Day 27

Day 27--Siku Ishirini na saba

Emily and I went to town this morning and bought some souvenirs at the Maasai Market. Afterword we got Samson to take him to the hospital again. Faraja showed us to his house, then came with us to the hospital. After they re-dressed his head wound, we bought one rice and chicken meal for faraja and one rice & chicken for Samson. It was really nice to treat Faraja, he works cares so much for the children--it's a big job (he hadn't slept the night before because some kids were sick in the night). He was clearly tired and kept telling us how he really appreciated the meal. Samson loved it too. He kept swinging legs, which were too short for the chair. It was like a happy puppy wagging his tail.

Day 26 visiting the hospital

Day 26--Siku Ishirini na sita

We took 5 kids for a hospital visit today. Christian and Sarah got a taxi to pick up Janette, a paralyzed girl living one dalla dalla stop away from the orphanage. We then took her, Samson, Witness, Deborah, and Baracka to the Arusha hospital (the most legit one around, but you pay a higher price).

In the hospital waiting room the kids played with markers and cards. Janette seemed afraid and had a look of concern on her face the whole time. She barely ever said a word in English or Swahili; just nodded or gave a look of alarm for "no" or "I don't know."

My heart goes out to her. She doesn't know how old she is. We guessed about 12 but we could be way off. The doctor originally thougth when she came in that she had cerebral palsy, but after a few minutes admitted that he was wrong. She is not paralyzed and only has a deformation in her foot. This is curable. The surgeon is not in today so we will take Janette back next saturday for x-rays and a consultation.

She is also very, very weak. Apparently she only drinks one cup of tea a day. That's it. We can't even imagine that.

I sat with my arm around her shoulders and tried to make her feel comfortable. Her sleeves around her wrists were SO dirty, even by African standards. I can't stop thinking about her now.

Next Christian said we needed to switch jobs--they need a urine sample from Witness. Oh dear. That was interesting trying to help her--especially with the language barrier. I wished her mother could have been there instead, she looked so confused! But eventually she did it. Nzuri sana Witness! Good job!

We watched them dress Samson's wound again. It's awful and infected. The doctor thinks we should test him for HIV.

These kids were such champs. We bought them chips (fries) in the hospital kitchen afterward. Christian carried Janette back to the taxi. When we finally drove up to her house she let out an audible and adorable sigh of relief accompanied by the first legitimate smile I'd seen on her face. I'm sure I'd feel the same way if I'd almost never left my home and had been taken to a hospital by four near strangers.

While Christian carried her inside, Witness started playing with the side view mirror... smiling at herself and watching her finger move in the reflection.

I love these kids. It's goign to be so hard to leave next week.

Day 22-25 Orphanage, HIV talks

Day 22--Siku Ishirini na mbili

I was super sore today and did NOT want to get out of bed. In the dalla dalla this morning Emily and I looked up the word for "hurt"--uma, so we could explain to the children that our legs hurt. This turned out to be an important word because during afternoon class little salina came up to me and said "tumbo uma", that she her stomach hurt. After class when she was still looking glum while the others were playing, I asked if her stomach hurt "kwa sababu njaa?" because of hunger? She sort of nodded so I bought two little bananas and we discretely brought her to the office and I fed them to her. She was so cute and I was so happy to be able to do even a small thing to help.

(Salina and her twin brother Bryson... they've got to be two of the cutest kids of all time)

But when we went back outside she promptly threw them up onto the dirt in front of her. Oh no. Pole sana Salina [very sorry/sympathy]. I rubbed her back and Moiva brought over some dirt to cover up the banana mess. "She is very sick" said Justin one of the school 'teachers.' Yes I can see that Justin. Faraja felt her head, it was warm, and said he would take her to the hospital this afternoon. Poor girl. I pray that the next pages of this journal are filled with the details of her speedy recovery.

Day 23--Siku Ishirini na tatu

Salina was at school today. She looked ok--they said they took her to the hospital and she's sick because she drank bad water. Sarah, another volunteer paid for her medicine.

