Wiki Saba

I’m going to take a slightly different approach to this weeks posting. I feel like I’ve been re-writing the events in my day planner and omitting the true details of everyday life. I have yet to express what it is like for me to live in this country and experience this culture, so this week I’m going to be giving captions from the “dear diary” version.

Sometimes it is difficult to comprehend the fact that I am a Westerner, and with me, I have brought my Western way of life. In my dress, in my attitude, in the way I do business… it’s intrinsic to me because the Western world is the culture that I have been raised in, and it is the only way of life that I have ever known. It’s not easy to leave old habits back in Canada with the rest of your tangible belongings.

I had some time to reflect with a good friend this weekend. We were talking about the up’s and down’s that we have experienced since our arrival in Tanzania and relished in the priceless knowledge that we will take on with us for the rest of our lives.


We were riding a busy dala dala into town when a man sitting across from us gave a harsh stare and said “Wazungu”. The friend that I was with is extremely well versed in Swahili and although I was not able to contribute to the conversation in ways that I would have liked to, I was able to follow along understand what was going on. His feelings of frustration did not stem from the color of our skin. He was referring to the parachute that many wazungu have attached on their backs. Jumping into the country and though with good intentions, we inadvertently try to push our Western ways as we go on believing that we are of the more “advanced” and “intelligent” nations. It is often viewed as present day colonialism. We forget that we have return plane tickets to our native countries- That life in Tanzania for us is temporary, and that we are free, in many ways, to come and go as we please. We have so many resources and we have been given so much opportunity.

In the past week I went on with my business as usual. I wrote the same English lessons, conducted the same research, worked on my computer in the same way that I would in London, bought groceries and other little things that I wanted and could easily afford. I have tried to fill my days as much as possible as it is the way of life that I am accustomed to. I notice that in my past weeks I have often been overcome by frustration for having to wait. Waiting for photocopies, waiting for the internet, waiting for the City Director, Planning and Developers to assist with the acquisition of new land, waiting at the immigration office for my new visa (with no avail) etc. etc. I just did not like feeling as though I was wasting precious time and could simply not understand why forward movements were so slow.

I am not trying to convey that I have now figured things out. I know in my heart that I am still far from knowing it all. However, I have a new sense of appreciation and acceptance and I have reached a new level of respect and admiration for this country and the people in it. I am realizing that I need to shift my priorities from getting things complete, to taking things in stride with a focus on building relationships. The foundation of life in Tanzania is social interaction. It is more important and worth while to spend time talking with friends, nurturing family relationships and enjoying your company. Who am I, a Westerner, to push push push? And who am I as a Westerner to believe that this is a better way to live???

It’s tough to know how extravagant I am, and just how much I take for granted with little thought. I will give a few examples. I have just planned an adventure with some friends for a few weeks from now. We will be travelling to the Selous Game Reserve in Southern Tanzania. We are all budget travelers and we’re going to make our way there by train and camp rather than flying and staying in hotels (oh how thrifty)…. Yet I will spend more in a few days then most families of six in Tanzania will spend living for three months. And I spend more here in a day buying souvenirs for friends and family or on bottles of water then most of the workers make for their wage in a month. It's absurd to know that I am going to have the opportunity to see more of Tanzania then most Tanzanians ever have or will.

I was at a bon fire with some friends on the weekend. As we looked out onto the lake we saw a full moon, bright stars, and small lights reflecting into the water in the distance. In Canada, these lights would be that of bars and restaurants, where we all empty our pockets on entertainment. The lights on Lake Victoria were those of fisherman. The high earners in Tanzania who make about 10,000Tsh (less than $10 Cdn) for a shift that I modestly estimate to be between 9-13 hours. They work in boats that they have made themselves from raw materials and they paddle out into the middle of the lake. There they have no life jackets or radios to use if they were to encounter a dangerous storm. They obviously do not work for a Union, do not receive any benefits and will be given no compensation if they are injured on the job- and this is the norm.

