So, I skipped ahead a few days, since I'm just now back from the island of Zanzibar and I'm coming home tomorrow. Here's the story of our final day at Faraja's.
Day 32--Siku Thelathini na mbili
Today was our last day with the adorable children of Faraja's school. It's funny how when you're leaving you just look past all the aggravating things the kids do and they're even cuter and sweeter than the day you met them. I miss them already.
In the morning I helped with the older kids during the reading lesson. I handed out 6 Ranger Rick magazines too. They loved those. After break, during which I taped the last singing of a few of my favorite songs, we had fun day again. Colored paper and pencils and crayons. The older girls made Emily and I beautiful goodbye cards that read "by by Andrea and Emily, I love you." Then another break and all the kids just hung onto my arms and hands. Witness didn't leave my side. They asked me where my home is and then started saying "no home, no go, no America," in pouty little voices. How do you say 'I have to' in swahili? "Ninakukosa," I will miss you, instead. Malidi, my favorite singing-leader-buddy put flowers in my hair.
Then the kids ate and we had our goodbye ceremony. They brought us fresh flower lais and sang us a goodbye song. Then a girl and Silas were called to the front to do the blessing and Silas started crying. Then Faraja talked for way too long. We handed out the oranges and broke out the facepaint.
Then Faraja had us sit down on the bench and we were mobbed by tons of hugs from the children. They almost tipped our bench over! Oh I'll miss hugging those kids.
I handed out some pictures and hair bands, but that was chaos because I didn't have enough for everyone. It was so surreal when they were all gone, I wanted them to come back.
Then Emily and I took Samson to the AICC hospital ONE LAST TIME. People still asked if Samson was ours. No we laughed, he's our friend.
Our friend Jenny from our homestay left for the airport late tonight. We miss her already!
And days 36-39... a quick summary.
Emily apparently got malaria but got medicine from our Mama's clinic and then we took the 10 hour bus ride to Dar es Salaam the next morning and went to the hospital when we got there. That time they said she tested negative, so either she never had it or the medicine worked already. We will never know. I'm just glad she's healthy.
We ate an amazing, most needed, classy dinner at the fancy "Holiday Inn" (there were 3 forks, 2 knives, and 2 spoons: wow!) across the street from the YMCA where we stayed the night. We met some awesome girls who had no place to stay since all the rooms were booked at the Y (glad I'd made a reservation) so we let them sleep on our floor and heard all their stories from volunteering in Kenya. It made me really appreciate my experience as not all of theirs were pleasant.
The next morning we took the ferry and went to our hotel in Matemwe. It's BEAUTIFUL there. I actually wish I was still there right now. Right on the beach. An amazing beach. Quiet. White sand, palm trees. We finally got a hot shower! I wore nice clean clothes and painted my nails and had the best time ever just relaxing. Best possible treat after a month of volunteering.
We spent another night there and then one night in Stone Town. A charming city of Arabic influence, but still African, and the sunset there was wonderful. I tried a shishkabob of Octopus and Squid from one of the classy street vendors in Forodhani Park.
Then the exhausting straight 17 hours of travel the next day to get back to Arusha. (not to mention the sea sickness on the ferry that morning). But even after I got sick, the 'Simba Club' futball players on the ferry gave Emily and I their phone numbers. When we got off the ferry we found out that they were famous, as they were swarmed by a few reporters with cameras and microphones. And then we saw the team all over the news this morning at our hotel. :) Funny.
We're so ready to come home now though. It's been an AMAZING trip, but I'm ready to see my family and friends, have a washing machine, and some of my mom's blueberry pancakes. :)
Asante sana, thanks for reading!
