Zanzibar

I hope this blog entry finds you all well! The past week has been a busy one with a trip to Zanzibar and many village visits. Although we are all happy for rain, it likes to play games with our internet! Sorry for the lack of posting :)


A view we enjoyed on the 2 hour ferry ride to Zanzibar!


An art market in Zanzibar that we did plenty of shopping at.


The streets of Stone Town.


In the morning we ate breakfast in the roof of our hotel. In the distance the fisherman were coming in after their night of fishing.


A memorial at the Anglican Church. The church was built at the sight of the slave market and the alter is located where the auctioning platform used to be.


We toured a spice farm. When we finished they had given us hats and ties to wear that were made from various plant leaves.


The beginning of a collection of spices we had seen.


The beach. I know. . . life is rough.


A morning sunrise.

This is just a quick update on our trip to Zanzibar. I hope to share more experiences with you soon.
Enjoy the day- michael

Hero Rats

Friday we went to see where 'Hero Rats' are trained. Hero Rats are sniff out dangers such as land mines and diseases.

I didn't have high expectations before going but I was pleasantly surprised. We were able to see many different steps of the training process. It was really interesting to learn about the rats and the work they are doing. Primarily, they are working in Mozambique after they pass their two year certification process. Most recently, the rats are being trained to detect the sent of TB. TB testing in the hospitals has only about 50% accuracy rate.

Here are some facts that I got from their website www.herorat.org
- Hero Rats have returned 1,312,027 square meters of land back to the population since the start of operations
-In 2009, 620 tuberculosis patients were detected only by rats (the TB tests themselves had come back negative)
-In 2009, they found and neutralized: 169 mines, 181 unexploded ordinance, and 3,871 small arms and ammunition.

I was reminded that wars have a much larger impact then we will ever be able to understand. Land mines are planted during wars but exsist far longer then a war itself. Many communities will up and leave an area if they suspect a land mine in the area.

Last week in town I saw a rat get run over by a daladala. At the time, I didn't have much sympathy for it, but now, I have a new found respect for rats :)



The rats being trained to find the land mines. The beautiful view made me want to work there!


A rat returning after its morning work


The rats training again.



Nothing really to do with Hero Rats themselves, but a pretty flower at the school I thought you might enjoy!

I hope to update you more on the weekend soon. Although I am sure that you are all happy to have had an extra hour of sleep tonight, we now have a 9 hour time difference!

Enjoy the day- michael

Imagination

Tuesday when we were in a Maasai Village a couple of children showed us how to play a new game. This would probably be one of my favorites if I were about 15 years younger and/or had a bigger imagination.

The Maasai are known for their cattle and traditionally a family’s wealth is measured by the size of their herd. Not to my surprise, the object of this game was focused on cows as well. Two circles were cleared in the dirt. One was a water hole and the other a ‘fenced’ in home for the cattle. Rocks of various sizes represented the cattle themselves.

The two boys that were playing the game would push the cattle back and forth between the water hole and their home. That was really the objective of the game- to take care of the cattle. Musa, our Swahili teacher this week is also Maasai and said he played this game when he was young. He said that the cattle would sometimes fight and the bigger one would always win. This was demonstrated by hitting two rocks together.

I really appreciate the imagination of this game. It reminded me of my childhood and the games I used to play. It also made me think about kids at home today. Most have nice toys and play much more advanced video games. The contrast is great and it is interesting to think about who is better off.

After playing the game I had given them bubbles to blow. At first they were unsure of them but later they giggled as the bubbles floated into the afternoon sky.

Enjoy the day- michael

Fire. Drought. Bloom.

If you look closely at the above picture, you will see a large fire in the mountains. It started a couple of days ago and we have anxiously watched it move its way across the mountain. They are unsure how the fire started; however, I don't think there is much doubt that it was started on purpose. The semi-deforested mountains are so dry, I can image that things are burning very quickly.

Burning is quite common in the Morogoro area. When we travel to villages we pass many acres of burned land. From what I understand, much of the land is burned to keep the Maasai from letting their cattle graze on it. I am not sure what is worse- the affects of frequent burning or overgrazing.

