe4K-piZ3giQEDod42QG6YPrUS9TiZOPZx/s320/Form+1+class+.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Form 1 Class!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ukbvPwKNtRy2y1egph5NixkoirwYNvM8ZshisuYArIXJZapK_KHk-t-MU7fPOSLWHROzz_BL1sANlG7aAIK2cil45Ygnw29iu3ryNvD5lHD8ljrl9YaoqD_h4F8GM0Ce0CJL3r_H0qAq/s1600/answering+questions.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ukbvPwKNtRy2y1egph5NixkoirwYNvM8ZshisuYArIXJZapK_KHk-t-MU7fPOSLWHROzz_BL1sANlG7aAIK2cil45Ygnw29iu3ryNvD5lHD8ljrl9YaoqD_h4F8GM0Ce0CJL3r_H0qAq/s320/answering+questions.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Teaching!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokRe1Dc0916oiQaxwA01YPKIk2Ub6KkkhAzLVfab5HBKJiBIU_jmxOuni-pE2J4Ii9IlXxQGrgMOv1LIEyA8vLATaB0plxai4agDFq76wIHu0jqN9XUirzfWlmGEIN3m0zcBmspaCz93w/s1600/Stanley+translating.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokRe1Dc0916oiQaxwA01YPKIk2Ub6KkkhAzLVfab5HBKJiBIU_jmxOuni-pE2J4Ii9IlXxQGrgMOv1LIEyA8vLATaB0plxai4agDFq76wIHu0jqN9XUirzfWlmGEIN3m0zcBmspaCz93w/s320/Stanley+translating.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Stanley helping translate</div></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, it is difficult to tell students that they should drink milk or eat yoghurt regularly because cost is a huge barrier! For instance you can get a lot more ugali for your money which is extremely filling than you can yoghurt or milk. Hopefully providing them with some nutrition education is a good first step that they will be able to apply. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Questions from the students:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">At the end of my presentation many of the students had some interesting questions! They were also so intrigued with my hair and all wanted to touch it and were swarming me to get a picture! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"> These are a few of the questions from the students that stand out in my mind:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Who is the Prime Minister of Canada</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Who was the first Prime Minister of Canada</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">What crop is harvested the most in Canada </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">How do you make yoghurt?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">What is the difference between yoghurt and milk?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">What is the difference between cows milk and goats milk (this is a good question…if anyone knows the answer feel free to comment!)</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQvpWbi7DqaR6m8PmHyvlWDImQ-4-ikckyBVkaUd0moDuwM2fMr2Ni6zI7pKBLD91K1F5_ml5T9dEeH19sCYjlrXmP2QaaNNhFO6YtVU-Mr77i1slVBOWcty4qZIL2zhhxeh0dz4gDKuk/s1600/Teaching+form+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQvpWbi7DqaR6m8PmHyvlWDImQ-4-ikckyBVkaUd0moDuwM2fMr2Ni6zI7pKBLD91K1F5_ml5T9dEeH19sCYjlrXmP2QaaNNhFO6YtVU-Mr77i1slVBOWcty4qZIL2zhhxeh0dz4gDKuk/s320/Teaching+form+1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVI1A3xik4V-7BHCCuriaIMO2A6_KZ6csPWJvvkGTMA01bMRj11JfAyLpwTJHSS-OWVcHJw00Zf7QZVoy4_d-aV8EeKH-K_G8h73r4Xt9R0Ld7_Zxb52lgWyuvA2uX3mRU9SrC5PGIEgH/s1600/Me+with+some+form+1+students+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVI1A3xik4V-7BHCCuriaIMO2A6_KZ6csPWJvvkGTMA01bMRj11JfAyLpwTJHSS-OWVcHJw00Zf7QZVoy4_d-aV8EeKH-K_G8h73r4Xt9R0Ld7_Zxb52lgWyuvA2uX3mRU9SrC5PGIEgH/s320/Me+with+some+form+1+students+%25285%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Tuesday Chris and I went to NIMR and spoke with Dr. Changalucha (Director) as well as Edita who works in the Lab. We discussed the feasibility of them providing additional probiotics for potentially two other yoghurt groups here in Mwanza. They both thought this would be no problem at all which is great news! Next week I am hoping to bring one of the yoghurt mamas from Mahina to NIMR to introduce her to the staff and show her where to drop off and pick up the probiotics. I’m really excited to get another group of yoghurt mamas on board with the sales of probiotic yoghurt! We also went to Kivulini and met with Mama Asia who provided entrepreneurial/business training to the mamas at the Igombe kitchen (another group of yoghurt mamas in Mwanza). Chris and I are hoping to arrange a time to visit this group with her and Mama Joyce (Chair of the Tukwamunae group) early next week! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Wednesday afternoon we went to a Football (Soccer) game at the biggest stadium in Tanzania (which was actually quite small in comparison to stadiums in Canada). It was a really cool experience, but overall not a whole lot different from games in Canada. The match was between a team from Dar es Salaam and Mwanza. The main differences to me were 1. The excitement the teams expressed when they scored. They did back flips and the crowd went wild, and there was a brief pause in the game for celebration. 2. The crowds were very rowdy. I suppose this happens in Canada as well, but when the opposing team scored people with throw bottles of water or soda onto the field and yell and scream. In fact, towards the end of the game these army trucks drove into the stadium with tear gas, in case things got out of hand I guess? However, we left early to avoid any drama at the end!</span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>SAUT</strong></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Friday Chris had his big day at SAUT (St. Augustine University) where he gave an amazing guest lecture on Black Identity! As per normal in Tanzania, there were a few obstacles, or as Chris put it, a severe case of murphy’s law! Pretty much everything that could go wrong did, apart from the lecture. When we arrived we were escorted to the first lecture hall, but soon discovered there was no powerpoint available (even though Chris had contacted the head of the sociology department before hand and was assured powerpoint would be available). So, just as all the students were hustling in to the class, we were told we could move to another newer lecture hall which had powerpoint. So, we took a short hike to a new building and Chris began setting up his equipment…things were looking up! But, there was a problem with getting the connection between Chris’s computer and the powerpoint equipment. So we waited for a while with various IT men coming in and out, etc. He was supposed to start his lecture at 9:45am and it was probably close to 10:30am by this time, but “hamna shida” (no problem) TIA (This is Africa). Then, all of sudden (don’t ask me how) his powerpoint appeared! Chris bounced on this opportunity and began his lecture at last! Things were going well, when all of a sudden a huge wind/rainstorm had moved in. All the windows in the lecture hall were open and the rain started blowing into the hall so a few of us got a little wet! Chris was so cool and calm and didn’t let anything bother him, he did such a great job, and this was a great cross cultural learning experience. Some of the topics of his lecture included: The Transatlantic Slave Trade and Blacks in Barbados, Black Canadian History, Creolization, Ideology of Blackness, Multiculturalism in Canada, Second Generation and Black Identity in Canada, Hyphenated Identities, and the Future of Blackness in Canada. He is going to try and upload his powerpoint to his blog if you want to check out his presentation in more detail. I learned so much from him and the students seemed very engaged and I could tell they thoroughly enjoyed his presentation!</span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nzuri Kazi Chris!!!!</span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OAyNw4Jd0iD4VTRVONNdwWpPTPekT9oVMp5_gRQQoXshPwDQlhE32UJlwPjY1LikdamyffHOygcSvM_f1_zRdx0QDcA641iB5Oi81V7u8PNRG3BQhQDEbTsmO37ZhoIfvNdcmfqiDlPU/s1600/Chris+and+I+pre-lecture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OAyNw4Jd0iD4VTRVONNdwWpPTPekT9oVMp5_gRQQoXshPwDQlhE32UJlwPjY1LikdamyffHOygcSvM_f1_zRdx0QDcA641iB5Oi81V7u8PNRG3BQhQDEbTsmO37ZhoIfvNdcmfqiDlPU/s320/Chris+and+I+pre-lecture.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Chris and I before his lecture</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcFdUX57wIm6BkZhBT84VaZB3zFSnzJuV708-zrK-Y20ek8tMhqrxvJ34jsOla7-2ufj19wYtLB_Q1b2I52mkbi3ad960hhNtV3heaKkw1OnZCU3yxGQl57jBfZSwBns80QzyKTyHaIah/s1600/Technical+Difficulties.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcFdUX57wIm6BkZhBT84VaZB3zFSnzJuV708-zrK-Y20ek8tMhqrxvJ34jsOla7-2ufj19wYtLB_Q1b2I52mkbi3ad960hhNtV3heaKkw1OnZCU3yxGQl57jBfZSwBns80QzyKTyHaIah/s320/Technical+Difficulties.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Technical Difficulties?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdROPYJoG_mBCmN7JIxjDZKrKzPO3Z4JoGTgWCRT9sG8XITqtUIBvLIW7BgA1Dx6g9mqBd353Ut5oyj4y9iRgrKu22htum5UbQCYo9WWhXmFZrit66IJxlrkscwrIVR_BOnO9j3MZa4ID/s1600/Action+shot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdROPYJoG_mBCmN7JIxjDZKrKzPO3Z4JoGTgWCRT9sG8XITqtUIBvLIW7BgA1Dx6g9mqBd353Ut5oyj4y9iRgrKu22htum5UbQCYo9WWhXmFZrit66IJxlrkscwrIVR_BOnO9j3MZa4ID/s320/Action+shot.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Action Shot!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBukrewikVtMWmwPVzDsKorNXfH-Jx3Is3GYo6i0z7r-h7XXMgfhPzhaj65dedf2CU_MvcY7T6cP_3lVYD1us3BEcBPhnxqKSAG44q4Wh97WLbY3JlgqYJuJE2ZA1NtaUH37_QTjDqmlqO/s1600/Chris+Lecturing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBukrewikVtMWmwPVzDsKorNXfH-Jx3Is3GYo6i0z7r-h7XXMgfhPzhaj65dedf2CU_MvcY7T6cP_3lVYD1us3BEcBPhnxqKSAG44q4Wh97WLbY3JlgqYJuJE2ZA1NtaUH37_QTjDqmlqO/s320/Chris+Lecturing.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Such a natural!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXG66WHx10wSihLGDhPlNFcLLogAC2M5ExsnSoeNhdPIeuRbwRyxzcT1yD0VAePUDXiBqqrX5mDXS8zVggHbcYK9bgeN2VCUFIoLCi5Ye9_zmQVeWZXusU4lo22KbsGNBQy6qkeW8gwDo/s1600/View+from+Lecture+Hall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXG66WHx10wSihLGDhPlNFcLLogAC2M5ExsnSoeNhdPIeuRbwRyxzcT1yD0VAePUDXiBqqrX5mDXS8zVggHbcYK9bgeN2VCUFIoLCi5Ye9_zmQVeWZXusU4lo22KbsGNBQy6qkeW8gwDo/s320/View+from+Lecture+Hall.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">View from the lecture hall! (I think I would be very easily distracted by the beautiful view)</div><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><br />
</span><strong>Rescued from Lake Victoria!</strong></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So, the adventure continued on Friday evening! Tabea (a friend here from Germany), Missy and I were invited to go on a boat trip around the Tunza Beach Resort. It was scheduled for 4:30pm, but of course we didn’t end up leaving until close to 6:00pm once more fuel was located. The extra long wait was actually a blessing because we were able to see the most amazing sunset ever! The sky was so clear and the sun was a fiery red (I was told the sun is so red in Tanzania because there is so much air pollution). I absolutely love being so close to the lake here in Mwanza, I just find it so peaceful, maybe one day I will live on beautiful island and wake up to the ocean waves every morning (wishful thinking?). So, after watching the beautiful sunset our “boat driver” tried to start up the boat, well actually he tried several times for about half an hour…hmm by this time I think it was safe to say we were stranded in the middle of the lake! I must admit that I was a little terrified on this small motor boat in the complete dark (well actually by this time there was a gorgeous full moon) with no help in site. Luckily Missy and Tabea are so calm and nothing fazes them so they reassured me that things like this always happen, and everything works out in the end and of course they were right! We called back to Tunza for help and about 1 ½ hours later we were rescued! At moments I thought we might be floating in the boat for the night or paddling back to shore. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy and relieved to hear the sound of a boat motor in my entire life! <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Just another day in Mwanza! I wonder what the weekend has in store?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHUCNlTqkJ7g6BRITxOgsAedKQiL2UCaz10ImSf8IyWFUp3By_GJ4nSp_gfMOzlLDGJiNws5JEAN0rOOxk-tR1AeCzCsmw6dLmJdBPttYDh5XglxVb8stcaDu2abZaQ_lBBKWP8ngq31_/s1600/DSC04341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHUCNlTqkJ7g6BRITxOgsAedKQiL2UCaz10ImSf8IyWFUp3By_GJ4nSp_gfMOzlLDGJiNws5JEAN0rOOxk-tR1AeCzCsmw6dLmJdBPttYDh5XglxVb8stcaDu2abZaQ_lBBKWP8ngq31_/s320/DSC04341.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sunset!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lvbdQx2Ge7PFjXiBY-5BXCA2-0OP_WK9KcNRikN2jOrY5YsjnSLHDJFguHClsTLiMdKUAbiNfVOyZl3axx-kVKpDGEzdkDEYGb6q0mB_zBn6bqQLTsOc3176r2PGtMkxAYmjZwTGHDen/s1600/DSC04347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lvbdQx2Ge7PFjXiBY-5BXCA2-0OP_WK9KcNRikN2jOrY5YsjnSLHDJFguHClsTLiMdKUAbiNfVOyZl3axx-kVKpDGEzdkDEYGb6q0mB_zBn6bqQLTsOc3176r2PGtMkxAYmjZwTGHDen/s320/DSC04347.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkQO9ISyf3-NvZM4HNyIl60WAzlPrLhqp3pXjF2KSRl_Z1aP0IJzhKmFlJU-8ZXaEqEziTr7xIzQ7Z8FBbFR60vEd_CLbO-S1KxE8TAgbM1Uk9KcmDjQpFKy_5ZV6map6-gyl8GFDXoBQ/s1600/DSC04348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkQO9ISyf3-NvZM4HNyIl60WAzlPrLhqp3pXjF2KSRl_Z1aP0IJzhKmFlJU-8ZXaEqEziTr7xIzQ7Z8FBbFR60vEd_CLbO-S1KxE8TAgbM1Uk9KcmDjQpFKy_5ZV6map6-gyl8GFDXoBQ/s320/DSC04348.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Stranded...