After school today we went with Rajabu to do a community HIV talk. Rajabu is our translator, but he's actually more qualified than we are. He's probably the smartest most competant person I've met in Tanzania. He's been all over the country doing HIV talks and is employed by USAID and an Illinoise university. He really knows what he's talking about--he answers questions including cultural ones (there's still some stigma about HIV around here) better than any of us could.

Even just taking the dalla dalla back to town it was interesting to hear his thoughts on Obama and Africa's expectations and reactions to his presidency. People like Rajabu give me greater hope for the future of this continent.


Day 24--Siku Ishirini na nne

Today I bought food for the orphanage. 41,000 tsh for 15 kilos of rice, 10 kilos of beans, and 5 liters of cooking oil. But this means that Stella had to cook so I taught the baby class. They are SO difficult. In the afternoon Stella was just standing around talking to Simone outside while I struggled to even keep the kids inside the classroom (much less sitting and quiet). That really annoys me--when teachers slack off because volunteers are around. I've heard that this happens at the public schools too. When volunteers come in, the usual teachers just take more breaks. Very frustrating.

After school though, we took some of the older kids to the Tengeru market and bought them new tennis shoes. We bought about 4 new mattresses and blankets. I bought 100 bananas for 3,600 tsh. (About $3.50!) Granted the bananas are half the size of the ones sold at home, but still. We also bought 21 green peppers to add to the rice next week for about $2. And I got more andazi (african donuts) for a snack. 2 for 100 tsh. ($0.10) :)

Afte rall that I slept for at least two hours but it's all so exhausting that I'm somehow still tired. So now I'll nap more. Night!


Day 25--Siku Ishirini na tano

I was in a good mood from the time I woke up today and it made my day awesome. When a few kids started running towards us as we arrived at Farajas (as they always do) I ran at him too until we collided in a hug.

The kids in the big class were relatively well behaved in the morning during math lesson. While Yenna and I taught, Emily and Christian delivered mattresses.

After breaktime, we rearranged the desks into tables and had fun time! Each child got a colored pencil and a colored sheet of paper. Sarah helped some of the older kids make paper chains and some kids did puzzles. We hung the chains on the windows and the drawings on the walls. Then each child got a banana and then rice and beans.

After that we met Jenny (another volunteer--our housemate) at Craddle of Love. Craddle of Love is a very well funded orphanage for babies and toddlers owned by an American. The facilities are beautiful inside and out, but with so many babies, they are always in need of hands just to hold the babies and give the toddlers attention. We held babies in the intensive care unit. They were SO CUTE! Mine fell asleep in my arms. Jenny's had giant eyes with big pretty lashes. Then we fed them bottles and moved on to the toddlers. We took some outside to the swingset and play structure. This one little boy was the cutest thing I've ever seen. I basically want to take him home with me. When I tickle him he laughs and scrunches up and giggles and giggles. We helped feed the toddlers and then had to pull ourselves away or we would not make it home before dark.

[end journal entry]
I come home in two weeks and I can't believe it! Can't wait to see you all!

Days 20-22 Climbing Mt. Meru

Day 20--Skiu Ishirini

This morning, six of us piled into a taxi and drove to Momella gate at the base of Mt. Meru. [Just for reference, I now know that Mt. Meru is approx 15,000 ft. which is taller than any mountain in the continental United States.] From the taxi we saw two giant giraffes right next to us on the road. They were even closer than on safari and seemed so much bigger from the lower angle. We also saw zebras, buffalo, and monkeys at the gate.

Our ranger is awesome. He's shot three buffalo before to proteck his hikers. Early on, I saw giraffe tracks, then leopard, then baboon tracks. (Thank you Jim Brouchak) We walked though magical mystical forests with hanging vines, mossy floors, and liechens on the trees. We ate lunch on the grass by a pretty waterfall surrounded by forest. As we neared the cloud line, the clouds right above us moved so quickly it was unreal.

