Pole Sana... Tena

I don't mean to neglect posting... but with only two weeks left in this wonderful country I find it painstaking to sit in front of a computer! I promise a double post again next week. Lots of exciting news at this end!
Hope all is well :)

Wiki Kumi na Nne na Kumi na Tano

Weeks 14 and 15 in Mwanza, Tanzania. I know I have been here for quite a while now, because something strange happened this past week. I was sitting at the kitchen with the Yogurt Mama’s one afternoon as they were preparing to share lunch. They cooked a traditional meal of ugali and dagaa. I sat down, prepared my utensils (hands) and enjoyed every bit of what I ate as we shared together in a circle on the floor. Just a few months ago I sat in the same circle, plugging my nose and pretending to chew! It’s funny how your taste can develop for new foods when they’ve been placed in front of you enough times.

Sitting with the Mama’s at the Community Kitchen in Mabatini

Anyway, I’ll move on to “the news of the week”… (Just noticing right now, that I’ve translated a very common Swahili greeting into English!) Over the course of the past two weeks I have been busy conducting interviews with PLWHA in Mabatini and Mahina. With the help of two separate translators I have now had a chance to meet with over 60 people. I have heard 60 different stories and have been given a slight glimpse into over 60 lives. Heavy stuff. Like the girl that I was talking to this past Wednesday. She brought in her son, who I guess to be about four and a half. As we’re talking, I learn that she’s born in the same year as me, her 22 Birthday will be this fall. She learned of her positive status in 2004, and is currently on HAART (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy) from which she has suffered many side effects.

During the first week, time seemed to fly by. I had covered approximately 40 interviews in the span of 3 days. I should have know that was not going to last, for in the past two and a half weeks, I’ve managed to only recruit another 24 participants. I’ve made use of the down time by talking with the people within the community and playing with the children whom are always barefoot outside. I learned how to use an antique sewing machine (the same one that my parents have as a decoration in their home), and how to create the puff sleeve (think 1980’s bridesmaid dress!). It has been a very cool way to experience the city of Mwanza in my last weeks. Being able to spend the day with Mwanza residents, becoming apart of their lives, sharing meals with them, being invited into their homes and using their facilities. This has truly been an opportunity that could never have been bought.

I spent a fair bit of time at City Council again this past week. Finally receiving an offer for the land means that I may pursue other tasks that must be complete in order for construction of the new kitchen to begin. I sat down with Bwana Ngowi, the TASAF coordinator that past interns Meaghan and Alison spent a lot of time with (he says hello ladies) and we drafted up a new application for this years upcoming TASAF grant opportunity.

I also had to make another dreaded trip to the City Council office, as I need to extend my VISA for an extra 10 days to remain legal in the country. What a pain!

Tara and I were able to visit some homes of our local friends as well. We are always made to feel to welcome, this is by far the most endearing quality of Tanzanian culture. Love and friendship built on a foundation of sharing and giving. It’s really special.

Tara, Tatyana and her older sister Cecillia

Over the past two weeks I have been able to get together with Bob and Louisanne, the two Canadians who work with the Shaloom Care Center, a health unit dedicated to working with PLWHA and OVT’s (Orphans and Vulnerable Children). We were able to discuss a number of things including my participation in their children youth center activities and the potential of Shaloom participants participating in the interviews that I am conducting. I spent Saturday afternoon hanging out with a group of nine cooking club members and we used the feature ingredient, probiotic yogurt, in four different recipes. They are a really fun group to work with, as we all try to understand one another by speaking with hand gestures, actions and using only the words that we know in each others language.

Tasting some of the delicious delights

I have spent my usual Friday afternoon and Sunday morning and afternoon with the beauties of Forever Angels. I am so lucky to be able to spend as much time with them as I do. I love getting to know their personalities and watching them grow. I swear, they have all doubled in size since I saw them first in the beginning of January.

Pili, Mwita, Gracie, Dotto and Yunis

As my time dwindles in this beautiful country, I am trying to take in everything that I can. I was able to bring Tara up to Ngezi rock this weekend. We sat down for lunch, spent a few hours watching and listening to the roars of the crowd coming from the soccer game below, marveled in the sites, practiced yoga and fed the 20 monkeys hanging out within reach. It’s a bummer to know I’ll be coming to Canada were squirrels are the most populous wildlife!

Tara and I at Ngezi Rock

Wiki Kumi na Tatu

Ruben and I began the week at the community kitchen in Mabatini as we continued to conduct interviews with People Living with HIV/AIDS who are consuming probiotic yogurt for free. We saw many more men and children this time around, a different population then we interacted with last week. The problems they have are different, but the struggles are the same. We ask one question to try to learn more about individual energy levels. After asking about work status, we probe to find out how many days a week one feels they are able to work. For children, we slightly manipulate the question to find out how many days a week they feel they are able to play. When an eight year old boy claims he can only play less than half of the week, you learn what a robber this virus may be.

