Things are changing here. It is the high season for climbing, so there have been a lot more westerners roaming the streets of Moshi in large groups. Also, a lot of my close friends have been leaving recently, which has been a little sad. I've met new people, but I of course miss my friends that have left. At WEECE, things also feel different. Last week the students were only there for half days because they were unable to come up with school fees. I had no idea the school fees were so high until Jenny, the young sewing teacher who was once a student there herself not too long ago, went around my classroom asking for them. It costs about 138,000 tsh every 6 months. That's a little bit less than $100, and that includes lunch, bu that is a ton of money for a Tanzanian family. Especially for the families of these girls, who are very poor, some living in villages on the outskirts of town and inaccessible by car. WEECE students came there because they could not afford secondary school. Some have not even gone to primary. Most of them could not pay Jenny, so this week not all of the students had fabric and could not go to sewing class. Instead, often times at the last second, even if I was doing something else, I was asked to teach. They also could not feed them lunch until Thursday, so the students had to leave at 1 instead of 4pm. I should explain how schooling works here. First and foremost, it's expensive. Taxes are supposed to go toward schooling, but at least in this past year, 85% of that money went to redecorating the minister of education's office, sending him and his workers to Europe for “educational seminars”, and other similar expenses. At least that is what a former teacher and member of the strongest opposition party up for election in the upcoming vote. Government schooling is much less expensive then private schooling, but after primary school before advancing to form 1, the equivalent to middle school, they have to take 1 exam on almost everything they've learned. If they don't pass, there only choice is to take it again but then, they can only attend private school. Let's say they pass and move onto form 1, after that, before what we would call high school, they take another huge exam. Much fewer pass because in primary school students are taught entirely in Swahili and have one English class a day. Then, they get to secondary school and everything is in English. Classes aren't interactive, mainly because they are so huge, but if a student doesn't understand something, they usually won't voice that. Instead they copy from the board and memorize. It's a complicated system with complicated problems. Anyways, it was weird for me that they were being asked for such high school fees for only a vocational degree certificate.
With changes in company, changes in the mood at work, I feel strange. I feel as if I have not been here long enough for so many changes. I leave two weeks from tomorrow, and I look forward to what these last weeks bring. So far, I have learned so much, experienced so much and have enjoyed a lot of my time here. I'm starting to reflect on my experience as a whole, and I'm looking ahead to when I come home.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
A lot has been happening here. WEECE has been quite frustrating. Last week after announcing a surprise holiday, the students left early, and me and the volunteers were left with Mama Mrema, my supervisor who I have lost so much faith in, as she constantly is screaming at us and changing her stories. However, I write a lot to the other fellows about work as well as complain about it to my parents, so I think I'll write about something else. Over the weekend I went to Tanga, which is a coastal city about 5 hours south east of here. The bus ride was very uncomfortable but very pretty. I went with my new roommate, I haven't had one all summer until a week ago. Her name is Sarah and she's from Calgary in Canada. We passed by the pare and usambara mountain ranges. They were mostly green mountains with lush forests. In every village we stopped in, men would rush the cars with boxes of cookies, juice, banana and other snacks. Also, the further east we went the more Muslim I noticed people got. Most women wore hijabs and full burqas and most men wore hats (I'm afraid I sound ignorant, but I don't know what they're called). Tanga was beautiful. The buildings are older and dutch influenced. The city sits sleepily on the Indian Ocean, which is covered in large cargo ships and barges.