</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interesting facts:</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The other week we were invited to one of our friends houses for dinner and a movie. This was pretty exciting for Chris and I considering we haven’t watched any T.V in over a month. She has a big screen T.V with surround sound, but…the power was out all night! So, we spent the evening in the dark watching random videos from youtube until the computer battery died. But it was still a fun night and didn’t really bother us considering how frequently the power has been off in our apartment (at least 4 hours a day)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">I have yet to see a garbage can here in Mwanza. There is a ton of garbage everywhere, and some of the dirt roads actually look as if they have been made out of garbage. I was informed that there are no garbage cans because people will steal them and melt the plastic or metal in order to sell for money</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Many times when I am meeting new people or introducing myself they always ask what my Father’s first name is. I don’t really understand the reason for this. When I received my schedule for the Mtoni School presentations they addressed it to Shannon Dave (my father’s first name) </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">- It's perfectly normal to find bugs, especially small little ants everywhere! The other day I had an empty glass of milk beside me and no more than two minutes later there were these little ants everywhere inside it. They will easily end up on your hands and arms if you put them down on any counter. If I was at home I would probably freak out, because I really don't like insects of any sort, but here it just seems normal!</span></span></div></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-13134651582219050232011-02-09T21:56:00.000-08:002011-02-09T21:56:29.726-08:00<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>ChemChemi</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last Thursday I went with one of the Mamas involved with the Chemchemi project to Buswelu (village region in Mwanza).I really enjoyed the experience because it is in line with what I have been studying at Brescia and related to my future career interests. As I mentioned, this program is directed at improving the health and nutrition of malnourished children less than five years of age. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once all the mothers had arrived with their children they were all weighed and measured and their progress was charted on growth charts very similar to what I have seen and used in some of my nutrition classes at Brescia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was neat to see them being used in a real life, practical situation and even better that I understood what was going on, considering I was the only person who could speak English! After this Mama Lau gave a brief lecture to the mothers, which I couldn’t exactly understand but it was related to the growth charts and the appropriate patterns. Uji was then prepared and given to all the children. Uji is <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">like a porridge that you can drink, but packed with protein, fiber and other nutrients. However, most people put add loads of sugar. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SAUT</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Last week I had my first visit to SAUT (St. Augustine University). SAUT is an English speaking University, but Chris and I still invited our translator Stanley to come along with us, which was a great idea! The dala dala ride there was certainly an adventure, as always. For the majority of the ride I had a man’s sweaty armpit in my face and a women leaning over me with her nails digging into my back! Nevertheless, I made it there in one piece! When we arrived, Stanley had arranged to meet with a student he knew, and he kindly showed us around the campus and assisted us with contacting some people. The campus is beautiful and a lot bigger than I had expected. In terms of area, it is definitely bigger than Western but the buildings are smaller. We enjoyed walking around the campus and Chris and I could both feel that “vibe” you get when visiting any university. We met with the Vice Chancellor and explained our reasons for being in Tanzanian (me about the yogurt project and Chris about his research on black identity). Chris vocalized his interest in possibly guest lecturing a class so the Dean then sent us over speak with the head of the sociology department. He said he would follow up with Chris at his earliest convenience and by Monday Chris was invited back to meet with the Dean of Academic Affairs where he was informed he is welcome to guest lecture next week!!!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also met with the Dean of students and suggested the possibly of having the probiotic yoghurt or fresh milk sold on campus. She seemed quite interested in the project and suggested we meet with the head of the sports department. After a short wait, we finally spoke with Kennedy (sports department) and I explained the Western Heads East project, the benefits of the yoghurt, etc. He thought the students could benefit from more education/awareness which I told him I would be happy to help with. He will be away next week, but we received his contact information to follow up and hopefully we can develop this opportunity! I just want to say thank-you so much to our translator Stanley! He has been amazing, and definitely much more than a translator. We have learned so much from him! Asante sana!!!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjR6T4JsRj99prCToKFDo_cndW3TQaOOTW3nEsqFA2fA5MqSyUW1KWF_TCgHbg6Mn_GjGCML9VX8RwhRORpYwXzSI-N4SJQqhUgPO6NW4Yxkcjo05a-dAyo5ywCjD6PDZD-Lk96emNhC0/s1600/sign+at+SAUT+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjR6T4JsRj99prCToKFDo_cndW3TQaOOTW3nEsqFA2fA5MqSyUW1KWF_TCgHbg6Mn_GjGCML9VX8RwhRORpYwXzSI-N4SJQqhUgPO6NW4Yxkcjo05a-dAyo5ywCjD6PDZD-Lk96emNhC0/s320/sign+at+SAUT+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"> Sign on the way to SAUT</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Meeting Three!</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Monday we had our third meeting with the mamas! It went well and they were all in attendance which was a bonus! They have been in contact with people from Starehe Children’s home and Mama Joyce and I will deliver yoghurt there on Tuesday. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last Friday I met a lady from Isamilo international School and told her about what I was doing here in Tanzania. She said that the Mamas used to deliver yoghurt to the school and that they would love to have them back. I mentioned this to the Mamas at the meeting and they seemed quite interested, so I will follow up with the school and hopefully they can start selling there next week! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I gave the mamas the information sheet on probiotics that I had translated for them. They were very thank-ful and posted it on the wall in the kitchen. This will help generate greater understanding in the community about the benefits of the yoghurt for everyone, not just people living with AIDS. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I also met with Albert the Assistant Headmaster at Mtoni Secondary School where we arranged for me to give two presentations next week on the health benefits of yoghurt and milk to the students. I’m really excited about this opportunity to educate the younger community and raise awareness!</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKEle2YONajkFzgbiBF31ca-FmwqivJVJmqLc1A134tCvN_NHzHkw3tZvv4_YbB4-u_OgoANQ20JOBFFcOIYykBeh-Rvhh2wB3V5okJNwADQbJvyNm6Pn3Ul_8NTq9UyzPjMuowdMeXKq/s1600/Probiotics+info+sheet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKEle2YONajkFzgbiBF31ca-FmwqivJVJmqLc1A134tCvN_NHzHkw3tZvv4_YbB4-u_OgoANQ20JOBFFcOIYykBeh-Rvhh2wB3V5okJNwADQbJvyNm6Pn3Ul_8NTq9UyzPjMuowdMeXKq/s320/Probiotics+info+sheet.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Probiotics info sheet in the kitchen </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Starehe Children’s Home</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mama Joyce and I went to the Starehe Children’s home on Tuesday to deliver yoghurt (Maziwa Mgando). Starehe consists of an orphanage and a nursery school for both the children at the orphanage as well as some outside students who pay school fees to assist with the costs. There are around 127 orphans in total, and many attend the nursery located right beside the orphanage. We stayed for a little while to visit with the kids, they are so cute and lovable! There are programs for them from 8am-12pm, then they return to the orphanage and another group of kids attend from 2:00pm – 6:30pm. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There seem to be many orphanages around Mwanza, and it makes me a bit sad to think of how many young children are left without families. However, from the two orphanages I have visited, they seem like wonderful places and I’m glad these kids are surrounded by people who care for them. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMmpgszYWHeEV5Ysb62Hwnw-6ouLVY-y5Jc3gX6sI_5TmGfhL3yjrMDFlUFgcIqz1cbS9iFDuMwp2Xkb0LHePSwmFouUUtQb4hztQ83wz8La5V5MerIdiW1_fq4Ig8uHsCfeUzqz7dY2N/s1600/Preparing+yoghrut+at+Starehe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMmpgszYWHeEV5Ysb62Hwnw-6ouLVY-y5Jc3gX6sI_5TmGfhL3yjrMDFlUFgcIqz1cbS9iFDuMwp2Xkb0LHePSwmFouUUtQb4hztQ83wz8La5V5MerIdiW1_fq4Ig8uHsCfeUzqz7dY2N/s320/Preparing+yoghrut+at+Starehe.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> Preparing Yoghurt for kids at Starehe</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mahina Yoghurt Mamas </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On Wednesday Mama Paskwalina took Chris and I to Nyakato which is the region where the Mahina Yoghurt Mamas are located. It was nice to meet these Mamas and observe and discuss their strengths, weaknesses, and challenges. As far as I know, there are 5 mamas in this group and all are infected with HIV. We all sat with the Mamas for a while and Chris and I introduced ourselves, indentified some of their needs, and briefly looked over their books to get an idea of their expenses and profit margin. From what we saw, they appear to be doing very well, the yoghurt tasted delicious and I believe they have a lot of potential</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The space they operate in is quite small, but Chris had some great ideas with regards to the layout which opened it up a lot more. We experimented with the positioning of a few things and they seemed to like our ideas.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next step for this group is to start adding the probiotics to the yoghurt. I provided them with an information sheet on the health benefits which they were very thank-ful for and overall they seem quite keen on getting them into the yoghurt. Chris and I will visit NIMR (National Institute of Medical Research) and speak with Dr. Changalucha to ensure it’s feasible for them to produce the additional probiotics for this group. If all goes well, I think there area could benefit from more community education surrounding the health benefits of yoghurt and probiotics. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi45d6LG2w0SyVzULOVikDa19k8zlnH6RFLjmCkaVQ3hj846cLWLqzQqCwu9nvhjQEpBxEzPBNz2agudLLL_th2Eyn01Ea3HlTXZ9s0GmjgPLb9ZSWa6VmkTu4m-LCz63vptw1DKw2TktO6/s1600/Mahina+Kitchen+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi45d6LG2w0SyVzULOVikDa19k8zlnH6RFLjmCkaVQ3hj846cLWLqzQqCwu9nvhjQEpBxEzPBNz2agudLLL_th2Eyn01Ea3HlTXZ9s0GmjgPLb9ZSWa6VmkTu4m-LCz63vptw1DKw2TktO6/s320/Mahina+Kitchen+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> Mahina Yoghurt Kitchen</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FwZ1N7Ff_CDsFI35JIUtUfF1EWUjxZM8h_OOwE_CrPiY1MQEGiZrYC834xGODa3zX7rAW-OwmOrRCBg9x1ss863EmnNGKtKjpuqx3GGs0zgR6knTAfY5RSzcJURv8vLZaOuo1JBbNfvG/s1600/Me+and+Chris+with+Mahina+Mamas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FwZ1N7Ff_CDsFI35JIUtUfF1EWUjxZM8h_OOwE_CrPiY1MQEGiZrYC834xGODa3zX7rAW-OwmOrRCBg9x1ss863EmnNGKtKjpuqx3GGs0zgR6knTAfY5RSzcJURv8vLZaOuo1JBbNfvG/s320/Me+and+Chris+with+Mahina+Mamas.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> Chris and I with some of the Mamas</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Interesting facts/observations</strong></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">People</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">From what I have been able to observe so far, everyone in Tanzania is so friendly and talks to each other no matter if you know the person or not. Whereas in Canada everyone is told not to talk to strangers, here it is like you are supposed to! There are also women, men, and even children carrying things on their heads everywhere! I knew this was common before I came, but seeing this balancing act just two feet away amazes me! They carry very large and heavy things such as baskets full of fruit, big buckets of water, peanuts, sticks etc. The children are all so cute, and constantly say “shikamoo” whenever we walk by. Sometimes I find young kids will just walk beside me for ages and some even hold my hand. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have also noticed that no names end in consonants (or very few) as mine does, and people seem to have a hard time saying it. I may have to shorten my name to Shanna to make things easier!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Everyone seems to look after each other’s children. Many children are running around on the streets but anyone who is older can and will discipline them and they listen. They have learned to have a general respect for their elders no matter whom it is, which I really admire in such young children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Despite their hardship, and often limited opportunity, the children here are, for the most part, extremely happy. Many are sick, but they do not look defeated. Except for school uniforms, nearly all their clothes are worn out or in tatters. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Dxyy3F6B6ozGN4zh5sHUZliRaz7VMNDJZjruQk8PUkGu1bWd7LDp1q5PlrVKGXus2m-UonxzBgQhbMAKAoKpZfiO7NeGpIMvugdiokodQVmmcnBGRz3NDYsu-w3ZOU0KleCDwPIAfDva/s1600/bananas+on+head.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Dxyy3F6B6ozGN4zh5sHUZliRaz7VMNDJZjruQk8PUkGu1bWd7LDp1q5PlrVKGXus2m-UonxzBgQhbMAKAoKpZfiO7NeGpIMvugdiokodQVmmcnBGRz3NDYsu-w3ZOU0KleCDwPIAfDva/s320/bananas+on+head.