Island Hopping

The past two weekends I have explored nearby islands off the coast of Dar. Last weekend I took a speedboat (an adventure in itself) over to Mbudya, a small island with beautiful turquoise waters. Although the sky was a bit grey and rainy the weather made for a choppy and exciting ride back to the mainland. Flora (one of my housemates) and I sat in the front, half laughing, half screaming as we clung to the side of the boat as it went over the waves. The best part – seeing a whale (the species of which is under debate)!

Yesterday we explored Bongoyo island (the pics posted are from Bongoyo), a much bigger island than Mbudya. Getting there was interesting as the tide was out so we had to wade to a smaller boat that then ferried us out to a larger boat (and then repeat once we arrived at Bongoyo). Both islands provided beautiful swimming, white beaches, fresh seafood and the perfect lazy way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

This morning was interesting as there was a chance it would be the start of a two day public holiday because of Eid, the end of Ramadan. However this is dependent on the sighting of the moon, which apparently was not spotted last night. So tomorrow may be a public holiday! It’s been a bit confusing with some people coming to the office and others not but at the same time it also feels a bit exciting and spontaneous.

Work is also going really well. We recently submitted an abstract to the National AIDS conference in Arusha for this coming December in hopes that we may be able to do a short presentation. I am also working on organizing a discussion event with microfinance institutions about how to become more engaged in the fight against HIV/AIDS and researching and developing a couple of proposals around livelihoods and youth. All the while I continue to meet with various AIDS support organizations big and small. It’s all very exciting and I would love my job - even if it didn't come with the perk of lovely beaches and islands nearby (not that I am complaining).

Thanksgiving

On Sunday we were meant to have power – a special treat as 5 out of the 7 days of the week the power is cut from 7 to 7 (although this has shifted to 6ish to 5ish because of Ramadan so folks can start cooking in preparation of breaking their daylight fast).

Power rationing is a pain because it means you must be very organized when the power is on and iron ahead of time (something I tend to put off doing!), shift food from the freezer and then back again so it doesn’t freeze but stays cool when the power is off and turn the pump on to fill the water tank (that is, if there is water to pump!). It also becomes a challenge for things that you can’t do ahead of time like staying cool under the fan (especially as the temperature starts to creep upwards each day) and cooking meals.

However, living without something tends to make you appreciate it that much more. I now take great joy in the hum of the fridge and am acutely aware of whether the fan is on or off as I sleep. On those rare mornings when I wake and the fan is still spinning away I tend to jump out of bed and run with glee to the kitchen to toast my bread.

This past weekend I had shopped for a number of things to make brunch for my housemates on Sunday. However, when I opened my eyes the fan was eerily still. Very disappointed and grumpy, I dragged myself up and out the door on a search for a gas canister to use with our camping stove. Success! The gas shop was open and my delicious brunch plans were salvaged. We enjoyed French toast (complete with maple syrup and Tim Horton’s coffee from home) with bacon while listening to Jack Johnson on my battery powered speakers…it felt just like a lazy Sunday at home….(minus the electricity of course).

When the power did finally come on around 6 that evening cheers were heard from all across the neighborhood. In retrospect, it was sort of a fitting way to spend Thanksgiving Sunday – being very appreciative of a resource we take so much for granted at home.
I hope you all enjoyed sharing a meal with family or friends (in whatever form it took) this past thanksgiving weekend!

Into the Field

I am writing this entry on my notebook in Dodoma as I travel back from my trip out into the field. I’m staying at a small guest house and I have just finished the book I brought along (a GREAT book by the way, check out Sweetness in the Belly, by Camilla Gibb) and the evening stretches long in front of me…

What to make of these last few days – my journey began in the wee hours of Sunday morning when my taxi driver Mr. Kipimo picked me up at 5:00 a.m. I don’t particularly enjoy the chaos of Ubongo bus station but I managed to find my bus in the dark and slip on without much notice. Two and a half hours later I was still on the bus in exactly the same spot. Needless to say, it was a slow start, well slow trip really. The bus required repairs four times along the way and the 7 hour trip turned into a 12 hour adventure. Not to fret though, those handy peddlers that sell snacks through the window kept my belly full and I talked at length with the fellow sitting next to me about life in Tanzania and Canada. It was his first lengthy chat with a mzungu and assured me his young sister would love to write a composition about me if I stopped by his spice store the next day in the market.

He also kindly showed me where to get off the bus and which direction to walk to get to where I was staying. Another fellow on the road escorted me from the bus to the guest house (part of the Lutheran church) and I then ran into another fellow from the bus that accompanied me for dinner. I continue to be indebted to Tanzanians for their kindness and willingness to put up with my broken Kiswahili and point me in the right direction!!! After dinner I was able to connect with Boaz, the MEDA staff person I was meeting and went to bed assured I was in the right place - which bodes well for a good night’s sleep.

The next two days were spent accompanying Boaz on a monitoring and evaluation consultancy for RFSP (Rural Financial Services Provider). RFSP has been supporting rural SACCO’s in Tanzania and contracted MEDA to facilitate monitoring sessions with members and board members. The sessions are aimed at evaluating where a SACCO is in terms of capacity and development and an opportunity for the SACCO leaders to receive feedback.

I found it interesting the formality involved in holding these meetings. In Mpwapwa we had to visit the District Executive Director and receive her “blessing” before we began our meeting. At the beginning of both the sessions with the SACCO’s there were a number of greetings and introductions (including my being required to stand and explain my work in Kiswahili!) before starting on the agenda. A good lesson in the importance of getting community leaders on board before starting any work here!

The meetings were held in Kiswahili and I feel extremely motivated to get started with my lessons. In Dar, I can get around but traveling to the village made me realize how much I have to learn! It’s so frustrating (and I find embarrassing) not to be able to express my gratitude for being welcomed at these sessions and explain the work that I am doing properly. It was quite touching actually when the group in Lumuma applauded my efforts (perhaps out of pity) after I stood to introduce myself. Good thing I start at the Kiswahili Language School this week!

Tanzania’s spectacular beauty continues to impress me. In stark contrast to this beauty are the many challenges facing the rural communities we visited. In traveling to Lumuma we drove for two hours from Mpwapwa along bumpy dusty roads cutting through dried up river banks and streams and passed small clusters of mud and straw huts.

As we drove past folks literally living off the land, I found myself thinking about the enormous challenges that exist around the HIV/AIDS pandemic here. How is it possible to encourage people to use condoms when they have no money, spend hours fetching water and are focused simply on survival? Where would they even access condoms? And how do they make sense in the context of their every day lives?

I also had the feeling in Lumuma that people expected a lot from me. They had questions about my expertise, what I was doing in Tanzania and what I was going to do for them. I left Lumuma feeling a bit overwhelmed with the challenges facing these folks and what little I might contribute in my time here.

Anyhow, as I type this up, I am now back at work in Dar es Salaam. The bus trip home was an uneventful but tiring 7 hour journey from Dodoma. Seeing as I was coming from a larger city I was able to take a different bus company and therefore a more reliable one!

Although my travels provided many questions my experiences also provided a deeper context to my work. I am happy to be “home” and to plug away at the MEDA office. Hopefully the future months provide some answers to my many questions…