tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997652326812988912024-02-21T13:22:10.482+03:00STEPHANIE HEADS EASTA reflection of my experience as a volunteer intern with Western Heads East, the University of Western Ontario community response to the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-10970328399595389812008-05-06T14:08:00.007+03:002008-06-16T23:55:49.499+03:00Wiki Kumi na Sita na Kumi na Saba<div align="left">The past two weeks…. Let me see, how well I can sum everything up into a few paragraphs.<br /><br />We are finally making progress with the land purchase for the Yogurt Mamas. After being given the offer, I was able to schedule a meeting with the TASAF coordinator to revisit grant opportunities. I sat down with Mr. Ngowi and we began to re-write applications and develop purposed timelines. The next day, Mama Paskwalina and I travelled back to city council and were given the names of the street leaders in Nyamhongolo so that we could attain approval for the new kitchen within the community. We have plans to go visit the land this coming week.<br /><br />At NIMR, Tara and Ruben both gave seminars to the staff and they explained the premise of probiotics for those with HIV/AIDS. They both described what they are researching here in Tanzania and took the time to answer the questions of those in the room. Mamas Paskwalina and Elizabeth both attended, and because the presentation was conducted in English, I was able to bring the translator that I am working with along. Tara and Ruben gave a second seminar, and with the help of Deo, they were able to explain all of these concepts to the Mamas, and reiterate the importance of their work for the people of Mwanza.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197245677797341330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1w7zOz1ihmWVfgO3B63jPclHReEcMcWe6-c_qEl1V-Q-sfHcvJo8hnZl7cek3ZdiD3DwfnKqeLQbedAUpS08Lou0m7pWNcm-0iJmkxaLdrV_GJZmLaO0mkhp3ZyD2LmcoCaTu5DmEBBc/s320/Picture+2139.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center">Ruben presenting his clinical trial to the Mamas at NIMR</div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">After working within the community of Mahina over the course of three weeks, I have finished interviewing everyone who is willing to participate in the Probiotic Yogurt Cohort study. I have currently visited with 112 people over the past month and a half within Mahina and Mabatini. This past week, I was also able to gain approval from the Shaloom Health Center, so I will be conducting interviews there for 3-4 days next week. It is going to be really interesting to see the results and note the differences between those who consume probiotics a few times a week, everyday, or not at all. I’ll be sure to post results once analyzed.<br /></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197225371191965666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRm-EvRFTzMjkrOskMw-EA70wjEDEJyJ3nXseFmhYuRDl_9gHlvMOVDPqMlI1FZRsGxGahyphenhyphend9iWYd7o_GNdi72GBY6893fmcHtKBPxNXirz2YnTaMsFF8tzTzfpS524UxI-R9SOTpVQE/s320/Picture+004.jpg" border="0" />Collecting soda bottle caps, Mahina</div><div align="center"><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197230134310696978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaIm3qJnrkREidHtKf1jAItLP8ZCwVMRHZSmw4qS13Rd7b1Jy8v4r4rS7C4ujSDNNcu-ASdnfF8XjL-gA1DJHwS7sdtGALMbJSHJCuBTLqnBBbnKTGd8Z_unHXwbGOkqV123QixgZ2H8/s320/Picture+090.jpg" border="0" />Sleeping Beauty having her hair braided, Mahina<br /></div><div align="left">I was able help to greet a few newcomers to Tanzania as well, Ruben’s cousin and her friend. They are recent graduates form a nursing program in the Netherlands and they are going to be working at the Bugundo Medical Center here in Mwanza for three months. It’s great to watch the excitement on Ruben’s face when he speaks Dutch, and having them all point and laugh at Tara and I as we try to join in. Tara and I were also