Saturday, Sarah and I rode bikes along the coast and out of town,with a guide, to the Amboni Caves. There, we went cave exploring, or spelunking. The caves are some of the oldest in this part of the world. It was fun, but the bats were a little gross; especially when they all flew at us. Witch doctors have ceremonies in these caves. One had just happened when we were there. They left behind a bowl of blood and some strange flowers. After the caves, we rode our bikes to these sulpher springs where another witch doctor was collecting water from the springs for his “medicine.” After the ride, we were hot, tired and sweaty, so we went to lunch and lots of water at this cafeteria style diner, where we ate curried prawns, veggies and rice. After lunch, we walked through town and to this private beach. All the beaches are private, but this one only cost about 50 cents to get in. It was strange though. There was not sand, and you just walked down stairs to get into the water. Also, it was uncomfortable because there were mostly men and children there. The few women that were there, were just there with their children, and when they went into the water, they were wearing drapey, long, sari like clothing head to toe. We were stared at for just pulling up our skirts over our ankles to dip our feet in. Oh well. At least we can say we dipped our feet in the Indian Ocean. Nevertheless, it was beautiful. That night we ate dinner at a fancy hotel. It still only cost about $10 per person. We ate huge pieces of fish outside on a soft green lawn, overlooking the ocean. Tanga has few wzungu, and I think is very underrated. The prices were much better than in Moshi, and the people were more laid back. However, it was awkward at the beach and also that night when we watched the Uruguay Germany game at an outdoor bar that was again, mostly men. Much different, in that sense, than Moshi.
This week, the theme has been healthcare and hospitals in Tanzania. At WEECE on Monday, Johanna, the secretary told me her heart was racing very hard, and she couldn't breathe properly. She then began hyperventilating and passed out. So, I ran down the street and grabbed a cab. Thankfully the hospital was just down the street, or so I thought. The hospital is the biggest hospital in the area, so I thought the service would at least be descent. When we got there, no one helped us get Johanna out of the car, and instead just laughed at us, as it was a struggle because she is a larger woman. Then, we had to find our own wheelchair. The emergency room was a small room with no doctors and no nurses but several sick patients who had been half helped. All of the cabinets with syringes and medicines were open as well. I had to pay for the doctor to access her medical records, then I had to pay for every individual test. It was ridiculous. I stayed there with her and the two teachers, Jenny and Aurelia who had came with as well as one of the volunteers for three hours. Still, nothing had happened. Then, we finally got her admitted to the ward, where there nurses in matching pink, who looked like they were about 15. Next to our bed, in the ward, or rather the hallway was a really sick young girl, they just seemed to plop on the table. I don't think they were bad doctors and nurses but rather severely under-staffed. It was an interesting experience. Strangely, the next night, Eva told me she was going to visit her grandmother at St. Joseph's, a private hospital in the area I lived in. We walked there with juice and fruit because the hospitals do not provide much food to the families. This was a nicer experience in a strange way. This hospital seemed more put together, at least in the small room that was geriatrics, except my friends who I went on Safari with, who are med students had been working there, and told me that was not the case. Her grandmother was only 67 but I thought she was my grandmother's age and in her 90s. She wet the bed while I was there, kept forgetting who I was, and could not eat on her own. Her face was tired and her body was frail. Eva told me she had the pressure, which is what everyone says they have. I think something to do with chronic high blood pressure, which is common because of all the oil in the food. Life here is difficult and the state of the elderly is exemplar of that. In the small geriatrics room, I ran into a masai woman I knew. She is a member of one of the vicoba banks at WEECE, the masai one obviously. She was wearing her traditional long masai earrings, jewelery and shuka and she recognized me immediately. We sang some vicoba songs together, and I think the sick, elderly people really enjoyed it. We sang mama ni bebe, the song I sang before with the vicoba about the women carrying everything on her back, physically and metaphorically. Also, I come home in 3 weeks! See you soon!
Saturday, Sarah and I rode bikes along the coast and out of town,with a guide, to the Amboni Caves. There, we went cave exploring, or spelunking. The caves are some of the oldest in this part of the world. It was fun, but the bats were a little gross; especially when they all flew at us. Witch doctors have ceremonies in these caves. One had just happened when we were there. They left behind a bowl of blood and some strange flowers. After the caves, we rode our bikes to these sulpher springs where another witch doctor was collecting water from the springs for his “medicine.” After the ride, we were hot, tired and sweaty, so we went to lunch and lots of water at this cafeteria style diner, where we ate curried prawns, veggies and rice. After lunch, we walked through town and to this private beach. All the beaches are private, but this one only cost about 50 cents to get in. It was strange though. There was not sand, and you just walked down stairs to get into the water. Also, it was uncomfortable because there were mostly men and children there. The few women that were there, were just there with their children, and when they went into the water, they were wearing drapey, long, sari like clothing head to toe. We were stared at for just pulling up our skirts over our ankles to dip our feet in. Oh well. At least we can say we dipped our feet in the Indian Ocean. Nevertheless, it was beautiful. That night we ate dinner at a fancy hotel. It still only cost about $10 per person. We ate huge pieces of fish outside on a soft green lawn, overlooking the ocean. Tanga has few wzungu, and I think is very underrated. The prices were much better than in Moshi, and the people were more laid back. However, it was awkward at the beach and also that night when we watched the Uruguay Germany game at an outdoor bar that was again, mostly men. Much different, in that sense, than Moshi.