Since I have been here I can remember it raining 3 times. The first two for a couple of minutes and the third for about five. Although it is technically the 'dry' season, it has been unusually so. As a result of the drought the everyday struggles of the dry season have been exaggerated. Yesterday when Pastor Hafermann was on a village visit he told us that people were now only eating one meal a day.

On a lighter note, despite the lack of rain, everything is beginning to look unusually green. One of the Baobab trees on the grounds has started to produce flowers and leaves. Below are pictures.

Enjoy the day- michael

Vitu Vingi

This post has no real meaning or focus. I just thought I would share some pictures that I have not yet posted.



Deriki and Daudie are twins are the Orphanage. They are quickly becoming my some of my favorite.



I have said before how beautiful the walk to the Orphange is. This is the sun setting over the train tracks.




Last week we attended a ceremony for one of Pastor Hafermann's friends that had passed away. After 40 days of grieving, a cross was placed on his grave to celebrate his life. This picture is of family and friends gathered around his grave.



This is an owl that was sitting in a Baobab tree at the school. Since seeing this one, I have seen two others.



Offering at a church service we attended.


One of many choirs we have seen since we have been here.



A small girl decided to hold Morgan's hand.


I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the photos I have taken. After being here for 5 weeks, I have acquired many.
I hope all is well. Enjoy the day- michael

Ng'ombe Soko

We have been plenty busy this past week since my last post. It has been full with visits to Morogoro, church services in villages, a ceremony to celebrate the life of one of Pastor Hafermann’s friends, Swahili class, visits to the orphanage, and a trip to the Maasai Cattle Market. As the name of the post implies, I will mainly focus on the Cattle Market.

This was our second time attending. The first time we had only been in Tanzania for a couple of days, so it was a very different experience. Having known no Swahili the first time, it was fun to see how much more I understood when I listened to people talk. It was also fun to greet people properly upon meeting.

When we arrived we walked a short distance to where the cattle were auctioned off. Maasai men were gathered around in conversation and watching the small herds that they were hoping to sell. For some, the trip to the market is a long one. If I remember correctly, one man had traveled 60 miles. At home, that doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you are walking by foot with your cattle, it is not a short day trip.



We walked through the cattle and stopped where the cattle would be auctioned. Pastor Hafermann bought us each a coconut. We drank the milk and then ate the fruit inside. As we ate, some of the cattle would get restless and run around. Young Maasai men would chase after them hitting them with sticks to try to keep them in line.

After finishing we walked back to the market. We passed booths with beautiful fabrics and beadwork. People continued to greet us as we walked and we eventually stopped at the place we had Chips Mayai on our first visit. We sat on wooden benches under a thatched roof and drank a soda. A couple Pastors and Evangelists that were with us cut the piece of beef that we had purchased and we sat around eating it. After finishing, Chips Mayai was served- my favorite Tanzanian dish. Chips Mayai, is fried potato wedges with egg cooked over them. It sounds weird but is very good.



After eating we walked back to the car and made the drive back to the school. That evening we went to a friend’s house in Morogoro and played cards.

The rest of my week will be like most others. Next Monday we are meeting with a nutritionalist from Faraja, an HIV/AIDS organization. We are excited to talk to her and begin working with them. Take care and thanks for reading- michael

Mgolole Orphanage

A couple of weeks ago Morgan and I began to volunteer at the Orphanage located 2 miles away from the school. Along the way we walk past farms and through neighborhoods. As we walk we see people fetching water at nearby creeks and greet young adults at the secondary school- they are usually eager to practice their English. We see small children outside their modest brick homes playing. Between smiles they usually greet us with ‘Good Morning,’ even though it is late afternoon. (They have school in the mornings and know that English greeting.) One boy always shouts ‘Take my picha!’ He assumes that we have a camera with us, we never have. Someday we will have to bring one.

When we arrive at the orphanage we are immediately greeted by children saying ‘bebe,’ hold me. I usually try to resist picking one up right away to avoid jealously from the other kids, but eventually I give in. After a few minutes I wish I had 20 pairs of arms so I could carry multiple at one time. Sometimes I carry two, but I think I will need to spend more time in the gym to do too much more ☺

While at the orphanage we usually play on the playground with the kids. They enjoy being pushed on the swings or twirled on the Mary-go-round. It doesn’t take long for me to get tired; I am always in awe of the energy the have.