lucky enough to have a friend, Beatrice, show us around the Bugando. Beatrice is an OB/GYN from Cornell in New York City. She arrived in Mwanza in August ’07 and will be working here in Tanzania for a total of two years. I am so impressed with how she has been able to adapt her practice to meet the needs of those she works with, and also how creative she is with the lack of equipment and personnel on her floor. She showed us the Maternity ward. First we looked at the room for normal births, were there are 4-6 beds and the women give birth behind a curtain, or in the open. Then she took us to view the space made available for complicated and obstructed births. I was blown away by all of their recourses such as fetal monitoring equipment which you can see in the picture below. </div><div align="center"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197230138605664290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFBtEm_gjRT8JUYsHlWxh_6ufcjc9wPOGcgz4tKRAFBdwILSm4XVWCRSPp5l0WKnL9rCBH4yGCMO2-7LZ71hyphenhyphenyRXeipJ2Fwy1R8b4RuWg8KmKHlP0ZzjHl1BT8KDYSWw0jESBafpdG_s/s320/Picture+092.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">Maternity ward for complicated births at BMC<br /><br />Ruben, Margret and Ruben’s cousin Ottalyn </p><p align="left">The weekend also marked Tara’s last week in Mwanza, so Lauren, Tara and I went on a picnic to marvel the phenomenal views of Mwanza. Tara and I spent the day morning at Forever Angels and in the afternoon the three of us met up to climb the stone path to Dancing Rock. That evening, Ruben, Tara and I went to a BBQ hosted by some more of his fellow Hollanders.<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197230125720762370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_m_sNiK-rTjRk1Ro3xxGbIMka3gZom3EouUNpcix9kNmgelk-Z5tHnj5q4clKD8VStCKBuIWSvwGm1Y3N0weRhxqPgMVayun1acQu2NuWI4eTObYCGGh5yD0hkQ4M8Le1Pztie4br4M/s320/Picture+084.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">View from Dancing Rock<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197245690682243234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20OW8sEEOaOv6votgtFOVuwtRdoIvBThrx4NJYnmkqS4iaI2DWPZHJYBGuphCubRJRfMDohemNDlX-Syi7Yt6WZsaQDnFsvQK7QFN1G4NHOJiPQow-ZWnZoSGQANH9Wh142bO3N-WdSc/s320/Picture+2155.jpg" border="0" /></p><div align="center">Roomies<br /></div><br />For the past month, our regular yoga instructor, Jenny, has been away and graciously asked me to teach yoga until her return. The class is a wonderful mix of expats from around the world, local school children, Tanzanian women and often times some tourists as well. Tara snapped a few shots for us as she had to sit out to fight another bout of malaria.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197234270364203090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMfUsxtYEUu96LDbXypAhzS1mhIR4X1vOBM8RRmmubSmplcv_CjEC2Ln9DTn5dfnCMf0j-SIabnrPCuY1QhlVIeJg1gVEVRytEr8ed67JywQ3bs1xiYU2VbMvrHiWbdlrLeYQbBOI0UPc/s320/Picture+145.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">Warrior 2 to the waves and into the sunset </p><p align="left">I spent the day on Tuesday night and all day on Wednesday preparing for Tara, Ruben and I to host the 10 Yogurt Mamas for dinner. It was incredible to have them all over, dressed up in their beautiful traditional dresses made of colorful kitanga fabrics. The power went out mid dinner, and the atmosphere brightened by the flames of the candles. We were all laughing and eventually the evening turned into a dance party sparked by a friendly donation from past intern Cynthia. The women all sang and cheered, and Ruben set the beat on the jambe.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197241176671615074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRNcdnvQPh6sA00fJ8DJ4PIu_EcrCOjLXLI-wNQMnd23skbnZ3Rd-99WmflEjAWZTYCaWWBC0k0fNP6Oj2rAH9q5h9jOrrFjGj1Bxg1wDrbr5oTmFQ3KIYhX94JTdeoDqQn44FJsJJMI/s320/Picture+201.jpg" border="0" /></p><div align="center">Matunda dessert for Mamas<br /></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197245694977210546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9LRSHHe6kauPdKwOMq7zvL6ztO7HCouvzu8TAhwf_gUUodO5u5sOFGBLLx5vMegsnJIF5p6JDyMCP_0XiutYa_0Jxo6V9TdbK0A-SbzDAPwulfz_LfIPljP4RjSO_BOQly90B57Ns8s/s320/Picture+2314.