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1foDSvzlE0GK0nNShCodQ5Tr_55baGunZMC9uyaxIw0pHH5SZNUuA0Z8JOnpJ6hsu5X1dE9B1JCyq2Y-PRW3xqiRvGRv6ZsHbg4rzFndGiml0lNVniLhUkJc7lJVrYNz1OjyutmXFXIzN/s1600/Jamie+balancing+act.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1foDSvzlE0GK0nNShCodQ5Tr_55baGunZMC9uyaxIw0pHH5SZNUuA0Z8JOnpJ6hsu5X1dE9B1JCyq2Y-PRW3xqiRvGRv6ZsHbg4rzFndGiml0lNVniLhUkJc7lJVrYNz1OjyutmXFXIzN/s320/Jamie+balancing+act.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Starting young! <div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Food and Drink</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Luckily I am not a picky eater so I am adapting to the African cuisine quite easily. There is not too much variety in the food, but most nights we cook at home and add different spices or use different cooking methods. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">African Cuisine: Main staples</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rice</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ugali: traditional dish made by mixing maize and/or cassava flour in hot water until it becomes like a stiff porridge and is usually eaten by rolling it in the hand to form a small ball which is then dipped in sauce before eating. Note: it is extremely filling and cheap so I can see why it is a central part of the diet here</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Vegetables: mainly carrots, spinach, green peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Note: you cannot eat any raw vegetables here; they must all be cooked and peeled. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fish: Tilapia is a common fish here, but we don’t generally cook this at home. In the market many people have buckets filled with tilapia for sale </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogyerH4ja3-qEPh2gX6VaApWV51RCkVTq5HEvOq69WZylAYFDN2ne0iraGVr2uZ4I9QBy6vqTTkOpKOWDIplAegVxEVtcKMSts4HezF6wLPhiW1eiJfLX9Qy4QZ_izHDixJpg3kYvB5a1/s1600/Cooking+Tilapia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogyerH4ja3-qEPh2gX6VaApWV51RCkVTq5HEvOq69WZylAYFDN2ne0iraGVr2uZ4I9QBy6vqTTkOpKOWDIplAegVxEVtcKMSts4HezF6wLPhiW1eiJfLX9Qy4QZ_izHDixJpg3kYvB5a1/s320/Cooking+Tilapia.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Cooking Tilapia </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Uji: like a porridge that you can drink, but packed with protein, fiber and other nutrients. However, most people put add loads of sugar</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chai: Tea (milk tea + suagr)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Street Food</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chapati: flour, oil, salt, pan fried into a round bread cooked like a pancake (Mamas make these as part of the breakfast program)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chipsi: deep fried potatoes</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chipsi mayai: omelette made with chips</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mendazzi – a deep fried dough, very common in Africa, many variations in taste, texture and shape (Mamas make these as part of the breakfast program)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mahindi: grilled corn on the cob. I see this everywhere! People sit on the streets grilling the corn over charcoal</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mishkaki: meat on a skewer grilled until crisp</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Samosa: a mixture of meat onions and vegetables</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wali: cooked rice and beans </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Interesting facts: </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Margaret (our houselady) is an amazing cook! I am learning so much from her. The other day she boiled bananas on the stove in some type of tomato sauce. I know it doesn’t sound very appetizing but it was actually quite good!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">People here eat everything with their hands. Yes everything! The other day Missy took us out for lunch and we had fish, rice (still on the bone), and spinach (mchicha) in a tomato sauce and the entire meal was eaten with our hands. When there were no utensils on the table I wasn’t sure if I should ask or wait for them. Then Missy started eating with her hands. I looked at her and she started laughing and said, “by the way people eat everything with their hands here!” I must say this was quite a challenging task, but when I think about it, it is quite practical! </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_5HVl4xa7bN5EzMHbqw0n-NBm7VuAW7OhCHDwaZiE-Xx7L-gdwERHx2qpuBf26MjGCSAoEtrrZgq6i9QnBcd8o5INeJJTwKDUif_4mVoHVBC36BCg9gFa2c1tcLnocPmMYR6y9ym8Zcm/s1600/Lunch+at+Kivulini.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_5HVl4xa7bN5EzMHbqw0n-NBm7VuAW7OhCHDwaZiE-Xx7L-gdwERHx2qpuBf26MjGCSAoEtrrZgq6i9QnBcd8o5INeJJTwKDUif_4mVoHVBC36BCg9gFa2c1tcLnocPmMYR6y9ym8Zcm/s320/Lunch+at+Kivulini.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Meal eaten entirely with my hands <div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The timing of meals is also quite different here. In the morning people will drink chai, have chapattis around 11:00, lunch will be around 3:00-4:00pm and dinner is not usually until 8:00-9:00pm. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When ordering something from a restaurant (hoteli kula) it’s important to have at least one back up option in mind because a lot of times they don’t actually have what is on the menu</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If food is left sitting out or not closed up properly, within half an hour it will be invested with ants!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are soda machines in pretty much every store! I thought Canadians and Americans drank a lot of pop, but here it seems even more prevalent, maybe because it is cheaper than water?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The other weekend we went to a going away party for one of our friends from Germany. The main part of the meal was Goat, which is apparently the most common type of meat to BBQ here!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span> <br />
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</div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-43301383857557308552011-02-02T07:47:00.000-08:002011-02-02T08:08:22.758-08:00<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tunza:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last weekend I had my first experience at the ever so popular Tunza beach resort. It was absolutely breathtaking, I felt as though I was in a different country. There was a beautiful beach set into Lake Victoria, a playground for kids, and a bar for food and drinks. We were celebrating a going away party for one of our friends from Germany. It was a really fun and relaxing night, and great way to wind down a busy week. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interesting fact: The main part of the meal was BBQ goat. Apparently this is the most common type of meat to BBQ here!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX95_LCSxwG4E-zh_jGcOlthuHzHNwgacxuf1OMZ_9C5D5rRnP2BMYzHe_Iy4nqeWK_i4sqEB-I8XCnQSUzJKfDKQCm-bU3LwvEp6i44Ciau4cTQjaRT1mJ8VObwXff2I-TANz-bXYEsJQ/s1600/Chris+and+I+at+Tunza.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX95_LCSxwG4E-zh_jGcOlthuHzHNwgacxuf1OMZ_9C5D5rRnP2BMYzHe_Iy4nqeWK_i4sqEB-I8XCnQSUzJKfDKQCm-bU3LwvEp6i44Ciau4cTQjaRT1mJ8VObwXff2I-TANz-bXYEsJQ/s320/Chris+and+I+at+Tunza.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Chris and I at Tunza</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMvmnDPDP2ud2E28qjDT7vZXrv5LIp8TXjG5bRNYTUDSvBzSPcwCyX84Egx4Zd738JaiewN6E8R0p3p9svqa0yIb9Kq_O5HJepHV26wpUlORodQqWRHQ4VmV4vmfsV3F2u3hbQ5sP4Mfv/s1600/Tunza+Sunset.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMvmnDPDP2ud2E28qjDT7vZXrv5LIp8TXjG5bRNYTUDSvBzSPcwCyX84Egx4Zd738JaiewN6E8R0p3p9svqa0yIb9Kq_O5HJepHV26wpUlORodQqWRHQ4VmV4vmfsV3F2u3hbQ5sP4Mfv/s320/Tunza+Sunset.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Tunza Sunset</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCBszJZeuvapguFVFqAzs4Ruafq7XWx02gLyrV11fDeo7-ZgXAofTCtMkBgvfcTezIXWI1ikTse90uElr2fsYVimE327V9heaPtgIVeF_k228yTdJ9PyeS_jJG7WodQEHfm7MdXYwYISS/s1600/BBQ+Goat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCBszJZeuvapguFVFqAzs4Ruafq7XWx02gLyrV11fDeo7-ZgXAofTCtMkBgvfcTezIXWI1ikTse90uElr2fsYVimE327V9heaPtgIVeF_k228yTdJ9PyeS_jJG7WodQEHfm7MdXYwYISS/s320/BBQ+Goat.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> BBQ Goat!! </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cooking – no such thing as fast food</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other night Missy and I decided to make lentil soup! One thing you have to realize about cooking in Africa is that nothing is ever ready instantly. The first step was picking out the rocks from the lentils (everything you buy rice, beans, etc has rocks in that you have to pick out). This took about 1 hour, next was pealing and chopping the garlic, next was chopping the cilantro…but then we ran into a serious obstacle! The power was out, and we needed the blender! Lately the power has been out for about 5-6 hours each night, so we concluded that we should make something else! So what started as an exciting quest of making lentil soup at 6:00, resulted in boiled yams and carrots by 9:00pm. Nevertheless, a couple of days later we were finally able to complete the task and it was well worth it!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meeting two with the Mamas!</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Chris and I arrived for our weekly meeting with the mamas at 4:00pm. We were warmly greeted by a group of them seated outside the kitchen preparing mandaziis for the following day. Although attendance was lacking due to a funeral a couple of the mamas had to attend, I would say that overall, the meeting was a success. Three of the mamas were present for the entire meeting, and two were in and out preparing mandaziis and serving yoghurt. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We told them how much we have enjoyed working with them, and greatly appreciate how welcoming they have been. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Main points discussed:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Starehe Children’s home – Gave Mama Joyce the contact number of the lady I spoke with who indicated that she would like the Mamas to deliver yoghurt to the home</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>NIMR – informed them that they can continue to pick up the probiotics. Gave them Edita’s number (women currently in charge of preparing the probiotics)</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Land – told them we met a man very enthusiastic about helping the women make the land they own profitable and check-up on their cows</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Probiotics Presentation</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l1 level3 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Provided education on probiotics and their importance (i.e what they are, what are their health benefits, who should consumed them, etc)</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l1 level3 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Women seemed unaware of the benefit of probiotics for EVERYONE not just people with HIV/AIDS</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l1 level3 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>I will prepare a summarized information sheet for them in Swahili that they can post on their wall. This will help with community education surrounding the benefits of probiotics for everyone which I am realizing is still lacking</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l1 level3 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXW6XmHFhf6q4wUqQ0xmCZOkk-4kLLhWhAbL07vZnduzeDazeOouRJocaP5k8qllimhtzwU8OwXpMMBiQ5bJhRIAxqlfIxRsjnUdYCZT9T9k7eBZV5gZT1LPSne4E2DS4fLOz3TeEwS8F/s1600/Mamas+and+Me.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXW6XmHFhf6q4wUqQ0xmCZOkk-4kLLhWhAbL07vZnduzeDazeOouRJocaP5k8qllimhtzwU8OwXpMMBiQ5bJhRIAxqlfIxRsjnUdYCZT9T9k7eBZV5gZT1LPSne4E2DS4fLOz3TeEwS8F/s320/Mamas+and+Me.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Visit to the Land (Nyamongoro)</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On Tuesday Chris and I had a very insightful and thought provoking day. We began at 11:00am where we met Minde (The Veterinarian) at his office for a short debriefing before we went to the Yoghurt kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After this we walked to Mabatini which took roughly half an hour, but I thoroughly enjoyed the scenic route that Minde took us on. I got to walk through two extremes of Mwanza. The beginning of the walk was through Isamilo which is a “rich” area where we passed gorgeous houses surrounded by barbed wire, 4 stories high! No more than 2km from here, we were back walking past one room homes that looked as if they may blow over, and piles of garbage. It was like I walked through two different worlds within a time span of 2 minutes. It’s really interesting to see the two different sides of Mwanza, but I find there is not really a “middle ground.” You either live in the rich areas, or you are poverty stricken and just trying to get by each day. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once we finally reached the Kitchen, we introduced Mama Joyce to Minde and they spoke for a while in Swahili and Minde received a better understanding of their business and the land that they own in Nyamongoro. After some fresh Maziwa (milk) we were ready to hit the road to assess the land! The land was bought by Western Heads East a couple of years ago for the Mamas where they currently have cows intended to supply the milk for their business. After some great bartering skills by Chris, we got a good deal for a taxi trip (a lot more comfortable than a dala dala) to Nyamongoro which is located about 30km from Mwanza City Centre. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we arrived Chris and I were a little bit shocked at what we saw. They have three cows, one bull and about 16 chickens on about one acre of land. Two of the cows are pregnant, and one just gave birth on Sunday. Only one of the cows is producing milk, and only a meager 2L per day. The cows are not receiving the proper nourishment and all look quite emaciated. Minde informed us that they need better feed and supplements in order to nurse them back to health and get them producing more milk. Currently the Mamas are not profiting much from the land, as they have to pay for feed, farmers, and water, among other things and are not receiving anything in return (i.e required amount of milk). </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After this eye-opening experience we returned to the kitchen and were pleasantly surprised to find our translator Stanley! A few of the Mamas were there so capitalized on this opportunity to discuss the issues with the land and received some good feedback from them. All the mamas are going to discuss their options amongst themselves and report back to us at our next meeting. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WXeH34tccichYxS389y3Ky9jQZsrjEAH3cMCu-SER3h3oUqs4rgRwmGPKIb-TyQ8FzNJhAyHz3ZD2qswgTKt0zyGUSQw219cYQnY_n35Rt28qsVHDstV-xH8rqOwAGv-kRjBTeyOMzet/s1600/Mama+Joyce+and+me+at+the+land.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WXeH34tccichYxS389y3Ky9jQZsrjEAH3cMCu-SER3h3oUqs4rgRwmGPKIb-TyQ8FzNJhAyHz3ZD2qswgTKt0zyGUSQw219cYQnY_n35Rt28qsVHDstV-xH8rqOwAGv-kRjBTeyOMzet/s320/Mama+Joyce+and+me+at+the+land.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Me and Mama Joyce at the Land</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Mtoni Secondary School</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Wednesday Chris and I had an awesome day visiting Mtoni Secondary School. We met with Albert, the assistant headmaster and learned lots about their school system and identified some of the similarities and differences from Canada. One thing that I found shocking was that all the subjects apart from Kiswahili are taught in English, and it is evident that many students have trouble with English, so I imagine this is extremely difficult. The school is divided into four forms, and there are about 3 streams (of 60 students) in each form (i.e three streams of form one).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The school day is from 8:00am – 2:00pm. They have two breaks, one is from 10:40-11:10 (this is when the students come buy chapattis and chai) and the other is from 12:30-12:40pm. There are only about 14 teachers, for almost 1000 students! Albert said this is very difficult but “this is what we have, so we work hard.” After we spoke with Albert and were introduced to some of the other teachers, we were taken around to the different classrooms. I was quite nervous and intimidated when I walked into the first crowded classroom with over 60 students staring at me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chris and I introduced ourselves, and told each class a little bit about ourselves including why we are here, what we are studying back home, and what we like about Tanzania (I of course said the weather!). One thing the students couldn’t seem to understand was that Chris is from Canada, they had a really hard time grasping the concept because Chris is black they assumed he must be from Africa. This made us both realize how single minded Canadians are, because we assume people know about how diverse Canada is, but the students had no idea that there were black people in Canada. Chris did an awesome job explaining the slave trade, colonialism, and his history about how he and his family arrived in Canada. Albert helped to translate some things, especially with the younger students to assist with their understanding. Chris and I gave them some words of encouragement, and Albert told all the girls to talk to me about what it takes to reach a high level of education – and I told them that, they can do or be anything they want to be as long as they work hard and set their mind to it!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are both really looking forward to visiting with the students again, to answer any questions they may have about Canada and to learn more about Tanzania! I’m also looking forward to sharing my experience and pictures with Clarke Road Secondary School (partnered with Mtoni) when I return!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAi3j_IyxqI8dirvJQwWhTtkGJdoyFDMbp8R7ph_PDmUbbrqODtrsqmjYV_U2Y9bgmEe4Mm47q0UUoBLrSBSzuhgGhHiV04hHsdXIsjcsdP-WL4-MB4oAEcayc1YqWuEnVi-2rDXq2K-6/s1600/Chris+and+I+with+some+students.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAi3j_IyxqI8dirvJQwWhTtkGJdoyFDMbp8R7ph_PDmUbbrqODtrsqmjYV_U2Y9bgmEe4Mm47q0UUoBLrSBSzuhgGhHiV04hHsdXIsjcsdP-WL4-MB4oAEcayc1YqWuEnVi-2rDXq2K-6/s320/Chris+and+I+with+some+students.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Chris and I with some students!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7TLhq_UhC-8OxU3iJ2W9mis4Ewjh7kvTCAcO160ydPmtjnDnVTrGEgJpF5Q1Hou_n9ByfsnZMStlQZ-YdAbrDNYcMGuTT1gi-R11FAz9DvT1rbbAeqfeNvJxulfkclsQJg4lMA4fIE5f/s1600/Me+with+Form+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7TLhq_UhC-8OxU3iJ2W9mis4Ewjh7kvTCAcO160ydPmtjnDnVTrGEgJpF5Q1Hou_n9ByfsnZMStlQZ-YdAbrDNYcMGuTT1gi-R11FAz9DvT1rbbAeqfeNvJxulfkclsQJg4lMA4fIE5f/s320/Me+with+Form+4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Can you spot Chris?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCLrvhfA6duJt4-Jj4gTm7Cf89jI9W0AL6V4d_g-tNEMwhoQ1r1PEVW7o5R8N_5DgWxoD_FD3XmMSqmNRK4f-Ts1ieYvTUp9X0PsCg5QTdw5bhFPAnH2pCtmKm0Y-HEsXA89VLMgVJqhf/s1600/Mtoni+High+School.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCLrvhfA6duJt4-Jj4gTm7Cf89jI9W0AL6V4d_g-tNEMwhoQ1r1PEVW7o5R8N_5DgWxoD_FD3XmMSqmNRK4f-Ts1ieYvTUp9X0PsCg5QTdw5bhFPAnH2pCtmKm0Y-HEsXA89VLMgVJqhf/s320/Mtoni+High+School.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mtoni Secondary School</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I heard that there is a big winter storm in London, so I hope everyone is keeping warm and staying safe! Miss you all! xoxoShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-34158551923997972552011-01-27T21:59:00.000-08:002011-02-03T08:28:17.490-08:00Week 2 Highlights!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't believe I have only been here for 2 weeks! Chris and I have already done and learned so much!</span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Tuesday I finally learned how to make the ever so popular chapattis that the Mtoni school kids can’t seem to get enough of. Mama Elizabeth gave me a short lesson mainly on how to knead, shape, and roll the dough, then I passed them over to mama Sabina to fry. After doing this for a couple hours, Stanley (translator) stopped by and took me inside Mtoni School to meet with the assistant headmaster. Clarke Road Secondary School (in London Ontario) has established a twinning project with Mtoni. They have raised funds for supplies and provide an opportunity for learning between the students in each country. After waiting for over an hour, I told Stanley it would be fine if I just spoke with a teacher as I mainly wanted to set up a time for Chris and I to visit and take some pictures and possibly a video to bring back to Canada to show Clarke Road Secondary. The teacher was so nice and we have arranged to meet next week! I’m excited to learn more about the differences/similarities between the two school systems. </span></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Market</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Chris had his first experience going to the Market with the Mamas to sell their yoghurt! He left around 12:00 noon and didn’t return back to the apartment until 6:00pm. His first words when he came in: “They work freaking hard!!” He is so right, I can’t believe these women, although I’ve only been here two weeks they’ve completely blown my mind! Chris had a very positive experience and I was happy to hear that they completely sold out! Looks like Chris doesn’t need to find a gym anymore, as all that lifting and walking is more than enough!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On Wednesday I went on a little adventure with Mama Joyce to Bwiru which is where the Forever Angels orphanage is located.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We dropped off 6L of yoghurt for the children. A visit to Forever Angels is definitely on my to-do list while I am in Mwanza and Missy and I are planning to go for a more extended period. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Forever Angels Orphanage </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mission Statement</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We aim to promote general charitable purposes for the benefit of the community of Tanzania in order to address and alleviate social and economic disadvantage to impoverished and HIV positive families and orphaned or abandoned children. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first project was the building of a Baby Home in Mwanza on the shores of Lake Victoria in Tanzania. This Baby Home provides a stable, loving home for up to 50 orphaned and abandoned babies and infants from 0 to 5 years, who are severely disadvantaged. It is staffed by trained and dedicated Tanzanian carers and trainees and provides nutrition, love, health care, physical and emotional support until the child is either fostered, adopted or reunited with their family. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are thousands of orphaned and abandoned children in Africa, often due to AIDS. In Tanzania, about 10% of the population carries the HIV virus. As a result of this, many babies and young children lose their mothers whilst still nursing. Other parents are simply too sick or too poor to care for their children. Traditionally, their extended family would help support these vulnerable children, but with the AIDS epidemic effectively stripping away this support network, more and more of these babies are remaining in families that are simply unable to care for them and so they often die from starvation or disease. Others are abandoned or left in Government hospitals to die alone. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That evening we attended a fundraising dinner for the street kids program which is run by a couple of Missy’s friends. Once a month they have a special themed all you can eat buffet dinner for 10,000tsh (around $10.00CDN) with all proceeds going to help their program. This one was Italian and it was so delicious! There was bread, salad, lasagna, and pasta – finally some familiar food! It was a great evening filled with great people and food!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On Thursday Chris and I had an extremely long, busy, but very productive day! We left the apartment at 11:00am and didn’t return until 8:00pm. Our first stop was NIMR (National Institute of Medical Research) where we were met with Dr. John Changalucha (Director of the Medical Research Centre). We introduced ourselves as the new western heads east interns and our reasons for being here. This was also our first time being in an air conditioned area since we arrived in Mwanza and as much as I love the heat, I admit it did feel refreshing after a long walk! We were then taken up to the lab where we spoke with Edita who is mainly responsible for preparing the probiotic culture for the mamas to pick up. After speaking with her, we quickly learned that there seems to be some miscommunication between what the mamas are telling us, and what the lab techs reported. The mamas are saying that the probiotics are never ready when they come to pick them up, whereas the lab techs say the mamas have stopped coming. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We received a tour of the lab and although they have all the necessary supplies to prepare the probiotic bacteria, the resources they have are much less in comparison to the conditions I worked in at in the Lawson Health Research Institute at University Hospital prior to coming here. The good news is they are fully equipped to prepare the probiotics so we got Edita’s phone number which we will give to the mamas so they can call her when they are coming and thus, the probiotics can be ready!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our next stop was the land office (which is actually veterinary services) and is fortunately located almost right next to NIMR. A guard of some sort let us into the area where we were faced with about 10 white building/offices that all looked identical. The area was completely deserted so we were a little confused about what to do. Luckily we soon heard some voices so gravitated in that direction. We spoke with a couple of men and Chris explained who we were and why we were here. They seemed very interested in hearing more from us, and told us to come back in an hour or so after one of the men dealt with a cow. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, we decided to use our time effectively and head over to Kivulini where I wanted to speak to Maimuna (director). When we got there, Maimuna was involved with a workshop but told me to wait and would then be happy to speak with me. After waiting for about 1 hour, she invited us to join in with the lunch they had prepared for all the people attending the workshop which was a pleasant surprise! Following our meal of rice, fish, and cabbage she introduced me to the mamas working for the ChemChemi project that I am interested in volunteering for! ChemChemi is an NGO that works under Kivulini. The program focuses mainly on health and nutrition issues for malnourished children under five. They visit different regions in Mwanza 3 times per week and provide demonstrations for the communities on how to cook porridge using a mixture of millet, rice, peanut, maize, and soy flours. Weekly supplies are then allotted to each family so they can prepare the porridge for their children at home. They also track the children’s growth and weight on charts. I arranged to go with them this coming Thursday, so stay tuned for an update about my experience! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By now it was nearly 4:00pm, so we went back over to the veterinarian office in hopes that the man was still there. Luckily, after speaking with a few other people we were able to find him and had a good meeting regarding the issues the mamas are having with the piece of land they own. He seemed very willing to check up on their cows and help the mamas maximize the profitability of their land. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After all this we picked up Missy from Kivulini and started walking home. On our way, we stopped by a shop where some of Missy’s local friends work and chatted with them for a while. This then turned into a trip to Isamilo Lodge (richer area in Tanzania) which, despite the car running out of gas on the way, turned into a wonderful evening and a beautiful view of the sunset over Lake Victoria! We had such an adventurous productive day! </span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Interesting Facts about African Life</strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Shopping</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">There are tons and tons of vendors set up all along the streets selling, shoes, clothing, electronics, tools, stationary, etc. They are all crammed into small closet like spaces. I have noticed that there are thousands of shoes (mainly sandals/flip flops) being sold everywhere; I don’t think I have ever seen so many shoes in my life! The other day I got a pair of Roxy sandals for 2000tsh, which is less than $2.00 CDN!! Apparently bags of used shoes arrive from the U.S, Canada, and Europe and come here to be revamped</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Shops are also places for socializing. Most have some sort of wooden chair or stool out front where people will stop to chat with the store owner or people passing by. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">This week I also experienced the fresh produce market where Missy and I set off to buy loads of fruits and vegetables. There are multiple vendors selling the same things, but some are nicer looking or have cheaper prices. The market was packed, and as soon as you show a slight interest in something the sellers will not let up on trying to persuade you to buy the item! We picked up carrots, avocado, cucumber, tomatoes, mangoes, garlic, onions, bananas, and peppers all for under 10 bucks! The exotic fruits like passion fruit, mango and avocado that would be very expensive back home are especially cheap! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">There are also more westernized grocery stores but they are extremely expensive. For example cereal is about $9.00 CDN and olive oil is $10.00 CDN! As a result I think I will try and stick to the African ways of shopping until my “western food” cravings set in! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Bartering </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The other day Margaret took me to the market to buy some new sandals and a skirt. She is such a tough lady and I wouldn’t want to mess with her! I saw a pair of sandals I liked which were first offered to me for 14,000tsh. After Margaret conversed back in forth in Swahili with the seller for a while she was able to get them down to 7000tsh! I am learning that nothing really has a priced attached to it. It’s really up to the buyer to negotiate a price with the seller, and this all depends on your bartering skills</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">This rule also applies when taking a cab. It is important to always ask the cab driver beforehand how much it will cost, because white people are always charged more than locals. It’s important that you know the correct price before hand so you can barter down to it. This is much different from Canada where the price is decided at the end of your ride. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">** Pictures coming soon! </span>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-69406921070770825372011-01-24T21:02:00.000-08:002011-01-24T21:02:11.048-08:00<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dala Dala/Igoma</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On Sunday Margaret came over and invited Chris and I to her house (nyumbani). We were planning on having a nice relaxing day at the apartment, but were pleasantly surprised with her invitation. This was a really eye-opening experience and something I will remember forever. To begin, Chris and I experienced our first Dala dala ride. For those who are wondering a dala dala is a large van that transports people like a bus to various locations. They are essentially the “Tanzanian Buses” and the cost is equivalent to only about 25₵ CDN! However, it is definitely not the most comfortable or enjoyable experience to say the least. It can sit about 16 people, but this doesn’t mean there can be over 20 people crammed in, with the occasional random baby on your lap or butt in your face! There is also an overwhelming stench (mainly body odour), although it did remind me of the smell of my sisters soccer bag, so it was nice to experience some familiarity from home! I’m still trying to get a handle on how exactly they work and how you know which one to get on, but basically when you want to get off you shout out “stop” or “hapa!” (Here). It was definitely not the smoothest ride, and there were times I thought it might break down, but it gets you where you need to go at a low cost! I used to think the LTC bus system was bad, but after riding in a dala dala I doubt I will ever complain about it again!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The ride to Igoma (the region Margaret lives) was about 15 minutes away from our apartment. I was so glad to arrive, but didn’t realize we would be walking for another 25 minutes. Margaret first took us to her mother’s home where we found her seated outside a tiny one room shack. She was incredibly excited to meet us and so welcoming! The look on Margaret’s face when we arrived was one of pure joy and almost brought tears to my eyes. After visiting her Mother, we went to Margaret’s home where she lives with her daughter Lola. Again, their home consisted of just two small rooms, with a few pots, two stools, and a small table. They have no electricity or running water, yet Margaret seems so proud of what she has and was grinning from ear to ear the entire time! This experience really made me think of how fortunate I am to have all I do back in Canada, and even here at the apartment. I feel a bit guilty having complained about cold showers and the sporadic power outages, when in reality many people don’t even have running water. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Overall, this was a really unique experience and I am so glad I got to see another area of Mwanza. The people there (in Igoma and in most parts of Mwanza) have next to nothing yet everyone is happy and friendly, and seem to just live in the moment and enjoy the little they do have. This is something I suggest we all think about when we stress about bills, deadlines, grades, etc. Although we do have poverty, disease, and malnutrition in North America, here you see so much of it everywhere you turn. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Monday January 24<sup>th</sup> </strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On Monday Chris and I had a very eventful day! We had an early start beginning with our hike to Mtoni Secondary School to make learn how to make Chappatis! It turned out that they didn’t need both of us there, so I went to the kitchen and helped Mama Elizabeth open the kitchen and get things set up for the days yoghurt and milk production! I was able to observe and help with all the processes so I think I’m getting a good handle on all the steps involved. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After a couple hours we headed back to the apartment, where Margaret was awaiting my return to take me to pick up my skirt and bag from the tailors (I had two different styles of skirts and a bag made with one piece of material!). After this we bravely ventured into the main market to pick up some fish (samaki). This was a bit of nerve racking experience! First of all it was absolutely packed with people, I couldn’t see one step in front of me so I just held on to Margaret and my purse with dear life and hoped for the best! A lot of people were yelling things at me (Mzungo) and pointing but I’m starting to get used to it. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After this, Chris and I went back to the kitchen to have our first meeting with the mamas! Surprisingly, we only started ½ an hour late and our translator showed up on time (very rare).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We learned a lot of information from the mamas and have a better handle on our tasks for the coming week. Before the meeting the mamas had prepared a mound of ugali and fish and we all sat together on the floor to enjoy the food! They were so impressed with how much I ate and said Tanzanian food will make me strong so “kula kula” (“eat eat”)!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Results of meeting/action plan</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Problem:</strong> NIMR (national institute of medical research) not consistently having probiotics ready when mamas go to pick them up </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Plan:</strong> Chris and I will visit NIMR and talk with the people responsible for culturing probiotics and see what the issues are</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Need:</strong> Probiotics education </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Plan:</strong> Prepare a presentation on probiotics including what they are, their health benefits and suitability for everyone!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This week Chris will go to the market with the mamas and help/observe and see if there are ways to improve, and also look at their profit margins for both the Chapattis and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>yoghurt</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Find out if the Starehe Orphanage School is still open and if so seek opportunity to sell yoghurt here </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Interesting Fact</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Time</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">People tell time very differently here, and I still can’t get my head around it. In the Swahili culture the day starts at sunrise (in the Arab world the day starts at sunset and in the Western World the day starts at midnight). Sunrise in East Africa being exactly at the equator, happens at approximately 6:00am. For this reason 6:00am is like 12:00am in Canada. So essentially, Swahili time is delayed by 6 hours. Therefore 7:00am is “1:00 morning”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">I was really confused at first when I asked one of the mamas what time they start making the Chapattis in the morning. She said 2:00am! I was shocked but then soon realized this actually means 8:00am. This is something I have to be very cautious about when arranging meetings so everyone knows what time to arrive. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Note also that the Swahili time doesn't use "noon" as the reference as in a.m. (before noon) and p.m. (after noon). The time is spoken using "alfajiri" which is the early morning time during which the morning light has started to shine but the sun has not risen yet; "asubuhi" which is the morning time between sunrise and a little before noon; "mchana" which is from around noon to around 3:00 p.m.; "alasiri" which is from around 3:00 p.m. to sunset; "jioni" which is the entire time period from around 3:00 p.m. up to a little before 7:00 p.m.; and "usiku" which is the entire time period from around 7:00 p.m. to early morning.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-65882990329467524072011-01-21T05:56:00.000-08:002011-01-21T06:03:15.483-08:00Settling in<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mountain Dew takes over Mwanza!</span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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! </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YgnRvvUrCsZpU3gNWrSeTaZMhOXF8s1oy_o7ABcAdJEOgJUn87zYXvj8fndgHHFGwmCJD4EAE53v0HAXShcmny5h-ZRsYDeADk1sHv-olwYnTOWqb-4MCPCDQv2b6SHgHzX2TsMhnl_h/s1600/First+Coffee+shop+in+Mwanza2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YgnRvvUrCsZpU3gNWrSeTaZMhOXF8s1oy_o7ABcAdJEOgJUn87zYXvj8fndgHHFGwmCJD4EAE53v0HAXShcmny5h-ZRsYDeADk1sHv-olwYnTOWqb-4MCPCDQv2b6SHgHzX2TsMhnl_h/s320/First+Coffee+shop+in+Mwanza2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> First Coffee Shop in Mwanza!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj153WIGOiQluBww-ZiRyExTVjstx5-Cj1POh9__LHGWqNYP7iv4-x2SJqheP1Oe1t_PJYFvVrnyTG9AinlqU6-ubMsXkUJ2LIRhW3DzYj-sYDj3tlwOqsRJwFW6KF5VR7DALuQjLfhRBEw/s1600/Making+Chapattis3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj153WIGOiQluBww-ZiRyExTVjstx5-Cj1POh9__LHGWqNYP7iv4-x2SJqheP1Oe1t_PJYFvVrnyTG9AinlqU6-ubMsXkUJ2LIRhW3DzYj-sYDj3tlwOqsRJwFW6KF5VR7DALuQjLfhRBEw/s320/Making+Chapattis3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Making Chappatis<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvDTcyaaoQuk6ReSNue9dRK6duWQFDIsSNmgJxD8Nx1i4izBQv7P-bpZu406tXIaVYk7r-dwS2nhXJlEcF4-bf1SvVUBFuW11WUBuhJ6pxC9DZhXb5HLaOQ-fSWir5G84a6DTPr9A1UtU/s1600/Me+and+Jamie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvDTcyaaoQuk6ReSNue9dRK6duWQFDIsSNmgJxD8Nx1i4izBQv7P-bpZu406tXIaVYk7r-dwS2nhXJlEcF4-bf1SvVUBFuW11WUBuhJ6pxC9DZhXb5HLaOQ-fSWir5G84a6DTPr9A1UtU/s320/Me+and+Jamie.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Me and Jamie (named after previous intern Jamie Hemsworth) <br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kivulini Tour</span></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. <br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Luchalele </b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Interesting Fact</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">: 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!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWoaUYCFAeTuHVlXgEqwb_Q_P2bbh8pT_5taQ-XJP5qa6Hd7_F3WQrbGSTzBBlvRhU3Nc9XGAKLT-_R97p0m76tfen6Q4Pl0ND8G5oK8030a2cXUSVF4VNqJz3Iibj7pR7uEFBgP7VW4v/s1600/sunset+at+Luchelele2+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWoaUYCFAeTuHVlXgEqwb_Q_P2bbh8pT_5taQ-XJP5qa6Hd7_F3WQrbGSTzBBlvRhU3Nc9XGAKLT-_R97p0m76tfen6Q4Pl0ND8G5oK8030a2cXUSVF4VNqJz3Iibj7pR7uEFBgP7VW4v/s320/sunset+at+Luchelele2+%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Sunset</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Major Adjustments/Observations</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Water</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">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. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Showers</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">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. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Prices </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">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). </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Language </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">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. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Common Greetings:</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jambo – Hello<br />