This week, the theme has been healthcare and hospitals in Tanzania. At WEECE on Monday, Johanna, the secretary told me her heart was racing very hard, and she couldn't breathe properly. She then began hyperventilating and passed out. So, I ran down the street and grabbed a cab. Thankfully the hospital was just down the street, or so I thought. The hospital is the biggest hospital in the area, so I thought the service would at least be descent. When we got there, no one helped us get Johanna out of the car, and instead just laughed at us, as it was a struggle because she is a larger woman. Then, we had to find our own wheelchair. The emergency room was a small room with no doctors and no nurses but several sick patients who had been half helped. All of the cabinets with syringes and medicines were open as well. I had to pay for the doctor to access her medical records, then I had to pay for every individual test. It was ridiculous. I stayed there with her and the two teachers, Jenny and Aurelia who had came with as well as one of the volunteers for three hours. Still, nothing had happened. Then, we finally got her admitted to the ward, where there nurses in matching pink, who looked like they were about 15. Next to our bed, in the ward, or rather the hallway was a really sick young girl, they just seemed to plop on the table. I don't think they were bad doctors and nurses but rather severely under-staffed. It was an interesting experience. Strangely, the next night, Eva told me she was going to visit her grandmother at St. Joseph's, a private hospital in the area I lived in. We walked there with juice and fruit because the hospitals do not provide much food to the families. This was a nicer experience in a strange way. This hospital seemed more put together, at least in the small room that was geriatrics, except my friends who I went on Safari with, who are med students had been working there, and told me that was not the case. Her grandmother was only 67 but I thought she was my grandmother's age and in her 90s. She wet the bed while I was there, kept forgetting who I was, and could not eat on her own. Her face was tired and her body was frail. Eva told me she had the pressure, which is what everyone says they have. I think something to do with chronic high blood pressure, which is common because of all the oil in the food. Life here is difficult and the state of the elderly is exemplar of that. In the small geriatrics room, I ran into a masai woman I knew. She is a member of one of the vicoba banks at WEECE, the masai one obviously. She was wearing her traditional long masai earrings, jewelery and shuka and she recognized me immediately. We sang some vicoba songs together, and I think the sick, elderly people really enjoyed it. We sang mama ni bebe, the song I sang before with the vicoba about the women carrying everything on her back, physically and metaphorically. Also, I come home in 3 weeks! See you soon!
Friday, July 2, 2010
This week, Monday through Wednesday, I went on a safari to Tarangirye (sp?) National Park, the Ngorongoro crater and Lake Manyara. I went with two girls I met in my neighborhood, who are volunteering at a hospital (they're med students). I've become pretty good friends with them here, and it was nice that I liked the people I spent those three days with. Our guide, Mussa, and our driver, Halide, were also amazing. On the way to Tarangire we passed the most Maasai I'd ever seen. It was like driving through rural America and passing Amish people in buggies, except these were maasai shepards in red shukas, who were living in dung made huts with grass roofs. Tarangire was amazing. We drove into savanah grass filled with zebras. However, after you see a milliion zebra, like I feel like I did in those three days, the shock wears off, but they are still amazing. We passed giraffes, fighting male impalas, the most beautiful birds (I wrote down their names if your interested) and wildebeast. We approached a dried up pond and saw elephants! I don't know if you all know this about me, but I love elephants. This first day of elephant spotting doesn't even compare to the other two though. Everything about this area is amazing. If we weren't seeing animals, we were seeing huge balboa and acacia trees and thorny bushes. That first night, we went to a Maasai village. A real one. Not a tourist one. I was a bit uncomfortable with the whole thing actually. They sang for us, let us take their picture, danced and gave us a tour. We were in what's called a Boma. In a boma, there is one husband in one hut, and in the surrounding hut, each one of his wives and their children. He rotates each night which wife he wants to sleep with. The women make the homes, cook, do all the chores and the children tend to the cattle. What to the men do? They go out and drink all day. They actually told us this information. The women also, as we soon learned, bring in a lot of the money from selling crafts, and soon bombarded us with "karibus" or welcomes to their tables to see their merchandise. It was very overwhelming. I wanted to support them, but at the same time, I didn't want the money to go to the husband and the hunting men that lived in the Boma and their drinking habbits. After that cultural experience, we camped at Lake Manyara. Well, kind of. The tents had beds in them, we had hot showers, western style toilets and a cook who made our dinner. We did have a campfire though, which I guess makes it camping.