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">Mama’s sending a Thank you song to Cynthia </p><p align="left">I did a bit of travelling around the city on the mission to visit two specific places. First, I went to a primary school in Buswelu where a grade five students send letters, pictures and crafts back and forth with the Tucemseh Primary School in London. Tucemseh also has been able to donate funds to build desks for the students of Buswelu as well. There are 1202 students, 24 teachers and 9 classrooms on the premises. Many of the students have to sit on the floors. The only medium for teaching is a chalk board at the front of the room. </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197225362602031058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuUk_kXnTMhqjTSxiuU3yZ695DoFxMoUCY1wIg-JxVqRgorOWV9TaoFRTCbpDrbxbS4UqOygVXy7ajBU0pHsEYILP-8OiWYkwUCVoHZOyif3ejDAo5qa36JblmC7vwyH7r8ryVpUeiM8/s320/Picture+002.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">Standard 5 at Buswelu Primary School </p><p align="left">Secondly, I went to “Zimma Moto”, the Mwanza Regional Fire Department. Here are a few more numbers for you to put into context. Two fire trucks, 21 staff members (this includes the whole hierarchy), five bunger gear suits, two fire hoses and a very, very impressive operator switch board to serve nearly one million residing in Mwanza. The firefighters were thrilled that I was able to bring them a small gift donated by the Bradford Fire Department. </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197234257479301170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizglWxN9_bqMymqrTN5oUZCsrjljAoIwJlTUJPupgtDguF-zUisM4JFLR5IMAaoZN_TFfJrFZiuicy028ZEWc9tUEoAOX_UyASlb68fiEgOGXcYVzaGMY14s6lX93Q75WMEOzYXQ6kY04/s320/Picture+096.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">Control Board at the Mwanza Regional Fire Department<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197234266069235778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8T1l3jnvFftxPMMep9WvAKIrXzR8P73bLCqmwy6jgDvwHXcKqflhTrghfeTqjw9FwaLaeRRC-E6zATBPEdyBOYpsz97j3-7-1k6r8WfTzwSRjUXQC_mlmJL29LGRjUJBCfDMJKm_qbA/s320/Picture+097.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center">Equipment room at Zimma Moto<br /></div><br />On Friday, Tara’s last full day in Mwanza, we all met up at the Community Kitchen in Mabatini where the Mamas threw a going away event for Tara. Again, there was a lot of food, singing, dancing and a few tears from Tara. The next morning, Mama Joyce, Tatyana, Salame and I saw Tara off at the airport and she began her two day journey back to home turf.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197225384076867570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmnh0jpSWLh8DWKtf4TK7IByiW9igh8jKF4FzOL-DrP9pXGKDEfXi5KA1xexN0DBIguzFFY45V2U4iJf-zBieTxHby2bwZnBdrM1gCtioR9FYf0HhZQV5jtmZmmwwawRx6Xxq54VSFj7w/s320/Picture+075.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p align="center">Mamas Goodbye Party for Tara<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197241185261549682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMETs5xsqrVb7c2snGkJ6q9uvJr4raFaKmsbxab7SyikQvFHoMf-0EXP-KM_tIOEzgiJ3iuUI4pG0jqGT9ICw29Ujo1bWqLOUURDgEpkZkA7uPNSsy1huWt8Wg_9YuZ1Wz3WAAzC1ElHQ/s320/Picture+229.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">Tatyana giving Tara a hand before her flight home to Canada </div><br /><br />That evening, the eighties were revisited for yet another going away party. Our good friend Amy will be returning to the UK after her seven month stay. As sad as it is for me to admit, I next farewell will be mine… only 9 days left for me Mwanza…Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-79899673244567178382008-04-29T20:32:00.002+03:002008-04-29T20:34:35.090+03:00Pole Sana... TenaI 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!