Though it is not entirely my fault because I never came by regular internet access in Tanzania!
Anyways, hello from Qatar on my 8 hour layover. Homeward bound!
A lot happened in my final week in Africa so I will give a big update as soon as I am home with a computer.
Highlights include: climbing Kili, trying local cuisine, sending a boy to school and much much more.
Stay tuned if you haven't already given up on me because of home much I suck at this. See you soon USA!
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Friday, June 20, 2014
Everyday Africa
Hi!!
Sorry I have been pretty terrible at updating this. But interestingly, you just settle into a routine here and day by day passes so quickly. I cannot believe that three weeks have passed already. Only one left to go!
Things at Save Africa are still going great. Day to day, we help with mathematics lessons in the morning, serve porridge, and then play with the kids and read them stories. They are little rascals all the time. Eating erasers and crayons, playing with flowers and breaking trees. It is always exhausting, but always rewarding. Recently, we took a young boy to the doctor. Many of the kids have sores on their arms, but it is often just because of not enough cleaning. They tested him for HIV, and fortunately he came back negative. He is on some medication now. The doctor is incredibly cheap here! Only about $20 for a consultation, blood work, and medication. Unfortunately, that is often still too much for the orphanage director to pay, so it is on us volunteers to take the initiative to take the sick children to the hospital. Here are my kids and staff:
Sorry I have been pretty terrible at updating this. But interestingly, you just settle into a routine here and day by day passes so quickly. I cannot believe that three weeks have passed already. Only one left to go!
Things at Save Africa are still going great. Day to day, we help with mathematics lessons in the morning, serve porridge, and then play with the kids and read them stories. They are little rascals all the time. Eating erasers and crayons, playing with flowers and breaking trees. It is always exhausting, but always rewarding. Recently, we took a young boy to the doctor. Many of the kids have sores on their arms, but it is often just because of not enough cleaning. They tested him for HIV, and fortunately he came back negative. He is on some medication now. The doctor is incredibly cheap here! Only about $20 for a consultation, blood work, and medication. Unfortunately, that is often still too much for the orphanage director to pay, so it is on us volunteers to take the initiative to take the sick children to the hospital. Here are my kids and staff:
The director also owns a farm where he grows corn, vegetables, and other crops to feed the kids and then sells the rest for profit for the orphanage. He wants to start planting vegetables because it is in season. So, next week I get to help plant! Which will be hard work, but a cool experience.
I am still thinking of a good project/donation to leave for the kids. They LOVE the chalk and bubbles that I brought. Also, they have been using the writing utensils and other supplies I brought. I am very happy that they appreciate it. I also bought lots of socks for the kids. Overall, I donated over 40 pairs, so that should help all of the kids that don't have them. I am considering sponsoring a child for school, which is about $550 for 12 years, but provides them with government, structured education, as opposed to the free schooling from the orphanage. I still have another week to make a decision!
Recently, one of the volunteers donated paint to repaint some of the classrooms. They have started a tradition of all of the volunteers putting their handprint on the wall. So, I did that today. I can say that I officially left my mark (hehe).
Otherwise, no knew news! I have been a little sick the past few days with stomach issues. We eat mainly carbs here, so I don't think my body is taking to that change too well. But I am just resting before I head to Moshi for the weekend. There, I will be base hiking Kili, visiting hot springs and a coffee plantation! I am going with a few friends and it should prove to be a fun weekend. I will post updates from it as soon as possible.
Asante sana for your continued support! I can't believe I'm a week away from home!
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Safari Stories. The Serengeti and MORE!
Overall, an amazingly crazy and exciting long weekend! My camera is full of over 500 pictures and lots of fun memories. It was amazing to see these animals actually in the wild. I had to continue to remind myself that I wasn't on a Disney ride.
