In the past week I have been in four different continents, have spent over 21 hours in the air, and have been on the longest stretch of sleepless nights in my entire life. The journey began on January 2nd as my 20kg max. suitcase was placed into the trunk and I had my last glimpse of snow (waist high) for the winter.
Barrie Spirit in January
My first 7 hour flight arrived in England at 8am local time on January 3rd, and I spent the day trotting the major cities of England. With twelve hours to kill, the tourist in me was unleashed and I sought off to see all of the big sights: Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the National Gallery of Art and so on.
The river in Queens Park outside of Buckingham Palace
A Canadian monument in England
My second flight was aboard Qatar Airways for a 6 hour flight and 3 hour layover in Daho, Qatar. Looking down from an altitude of 1.5 km, I could see only white on the ground- but this time, it was not snow- I was in the middle of the desert! I was not able to leave the airport, but I could appreciate several interesting structures and artistic creations from the sky and from the airport, namely the man-made islands off the coast and the intricate architecture of the nearby buildings.
Daho Airport, Qatar
My third flight of 5.5 hours brought me to the hot, sticky airport in Dar es Salaam where the midday temperature had reached a scorching 37 degrees. A shock for this Canadian who had a winter jacket crammed tightly into her carry-on. After a two hour layover I boarded my fourth and final flight for the journey. Two and a half hours later I landed safely in Mwanza, Tanzania! I shot a few quick pictures to "karibu" (Welcome) myself to Tanzania and set off to meet Alison Chen, WHE fall intern 2008.
Finally, I have reached this destination!
The luggage conveyor belt... or lack there of... in Mwanza
I was greeted with the big smiles of Alison Chen and her mother at the airport and a taxi from the Kivulini Women’s Rights Organization who brought us to my new home for the next five months. I dropped off my bags and we set out into the city for my first meal in Mwanza. We shared stories and laughs and called it a night early so that we could rest for the full day ahead.
On Saturday January 5th Alison, Ms. Chen and I began the morning with a traditional African breakfast of Chapati, and set out to see all of the important places and people of Mwanza. City council, the bank, the Massai market, the international school of language, to name a few, and in the afternoon we met the Yogurt Mamas in Mabatini. They are all such sweet, kind hearted women that welcomed me several times over. I am very excited to have a chance to work with them for the next few months. We ended the evening at Tunza lodge, a popular hang out for volunteers and expats. Alison was able to say goodbye to some of the amazing friends that she made while in Mwanza.
On Sunday January 6th, Alison said her last goodbye to Tanzania and began her flight to Uganda. And so my life as the WHE Canadian intern truly began…
On Monday morning I caught up on some much needed rest and spent the day travelling around the city by foot in hopes to establish my bearings. I practiced Swahilli with the locals and picked up some fresh produce. I marveled at the sights, sounds and smells of the new city, all very foreign-kind of like the wandering “Mzungu”. It is a very socialist society here, you may not begin a conversation until you have asked a person how they are, how their family is, how their work is etc. It is really neat to see the importance of interpersonal relationships here. I also had my first experience with rotating electricity... very good for my creativity! I laid pretty low for the afternoon as I still felt very jet-lagged, and so I unpacked my bags in my new home. For dinner, I attempted to cook some millet that I bought at the market… much different then millet in Canada! Two and a half hours later it was still rock hard. Ruben and I were very hungry, tired and frustrated, so we decided that we would try to eat it anyway. The term “rock hard” became quite literal as we found ourselves picking little stones out of our mouths! I will have to attempt this meal again.
Tuesday was more eventful. I spent the morning with the Mama’s in Mabatini observing how they make yogurt and spent the afternoon tying up some loose ends at City Council so that the women may secure their contract with the TASAF coordinator. In the afternoon Pendo, our house employee, taught me that the millet that I tried to cook the night before is supposed to be ground into a fine flour in order to make the African specialty, uji. She also taught me that the flavor solution to most African entrees is to add butter and sugar- wonderful for a nutrition student! In the evening Claire, a volunteer for Catholic Relief Services, picked me up so that I could experience the treat of a lifetime, yoga on the beach with a panoramic view of Lake Victoria. It was here that I had enjoyed the first red African sky at sunset!
Sunset over Lake Victoria
On Wednesday morning I bought a bike to relieve myself of a dependence on taxis and dala dalas. Ruben and I went to the National Institute of Medical Research where I was able to meet many more faces of WHE. On the way home I snapped some quick photos of Lake Victoria in the daylight.
View of Lake Victoria
We travelled by dala dala to Buswelu, a small community and home to a mother and father who have two children and took it upon themselves to adopt 55 more. There were 57 children running around, all between the ages of 0-18 years old. We played games and ran around with the kids for a few hours, then I was treated to spa day in Africa as ten little girls decided I was in need of a makeover. I had my finger nails painted and about 20 different hair do’s that evening! I also had my own personal photographer who shot over 150 pictures within the hour. We enjoyed another traditional African meal of rice, beans and cooking bananas prepared in a tomato sauce and headed home after gazing at the stars, the only light in the sky!
Playing games
Getting a manicure in Buswelu, Tanzania
Dinner time
I woke up early on Sunday and biked to Forever Angels baby home. Alison introduced me to this place before she left and I will be lucky enough to spend time getting to know the children every Friday and Sunday for a few hours. I have learned some of their amazing survival stories, and have begun to learn their interests. I met a four year old boy that came to Forever Angels a year and a half ago completely emaciated with Marasmus, in heart failure and with full blown AIDS. After spending a year and a half under the love and care of the Forever Angels staff, and with an ample supply of food, he has now been placed on a diet because he has gained so much weight! Many of the children have a similar history, but Forever Angels has found many of these children loving homes. The compassion of some of the people in this world is so admirable.
Two Angels, Joseph and Baiti
Little PrincessOn Sunday, Ruben and I were invited to the home of one of his coworkers, Mama Coroko, a nurse at Sekuo Toure Hospital. She cooked us a feast of African delights and gave us a tour of her home and backyard. She has her own personal fruit and vegetable garden and grows everything from pineapple and bananas, to cassava and maize. We were also given yet another glimpse of socialism in Africa, as her Unlce has built a restaurant on her property, her brother a school, her other brother a store, all the while her sister and her sisters family live in the same home as she- such a strong social safety net here in Africa! We met her neighbor who was cooking outside, and played with Mama Coroko's kittens for a while. We also had a peek at the school on Mama Coroko's property, a chemistry lab for secondary school students. The facilities are slightly different then those of UWO.
Mama Coroko and her daughters introducing Ruben and I to some African vegetables
Typical cooking facilities in Tanzania
Chemistry lab (Take a look at how chemicals are stored…in Dasani water bottle!)
We left to go to NIMR to check our emails and send some messages home. One of the guards at NIMR pledged an offer of thirty cows to my father in return for my hand in marriage. Although very tempted, I think I may pass at this point. I will end this novel here and promise to be more concise in the weeks to come! I will be posting (internet pending) weekly for the remainder of my internship.
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