Habari? – Hello/How are you?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mambo (Vipi) – How are things?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shikamoo – Hello said to an elder</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“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. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">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). </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><strong>5. </strong> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Driving Conditions </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">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! </span></span></div><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Project</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today 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!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Mtoni Secondary School</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week I was able to go to Mtoni Secondary School with the Mamas a couple times. This is where they run a <span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">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! :)</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWdSxoB44W_3azRDg1_z0g6GRtd-_4Y-adUAWs7FrVZSrcRcmsJ5JWMIGEB6wJmFBQcrQ25rB0Z2wTS3pKKYCwAlQicDANQ42daJgBVf9nrOZf10dCJA4vBF1zbsl5A03yFBsoOdVcGFL/s1600/Chapatti%2527s+for+kids2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWdSxoB44W_3azRDg1_z0g6GRtd-_4Y-adUAWs7FrVZSrcRcmsJ5JWMIGEB6wJmFBQcrQ25rB0Z2wTS3pKKYCwAlQicDANQ42daJgBVf9nrOZf10dCJA4vBF1zbsl5A03yFBsoOdVcGFL/s320/Chapatti%2527s+for+kids2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> Serving Chappatis!</span></span>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-67238668135821024522011-01-19T21:48:00.000-08:002011-01-19T22:17:09.457-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBbA8BXe-Vqr85uZGHwq3QDr5hAQ9GHg7Ys8dcDC-uUERAJ-bZbh_i-p99us5mLjn_V1rZQUHLMG4_aCzWYDzpFGb_Fp2_A03jLASgFcTIy6j2ZYvzRFT5TKrEpPbM8xh1J8qWQk4afXEE/s1600/first+taste+of+fiti2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBbA8BXe-Vqr85uZGHwq3QDr5hAQ9GHg7Ys8dcDC-uUERAJ-bZbh_i-p99us5mLjn_V1rZQUHLMG4_aCzWYDzpFGb_Fp2_A03jLASgFcTIy6j2ZYvzRFT5TKrEpPbM8xh1J8qWQk4afXEE/s320/first+taste+of+fiti2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My first taste of Fiti!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgludZ9pULNOq2w5n566loFlAutaFr8yCqZtO0uLLAbkgoj6d8Pbb3yJlpUKcDWmUmS21LMBj_y43Hx_GPSoy2KywdYPl2ioxkF4p3_XpE7QfLD21q2c6p57PuZx8tFZRKDeVtUj5oCpc7_/s1600/Meet+and+Greet+with+Mamas2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgludZ9pULNOq2w5n566loFlAutaFr8yCqZtO0uLLAbkgoj6d8Pbb3yJlpUKcDWmUmS21LMBj_y43Hx_GPSoy2KywdYPl2ioxkF4p3_XpE7QfLD21q2c6p57PuZx8tFZRKDeVtUj5oCpc7_/s320/Meet+and+Greet+with+Mamas2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Meet and Greet with the MamasShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-36569610023979170232011-01-18T21:51:00.000-08:002011-01-18T21:51:43.882-08:00The AIDS epidemic in Tanzania<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Western Heads East chose Mwanza, Tanzania as its initial start-up site for probiotic yoghurt kitchens as it illustrates the devastation of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Around 1.2 million people aged 15 and over (just over 5% of the adult population), are living with HIV in Tanzania. An estimated 100,000 Tanzanians were newly infected with HIV in 2009, which is around 275 new cases every day. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Women/Girls particular vulnerable </span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Women in Tanzania are particularly affected by HIV and AIDS. In 2008, 60% of the people living with HIV were women. In women between the ages of 15-24, this figure rises to 75% </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Across the globe, women, particularly young women, are not in a position to abstain. They are not in a position to demand faithfulness of their partners…women are unwilling to even raise the issue for fear of rejection or physical assault. A woman who is a victim of violence or the fear of violence is not going to negotiate anything, let alone fidelity or condom use. Her main objective is to get through the day without being beaten up” (African Renewal, 2004). </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“I have a child and when I go with a man like him, he can give me something to buy milk for the child.”<i>Aisha, a young woman at a party in the Mkinga district. </i></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">In addition to the physical impact that HIV/AIDS has, women also take on the sole responsibility of caring for their children and households. This disease can leave family members and orphaned children to deal with ostracism and a vicious cycle of poverty and disease. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">HIV/AIDS related stigma </span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“At home my mother and myself have tested and been found positive. She has told me not even to tell my relatives; not even my own sister because she is afraid I will be stigmatised” - A young girl from Tanzania. </span></i></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Unfortunately, stigma towards those with HIV/AIDS remains high and has become a significant barrier to treatment and prevention in the developing world. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Discrimination leads to an unwillingness to take an HIV test and to disclose results to family, friends or sexual partners. Stigma, specifically fear of abandonment, job or property loss and violence were reasons for this delay. Such fear increases the chance that HIV will be transmitted to a partner, that preventative behaviour will be avoided and that uptake of treatment will be delayed. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">A woman who discloses her HIV status may be stigmatized and rejected by her family. In most cases, women are the first in the family to be diagnosed with HIV and may be accused of being the source of it in the family.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Reducing stigma and discrimination goes hand-in-hand with providing help to HIV-affected households. Stigma sometimes causes shame or fear of ostracism, and deters household members from seeking and receiving community-based assistance. </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Stigma and the beliefs that it can perpetuate (such as an HIV positive person has been cursed by witchcraft) can lead to reduced motivation to seek treatment. “Pervasive stigma remains the most formidable barrier” to taking up free antiretroviral treatment in rural areas.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Kivulini Women’s Rights Organization </span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Kivulini is a registered NGO grassroots community based in Mwanza, Tanzania. It was founded in 1999 by a group of Tanzanian women who could not sit back and watch the violence against women and girls taking place in their communities. Kivulini strives to tackle the root cause of domestic violence by working closely with community members and leaders to change attitudes and behaviours that perpetuate violence against women. The organization’s vision of creating violence free communities is linked with women’s economic empowerment to reduce dependency and contribute to family income. When a women is aware of her rights in the community and is economically independent she improves both her health and socioeconomic position, as well as contributes more fully to the development of the community as a whole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The University of Western Ontario collaborated with Kivulini to design the probiotic yoghurt project that has started providing a new source of income for women in Mwanza as well as contributing to the overall health of children and adults. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Tukwamunae Women’s Group (TWG) </span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Tukwamunae means “women working together to alleviate poverty” in Swahili. TWG is a registered NGO that consists of 10 female women who work together at a community kitchen (Jiko La Jamii) in Mabatini district which is just outside the Mwanza city centre. They act as the main producers of the FITI probiotic yoghurt. Since WHE’s inception, they have learned to make the yoghurt and continue to develop with the assistance of WHE interns. The production and sales of the probiotic yoghurt provides these women with a source of income resulting in the economic empowerment of the women’s group itself. Another portion of the probiotic yoghurt is distributed six days per week, free of charge to 125 local community members who are living with HIV/AIDS. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Summary of my Goals</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Mwanza Tanzania</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Yoghurt production and distribution</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ensure good quality control measures are being implemented consistently <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">throughout the process of yogurt production and distribution. (i.e opening and closing procedures, sanitation, temperatures, safe food handling, etc.)<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Consistent High Quality Yoghurt</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Smooth yogurt means the probiotics are distributed throughout and therefore the yogurt offers more health benefits </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Education</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Provide women’s groups with education about the health benefits of probiotics, assess AIDS related stigma, work with the mamas to develop a public education plan that they can use to educate the community </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ensure Meetings are held weekly </span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Structure meetings to be more action oriented and explore the desire for a mama as a leader for each key area of the program</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1.25in; mso-list: l2 level5 lfo5; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">¨<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">quality control, production/sales, bookkeeping accounting, human resources</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> <strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> I hope to v</span></strong></span></span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">isit</span> the other 5 kitchens in Mwanza (Mahina, Igombe, Kivulini, Buswela, Baraki sisters) with Esther or one of the Mamas</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Evaluate quality control procedures currently in place, assess areas for improvement, develop a plan for yoghurt to become probiotic asap </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meet and Greet with the Yoghurt Mamas!</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Missy took Chris and I to meet the yoghurt mamas in Mabatini district, which is about a 15 minute walk from the apartment. We were introduced to four of the mamas (Mama Sabina, Elizabeth, Cecilia, and Leah), they were very welcoming and excited to meet us. I felt very comfortable with them and am excited to spend more time at the kitchen and at the school where they make chapattis and chai every morning for the children at Mtoni school. We spent some time making the yoghurt with them and observing the processes involved. They gave us a glass of the yoghurt and it was quite good, but very different from the yoghurt I am used to in Canada. It is a little bit sour and the consistency is like a thin milk shake which most people drink. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a while at the kitchen, the mamas invited us to pay our respects to Mama Sheda. She used to be part of Tukwamunae but had unfortunately passed away in December from a disease that left her paralyzed from the waist down. It is very common to attend funerals here, and everyone is invited even if you didn’t know the person. The mamas led us up a very steep hill towards mama Sheda’s home, with uneven terrain, pot holes, and rocks. Missy told us many elderly people live up there and walk up and down that hill several times a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we arrived, there were many people at her home, and we were invited inside a small room where we all gathered around in silence. This was a very unique but emotional experience as many of the mamas were crying. Pictures of Mama Sheda were passed around and we sat in silence there for over an hour. One thing that I found very upsetting was that she left behind three young children (all under 10), I am not sure if they have a father, or what the future now holds for them? Missy told us that unexpected, random events will come up all the time, which makes for a new adventure everyday!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-84517872961557731962011-01-16T00:31:00.000-08:002011-01-18T21:08:44.996-08:00Travel Info<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And so it begins…I have finally arrived in Mwanza, Tanzania! Christopher and I were warmly greeted by Missy at the “New Mwanza” Airport and we could not be happier! After 3 days of sleepless nights, resting in airport lounges, and airport food we are so glad to have a semi -permanent home for a few months. Just to give you a perspective, we left Toronto Pearson Airport on Wednesday January 12<sup>th</sup>, and arrived in Mwanza on Friday January 14<sup>th</sup>. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I want to begin by saying I am extremely excited about the adventure that awaits me! I am very grateful for everyone who has been helping me prepare for my trip, all the advice and encouragement really means a lot! A big thanks to my family and friends for their support and love, and especially to all the past interns who have given me some amazing tips! I will miss you all so much!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Travel information</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In Transit</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">T.O Airport</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Arriving at the Toronto Airport with lots of time to spare proved to be a good idea. After figuring out that one of my bags was over the weight requirement (50lbs) I essentially had to unpack, transfer some things to my other suitcase, frantically decide what I could do without for 4 months to send home with my mom, and re-pack. Thankfully everything turned out OK and I avoided having to pay the $100.00 fee for excess baggage. It will be interesting to see whether this can also be accomplished on the way home, something tells me it may be more difficult!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqX6DoeFd0RGWnLSZojkmIOTia4xT7VbiGaRqh_qzqupcAflSsQvKawd0ApNsi6RPjPLWikytoXETq2T8N-YafHH1pBeWkzIBMzoPWlkKd2ZOMkKp8qUGxcExUitt3Xw2UEsF_3UkSaPx9/s1600/chris+and+I+at+Pearson+Airport.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqX6DoeFd0RGWnLSZojkmIOTia4xT7VbiGaRqh_qzqupcAflSsQvKawd0ApNsi6RPjPLWikytoXETq2T8N-YafHH1pBeWkzIBMzoPWlkKd2ZOMkKp8qUGxcExUitt3Xw2UEsF_3UkSaPx9/s320/chris+and+I+at+Pearson+Airport.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Chris and I before we leave!</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Toronto to Amsterdam!</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our 7 ½ hour flight to Amsterdam went very well, all things considered. At the beginning Christopher and I were slightly concerned when we took our seats directly in front of a family consisting of a screaming baby and a young child who seemed to find it quite amusing kicking the back of our chairs sporadically. However, we made the best of it and told each other that this is “all part of the adventure.” Fortunately, very soon after take-off, the baby drifted off to sleep and the young child became fascinated with the entertainment provided on board, which was actually quite impressive. We were able to personally choose what source of entertainment we wanted such a s T.V, movies, games, audiobooks, news and more. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The long flight also gave Christopher and I time to practice some of our Swahili and quiz each other in preparation for our stop in Nairobi and ultimately our time in Tanzania!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We landed in Amsterdam around 7:00am local time which was 1:00am back home. Our flight to Nairobi was not leaving until 8:40pm that night, so we had a very long day ahead of us in Amsterdam! Surprisingly, neither of us was tired, so we headed to the nearest tourist information booth and learned we could take a train to Amsterdam Central (downtown Amsterdam). On our first attempt we got on the wrong train, but nevertheless we made it to downtown Amsterdam and had a great time! <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This was both mine and Christopher’s first time in Amsterdam and we found it to be quite a unique experience. Everyone seemed very friendly and laid back. Although Dutch is the primary language, most people we encountered could also speak English which made asking questions and locating places much easier! In the downtown area that we visited everything was very historical and quite beautiful similar to old Montreal. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There were a few things that stood out to us during our brief time in the city. One thing was the degree of multiculturalism that we observed; it was similar to Toronto in that there seems to be people from all over the world there. Chris informed me that this was probably because it was a <span style="background-color: white;">colonizing city</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another thing I found shocking was the number of bicycles around the city. There are literally people riding bicycles everywhere, far more than people driving cars. This was surprising considering that it is still quite cold there (about 6<sup>o</sup>C). There are also racks and racks of bicycles at every corner (or so it seemed) and they are parked all along the sidewalks, buildings, or against trees and none of them seemed to be locked up. Finally there are hundreds of coffee shops, Christopher and I must have seen at least 25 after walking down just two streets! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After our 7 ½ hour flight to Amsterdam followed by a day of strolling through the streets, we had been up for over 30 hours and were definitely both ready for a peaceful flight to Nairobi!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtKDQUhzp_KmdJjJUiry3A_K2MZyFn8aascBCwdqKrSQUCuyvdN3pZ8TFF-8Ey7u1y3bltq5cN8Y_ghTBFZXrC2KnGlXHCpIJi2xQ2boCeYh0IH3itKNESRVdlAFsV2MQqj2NGUkdZGuU/s1600/Chris+sleeping+in+Amsterdam.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtKDQUhzp_KmdJjJUiry3A_K2MZyFn8aascBCwdqKrSQUCuyvdN3pZ8TFF-8Ey7u1y3bltq5cN8Y_ghTBFZXrC2KnGlXHCpIJi2xQ2boCeYh0IH3itKNESRVdlAFsV2MQqj2NGUkdZGuU/s320/Chris+sleeping+in+Amsterdam.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Chris catching some Zzz's in Amsterdam International Airport</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Amsterdam to Nairobi </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After that extremely long day in Amsterdam, we were more than ready to board our flight to Nairobi. Again, everything went very smoothly, other than the flight feeling like it never ended. I was in and out of consciousness for the entire 8 hour flight, but for some reason it felt like everytime I woke up, no time had passed. On a more positive note, I was seated beside a very interesting man. He was an experienced traveler and had been living in Africa for over 30 years. He gave me lots of advice about living in Africa which could not have come at a better time as my apprehension intensified upon our landing in Nairobi. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One particular thing that stands out, and something I have never heard, was his advice regarding preventing malaria. He eased my mine a little when he said he had had malaria many times and that it was no big deal, as long as you get treated properly within a few days. However, for the past 10 years he has been eating the seeds of the “pawpaw” fruit after reading an article by a lady who has lived in Africa for 25 years and never had malaria. She claims the seeds of this fruit to be the miracle for her health. He said the fruit is similar to a melon and when you cut into it you can obtain the seeds. He said to dry the seeds in the sun. grind them up, and eat a spoonful every day. I thanked him very much for all his advice, and I am sure he is the first of many people I will meet throughout my journey. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I must admit I was a little nervous about stepping into the Nairobi airport, but this was definitely a waste of energy! It was 100x better than I had anticipated as there were many tourists and I felt very safe. Christopher just kept telling me to use my common sense and when in doubt smile and nod! The biggest perk of all was when I heard that the temperature when we landed was 18<sup>o</sup>C and would be rising to a high of 27<sup>o</sup>C.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vWNPRgShfpU-4YxA25le0YNUdjJIPJ_mZvcS_QwIXrnP2J7d1_Wpuk9zECSS8SbrpIYHatTrUI-EE4OqfspGIZUsEu_YDMZ30ZvMQUGdtgpCaw4eXC2ou3qen99e1LBxv3GobzfkinQW/s1600/New+Mwanza+Airport2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vWNPRgShfpU-4YxA25le0YNUdjJIPJ_mZvcS_QwIXrnP2J7d1_Wpuk9zECSS8SbrpIYHatTrUI-EE4OqfspGIZUsEu_YDMZ30ZvMQUGdtgpCaw4eXC2ou3qen99e1LBxv3GobzfkinQW/s320/New+Mwanza+Airport2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nairobi to Mwanza!</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Finally the last leg (or so we thought). Chris and I were both a little confused as to why the flight from Nairobi to Mwanza was over 2 hours considering their close proximity on the map. It all made sense when we learned we had to stop at the Kilimanjaro Airport first! But, it was not as bad as we thought and we only had to weight there for about ½ an hour which turned out to be worthwhile because I ended up sitting beside an amazing woman from Mwanza! We met because I was accidently sleeping in her seat before the plane took off and she politely tapped me on the shoulder and said something in Swahili that sounded completely foreign, luckily I only ended up having to move over one seat. I thought this was the perfect chance for me to practice some of my Swahili! So I asked her where she was from (“unatoka wapi?”). Her face lit up and she said Mwanza. We conversed back in forth, me using some of my broken Swahili and she using what little English she new. She was such a nice lady, and told me she worked at the Central Bank in Tanzania on station road and gave me all her contact information. My wonderful first encounter with a Tanzanian made me that much more excited to arrive! The flight was a little rocky, and my stomach definitely did a few somersaults, but we arrived in one piece at the New Mwanza Airport! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was probably the most relieved I had been the whole time when I saw my luggage being loaded off the plane (one of my biggest fears was having my luggage lost). After we got everything sorted out with our Visas we met Missy (past intern who is currently living in the Apartment we are staying at) and took a taxi back to the apartment. Soon after Dane arrived (also living in the apartment) and we all got to know each other. We also met our house lady Margaret and her daughter Lola who are both so sweet and constantly said “karibu, karibu” (welcome, welcome). Maragret only speaks Swahili so this will also give me a chance to practice. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My first impressions of Mwanza is that it is a very vibrant and busy city. Dane informed me that it is the fast growing city in Tanzania. I was also intrigued by the number of children. On the way to our apartment there were herds of children everywhere, it probably seemed this way even more so because most were just ending their school day. But, then I thought about it, it made sense for there to be a lot of children and younger people around considering the life expectancy in Mwanza is only about 45 years. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After a delicious dinner at the New Mwanza Hotel, I was so ready for my first full night sleep in 3 days! </span></span></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606234675174250369.post-40037229194259918002011-01-06T12:19:00.000-08:002011-01-06T12:23:24.961-08:00Pre-departure notes<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Introduction:</strong></span> <br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">My name is Shannon Smith and I am a 4<sup>th</sup> year student at Brescia University College in the Food and Nutritional Sciences program. From January 14<sup>th</sup> to May 26<sup>th</sup>, 2011 I will be primarily situated in Tanzania Africa in the cities of Mwanza and Arusha along with Fellow intern, Christopher Taylor. Internet access may be limited/sporadic so responding to e-mails may be difficult at times. I will be using this blog to document my time in East Africa as a “Western Heads East” (WHE) intern. The purpose of this blog is so that my family, friends, project stakeholders, and others interested can receive regular updates. My hope is that this will be a useful place for me to document the progress of my goals, accomplishments and daily challenges, cultural differences, bonds formed with different individuals, and interesting facts/highlights. My goal is to enlighten, inspire and increase the awareness about the HIV/AIDS crisis and the positive benefits of this project. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">What is the primary objective of this project?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To establish a sustainable, grass-roots food based probiotic yogurt project, to improve health, nutrition and alleviate suffering from malnutrition to vulnerable social groups in the context of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How did I get involved?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This program first caught my attention at an orientation I attended before I had even started studying at Brescia. Jamie Hemsworth, a past intern in Mwanza Tanzania, was one of the graduate students who presented. She spoke about her journey in Tanzania and all that she accomplished in addition to the positive impact she made in the lives of so many people. I can still remember how inspired I was by her presentation, and at that moment I knew, one day I wanted to follow in her footsteps. Finally, in my fourth year I decided to follow through and applied to me an intern with Western Heads East! </span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Background/History about the WHE project</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In June 2002, Stephen Lewis (UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa) spoke at a conference of the Ontario Association of College and University Housing Officers hosted by Western’s Housing department. He struck a chord with the group as he explained how 3000 people were killed in the 9/11 tragedy which gained worldwide attention, yet he struggles to get any attention for the 3000 people dying in Africa daily (2.3 million every year) of HIV/AIDS. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A group of housing staff led by Bob Gough were moved by this speech and developed a Western Heads East Steering Committee to develop a sustainable community development project to help with the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. Amongst those interested parties were <strong>Dr. Gregor Reid</strong>, Scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, and Surgery at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario, and<strong> Dr. Sharareh Hekmat</strong> (Brescia University College). Dr. Reid developed the bacterial strain (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1) and then collaborated with Dr. Hekmat to develop “Fiti” probiotic yogurt (yogurt sold in Africa) using this strain. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In collaboration with local partners including the Tukwamunae Women’s Group (TWG), the Tanzanian National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), and the University of Western Ontario (UWO), a sustainable probiotic food based development project has been implemented in Mwanza, Tanzania. In Mwanza, the project is being run by a team of people including local mothers, affectionately termed ‘Yogurt Mamas.’ They have been trained in probiotic yogurt production and community organization by WHE interns (Western Students) along with Western faculty and staff members. The Yogurt Mamas from Mwanza have become the official local trainers for other interested women’s groups from surrounding communities and elsewhere. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 0in .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The project’s Canadian team works with women’s groups to establish probiotic yogurt operations and to ensure sustainable economic viability, seek subsidies to provide yogurt free of charge to people living with HIV/AIDS, and to collaborate with East African communities with respect to teaching, service and research. Research shows that probiotics can prevent and treat urogenital infections and bacterial vaginosis which are risk factors for HIV acquisition and therefore may slow the progress of HIV/AIDS in women, stop diarrhea which kills many children and immuno-compromised adults, increase immune response, and generally improve population health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The project has been working since 2004 with the Tukwamunae women’s group who are now licensed as an NGO. They have become an important pillar in the Mwanza community and now aim to become a Regional Headquarters for East Africa to provide training to women in other communities within Tanzania and in neighbouring countries. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Western Heads East: Our Mission </span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To engage staff, students, faculty and the broader community in teaching, research and service targeting the African HIV/AIDS crisis. This will raise awareness and funds to support the exchange of learning experiences, while making sustainable difference to communities in Africa</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facts on HIV/AIDS</span></b></div><div style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1. </span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infects cells of the immune system and destroys or impairs their function. Infection results in the progressive deterioration of the immune system, breaking down the body's ability to fend off infections and diseases. AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome) refers to the most advanced stages of HIV infection, defined by the occurrence of any of more than 20 opportunistic infections or related cancers.</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2. </span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">HIV can be transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse (vaginal or anal) or oral sex with an infected person; transfusions of contaminated blood; and the sharing of contaminated needles, syringes or other sharp instruments. It can also be transmitted between a mother and her baby during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. </span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3. </span></span>According to estimates by WHO and UNAIDS, 33.4 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2008. That same year, some 2.7 million people became newly infected, and 2.0 million died of AIDS, including 280 000 children. Two thirds of HIV infections are in sub-Saharan Africa. </span></div><div style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4. </span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">HIV/AIDS is the world’s leading infectious killer claiming—to date—more than 27 million lives. An estimated 2 million people die every year from HIV/AIDS. </span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5. </span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) prevents the HIV virus from multiplying in the body. If the reproduction of the HIV virus stops, then the body's immune cells are able to live longer and provide the body with protection from infections. </span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6. </span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">More than 2 million children are living with HIV/AIDS, according to 2008 figures. Most of the children live in sub-Saharan Africa and were infected by their HIV-positive mothers during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding. Almost 1200 children become newly infected with HIV each day. The number of children receiving ART increased from about 75 000 in 2005 to 355 000 in 2009. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7. </span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Mother-to-child-transmission is almost entirely avoidable, but access to preventive interventions remains low in most developing low- and middle-income countries. However, progress has been made. In 2008, 45% of pregnant women living with HIV received antiretrovirals to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus, up from 10% in 2004</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FAQ</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What are Antiretroviral drugs (ARVs)?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Antiretroviral drugs</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> are primarily medications for the treatment of infection by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrovirus" title="Retrovirus"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">retroviruses</span></a>. </span>They are the <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">the main type of treatment for <a href="http://www.avert.org/hiv.htm"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">HIV</span></a> or <a href="http://www.avert.org/aids.htm"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">AIDS</span></a>. It is not a cure, but it can stop people from becoming ill for many years. The treatment consists of drugs that have to be taken every day for the rest of a person’s life. The aim of antiretroviral treatment is to keep the amount of HIV in the body at a low level. This stops any weakening of the immune system and allows it to recover from any damage that HIV might have caused already. These drugs can have many adverse side effects and this is where the probiotic yogurt can have substantial benefits. It has been shown that side effects from taking the ARVs can be reversed or reduced by consuming yogurt with probiotic cultures. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">It is important to understand that the yogurt is NOT a substitute to </span>antiretroviral treatment or a cure for HIV/AIDS, but it provides nutrition that is required for the drugs to work to their greatest potential and helps alleviate some of the side effects of HIV/AIDS.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What are probiotics?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pobiotics are defined as “live micro-organisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host (consumer)."These products primarily influence the intestine, which is home to an estimated 100 trillion bacteria important for immunity and digestion. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What are the health benefits of probiotics?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Probiotics can be used to benefit EVERYONE including individuals who consider themselves to be healthy since they assist in retaining health and well being and prevent health complications in the future. Probiotics represent a relatively simple and inexpensive method of alleviating diarrhea, urogenital infections, and other gastrointestinal side effects as a result of malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, and the uptake of highly active antiretroviral therapy. Certain strains of probiotics have also been shown to reduce bacterial vaginosis, a condition that predisposes women to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. The FAO/WHO have indicated that “efforts must be made to make probiotic products more widely available, especially for relief work and populations at high risk of morbidity and mortality.” <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why is yoghurt used?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note: In Tanzania and the U.K this is the way they spell “yoghurt” so for consistency I will likely be using this spelling from now on. </span></i></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Yoghurt is the perfect delivery medium for probiotics. Travelling through the digestive tract can be a challenge for bacteria. High acid levels in the stomach and exposure to pancreatic secretions can lead to the death of many orally administered probiotics. Consumption of probiotics with dairy products, buffers stomach acid and can increase the chance the bacteria will survive into the intestine. Yoghurt containing probiotics makes a healthy “functional food package.” Probiotic yoghurt contains high quality protein and an appropriate amount of carbohydrates, and fats which will help with increasing the weight of women, children, people living with AIDS (PLWA) and those who consume yoghurt (preventing wasting disease). </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Additional benefits of the project</b>: This project recognizes the interaction between income and health. The yoghurt production will empower women through income generation and skills development, and will increase consumption of nutritious protein sources locally, and thereby help people living with HIV/AIDS including children. The yoghurt mamas have grown to contribute to the health of their communities, draw an income for their families, stimulate significant economic development and to become a hub of social support within their communities. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am extremely excited about this wonderful opportunity! I have heard so many great things from past interns and the amazing things they have accomplished in Africa. I have always been interested in how people live in other parts of the world, but I have been informed that nothing prepares you for your first visit to a developing country like Africa. I am a little nervous as I have never been away from home for this long or been anywhere that has required any major cultural adjustments. However, having spoken with many people who have who have made this trip before me, I have a difficult time thinking I won’t come back in some way changed. As a personal goal I want to try and fully immerse myself into the Tanzanian culture as much as possible by learning/speaking Kiswahili, eating/cooking the way they do, and wearing some of the local African clothing. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, a flight to Amsterdam, followed by Nairobi, and finally to Mwanza is all the stands between me and this exciting journey!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay tuned for my first update from Mwanza! </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409804695070269011noreply@blogger.com0