Tuesday we went to the Ngorongoro crater, which is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. When we first drive into the park, we're on the rim of the crater, which is cold, very lush and green and misty. Out of the mist, we see an elephant walk by our car. It was magical. When we drove into the crater, the geography and weather immediately change. The bottom of the crater is massive. You can't even see from one end to the other. The topography is more like a desert or a savannah. The first thing we see? A cheetah. From a distance but still a cheetah. We also saw a lake covered with flamingos, more zebes (as we started to call the zebrah). We saw a ton, but for the interest of time, the highlight? A male lion that walked out from the field to our car as we were sticking our heads out the top, I think just to show off. He was clearly older, but huge. It was incredible. We saw another lion later in this part of the crater that was a bit jungly and had yellow acacia trees. This lion though was in a tree. I didn't know they did that! We also had a vervet monkey jump into the top of our car and steal a banana.It's scarier than it sounds.That night our campsite, our guide surprised with us a bottle of champagna. Like I said, it wasn't real camping.
The third day was my favorite. Lake Manyara is so underrated when compared to the ngorongoro crater and the serengeti.We saw hippos, a lot out of the water, baboons, including babies, and everything else I mentioned before minus lions. I'm running out of time! But the highlight of the day and perhaps the trip? At least 10 elephants including 2 babies, surrounding our car and crossing the street. We watched them for a good 15-20 minutes. They were incredible. We couldn't make any noise because we were already basically outside, we were sticking our heads out the top, but if we wanted to, could've touched them. My internet time is out! This was my favorite part of the week! I'm sorry I haven't been updating this more. I'm busy!
Tuesday we went to the Ngorongoro crater, which is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. When we first drive into the park, we're on the rim of the crater, which is cold, very lush and green and misty. Out of the mist, we see an elephant walk by our car. It was magical. When we drove into the crater, the geography and weather immediately change. The bottom of the crater is massive. You can't even see from one end to the other. The topography is more like a desert or a savannah. The first thing we see? A cheetah. From a distance but still a cheetah. We also saw a lake covered with flamingos, more zebes (as we started to call the zebrah). We saw a ton, but for the interest of time, the highlight? A male lion that walked out from the field to our car as we were sticking our heads out the top, I think just to show off. He was clearly older, but huge. It was incredible. We saw another lion later in this part of the crater that was a bit jungly and had yellow acacia trees. This lion though was in a tree. I didn't know they did that! We also had a vervet monkey jump into the top of our car and steal a banana.It's scarier than it sounds.That night our campsite, our guide surprised with us a bottle of champagna. Like I said, it wasn't real camping.
The third day was my favorite. Lake Manyara is so underrated when compared to the ngorongoro crater and the serengeti.We saw hippos, a lot out of the water, baboons, including babies, and everything else I mentioned before minus lions. I'm running out of time! But the highlight of the day and perhaps the trip? At least 10 elephants including 2 babies, surrounding our car and crossing the street. We watched them for a good 15-20 minutes. They were incredible. We couldn't make any noise because we were already basically outside, we were sticking our heads out the top, but if we wanted to, could've touched them. My internet time is out! This was my favorite part of the week! I'm sorry I haven't been updating this more. I'm busy!
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