We left early on Friday morning and headed to the Lake Manyara National Park. We stayed in a great campsite that even had a pool! We headed out to look for animals in the afternoon. The first we saw were lots of baboons. There was a super tiny baby one which was adorable. From there, we saw elephants and GIRAFFES. HOORAY. They crossed the road right in front of us. We stopped in this wide open area by the lake and it felt like the world went on forever! The food every night was fantastic! It was nice to eat some different foods than the food at the house (though all of it is pretty good!). Afterwards, we watched a traditional Tanzanian song/dance/acrobatics show at the campsite.
The second day, we drove a long distance to the Serengeti, which is 14,763 square kilometers. We drove through the Ngorongoro Crater (we came back there for the third night/fourth day). It was a high mountain and there was tons of fog. Slightly like Jurassic Park but also incredibly beautiful. We ate lunch on the edge of a mountain. Then, we stopped at a Maasai town. Tanzanian originated from over 100 tribes, the Maasai is very common around here. We got to dance with the women and they put traditional necklaces on us. We got to see their houses, which are basically tiny huts. It was pretty cool to get a taste for the traditional culture. Then we drove to the Serengeti gate. It was AWESOME. So cool to say I have been there. At the entrance, we got to climb on this large rock formation and look over the place. It was raining in some parts and sunny in others, so it was cool to see the weather. The rain proved it interesting to get to our campsite. Our van almost tipped over completely. Basically horizontal. Pretty eventful. The campsite at the Serengeti isn't fenced off, so we got some hyenas on our campsite (they are a bit cuter than in the Lion King).
The next day, we woke up early and headed off to look at animals. The highlight was watching a cheetah chase a baby antelope and lost. It had already hunted and vultures took over its old food. It was very interesting. More zebras, hippos, giraffes (yay!) and elephants too. I saw so many antelope and wildebeest that I was over them by the end. We went back for lunch and it was definitely the best meal I've eaten here (pork chops and avocado were a major highlight.) We then went back to camp at the Ngorongoro Crater site. It was VERY cold there because we were on top of a mountain. But, the stars and the view was amazing.
The final day we explored the Crater and saw more great animals. Before we left, an elephant showed up on our campsite. It ended up charging at us, so I ran REALLY fast from that one. The highlights included 3 lionesses hunting and eating food (then being chased away from its remains by hyenas and vultures. I didn't know that hyenas could scare away lions, but apparently they can). We then saw three male lions just napping in the road. We were SO close it was amazing. We also saw over 200 zebras all together in one place. That was pretty cool. We then left for back home in Arusha! On the way back, an angry baboon jumped into our open car door, which was moderately frightening. Lots of close animal encounters on that day.
Overall, it was an awesome trip. Our jeep had a blast and saw some amazing things! Unfortunately, I can't put pictures here because I have no way to put them on my friend's computer I am borrowing. But, here is one he took of me with a giraffe.
Talk to you all soon!
We left early on Friday morning and headed to the Lake Manyara National Park. We stayed in a great campsite that even had a pool! We headed out to look for animals in the afternoon. The first we saw were lots of baboons. There was a super tiny baby one which was adorable. From there, we saw elephants and GIRAFFES. HOORAY. They crossed the road right in front of us. We stopped in this wide open area by the lake and it felt like the world went on forever! The food every night was fantastic! It was nice to eat some different foods than the food at the house (though all of it is pretty good!). Afterwards, we watched a traditional Tanzanian song/dance/acrobatics show at the campsite.
The second day, we drove a long distance to the Serengeti, which is 14,763 square kilometers. We drove through the Ngorongoro Crater (we came back there for the third night/fourth day). It was a high mountain and there was tons of fog. Slightly like Jurassic Park but also incredibly beautiful. We ate lunch on the edge of a mountain. Then, we stopped at a Maasai town. Tanzanian originated from over 100 tribes, the Maasai is very common around here. We got to dance with the women and they put traditional necklaces on us. We got to see their houses, which are basically tiny huts. It was pretty cool to get a taste for the traditional culture. Then we drove to the Serengeti gate. It was AWESOME. So cool to say I have been there. At the entrance, we got to climb on this large rock formation and look over the place. It was raining in some parts and sunny in others, so it was cool to see the weather. The rain proved it interesting to get to our campsite. Our van almost tipped over completely. Basically horizontal. Pretty eventful. The campsite at the Serengeti isn't fenced off, so we got some hyenas on our campsite (they are a bit cuter than in the Lion King).