<br />Hope all is well :)Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-41655993082019646532008-04-21T20:24:00.003+03:002008-04-21T20:55:22.620+03:00Wiki Kumi na Nne na Kumi na Tano<div align="left">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. </div><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191755716011398402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSf9NBNdD386XP3zzf4lPlxMYzK5LPjM4sqzRBDSVvB7gKqx8ueav1OQlrlDT2CxNZAIwNnK9xlzG-BxltK38WLE4zpgtqzVaRfX44kkECzEv8uEUoql7lU4byC6HRQ-EYsuUBmX0Cgo/s320/100_1340.JPG" border="0" /></p><div align="center">Sitting with the Mama’s at the Community Kitchen in Mabatini<br /></div><div align="left">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.<br /><br />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. </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191752713829258434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYptKDvq1ASxqNiUlMqB1V16fogtQVWXMdWJcLNjz6Mz_hPGpWiZay1-7iuHtbr7wospKjIM9bzFuYXd3OhmTT9sIHtsFk93ZCCbYwILfj6MWcE3Cz54ZCCutXZQn9NgUtmSOZIt5g5as/s320/100_1320.JPG" border="0" /><br />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.<br /><br />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!<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191752722419193042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHUbnlSfNhhBS8cJvefazRMiYvjE31ipbKbpkHux8DI_zYyaB9EJZniKOkXHcDnCSREzqfQF6c_3MqxRpz3LCkeIsOqt7QMmTHnbNhpVZmpLs56VjE_UtVQI8zaUqJ2VTbkgeqgKgaoA/s320/100_1335.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"> Tara, Tatyana and her older sister Cecillia </p><p align="left">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. </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191757867790013730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9TqjqIFB2W95qoyvACUEpJFPUWc764zF2EBEpWyuGffIiVQdv3K39QWOQH_59dCidUfKx7BWZCWMrsueV8jWgphh2x-NrL5uUHFTlleraHv6OenH1-LGAGG7UeO_Hr9DM_B-CtmCmPk/s320/Picture+2011.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">Tasting some of the delicious delights </p><p align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191755724601333010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9M4ot2j3CP_SUbawyEXxF7A8leshjzDtDf0G23wUZhjmuFAq7Tn03vfDXKMh6vNAXc_Ygm5RIyD6NblEgEe09OmteASVwyVRsJa2uJljpg6bGLxd0wDL99ktDLoBkvpKq9fB6mozF5M/s320/Picture+1812.jpg" border="0" />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. </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191757872084981042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-VF8BVOFR96tJyXaRdo0ZQ8SdmBXE0Egf75RrgBUbsjBmCDwokVIlQzo-oBNHtAIJrE7L8l1JShsJ2RPelSjg9BnD3ByWD-T00hfQxo_VaGpTSg1m9JgmoKHJyMBYXCA9culELqEwP4/s320/Picture+1999.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">Pili, Mwita, Gracie, Dotto and Yunis </p><p>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!<br /><br /></p><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191753873470428402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzfC3OjKcOX3xR9riy3qdon3WGUAxxDc2hvJNa6xKU2GOLT6XTaOldtxnDdc8RMc3DZiE7X7dGXgsoZbsxYSZo9Is97F1NZUXzmN1TKdhslBdGKUZtNUGb7PP2u9r-cE_5GLiXia9TBA/s320/Picture+2020.jpg" border="0" /><br />Tara and I at Ngezi Rock</div><br /><div align="left"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191753864880493794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1S7hBDGnim3A9zRiRqAcitZ4yu1MAVqn-Y7kJtx6yoM7f3Ek26hxx-pQCpWhVwwZZpDfX6Y8ggpV5wVjdEFHPwqKORG5QXBxISFEJdTKNWu0-uUYvC9C07t1AU_IH-n49StkQAHuIR60/s320/Picture+2056.jpg" border="0" />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-31034759226536817672008-04-08T10:12:00.005+03:002008-04-08T10:39:04.900+03:00Wiki Kumi na Tatu<div><div>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. </div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186771712861649970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpb5myT1hpzsIymO7sSdYROFGC0hyphenhyphentSDtHpfcD_sJWc68PfX-1st-2P3mXA4pS9_pBct4RAAki1w_UPABbODEwfsLaUL8WCBRb3yBXpKMwWiVJTcW64YjsIaE7Ge2yyJvfNHueNLexrSk/s320/Week+1+047.