Fisherman returning from a long night out on the water

Earlier on in the week I was walking with one of the woman I buy vegetables from at the market. She walks over an hour from her home into town carrying what she plans to sell on her head in a basket made from the leaves of a palm tree. The 250 Tsh (Less than $0.25 Cdn) for the dala dala is too expensive for her.

Really happy chickens at the market… I’m glad I enjoy rice and beans

Or I can talk a little bit about health care. I’ll never whine or be annoyed by the wait for free Canadian Health Care ever again. The woman in charge of cleaning the apartments and offices in our building has been sick this past week. She has been to the hospital and to visit clinics where the doctors work on a fee for service basis (So right away, you know that people wait until they are extremely ill before seeking care). She spent almost all of her months wage on the doctor and did not have money to buy the medication she was prescribed, although it cost only 7500Tsh. I have no clue how she plans on feeding her nine children for the rest of the month.

At the same time, the Tanzania’s that I have encountered thus far are the most vibrant, colorful, caring and generous people that I have ever met. They are so genuine in their offers, and for the most part, so extremely kind and welcoming. I am constantly being offered meals, accommodations, a place to sit- everything. I am yet to see greed or selfishness. I see small children caring for their younger siblings, the utmost respect for elders and the longest, most elaborate greetings in which the respondent is actually heard. It’s so beautiful.

Children cooking for each other

We use the expression "I'm so poor" in Canada if we cannot keep up with the latest fashion or own the hot new electronic device- I’ll be really upset if I hear these words out of context in the future. It’s difficult to see our society, a “Developed” nation where status symbols are all material and have nothing to do with the person you are or the way that you treat others. Where we consume, and strive to have more and more and more and where we endlessly compete with our neighbors rather then sharing what we have with one another. I have learned so much from the relationships that I have observed here, and hope that I am able to bring these attitudes with me as my most endearing souvenir.

I have some pictures to post from this week, but know that in the weeks to come there will be fewer photos in these postings. I am having a hard time justifying snapping photos like a tourist as I try to be accepted as a mzungu.

The view from the thinking rock

To mention some of the going on’s of the week (I promise I did not ponder the whole time!) I began working on my second research study. Over the past two months I have been trying to observe the local diet, and through these observations, I will try to develop recipes incorporating probiotic yogurt to increase the nutritional value of common dishes. I tried pairing yogurt with different fruits, vegetables, grains and beans and I am lucky enough to have a brave roommate to act as a guinea pig. We chose five different creations and I will be running sensory panels next week. I spent a lot of time at City Council in lines playing the waiting game, then decided that it would be fun to wait so more, so I attempted the process or renewing my Visa. I have visited the immigration office on six different occasions thus far, each time being sent away to collect one piece of the puzzle. I spent three days at the orphanages teaching and trying to collect the final pieces of information needed to complete my study. Ruben and I also outlined a protocol for the study spear headed by Meaghan and Alison in which we will be collecting self reported information and CD4 cell counts of those with HIV who are consuming probiotic yogurt for free. Ruben and I also conducted English lessons with the Yogurt Mamas as well.

Micheal, a Forever Angel orphan since he was two months old

Wiki Sita

I guess it’s true what they say… one step forward and two steps back. Now I’m being a little dramatic, but the pace of the week was drastically reduced from that of last and I endured a few minor set backs. I woke up early Monday morning with vicious stomach issues. To save the gory details, I will just say I have been acquainted with a WHE favorite, the amoeba. I did not quite understand the wrath of this bug until I over ambitiously tried to continue on with my daily Monday morning activities. It only took me an hour at NIMR to realize that this ailment requires that you not be far from home. Needless to say, I did not move very much for the rest of the day on Monday and spent the better half of Tuesday in the same way. By the time the evening rolled around I accomplished my first task for the week- I kept 1L of water in my body-imagine the satisfaction!

