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.