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center">Mama’s Sabina, Leah, me, Ruben and Mama Hawa at the kitchen</div><br /><div>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. </div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186774392921242706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOAEZ0pwPCNoH5IcUbCc2VZPJR8K2nyZQg6e33vy4b8m8VoJsBstgI5uqqHPdOjkrOogaDZdYuAkUo3yehFDNUYeEGyqPGqYb1TpikOymJYGDaDz7SfIagaXdo98d8EYTSd06Dkoxj_Rc/s320/Week+1+053.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center">Mabatini</div><br /><div>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.<br />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.<br /></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186771717156617282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBIdIAWgYfTn7ECtbe-2CIbtBy75KO_cQ05fUlfLPDf-y7xz8vyxHfm18kUpnT1mf-72z6KKd3r78d0Rsihgkx4UKrQMmbxWNgLpEzwHLBMT3SwL1DAhWd08JCqnUelVDlJvxQaCTNV8/s320/DSCI0512.JPG" border="0" /> <div align="center">Tara, Ruben, Mama’s Coroko and Flora</div><br /><div>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.</div><div><br />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.<br /></div><div>In the afternoon I travelled to Forever Angels to deliver yogurt and spend some time with the little sweethearts. </div></div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-9635576776081544832008-04-01T20:59:00.002+03:002008-04-04T11:24:20.985+03:00Picha iko wapi??Sijui!<br />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!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-85244992906485588942008-04-01T20:10:00.006+03:002008-04-04T12:45:54.871+03:00Wiki kumi na mbili<div align="left">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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185312132650613714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLZQI31A7NOBYV3xaAt7HWqfnvRwiwGxvG7gYiBNN7yivkHk0_MelC7EwgnKAX2mqsPQiaR3-hKQbFGNVJxnMzWM1CGeqRw7n5M4LNEdx41AHJGzUO0jqizkhjk5m2s5U2vkJiwNNi40/s320/Tanzania+Week+3+018.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"> Manuela setting the beat<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185312124060679106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JGr2rqpl6MASg6YDVSRioA9opfJzfQXyo6kgWQXydxGvk-FJh3uDL4Djw5_uztHSbFSjazZnxKXDjMJgjYJy-XOt0cxZPI93lJPU1OSWrZubK0_3vJsgjti9hvIi5An5OMbZE5fp3Pk/s320/tanzania+week+3+013+(2).jpg" border="0" /><br /><p align="center">Firestarter<br /><br /></p><div align="left">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.<br /><br />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.<br />Tara and I took motor bikes to yoga that night. Sometimes even the best of class cannot clear the mind of the days work.<br /></div><br /><div align="left"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184348883155270578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-23a82zIDW7gWVCQ8XNgN2yhwyng03nwx2Wiibtjhue5MYcUwa69Gu9i6tIFDVgbEB3v_hmN2na3dtuDWKCyAoB4fVsbhT1xjp2-CKfHivxzjxkkbvYXrboWOxCw4aLXBXjMKO-FOzE/s320/DSCI0463.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p align="center">Tara racing a dala dala </p><p align="left">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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185312141240548322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqV_TdxOUVKaqrhjyNd8MDLqUasN2Ltww5cFQ9dZeQRGfF6HHqQi8n_YmqGQZZ9AMV_fLM4vw15N3lCpHAA0pS4bs5yHNcgmyj6JCFGpmfzhLFWsOhjUR-nWkRsGUWGUp-BQfK1tWn_Js/s320/Tanzania+Week+4+065.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p align="center">Tara taking Seba for a spin<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185321087657425906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWYQ8ORW2PV0_bgOEjOZyg-4MLP6G2plyEp8MpDzqf4i2MVq0B7Ke9PmA8n_RcquW6GOtg2ReylmeN49Ajvt3QnRTMB8P8D5jp5EDXn_kFXZ-QyortSx_fWYVcafBfmfQr4JCJEa2JN4/s320/Tanzania+Week+4+053.