I was very glad to be right by our ranger and his gun when later on he spotted two buffalo right by the trail! (only the most dangerous animal in Africa, as any ranger or guide will tell you). We had to get up off the trail and trek through the bush until we were past. It was a little scary but an awesome adventure.

Then dinner, laughs, and many rounds of uno with the five others I climbed the mountain with. We're having so much fun!

Day 21--Siku Ishirini

We made it to Saddle hut. I actually feel great; for some reason the altitude has almost no effect on me. Todays hike was above the cloudline and forest. Between the trees, little flowers are sprinkled along the trail. Purple, yellow, red, blue, they smile at me with encouragement. For a while I led the group with Gidion our awesome guide right behind me.

When we got to the hut, I sat outside and got creative with the ingredients I brought. I made a tuna, peanut, and peanutbutter sandwhich. Actually pretty tasty. And packed with protein. :)

After a rest, we climed to the summit of Little Meru for the sunset. It was just the seven of us at the top and it was exactly the experience I had wanted. Pictures will do it better justice.

(on this photo--the view from the hike to Little Meru--you can see where we would hike later that night... from the huts in the bottom left, around the back, and to the summit)

After that and dinner, we attempted to sleep for a few hours before waking at midnight to start the six hour climb to the summit for sunrise. At first I was excited and bouncing around the hallway before we left. The first part of the hike was on just a slight incline and I couldn't stop tipping my head back to look at the stars. They felt so close. I imagined when I would climb to the top of that dark ledge ahead, I could reach my hand up and run my fingers through the milkyway. I saw a shooting star and then another.

The next few hours made up the single most terrifying experience of my life.  Basically, I had an emotional meltdown, learned I am not a huge fan of rock climbing--especially in the dark with just a headlamp--and I now have something to say when an interviewer asks about a time when I overcame an obstacle. Even writing about it in my journal made my shoulders tense up.

I thought I was climbing on the surface of the moon. Huge strange rock formations and stars in the background.

We kept stopping because people were out of breath. We were getting so close but it was still so dark. We could see the flag at the top. Ok now. Just a little bit more.

As soon as I climbed up and over I could see the sky. The beautiful orange sky, rising behind the silhouette of kilimanjaro. We started taking pictures and I thanked Gidion and it was just plain incredible. I put socks on my hands (it was freezing) and ate my chocolate brownie bar reward. I can't even begin to describe that incredible experience. :)

(Me and amazing Gidion)

To summarize:
We climbed all the way down the entire mountain after that.

(The first few hours descending from the summit were full of epic, surreal views)

The best part of the climb down was when Gidion pointed out some Black and White Colobus monkeys. He then proceeded to lead us off the trail though the knee high plants to the forest floor so we could see them better. "A shortcut" he said "If there is problem, I have gun."

(Gidion borrowed my camera and got me this photo. I was SO impressed! I could barely get a picture of one at all, let alone a face. Thanks Gidion!)

Needless to say I was super sore that night and the next day. Oh well, that's what you get for climbing a 15 footer in 3 days. :)

Days 17-19 Nurses visit orphanage

Day 17--Siku Kumi na saba

I'm officially addicted to the dubbed soap opera Tormento de Paradisio that we watch each night with Rahkmah the maid at our host home. I hope Nicholas can expose crazy Carina's real identity so he can finally divorce her and live happily ever after with the island girl. :) It's terrible quality and I love it.

Anyway, it was a little weird to return to our home after sarari, but Stella the nursery teacher is back and well, thank goodness. I attempted to help Emily withy the older kids today and it was even more difficult. We tried stickers as positive reinforcement, but only a few caught on to the concept. I have a new respect for teachers and structured education systems. And we fed the kids again today.

We had chipati at dinner--JACKPOT! Rahkmah makes the BEST chipati in all of Tanzania, I'm convinced. (It's similar to a pancheros tortilla.... yeah, that good)

Day 18--Siku Kumi na Nane

Today three of the medical placement volunteers came to Faraja orphanage and set up a clinic in the classroom for the afternoon. Emily and I had to leave early today (to find cheaper prices for food and mattresses for the kids at the market), but we heard that they dressed wounds, attempted to get/create medical records for the kids, and treated things such as ringworm.