The next day, we woke up early and headed off to look at animals. The highlight was watching a cheetah chase a baby antelope and lost. It had already hunted and vultures took over its old food. It was very interesting. More zebras, hippos, giraffes (yay!) and elephants too. I saw so many antelope and wildebeest that I was over them by the end. We went back for lunch and it was definitely the best meal I've eaten here (pork chops and avocado were a major highlight.) We then went back to camp at the Ngorongoro Crater site. It was VERY cold there because we were on top of a mountain. But, the stars and the view was amazing.
The final day we explored the Crater and saw more great animals. Before we left, an elephant showed up on our campsite. It ended up charging at us, so I ran REALLY fast from that one. The highlights included 3 lionesses hunting and eating food (then being chased away from its remains by hyenas and vultures. I didn't know that hyenas could scare away lions, but apparently they can). We then saw three male lions just napping in the road. We were SO close it was amazing. We also saw over 200 zebras all together in one place. That was pretty cool. We then left for back home in Arusha! On the way back, an angry baboon jumped into our open car door, which was moderately frightening. Lots of close animal encounters on that day.
Overall, it was an awesome trip. Our jeep had a blast and saw some amazing things! Unfortunately, I can't put pictures here because I have no way to put them on my friend's computer I am borrowing. But, here is one he took of me with a giraffe.
Talk to you all soon!
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Mambo from the first day of Placement!
(and so I've learned the response to mambo is: Poa!)
Today was my first day of placement. I am placed at the Save Africa Orphanage in Usa River, Tanzania. The orphanage houses 30 children, and 20 more come for "school" each day. Many parents will drop their children off at orphanages during each day, as they cannot afford to pay for their child's schooling.
Usa River is about a 1 hour 15 minute Dalla Dalla ride from my home in Arusha. Dalla Dallas are by far the most interesting experience I have ever had. They pack over 25 people into a car the size of a van. It is not a comfortable ride. Today, a drunken Tanzanian man proceeded to profess his love for me for 40 minutes on the Dalla Dalla. But, my friend wins, because she rode one that also had a goat and chicken as passengers. People here will refer to white people as "Muzungu", so you know they are talking about you, but have no idea what they are saying. It's slightly intimidating. Dallas have proven to be the biggest culture shock yet.
My placement today was great. I have two other volunteers with me, each who have been here for at least two weeks. It was helpful for the first experience. Francis, my placement director is very friendly and likes to hold hands with people frequently. There really is no such thing as personal space here.
When we arrived today, the kids were practicing writing numbers. There is the "baby" class, where they were learning to count, and the "preunit" class, where they started writing out numbers in words. Then, they ate breakfast. Each day, the volunteers I am with trade turns buying bread and peanut butter to bring so that the kids have more food to eat. Each meal is usually only a small cup of porridge. We helped the kids wash their hands and made peanut butter sandwiches for them.
Afterwards, we got to play with them outside. Piggy backs are their favorite things. They are very easily entertained and took turns showing off their cartwheels to me for about 30 minutes. They all call me "teacher" which is cute but also very overwhelming! At the end of play time, we all stood in a circle and sang songs. They all like to dance :)
After playing, I was handed a pointer and basically told "teach them the alphabet" which was scary. Me and Cecelia (another volunteer) worked together and it seems they were getting the hang of it by the end of the lesson. We read them a few stories after (acted them out really). They do not really know what they are saying but they like to laugh at us when we act silly.
It seems the other volunteers that came before me have been really good to the orphanage. They painted the building with new paint, built tire swings, and planned a party for next weekend! I am excited to look for a project I can help with. I haven't given the donations I brought from home but I think they will be useful for the placement, especially the socks. Plus, I am excited for the kids to get their hands on some musical instruments. It is amazing that these children have nothing and they never fail to stop smiling. I can't wait to get to know all of them over the next month.