Mama’s Sabina, Leah, me, Ruben and Mama Hawa at the kitchen

After conducting our interviews for the day, one of the participants from last week came to meet me at the kitchen. As we spoke last week, she explained to meet that she was responsible for working with street kids in the Mabatini area, and asked me to visit the site with her. She brought me to her office and to the facility where the children meet on a weekly basis. Every Saturday, they have a special day in which they meet to do activities to stimulate learning, cooperation and to harvest a sense of belonging within the community. She showed me their resource center, inappropriately named “resource”. I had the opportunity to meet some of her staff members. They all seem to be amazing people big hearts. They were planning an event for this weekend with the children. I must say, they are the most imaginative, creative people that I have met.

Mabatini

On Tuesday, Ruben and I spent the morning trying to figure out Microsoft Access so that we can begin data entry. We are both the stubborn type A personality with the “I can do it myself” mentality. I clicked around trying to figure out the program for what felt like hours, until I caved and asked the paperclip in the top right hand corner for help. We set up a program then made a few final adjustments to our interview package. In the afternoon, I travelled to Sekuo-Toure hospital to meet with Mama Coroko, the RN assisting Ruben with translations for his study. She is a specialist in STI’s, including HIV/AIDS, and thus she is extremely helpful and knowledgeable. We spent a few hours translating the interview and consent forms.
On Wednesday we spent the day at the kitchen conducting interviews again. In the evening, Ruben, Tara and I were lucky enough to host dinner for the Nurse Mama Coroko and Nurse Mama Flora, both of whom partner with Ruben and assist him with his clinical trial.

Tara, Ruben, Mama’s Coroko and Flora

On Thursday morning, I was finally able to get a hold of the City Planner at City Council. It takes a lot of effort to get a hold of this man. Scheduling meetings seems to be a senseless task as he is a very busy man and is regularly out of the office. Mama Paskwalina and I travelled to his office in order to finally pick up our offer for the land that we bought in mid-February. Again, we were turned away. Until we have the offer in our hands, it is very difficult to begin planning. We need to know the stipulations of the agreement before we are able to build or manipulate the land in anyway. The problem this time around had to do with our stamp. Yes, another stamp problem. The stamp of the Yogurt Mama’s says “Tukwamuane Group”, while their NGO certificate says “Tukwamuane Women’s Group”. Clearly the name was shortened so that it actually could fit on a stamp- but you can imagine the problem this small detail caused. So Mama Paskwalina set out on our way to buy a new stamp.

On Friday morning, we were able to return to pick up our offer. We eagerly waited in line outside of the Planners office for a few hours, than happily picked up the offer. In the afternoon, Mama Paskwalina and I set off to NIMR. Many people at NIMR and in the area of Isamilo are keen on buying probiotic yogurt, as this is an item not found anywhere else in the city. There is a group of women who prepare lunch for the workers in a community kitchen in the backyard of NIMR. They have a fridge in the back for refreshments and it has plenty of space inside. Mama Paskwalina and I have proposed to them that we compensate the women for fridge space and sales and hope to bring yogurt to NIMR twice a week for sale. We are waiting on the nod from the Big Mama in charge, and will know more in the week to come. This is another excellent opportunity for the women to increase their sales and revenue.

In the afternoon I travelled to Forever Angels to deliver yogurt and spend some time with the little sweethearts.

Picha iko wapi??

Sijui!
I have to apologize for the lack of color in this weeks blog... yet again... I have a real lousy internet connection at the moment... am thankful that I was able to at least get the text posted. Will do my best to have it for view by Friday. Pole Sana...kabisa!

Wiki kumi na mbili

To sum the week up lightly, I feel like I have soared on an emotional roller coaster. I learned about some of the struggles of those residing in East Africa, and was given a tiny glimpse into the lives of those people living with HIV/AIDS.

The first days of the week were spent sitting intensely over the computer as Ruben and I peiced together a protocol for a research study we have been outlining over the past few weeks. I will start off by saying, I am so privileged to work with someone who has so much experience working in this country and running clinical trials. He just seemed to instinctively know which questions we could ask to obtain the most useful information in the most unobtrusive ways. His motives are pure, and his efforts honest as he hopes all of the work we complete will directly benefit those who chose to participate. With ethical considerations in the forefront of our minds, we put together an eight page questionnaire in which we hope to learn more about the participants probiotic yogurt and food consumption patterns, social economic status, home life, education level, social stigmas encountered since learning their status to name a few of our parameters.

On Tuesday evening, we had a going away party, jambe drum circle and bonfire for a very good friend that I have made here. Tara and I travelled with Manuela last week and now she has headed home to Germany to begin another semester of school. Waving goodbye to another friend… happens way to often here.