When we were there yesterday I was sitting with a group of kids and a boy had motioned me to hold the baby he was carrying. I agreed and took the child. He ran away and came back with its twin. I was shocked at the selflessness of the boy. I don’t think many kids his age would have wanted attention anywhere but on himself. He wanted me to carry one, so both could be held.

When I am playing with the kids I forget that most have faced more hardship then I will ever be able to image. They have been forced to grow up at young ages and look out for their younger siblings and peers. I forget that many are left without both parents. I can’t imagine and I probably never will be able to.

In the mean time- I look forward to future visits- michael

Mikumi

Wednesday and Thursday of this week were spent at Mikumi National Park. We left after lunch on Wednesday and made the short drive to the park. When we arrived we unloaded our things at the lodge and had a soda before going out to the bush. As we drank our soda zebras, elephants and buffalo were all drinking at the water hole only a 20 yards away from us- I already knew this was going to be a great trip.

That night we were in the bush to watch the sunset. We had seen so many animals: zebras, elephants, cape buffalo, baboons, wildebeests, hartebeests, impala, warthog, giraffes, a hippo, and numerous birds. It was unreal. At one point we got out and walked around a water hole. Our footprints were minimal compared to the elephants prints we were walking next too. I thought I was living in the Lion King :)

When we arrived back at the lodge we passed a huge herd of cape buffalo on their way to the water hole. There were probably at least 150 of them. Because it was dark, we couldn’t see them well but we could scene their presence. We went back into our rooms before supper and when we were going to walk over the to main lodge, they had moved in and were between our cabins. They were only about 10 feet away from us as we walked on the sidewalk. It was a pretty unique experience but dangerous at the same time. A worker had told us that buffalo are responsible for more human deaths then any other animal in the forest.

We ate super by candle light with a gentle breeze in the air. We could hear splashing in the water hole and the restlessness of animals as they walked around. That night, I fell asleep to the sounds of elephants.

The next morning we woke early in hopes of seeing lions. After getting ready, we went out to the porch and saw 10-15 elephants at the water hole. They slowly meandered across camp, through the cabins. When we walked to the lodge for tea, the elephants were only a few yards away.

We went out into the bush and drove around for most of the morning. We once again saw many animals. In the late morning another vehicle on the road flashed their lights at us. We drove to them and they told us they had seen lions. We went to the area where they told us they were- there were three of them and we drove off the road to get a closer view. Three females sat under the tree undisturbed by our presence. Elephants were on one side of the tree and buffalo on another. I am sure they were much more occupied with watching these animals.

The rest of the day was spent driving and looking at animals. We left the park and went to a snake farm before driving home. Mikumi was a really great experience and it was nice to have a mini break from Swahili class.

I hope all is well back home! Take care- michael

O The Places We Have Been!

This weekend was a busy one with three village visits and three church services. Each visit was very different and unique. For this post I have decided to to do a "photo blog." I hope the photos give you an idea of what our weekend consisted of.

Mabwegere Village
It took us about 2 hours to get there and the last hour was spent 'off roading.' The drive was bumpy, but we arrived safely. When we arrived at the village we were invited to have tea. We also walked around stoping at the well and school. The service itself was the shortest we have attended- about an hour and a half.

This church the service was held in.


As we drove through the bush Pastor Hafermann noted that the bush roses were in bloom. On the way home, we stopped to take a few pictures.


Mkona Wa Tembo Village
This village was probably the most rural that we have attended. As we drove through the bush we made our way down a bumpy path that eventually led us to a tree. This is where service was held. People sat on benches made from logs and an altar was made on the scene with sticks and a straw like material. 3 choirs sang at the service and there were 18 baptisms- young and old. To date, this is probably one of my favorite services I have attended. Before going home, we had to change the flat tire we received on the way down.







Engere Engere B Village
This village was located just outside of Morogoro. The service was special because it would be the first that was held in the church. A wealthy man built the church after he was unable to build a tobacco farm on the land. It was really neat to see the dedication of the building. Everyone marched around the church 3 times singing a hymn. 2 choirs sang and there was an auction at the end.


