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"Nitarudi" I said, and return I did!

We arrived in Kigoma at long last! We experienced the bustle of the big city, the tourist trap of Zanzibar, Indian Ocean and a lot of surface interactions – but now we are here. We are here – where relationships with the people I know are real and deep.

Lucas, my friend and partner in Project Wezesha, greeted us at the airport and escorted us up to the place I’ll call home this month. We enjoyed some introductions, catch up conversation, important updates and the glorious view of Lake Tanganyika. Hadley was psyched to finally meet the young man I’ve been referencing all these months leading up to this trip. Of course he won Laura and Hadley over instantly with his smile. They could feel what I feel – Lucas is awesome. He’s trustworthy, gentle, kind, protective, funny and sharp. Continue reading “"Nitarudi" I said, and return I did!”

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Humanitarians Spring for a Kitten

Late one night on the island of Zanzibar, Laura, Hadley and I were returning from a triumphant match between Spain and Portugal, which we enjoyed from Mercury’s Bar – so named because Freddy Mercury was born here … or some history along those lines. Triumphant because Laura is from Spain – so of course, Villa Maravilla, Venga and other Spanish cheers were leaving our table with more volume than most in the bar expected from a group of seemingly mature women and wazungu at that. Way to go Spain!!

Back to my story… We were returning from the match around midnight and we were only steps from our hostel’s entry way when the high pitch cries of youth in distress whipped my head to the side and down where I spotted the tiniest of tiny kittens, wailing away and all alone. I scooped it up and it fit easily in the palm of my hand – its eyes weepy, orange coat soiled and whiskers curly from having been burned away at the ends. Of course, the three of us began cooing as women do around baby animals and baby humans – a cooing which quickly turned to moaning about how we could help this animal, after midnight, just outside our hotel with no information about where its mother might be. Continue reading “Humanitarians Spring for a Kitten”

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It’s the Age of Malaria

It’s the age of Aquarius, age of Aquariuh-us … Aquarius! Get that song in your head and then substitute Malaria for Aquarius and you have the latest catchy tune that I’ve been singing lately (along with ‘Sweaty Crack’ sang to the famous Pheobe classic ‘Smelly Cat’ from the hit TV show Friends – TMI?) . Malaria… Malaria. Fortunately, it’s not because any of us have Malaria right now, but we’ve sure been joking enough about the day when, not if, one of us is diagnosed. Luckily – we know exactly the drug to take if we get it … Coartem. Recommended to us by our pal David, the American writer in Dar – who has had malaria 7 times in his life, including during the week we met him. In fact, it will be David that we blame when we are diagnosed as it was his idea to take us out for a drink at a bar in Dar that led to our demise (kidding, David – but it is your fault! haha) Continue reading “It’s the Age of Malaria”

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US-Ireland-Italy-Egypt-Tanzania

This summer I have the great fortune of traveling with friends. Coming to Tanzania alone last summer was an adventure and made for some entertaining blog entries (I’m told) but it also made for mental exhaustion and some loneliness. This year, at this point, I am in the great company of Laura Fombona from Spain and Hadley Rampton from Salt Lake City, UT. Soon, I’ll be joined by Carter Jensen of Salt Lake City – if he continues to survive his many adventures … sleeping with hippos, rafting the Nile and climbing Mt. Kenya. Continue reading “US-Ireland-Italy-Egypt-Tanzania”

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Safari Kubwa

Safari Kubwa means Long Trip in Kiswahili and this journey has been nothing less – and I don’t only mean the literal journey from Salt Lake City that began on June 19th, but the journey of Project Wezesha from inception to this point. After a long year of strategizing, spreading the word, fundraising, and digging deep emotionally and mentally, I have returned to Tanzania to really get things started. I have no idea today what this short month-long stay in Tanzania will produce for Project Wezesha, but no doubt – we will all know very soon! Continue reading “Safari Kubwa”

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Saying "I Do" in Kiganza

There is possibly nothing more alive than a village wedding! The colors, the food, the singing, the dancing, the laughing, the whooping… I had the fabulous last minute opportunity to go to the wedding of Hindu’s sister, Amina. On what I thought was my last trip to the village to see the kids, Hindu handed me a sweetly constructed letter inviting me to her sister’s wedding that Sunday. Knowing that I had resigned to staying in Kigoma town on Sunday to relax and pack and take in the last few moments in town before flying to Dar the next day – you’d think I would have hesitated before answering, but I found a big ‘yes’ flying out of my smile before I could even catch myself… Continue reading “Saying "I Do" in Kiganza”

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Watoto Wazuri Wanasoma

The children continue to blow my mind here. They are so excited to learn and therefore so delighted by the smallest of gifts … like pencils or pens. They take them shyly, with the right hand – left hand placed gently on their right elbow as a sign of respect and then turn and run screaming back to their homes to show brothers and sisters what they just got from Rehema. I can’t help think … but what will they write on? Most of them won’t have paper or notebooks at home and yet, the gift of a pencil is so coveted.