By Wednesday morning I had enough and I had to get out of the apartment. I set off to City Council to meet with the TASAF coordinator so that we could finish signing the papers required for the Tukwamuane women to take ownership of the land in Nyamhongolo. Over the course of four hours I travelled back and forth to the bank three times to change the name on the issued check. Oh, it felt very productive. After the name had been finalized I was asked to wait outside the office for a few minutes. So I did the math; a few minutes multiplied by the definition of “a few minutes” in Tanzania and I quite accurately estimated the one hour wait. By 3pm I left City Council and had accomplished one thing for the day. I went directly to Mabatini to give an English lesson and was able to deliver the good news of their new ownership. In the evening my amoeba and I hung out and called it a night quite early.

On Thursday morning I was still feeling a little under the weather so I skipped the bike ride to Starehe and decided that the dala dala would be a better option. I sat beside a goat most of the way. I arrived at the orphanage around 6:15am and spent the day following a group of five year old children. I have now successfully compiled all of the data for the most time consuming part of study number one of three. While I was at Starehe I realized my camera had been MIA for a few days. I am still on the hunt for it, and do apologize for the lack of color in this weeks journal entry.

On Friday morning I had a meeting scheduled at Kivulini to complete a discussion that I had began last week. Unfortunately, the meeting was cancelled so I went home to begin the exhilarating task of data entry for my study. I travelled to City Council so that I could provide the TASAF coordinators with a few documents that was requested, and was delighted to learn that this meeting had been cancelled as well. I came to the apartment to pick up the English tests for the day and set off to meet the Yogurt Mama’s. I went to Forever Angles in the evening to deliver yogurt and spend some time with the cuties. I was able to see one of the boys take his first steps- wow it was incredible. He knew what he had done and was so proud, it was adorable! In the evening I met some friends for dinner and saw some really good live music for the first time since my arrival.

I spent quite a bit of time on the weekend on the computer completing several random tasks and continuing on with data entry. I spent Sunday at the baby home and ended the week with a good book.

For the sake of the reader, I hope to report more exciting events and pictures next week!

Wiki Tano

I would have to say that week number five has been the single most productive week that I have had since my arrival in Mwanza. It began as usual as I put together English lessons for the week followed by a trip to NIMR to drop off yogurt and to scam some internet time. In the afternoon I met with Louiseanne from the Shaloom Health Center so that we could finalize plans for the Health Fair on February 6th. From the health center, I made my way to City Council in hopes of setting up a meeting with the TASAF coordinator in order to hand over the funds required for the purchase land. Unfortunately, he was in Dar es Salaam for the week but I was able to set up a date for February 11th. I went to the market to buy more containers then to Mabatini to conduct an English lesson and to remind the YM (Yogurt Mamas) that they needed to purchase an extra 90L of milk in order to fill the Wednesday order of 60L of yogurt for Shaloom. I was greeted by a group of children at the kitchen who come for an afternoon snack and who were very excited to see themselves on the back of my camera. We entertained each other for quite awhile, then I biked to Tunza to deliver yogurt and enjoy an invigorating yoga class to fill myself with positive energy and good karma for the busy week ahead.

Afternoon snack at Jiko la Juma.

I saw the sunrise over five of the six days that remained for the week- it’s just as beautiful as the sunset! It was also the only thing that brightened (literally!) my mood because I am NO morning person. I was awake early on Tuesday so that I could pick up 10L of yogurt and bike for an hour to Starehe to begin at the Nursery school for 8am. I left the school around 5:30pm and was stopped on my way home by a display of some very fashionable shoes- A Massai man had come into town to sell extremely environmentally conservative foot ware. I was so impressed by his creativity and ambition to recycle that I almost bought his entire inventory of shoes (he was selling ten pairs at 1000Tsh/pair… less than $1 Cdn) made entirely from bald car tires.

Gorgeous view- probably even better in the light of day!

Two styles of tire shoes- watch out for these on the runways of Milan!