As for me, preparing for the Serengeti this weekend! Safari!! Four days, three nights camping. I can't wait! I will try my best to post pictures, as I have my cord that I can hook up to the desktop computers at the internet cafe. Other than that, the volunteers are great, the food is good, and it is warm! I am very happy! The Swahili is still awful, but my house manager and mama, Felister, is teaching me lessons at night!
Asante Sana for the support everyone.
Today was my first day of placement. I am placed at the Save Africa Orphanage in Usa River, Tanzania. The orphanage houses 30 children, and 20 more come for "school" each day. Many parents will drop their children off at orphanages during each day, as they cannot afford to pay for their child's schooling.
Usa River is about a 1 hour 15 minute Dalla Dalla ride from my home in Arusha. Dalla Dallas are by far the most interesting experience I have ever had. They pack over 25 people into a car the size of a van. It is not a comfortable ride. Today, a drunken Tanzanian man proceeded to profess his love for me for 40 minutes on the Dalla Dalla. But, my friend wins, because she rode one that also had a goat and chicken as passengers. People here will refer to white people as "Muzungu", so you know they are talking about you, but have no idea what they are saying. It's slightly intimidating. Dallas have proven to be the biggest culture shock yet.
My placement today was great. I have two other volunteers with me, each who have been here for at least two weeks. It was helpful for the first experience. Francis, my placement director is very friendly and likes to hold hands with people frequently. There really is no such thing as personal space here.
When we arrived today, the kids were practicing writing numbers. There is the "baby" class, where they were learning to count, and the "preunit" class, where they started writing out numbers in words. Then, they ate breakfast. Each day, the volunteers I am with trade turns buying bread and peanut butter to bring so that the kids have more food to eat. Each meal is usually only a small cup of porridge. We helped the kids wash their hands and made peanut butter sandwiches for them.
Afterwards, we got to play with them outside. Piggy backs are their favorite things. They are very easily entertained and took turns showing off their cartwheels to me for about 30 minutes. They all call me "teacher" which is cute but also very overwhelming! At the end of play time, we all stood in a circle and sang songs. They all like to dance :)
After playing, I was handed a pointer and basically told "teach them the alphabet" which was scary. Me and Cecelia (another volunteer) worked together and it seems they were getting the hang of it by the end of the lesson. We read them a few stories after (acted them out really). They do not really know what they are saying but they like to laugh at us when we act silly.
It seems the other volunteers that came before me have been really good to the orphanage. They painted the building with new paint, built tire swings, and planned a party for next weekend! I am excited to look for a project I can help with. I haven't given the donations I brought from home but I think they will be useful for the placement, especially the socks. Plus, I am excited for the kids to get their hands on some musical instruments. It is amazing that these children have nothing and they never fail to stop smiling. I can't wait to get to know all of them over the next month.
As for me, preparing for the Serengeti this weekend! Safari!! Four days, three nights camping. I can't wait! I will try my best to post pictures, as I have my cord that I can hook up to the desktop computers at the internet cafe. Other than that, the volunteers are great, the food is good, and it is warm! I am very happy! The Swahili is still awful, but my house manager and mama, Felister, is teaching me lessons at night!
Asante Sana for the support everyone.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Blessing the Rains Down in Africa!!
Mambo everyone!!
I am happy to say that after over 36 hours of travel, I made it to Arusha!! I flew in right over Kilimanjaro which was amazing. The drive to my house was about an hour. It was the first time traffic has ever stopped for a herd of cows. Most roads are paved though some feel like a small roller coaster (especially the one leading up to my house).
Things are going really well here so far! I am staying in the Twiga volunteer house (which means giraffe in Swahili!) with about 20 other people. I have 4 roommates, I have met one who is staying the same length of time that I am. She just got in a few days ago. The other two are at Zanzibar, so I should meet them today (one of them also named Allison). Everyone in the house is very nice, including our mamas that cook for us and Felister who watches over us. People from all over the world here! A lot of Canadians (eh).