After class today I tutored Moiva the Maasai girl. I hope that one day she will be able to read, but for now I'm just trying to teach this 12 year old how to copy the alphabet.

One last story for the day. On the dalla dalla this morning, the cutest little baby grabbed at the money the fare-collector was holding. We all laughed. Cutest little theif baby ever. :)

Day 19--Siku kumi na tisa

We fed the kids again today and held part two of the clinic. We tried to keep the kids in the classroom occupied but a few fights broke out. It's hard for them to stay in the classroom all day. In the afternoon Jen, Em and I rushed around town trying to get all the money, food, and supplies to climb Mt. Meru. Tomorrow!

Days 14-16 Safari!

Day 14--Siku Kumi na nne

Safari is amazing! The drive here to the serengeti was beautiful and the scenery changed all along the way. I knew even the trees would get me excited and I was right! The baobabs and acacia make me really feel like I'm here in Africa. Driving by the crater, I saw beautiful rainforest/jungle views. I was amazed at how many Maasai I saw. They had more jewlry and accessories than they wear around Arusha. The landscapse were so massive. I loved sticking my head out the window and feeling the wind. The ride was quite bumpy though. Our driver called it the "african massage" haha. Oh, and on the way we saw zebras, giraffes, baboons, and gazelles. Incredible.

I know why the serengeti inspires so many stories, paintings, and natgeo shows. :) Not long after entering the park, we saw an eagle eating a rabbit. Then a vulture stole the rabbit and then two jackels came and stole it from the vulture. Then. We saw a cheetah. Yay! It wasn't super close but I was so happy to see one.

Then, a lion sleeping up on a rock and leapord in a tree. The best part--Elephants. About 30-40 of them. A few babies, one pushed another. We drove RIGHT BETWEEN some later. And on the way to the campsite, I was leaning out the window eating an orange, and I saw a dikdik! They're tiny little deer-like animals and they're so cute! When our friend wanted to go explore around the campsite our guide told her "better not wander too far, the dikdiks are hungry!" Hahaha. Our guide, Emmanuel, is great.

Then, the perfect african sunset and we layed on the grass and chatted while the millions of stars came out. At our romantic wine and pasta dinner (for 8) in the eating room, we heard a crunching right outside. We shined a light and it was a buffalo! The most dangerous animal in the serenegeti right here in our campsite! There's no way I'd get up to use the bathroom tonight.

Such an amazing day. I wish I could do it all over again.

Days 15 and 16--Siku Kumi na tano na Kumi na sita

Two more days were not enough! I'm surprised at how muc I love looking for the animals, and not just seeing them. I scan the horizon with home--is that a buffalo, or a termite mound? a giraffe, or a tree trunk? a cheetah or just another gazelle? (gazelle are EVERYWHERE by the way, and smaller than I thought they were)

The scenery is incredible, infinite. Serengeti in Maasai means "land of endless space." Often, on the drive to the ngorongoro crater, I see a lone red blanket walking through this endless space. It gives me an indiscribable emotion such a small person in such a large space.

On the serengeti morning game drive, we saw a cheetah even closer. Wow. We also saw lions, a rare badger, more elephants, zebras, hyenas, buffalo. Incredible. That night at our campsite in Ngorongoro, we had a bonfire and marshmellows. We chatted with the guides and other campers. That night in our tent Emily and I heard loud animal noises. This time, I was sure it was not matthew snoring in the tent nextdoor. We heard a guide say Simba. But in the morning it turned out that what we heard was a zebra. A lion had been in the area and the guides had been warned by a Maasai man. (They parked the cars strategically around the site to protect us.)

The morning breakfast was delicious and the last game drive, on the floor of the crater, was again amazing. The colors of the scenery were beautiful and riding with my head out the top of the land rover, I felt like I was on a boat and the grass was the lake at the bottom of the crater.