Manuela setting the beat

Firestarter

On Thursday Ruben and I were finally able to go out into the field after a much anticipated wait. We headed to the yogurt kitchen in Mabatini in hopes of travelling to a town called Mahina where a group of 70 PLWHA currently consume probiotic yogurt free of charge. As we patiently waited Ruben and I were able to take part in the morning yogurt production process with Mama’s Shida and Leah, and were able to meet and greet many of their customers. After waiting for a few hours, we realized our escort was not going to arrive so Ruben, with his impeccable Swahili, began chatting with the Yogurt Mama’s and found out that many of the customers who travel to the kitchen on a daily basis have the virus as well. Eventually we had a little code system set in place were Mama Shida would give us a little nod as their customers were walking through the door. Once given that nod of approval, we would begin asking a few questions in hopes of recruiting for participation in our study.

Over the course of the day we met with several people, mostly women, who had been directed to the kitchen from the CTC at the hospital in which they have their blood samples analyzed. Within 15 minutes I sat dumbstruck as I listened to the words these women offered. First, a women who fled her village with 10 others that had fallen extremely ill within the past few months. Upon arrival in the city of Mwanza, she found herself to be the only survivor. She travelled to the hospital to explain her symptoms, severe weight loss, oral canker sores, a scaly rash and aching muscles. She learned that she had progressed to the final stages of AIDS as her CD4 cell count sat at a mere 41. She’s now holding on to life with every last bit of strength in her frail 5 foot 8 inch 37kg frame, finding solace in the fact that she has met warm hearted people in Mwanza who have given her shelter and food, as she carries her only belongings, the clothing on her back. Next, we met a woman who had been widowed just 10 days before. She was holding the hand of her three year old daughter, who also has HIV and is currently fighting a parasitic infection. The little girls belly was bloated to the point where she looked as if she had kwashiorkor, a form of protein energy malnutrition in which the liver enlarges and edema sets in. We presume that she is ravished with worms as she will not eat although her gut feels solid and her lymph glands swollen. Her mother makes a living selling parachichi, avocados, for 300-500 shillings at the bottom of the hill of Mabatini, their only source of income. Thirdly, we met a woman who learned of her HIV status at the beginning of this year. Her husband refuses to be tested as he would rather not know his status than live with the burden of knowing how numbered his days may be. These are the devastations of HIV. Each person we talked to that day had a story to tell. All, eager to participate in our research study, because they claim that their health has improved since they have been consuming probiotic yogurt. All equally eager to help others who are in their shoes as they battle the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Tara and I took motor bikes to yoga that night. Sometimes even the best of class cannot clear the mind of the days work.

Tara racing a dala dala

On Friday morning I went to NIMR before travelling back to the kitchen for English lessons with the Mama’s. As I sat with the women, we talked about how valuable their work is. I was also explaining to them how so impressive their English has become since the summer interns initiated lessons nearly one year ago. We spent a few hours together in the afternoon, then I strapped a bucket of yogurt to my bike and rode off to Forever Angels. I was able to spend some time with the beautiful children, helped to feed them dinner and have a bath, then put them to bed.

On Saturday, Tara and Ruben went to the clinic at Sekuo Toure. I hoped to get some more work done on the computer, but to my dismay, we were without power once again. I packed a bag and headed up to a spot with one of the best views of in the city. I sat for a while and just stared. In front of me lay a stunning view of Lake Victoria, with the white sails up high tugging the fishing boats as they weave through the water. To my right, the bustling city that always seems to be under construction, as Mwanza is prided as the “fastest growing city in East Africa”. Behind me lay the slums on the hills. Homes made of mud and stone with tin roofs held down by heavy rocks. No windows, no doors. I learned from the women Ruben and I were talking to at the kitchen that it is quite usual for 10 families to share a single pit in the ground for a toilet, and where the only source of water is skimmed from the surface of the ground after it rains, or carried up the hills from the lake. To my left lay Capri Point, the “Beverly Hills” of Mwanza. As I sit my mind became void of thought then trailed as I tried to think of where I fit. After awhile, I got up to stretch, then sat down to write some cards for my family members and friends back home, then buried myself in a good book.

That evening I talked to my sister on the phone. It was so good to hear her voice as this was the first time we had spoke in over a month. In Mwanza I see how important and close family members are to one another. The social safety net of extended family often keeps me afloat in tough times. It often makes me miss home a lot, while at the same time, makes me so thankful to have found such stimulating, genuine friends here.

On Sunday morning Tara and I headed to Forever Angels. We spent the majority of the afternoon with the kids. Every time I looked over at Tara the grin on her face fit right in with that of the children she was surrounded by. Tara spent some time talking with the some of the long term volunteers at the orphanage and was able to learn more about the facilities. She was also able to hear some of the stories of the children at the baby home. I took her over to the wall of pictures which shows each infant or toddler upon their arrival at their new and hopefully temporary home. I am going to post a link to the Forever Angles website on my blog for those who are interested in more information. Below I have borrowed a picture from Tara’s collection.

Tara taking Seba for a spin

Omari and me, such a little muffin

Farmer Yunis, tugging her truck after a hard days work!

Some powerful Before and After snapshots