Many of the people in the house have been there for a few weeks, so it has been helpful to talk with them. The food has been good, my bed is comfy, and surprisingly we have indoor showers! We are very near a town center as well as a market.
Things are very different here. There is no real sense of time. Everyone is very laid back and sort of just does things as they come. A "short" drive to them is about 40 minutes. I think my placement will be about that far.
Today, I went and hiked a mountain to Napuro waterfall at its base. I went with five other girls, all who just arrived here recently. We were guided by our taxi driver and small kids from Arusha through the very muddy trail. My new friend Dixon was the best. Obviously from poorer means as he had no shoes and rips in his pants, but he never stopped smiling. It is pretty inspiring to see. He spent the whole hike teaching me how to count in Swahili. And my Swahili is pretty terrible at this point so that will certainly be something to practice tonight. I took lots of pictures at the waterfall but they are all on my camera so I can only share when I bring my cord to connect to the desktop in the internet cafe.
Things are very cheap here. It is about $1 to every 1500 Tish. Our waterfall adventure only cost 20000 Tish. Basically about $14. I have yet to get Tish because the ATM was out when I went.
Orientation is tomorrow where I will learn more about the culture and my placement here. I am excited to get started!
I will keep you updated as much as possible. Apparently you can get a SIM card for your phone as long as it is unlocked, but I think I will stick to internet cafes and my Tanzanian phone (which I get tomorrow) to call other volunteers and family.
I may turn these emails into a blog, it will be easier to keep everyone in the loop! If I do, ill post a link on facebook, though I will be staying off of that from then on.
Talk to you all soon!
Allison
I am happy to say that after over 36 hours of travel, I made it to Arusha!! I flew in right over Kilimanjaro which was amazing. The drive to my house was about an hour. It was the first time traffic has ever stopped for a herd of cows. Most roads are paved though some feel like a small roller coaster (especially the one leading up to my house).
Things are going really well here so far! I am staying in the Twiga volunteer house (which means giraffe in Swahili!) with about 20 other people. I have 4 roommates, I have met one who is staying the same length of time that I am. She just got in a few days ago. The other two are at Zanzibar, so I should meet them today (one of them also named Allison). Everyone in the house is very nice, including our mamas that cook for us and Felister who watches over us. People from all over the world here! A lot of Canadians (eh).
Many of the people in the house have been there for a few weeks, so it has been helpful to talk with them. The food has been good, my bed is comfy, and surprisingly we have indoor showers! We are very near a town center as well as a market.
Things are very different here. There is no real sense of time. Everyone is very laid back and sort of just does things as they come. A "short" drive to them is about 40 minutes. I think my placement will be about that far.
Today, I went and hiked a mountain to Napuro waterfall at its base. I went with five other girls, all who just arrived here recently. We were guided by our taxi driver and small kids from Arusha through the very muddy trail. My new friend Dixon was the best. Obviously from poorer means as he had no shoes and rips in his pants, but he never stopped smiling. It is pretty inspiring to see. He spent the whole hike teaching me how to count in Swahili. And my Swahili is pretty terrible at this point so that will certainly be something to practice tonight. I took lots of pictures at the waterfall but they are all on my camera so I can only share when I bring my cord to connect to the desktop in the internet cafe.
Things are very cheap here. It is about $1 to every 1500 Tish. Our waterfall adventure only cost 20000 Tish. Basically about $14. I have yet to get Tish because the ATM was out when I went.
Orientation is tomorrow where I will learn more about the culture and my placement here. I am excited to get started!
I will keep you updated as much as possible. Apparently you can get a SIM card for your phone as long as it is unlocked, but I think I will stick to internet cafes and my Tanzanian phone (which I get tomorrow) to call other volunteers and family.
I may turn these emails into a blog, it will be easier to keep everyone in the loop! If I do, ill post a link on facebook, though I will be staying off of that from then on.
Talk to you all soon!
Allison
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