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"> Omari and me, such a little muffin<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185323376874994722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8FMaqQTN_K2Ufd9fFlu-ecQ4TadwXOC_AmOXzg53qzaZzrtVzG7WQ34KrN6B3APqu5wN7Atm_UN13HWjCLe03XnPMnvynVpoSx-4FaffYsBNYcKgbCrHoEgB8JN4EetfRePNmTgQiro/s320/Tanzania+Week+4+077.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">Farmer Yunis, tugging her truck after a hard days work!<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185321096247360514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnkNTGUQDAb9R4RGhe8UnzrAjpoABJrFn18qMqWGDKX-2V5d219ffS6ZM3QXrXP8HGV7Mmmg7FwPe4bkQUKFyTvyjm8q_h7XqiVTc56Tq0KPpIFJnrak_WndFK7gdnP-PaX1aQGV1fgI/s320/Tanzania+Week+4+130.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p align="center">Some powerful Before and After snapshots</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185321104837295122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Hlxrg4HkYtvZ3F1EsOzEIsNl0PTx_EpOt9ypzFwilA-KecRE5ybe14NVjbcN1G41Ogzp5_G3BoPrrc1X823qJWjV03eAaWZ3MuBBUuA_szQQz4fnl5jQvnrfvgK4URip54U8sZcE6Uk/s320/Tanzania+Week+4+133.jpg" border="0" />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-84923058029492139502008-03-25T11:42:00.003+03:002008-03-25T12:52:58.151+03:00Wiki Kumi na MojaWeek 11- wow, for the slow pace in Tanzania, time just flies! Tara and I were talking over dinner last night, mystified by the fact that she has already been in Tanzania for three weeks, and I am nearing three months.<br /><br />I realize just how precious each moment of my time is here as I see off friends who are flying home to their own countries, receive emails from past interns wishing they were in Tanzania, and open emails from future interns who are counting down the days until their arrival.<br />After returning from the vacation we took last week, Tara and I were busy picking up where we had left off the week before. We traveled to NIMR to empty our email inbox and talk with those who are in charge of probiotics at the lab. I spent the rest of the week with the Yogurt Mama's going over English lessons and discussing health and safety issues in the kitchen in hopes of reinforcing the importance of food safety practices that are suitable for a clinical based project.<br /><br />The city basically shut down for the Easter holiday long weekend and the Muslim holiday that took place on Thursday. The Yogurt Mama's invited me to go to church with them in Mabatini on Sunday. I arrived at 8am and stayed for the first service with four of the Mama's. As we were leaving around 10:30am, Eva, the 14 year old daughter of one of the Yogurt Mama's grabbed my hand and took me around the building to proudly introduce me to her older brother. He was Jesus in a skit performed by the high school students depicting the Last Supper through to the resurrection of Jesus. Afterwards, Eva brought me back to church where the community members were signing songs and dancing and I ended up staying for a second service. I arrived home around 2pm, after hearing the names "Mungu" and "Yesu" (God and Jesus) more then I had in the past five years! I am floored by the faith of the people that I have met during my time here, by far the most dedicated religious follower I have ever encountered.<br /><br />Tara and I were invited to the home of Ruge, a Kivulini employee, for Easter Lunch. We were given a tour of his home on Bugando hill and were introduced to his forty chickens. They shared a delicious meal... of chicken... with us and welcomed us with such warm hospitality.