I set off for the kitchen at 6:30am on Wednesday morning so that I could meet Paskwalina and Joyce to get organized before our ride arrived at 7am. We piled the yogurt into a 4x4 and made our way down the bumpy dirt roads of Mabatini. We arrived at Shaloom and met with the directors of the facility. There were over 350 PLWHA (People living with HIV/AIDS) at the health center for the fair. Paskwalina and Joyce both took the floor for about 15 minutes each, after which they held a question and answer period. They were so proud and knowledgeable about their product, I was blown away by both their confidence and charisma. Shaloom purchased the yogurt to give away samples for all of their clients that day. It was a big hit and the YM handed out several order forms for next week. The health center will be buying quantities in bulk on a weekly basis from now on to distribute within their facility. In the afternoon a gentleman travelling from Dar es Salaam came to film bits and pieces of the event. After speaking with him for the hour he dropped a hint about an incredible sponsorship opportunity for the YM and I to pursue. Apparently, there is some money in Dar that needs a home- the government of Tanzania is looking to sponsor proactive programs to reduce the burden and/or incidence of HIV/AIDS. We exchanged phone numbers and he promised to make a visit to the kitchen within the month of February. The YM were also excited to learn that they were going to make the evening news in both Mwanza and Dar this week! In the evening, I met with a local friend Tobius. He came over for dinner and to help me proof read my research questionnaire. I spent hours the week prior to our meeting translating it into Swahili onm my own and was sure that it would take a few minutes for him to look over… Three and a half hours we were finished and I realized just how useless the English-Swahilli dictionary could be!

Mama Paskwalina, in blue, taking a few minutes to work the crowd
after her presentation on the health benefits of probiotics for PLWHA

Paskwalina and Joyce presenting Fiti- and becoming celebrities in Mwanza

Taking a moment to commemorate an exciting day!
(L to R: Me, Joyce, Paskwalina, Louisanne)

Thursday was my earliest morning this week. I left the apartment at 5:30am so that I could be at Starehe for 6:20am to watch breakfast being prepared. Along the bike ride I could not wrap my mind around one small, insignificant, but none-the-less strange finding… Right now I am living a few hundred kilometers away from Mount Kilimanjaro, where some of the best coffee in the world is produced. I have yet to find whole coffee beans in Mwanza, let alone Kilimanjaro coffee. Who drinks instant coffee when they live so close to incredible beans?! Hmm, I was obvisouly awake too early for my brain to think noteworthy thoughts! Anyway, the day was very similar to that of last Thursday. I followed a group of nine children during all meals and snacks in order to record their consumption, and in between I observed and participated in food preparations in the kitchen of the orphanage. Unfortunately, I was not able to employ any of the skills that I observed while working at Garlics- but I did manage to shred 14 cabbage the size of my head with a steak knife. I also made a mental note-never do this again! I left after the children had finished their last meal of the day around 7pm. On my way home a made a trip to the bank and withdrew the last of the funds required for the purchase of land.

Re-defining the George Castanza wallet!

Friday morning was my day to “sleep in”. I had arranged a meeting at KWRO (the Kivulini Womens Rights Organization) at 8am and spent the first two hours of the day speaking with those who have been involved with the YM and WHE since the inception of the project. It was really interesting to hear the story unfold from their perspective. I was gathering this information after Meaghan (fall 2007 intern) initiated its collection and will be pass it on to her in Canada. From Kivulini, I was escorted to the bank so that I could hand over the pile cash in exchange for a check with someone else’s name on it-probably a good thing because I was beginning to think of just how many pineapples and tire shoes I could buy with all those shillings- haha! I went to Mabatini in the afternoon, gave an English review and test, then set off with yogurt to Forever Angels. I ended the week with a championship game of ultimate Frisbee and called it a night really early.