The whole trip was so great and I can't wait to share my best photos! Hope all is well with everyone at home. :)

Day 8-9 Waterfalls and Orphanage

Day 8--Siku Nane

We woke up at 5 this morning and took a bus to Moshi. After breakfast in Moshi city, we drove out to Marangu and walked up road through a jungle landscape to see the beautiful Marangu waterfalls. The trail to the falls led down slippery red dirt and large rocks through lush jungle to the most massive waterfall. It was way more amazing than I would have guessed--so picturesque and private. Little pink flowers, hanging vines, the sound of powerful rushing water. :)

On the way back through the village near the falls, I asked a little boy if I could take his picture. I said "cheza" intending to say smile, but smile is acutally "cheka" and cheza is dance. So he did this little shy boogie-twist move and it was absolutely the cutest thing I've ever seen. So I can't

say I regret that swahili mistake.

On the bus ride back to Arusha, we saw Kilimanjaro for the first time. The whole back of the bus (us tourists) screamed an excited "OH!" at the first sight of it, even though it was mostly obstructed by trees. Everyone in front probably thought "what? what happened?" Until they realized we were new tourists as we proceeded to take a million photos of it as we drove by. I watched throught the window the whole ride back. Africa is so beautiful in the hours before sunset.

Day 9--Siku Tisa

Today I taught a class of about 15 children around 7 years old. I absolutely loved it. The kids were hard to control. Even with Christian helping me, less than half the kids copied everything I wrote. (Granted not all of them had paper or pencils). I only made it through the upper and lowercase alphabet and the numbers one through 20. They also love my mini dry erase board (good idea mom). I taught them a camp Ohieyesa song today too and they loved it.

The most exciting part of the day for me though was that Gift, the little boy who sleeps outside and has the mark under his eye, was at school today. And he smiled back at me. He was wearing different clothes and I had to look twice to make sure it was really him. It made me so happy to see him singing and dancing the hokey pokey with all the other children. Jessica bought him a mattress and a blanket that she and the staff will take to him this week. I realize that the orphanage is nothing compared to a real school, but I can't help being so grateful that we can give them a few hours of fun and love each day.

Day 10--Siku Kumi

Not gonna lie, I could really go for a hot shower and some pizza right now. I did buy a mango for less than 60 cents american today though.

We took the kids to the lake today. We fit 70 people in a dalla dalla today. That's right. Seventy. A dalla dalla, by the way, is a van that is intended for about 16 people. The dalla dalla is the most common type of transportation here. It's not uncommon to climb on a dalla dalla to get a ride home and find chicken at your feet. My friend said there were 27 adults on the dalla dalla on her way to the market last Wednesday. Granted most of the 70 people were small children. But still. It was the most ridiculous thing ever. There were two people riding outside hanging on the back too.

Well I'm done writing for now, because it's time for our host families favorite dubbed soap opera. I have to know what's going to happen to the crazy jealous sick woman and the her husbands love affair with Aymar the island girl. Kwa heri.

Day 12--Siku Kumi na mbili

Today there was a new arrival at Faraja orphanage. She is about 12 years old and speaks only Maasai (no english or swahili). She was forced to marry an old man but ran away from her husband and somehow ended up with police and then here. She seemed quite happy to be at Faraja and I can't wait to get to know her better, she seems so sweet. I hope we can make her feel at home and that Faraja can find a place for her to stay.

(Moiva is the girl in the Detroit shirt, this picture was taken on her first day)

We also fed the kids today. Rice and beans that Jessica, the veteran volunteer, bought with money from the food fund (primarily funded by past volunteers). When every child had gotten a serving and a few had a small second helping, the children swarmed the cooking pot to scrape off whatever more they could. I would love to feed them more often, but with current funds they can only afford to feed them at the school about once a week. This is another reason the school day is only a few hours long in the morning--so that the children can go home to eat something in the afternoon.

I'm really excited about all the ideas the volunteers have and about all we hope to accomplish.

That's it for now. Write more later. (after Safari!)