People walking to attend church.


Lining up to march around the church




Four goats were auctioned off at the end of the service. This was one of them!

This is just a short synapse of my weekend. Last week we also started going to the orphanage about 2 miles from the Lutheran Junior Seminary. On Wednesday we will be taking a mini vacation to Mikumi. We will be going on a safari, so hopefully we will see lots of animals! I hope to post about both soon.

I hope all is well back home. I think of you all often.
Take care- michael

Under the Shade of a Tree

Words will not be able to give justice to this weekend. With two village visits I have plenty to talk about. In this post, I will focus on the service we attended on Saturday. On Saturday we attended a service at a Maasai village and on Sunday one at Meseyu, a village about 45 minutes from the Lutheran Junior Seminary.

Saturday morning began like most others with breakfast at 7 am. At breakfast Pastor Hafermann reminded us that we would be leaving soon because the Pastor that we were accompanying wanted to get to the village early. So, shortly after breakfast we left and made an hour and a half long drive to the church of the Pastors. Upon arrival he was not there so we patiently waited in the vehicle. After a few minutes a phone call was made and we found out that he had decided to make another visit that morning, but he was on his way back. After over an hour of waiting the Pastor arrived on his bicycle. We were all greeted and then he insisted that we come to his house because he needed to take a bath.

We walked through the village to his home. As he bathed, his wife brought out tea and we enjoyed each other’s company. After bathing, the Pastor came out and joined us for tea.

After tea we walked back to the vehicle and drove a short distance to the Maasai village. The drive was a bumpy one as we drove down a rough path, bypassing trees. We parked near a tree where a couple hundred goats were resting. The children that were tending to the goats greeted us and we continued to make our way deeper into the establishment. We continued to greet many women and then decided to walk to the water hole where the men and cattle were. As we walked we were amongst a herd of small cattle. After a short walk we arrived, greeted the men and walked back to the village. We sat under the tree where we would be later having church service.



Stools were brought to us as we sat patiently taking in the beautiful scenery around us. The environment was peaceful with the sounds of birds and goats in the background. As we sat a large van came out from the savannah and as it approached we could hear the sounds of a choir! The vehicle parked near ours and a large Maasai choir spilled out- I have no idea how they had all fit.

The choir practiced under another tree as a young Maasai man served us ginger tea. As the afternoon progressed the young boys took the mother goats to the watering hole and people began to gather for the service.

The church service was like most others I have attended throughout my life except for one thing- the venue. We sat under a tree, on stools, chairs and rugs. Baby goats and dogs meandered in and out reminding us that we were outside. During the service we were able to see the baptisms of three Maasai men. We also enjoyed the performances of two Maasai choirs. The service only lasted two hours but it will be one I will remember for a long time.
After the service we were invited for a meal. We sat under the same tree and ate rice with a creamy tomato sauce with our hands.

Below are pictures from the day. I felt awkward taking photos during the service, but I was encouraged. These Maasai are very proud to call themselves Christians.

Sorry about the length of this post. It is much longer then I would want it to be, but I thought I would share our unique experience.

Take care! michael

Jana nilikula katika nyumba ya rafiki

After 4 days of Swahili Class I can officially say that I am fluent! Okay, maybe not fluent. I only know a few words and sentences, but overall I would say class is going well.

We have class three times a day for a total of five hours. Throughout the day we have two breaks for tea and a two and a half hour lunch break. The schedule is much more relaxed then I am used to but it has been a nice change. Below is a picture of where I have class!




Learning a language is not one of my strengths. However, I think most who have learned a language can say that at some point it all sounds the same. This is what happened to me today. During our afternoon class I was practicing saying “Jana nilikula katika nyumba ya rafiki” (Yesterday I ate lunch at my friends house). After repeating this phrase many times and a couple distractions I said, “Jana nilikula mbwa. . . ” (Yesterday I ate dog). To say the least, we got a couple of laughs.

Tomorrow will wrap up this week of class. Saturday and Sunday we will be going on village visits.

Below are a few pictures that I have taken the past couple of days.

Take care- michael