<br /><br />I planned on taking full advantage of the city closure by catching up on data input for my research studies. Unfortunately, we had two and a half days with no electricity, which made it impossible to work on my computer. Ruben was away for the weekend, so Tara and I spent some time on the weekend writing greeting cards home by candlelight.<br /><br />We were able to get our power back yesterday, so we spent the day putting together tasks for this week and continuing the task of data entry. Mid afternoon I received a text message from our yoga teacher delivering the news that she had malaria, and asked me to take over the class. I was so excited to be given the opportunity to teach! I led my first official class on the beach, facing a group of students rather than having my normal view out onto the Lake. It was very invigorating and I am looking forward to taking classes to become a certified instructor when I return to Canada.<br /><br />Now, as I write, I look forward to a hard week of work! Until next week, Namaste.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-53781735735008296782008-03-20T09:58:00.009+03:002008-03-20T11:43:14.319+03:00Wiki Tisa na Wiki Kumi<div align="left">Wow, where to begin. The past two and a half weeks have been full of fun and excitement. I will begin with the arrival of the newest Western Heads East intern, Tara. Ruben and I were lucky enough to find her at the airport with a big smile on her face, and all geared up to experience life in Tanzania. It was so exciting to watch someone new take in all of the sights, sounds and smells for the first time. As Ruben and I sat in the back seat on the drive home we pointed out a few of the spots we frequent and watched Tara marvel and snap photos. It reminded me just how lucky we are to be apart of such a unique learning experience. </div><div align="left"><br />Over the next week Ruben and I were busy showing Tara around. We went for a mini tour of the city so that Tara could begin to establish her barrings. I was pointing out things left, right and center, forgetting just how much it is to take in, in just a few days. We went to NIMR to greet all of the scientists that she will have the opportunity to work with, and took some time to write emails home to Canada and send the good news of Tara’s safe arrival. During this time, I was reminded of the frailty of our human existence. I opened an email to learn that a good friend, Christopher Shannon, was hit by a truck on his way home from work and died shortly after. After learning this news I was devastated. A good friend, only a few years older then myself has been lost forever. As my mind raced it landed on a statistic from our WHE campaign in the fall. Everyday 8000 people in Africa die from the complications of HIV. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that people are losing dear friends and family members in such high numbers. Feeling the pain of losing just one good friend really puts things into perspective.</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179718070891559650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpe8N32zptvsU0exDFtVrYygJuP1117q5j4clDeJoHTNGm9cupGvvbh3YnXxZO9cWQTtovJhoX-S3pgubQv9MkWaYPkv6JPz7kO2B6ceWgwyXnSOIpRjMJEPWFjx7nXbeH2H4sV8HxEE/s320/Picture+934.jpg" border="0" />Chris, your music will live on forever,<br />all that I’ve learned from you will never be forgotten<br />Peacefully rest</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">Ruben and I brought Tara to Mabatini to greet the Yogurt Mama’s as well. They welcomed her with many “karibu’s” (welcome) and had warm hugs waiting for her. We were giving an invitation for lunch at the home of Mama Asha as well. We helped cook a delicious meal of local favorites and sat in a circle sharing rice, plantains, spinach and fruit. Tara was also treated to her first Mwanza spa treatment as we had our eyebrows penciled in by Mama Asha and her sister. One of the luxuries that many of the past interns have been exposed to!