On Saturday and Sunday morning I arrived at the Forever Angels baby home at 6:15am, again, to watch breakfast and follow the children as they ate for the day. These cuties consume probiotic yogurt twice a week and have been consuming it now for about five months. I was able to measure their height, weight, head circumference and body fat mass, and gathered the information that the directors have logged over the years documenting their height and weight. I love getting to know these kids and learning more about their remarkable lives. I wish that I could bring them all to Canada with me. I was able to snap a few pictures during snack time, coincidentally, a yogurt day! On Saturday evening Ruben, three of his colleagues and I went out for dinner to celebrate the completion of recruitment for their study. I am very eager, as many others are in Canada, to learn the results of this study to validate the practical application of probiotics!

Pascal (top) and (Pili) bottom, saving some for later

Wiki Nne

The first thing on my To Do: list for the week was a trip to the market so that I could purchase some new containers for yogurt distribution. The past few weeks have brought a huge influx of new clients for the Mamas. An additional 26L on a weekly basis have been requested by various organizations including two nursery schools and the several staff members at the National Institute for Medical Research. I stopped to greet some children that I pass weekly on my way to NIMR and they showed off the new toys that they had made. I am so impressed by the creativity of the children that I have met. I prepared the English Lessons for the week and spent a few hours at the kitchen with the Yogurt Mamas. I was trying to learn more about the bottlenecks for daily yogurt production, as these are barriers that we certainly must overcome in the upcoming weeks. I biked to yoga to deliver yogurt and had the most calming, peaceful class since I have been in Mwanza.

Showing off new toy cars.

On Tuesdays, I volunteer at the Starehe Nursery School. The school has been open a little less than three weeks and the director is experiencing some difficulties with her staff. She has asked me to work at the school with a group of kids from 9am-4:30pm once a week. It is a great opportunity to learn more about the children who live at this orphanage and to get a good feel for the lives they live. I am also able to give English Lessons to the Mamas at Starehe. It really helps me to build my Swahili vocabulary as I have to explain instructions first in their mother tongue, and then translate into English. I have a new found appreciation for ESL teachers and wish that I had undergone this form of training before I came to Tanzania. I have learned that it is absolutely necessary to be able to laugh and be laughed at time and time again!

A few of the Starehe cuties

In the evening I had a dinner with Louiseanne and Bob, the Canadians that work at the Shaloom Health Center here in Mwanza. We spent the evening planning a Health Fair that will be held on Wednesday February 6th. Three of the Yogurt Mamas and I will be travelling to Shaloom to give a presentation on the health benefits of probiotics for those who are HIV+. There will be approximately 300 guests at the first presentation, and if all goes well, the Mamas and I will be returning on a weekly basis over the month of February so that we are able to reach the entire group. Louiseanne has requested that we bring 60L of yogurt with us as Shaloom will be donating samples to their clients. Approximately 3,000 people visit this facility on a monthly basis, so this will be an excellent distribution point for the Yogurt Mamas. Bob is lending his skills as a financial analyst to Shaloom over the next two years, and has offered to help WHE and the Kitchen work with figures to ensure that we are able to reach sustainability. Again, I am blown away by the generosity of the people that I meet here.

I woke up to quite the vicous rainstorm on Wednesday morning. I walked outside to see a one foot puddle forming just outside of the apartment. I spent the day in the yogurt kitchen trying to gather figures that Bob suggested I collect. It took all day, but in the end I was able to pull together a profit and loss statement, trying desperatly to recall all that I learned in Bus. 020 during my first year at UWO. I gave an English lesson in the afternoon then headed home for the evening. Ruben and I were greeted by Mr. Tito, a local artist who was looking to sell some of his work. He came at the perfect time as I was asked to pick up some souvenirs for the children in London who are pen pals with students here in Mwanza. He left with a lot of my money- I can get sucked into buying way too easily.