I delivered my last round of books, notebooks and writing tools to the village the other day. We set up a library of sorts in the home of one of my favorite little ones – Saidi. His father was so delighted to meet me this year and he’s 100% behind the children’s education. He won’t let them tire of learning and insists that it’s the only way for them to go somewhere in life. When I suggested using his house as the learning center, he was more than happy to say yes. The kids in the neighborhood have already come up with a system of ‘checking out’ books to read or use for a day or two. We’ll see how long the books survive and if they come back once they go, but I think in a village this small – the checks and balances will work easily as they all know each other and want to hold each other’s respect and friendship.

Continue reading “Watoto Wazuri Wanasoma”

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A Day in the Life – Tanzania

If you ever think to yourself, I’d love to join Rai on one of her adventures in Africa – then maybe you’d first like to know what a day in my life is like on this little education-building mission.

As I mentioned, I forewent the cheap guest house accomodation for a little peace of mind. I’m still paying a very reasonable rate for a nice cozy room and my own bathroom on the top of a hill overlooking the lake. I wake up and mozy on over for breakfast – which never changes in its options: fresh papaya, pineapple, banana, warm chapati, and a surprise tub of peanut butter and a side of jelly. Of course, chai, coffee and hot chocolate as well as fresh juice are always available! Not so shabby. The TV usually blares in the room, often from Aljazeera – which has me convinced that little good is happening in the world right now. The majority of the news I see is about police in Iran killing protesters, people in Israel taking over Palestinian lands and properties, US killing civilians in Afghanistan, Somali pirates kidnapping anyone and random and assorted details about trains and planes crashing in and around the US… so, I take all that with my fruit, wash it back with fresh juice and then begin my day with the intention of having a positive impact on a seemingly doomed planet! Continue reading “A Day in the Life – Tanzania”

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Meeting the Village Chief

What an amazing experience!! I am humbled beyond belief and had to stifle the tears as I watched the day unfold. I was talking with my friend Lucas and his brother, Isiah, about my desire to increase the children I support, with the help of friends back home, from 6 to 12. I also tossed in the idea of perhaps helping one primary school with the building of a much needed classroom to accomodate the great number of students served by this school. This conversation evolved into a discussion about the greater need of this area to have a secondary school. I learned of a collection of about 5 villages that each have at least one primary school, but completely lack a secondary school, leaving the children the option of stopping after about grade 7 or so for life or trekking over an hour to go to the nearest secondary school. Build an entire school?? I think with a little help from my friends, the formation of a non-profit and serious fundraising, we can do this … so … let’s build a school! Continue reading “Meeting the Village Chief”

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Secondary School Scholarship Recipients

My days were winding down fast toward the end of my time in Kiganza and it suddenly seemed like there was so much to do before leaving (which is rarely really the case, but it’s amazing how much extra you can create for yourself when there’s a deadline – I’ve always worked better that way as my parents and colleagues and friends and dogs and … well, everyone knows!).

One of my big projects and the most important I’m sure, was wrapping up a little idea called the Kiganza Children’s Education Fund. The idea came to me and Lucas once upon many of our hours together. It was always so disheartening to me to know how few children attended secondary school (relative to the number of children in the village) because their family simply could not afford it. For a child to attend Form 1 and 4, the cost is around $100USD per year because for the first and last years there are exam fees and other extra costs. For Form 2 and 3 the cost is only about $20USD per year, which is extremely manageable … for me! For these people, it’s still a steep expense in their life when their monthly income if they’re lucky can reach $30, but often hovers much lower – especially for those who march great distances to sell fruit or vegetables in neighboring villages, often coming home with only a few hundred shillings profit (equivalent of a few dollars). Continue reading “Secondary School Scholarship Recipients”