A truck outside the apartment making way through the shallow end

After building contacts for the past three weeks, I was finally able to begin part one of the research project that I spent the fall semester preparing in Canada. I woke up before sunrise so that I could make it to Starehe in time to see breakfast being prepared. I arrived at the orphanage at 6:30am and spent the morning in the kitchen with the cooks. I am beginning to learn that one of the keys to conducting research is flexibility. I have had to modify my study several times since I have been here due to all of the unforeseens during the planning phase. I spent the day watching how local dishes are prepared. During meal and snack times, I observed 10 children and tried my best to record the exact amounts they were consuming. Sounds like a simple task- but when you are observing a group of two year olds it is quite difficult. I had to account for a lot of food that missed their mouths, adjust portions for those who were eating off others plates, account for those who were consuming second, third and fourth servings etc. I left the orphanage at 7:30pm and did not want to look at food ever again! The end of research day one-and the beginning of at least nine more just like this over the next month! Wow… I was lucky enough to be able to spend a little bit of time playing with the children as well. Lunch and dinner were both prepared in a kitchen outside, so when the kids were in the playground we were able to entertain each other. Sophie, one of the two year girls at Starehe, brought over to me a huge stem of grass. I remembered my elementary school days when my friends and I use to make whistles out of grass. I made the mistake of showing off this skill, and over the course of the next hour was surrounded by over 20 kids shoving grass in my face. I stood up and almost fell over I was so light-headed by the end!

Eagerly watching food being prepared

I spent the morning on Friday at NIMR delivering yogurt and stayed to use the “fast” internet. I left to pick up photocopies of English tests that I dropped off at the copy stand in the morning. After my first week here I learned that prints may take up to three hours, so waiting around is really not a productive option. After the English review and test I brought yogurt to Forever Angels. I had to say goodbye to a few of the little muffins that I have fallen in love with. Two of the boys will be leaving the orphanage to return to their families. Such a happy event, but so sad to endure at the same time! The other orphans have become their brothers and sisters, and the staff have become their family.

Spending some time with Salum before he goes home with his Dad

I spent the evening with some friends watching the sunset over Lake Victoria. We had dinner then went dancing with some local friends that we have made.

I will never, ever get tired of the red African sky!

On Saturday morning I left the apartment at 7:45am with Ruben so that we could make it over to the hospital for 8am. It was his last day of recruitment for his study and I really wanted to learn from the process. It was really interesting to be a part of the day. We went over to NIMR after he had finished collecting samples and we were able to use some of the new equipment in the lab. I learned so much, it was really great finally witness what my textbooks have been explaining over for the past four years! On the walk home I heard a funny noise coming from the bush. I was stopped in my tracks when I looked over to see monkey hunting a frog. Of course, I was without my camera, but it was a site I will never forget. I stood and watched for about 20 minutes. I saw 12 monkeys all within 20 feet or me. They were swinging from the trees and picking bugs from each others coat. So cool! In the evening we climbed the hills on the opposite side of the apartment. We watched the sun disappear into pink clouds and turned around to realize that we were surrounded by a group of kids that lived on the hills. They were all just staring. We greeted them and they stared at us blankly. We walked closer and they ran away laughing. Something about white skin is really exciting for kids here! On the walk down, we were distracted by a huge projection screen. We followed the light and came to an opening between the homes on the hill. In the field was a group of about 200 people watching the movie of Jesus… I never knew he spoke Swahili! The movie was interrupted every 20 or so minutes for a pastor to yell prayers to the crowd. We were guided down the hill by a kind man who realized that we were blind in the dark. Again, a normal random act of kindness in Tanzania.

I spent Sunday morning at Forever Angels. By the time I had returned to the apartment mid-afternoon the temperature had reached a fine fine 30 degrees so we went swimming at the international pool. In the evening, Ruben invited some of his friends over for dinner. We bought fresh tilapia from the market and walked home with two fish the length of my arm for less than $4 Canadian. I am going to be outraged by prices in the supermarkets when I return to Canada!

Some of the Forever Angels. It wouldn’t be any fun to go down the slide one at a time!

The end of wiki nne.