</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179718079481494258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9S_kjykpeaZ6s5qjies2oFqhC1EPg7iOBST0K4h49ebF0kEAMy-1ty2Tk6lD2nQ7gycSdtsUYpYDolB5Y8CeyFQPLoZPaZJdlTonFaLKV1o872TJeHbSCacR8mNA7erLaOnNjhusCwM/s320/Picture+1106.jpg" border="0" />Tara and the women of the house at Mama Asha’s</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">After overloading Tara with places, names and faces, she and I travelled for “reading week” with a friend across the country by train. We were all able to appreciate the gorgeous scenery during the 51 hour ride to Dar es Salaam. We bumped through boulder mountains, speed across open plains and wove through baoboa and palm trees as we inched our way to the salty airs of the Indian ocean. </div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179718088071428882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8c02DTEoB39Ko7QOM3GRLrcifEkkSy_q7YftBECQHGcnO30PbUwKDQuYR8yaVJb2OBV_EacE4__ksTqa3naqpf6F2fF70zE940hGDq54xY1eeP6cOL9OVW5vQE-seAntX5UBrx-Mjrvo/s320/Picture+1163.jpg" border="0" /><em>Speed rail<br /></em><br /></div><div align="center"><em></em><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179718083776461570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhkU8HsUVUnABKYy9NkoP02XCjc-EFcHnBSH90hmciezNW7MdP0YSEwR-fXJTqXKdt8M2O5_4Sv4y_Qs6-YWqtghhWUnt5EKpFOYSr8M-j9oPGtFu6pjuUwbzclIdS7Xv_PK7oUMY8Ag/s320/Picture+1145.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">We spent an evening in Dar then began our excursion to the Morogoro district in sight of the Selous Game Reserve in Southern Tanzania. Once the hydro poles ceased, the only sign of life was the stream of smoke arising from food as it cooked over open fire in the small villages. The homes were formed of rugged stones and sticks as foundation, bright red clay walls and were topped with thatched roofs made of the leaves of palms. Children were running along side our 4x4 laughing and singing. Monkeys dodged in front of our car and every once in a while you could spot the Rufiji River peacefully babbling along. The 250km drive took nearly seven hours, five of which were off road. We arrived at our campsite to see the sun set into a pink and purple sky across the river and rested under the stars, the only light for miles. Right outside of our tent we could hear the grunts and moans of hippopotami in the river. We woke up early so that we could begin our boat tour and watch the sunrise over the bush from the river. We saw the most brilliant blues, yellows and reds as the river birds flew by.<br /></div><div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179724599241849634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwfkECitDnX_UhyphenhyphenRtemR6MhrwzyKx5HAAq9CuYOPnOOxs3PUTOSmfK49dOZz7p1mOrIk6kBtIx0XbHyj66nJlrJOI2qqxDTTkJYiCP7-uU_WhdLXJrqJnbi-ZkmBTzAcsh9g2U4FOyrE/s320/Picture+1251.jpg" border="0" /><br />We went back to the camp for breakfast then headed out to cruise the land. Seconds after we entered the park we were next to a herd of giraffes. We wound along the road as the only car in sight and spotted animals all day. We even ran into a family of baboons, babies riding on their mama’s back. The best part about the reserve is that its ecosystem is largely untouched miombo woodland and untrammeled bush. The only sounds were of dry heat blowing through the trees, the songs of the birds overhead and the hooves of antelope and gazelle racing by. The atmosphere was unlike anything I had ever imagined.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179724607831784242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwVOG1Ku50oPFqpm3z5tjIjxNomFK92IcQ0ZD33i5eUXgNWWgLZAG0RCSW-n_mhGyq-fXz4Md0vIuYMGR8FJ65Ugv75EmLcMF7K9_eDCspAdWQ0zJvgizT5XdyESN0mnCu7ylG2Y7Wgo/s320/Picture+1278.jpg" border="0" />For Kelly, the RD to be!!</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179734975882836882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrs00f-wWrRkd84tYmJSI2Ho4bn4NKNyrmpkSfsETollT57iQa0k7La7KCSeMES_YnYF3sEPMNvDoanaSMJikUnFr1I5ILnmsYkpQxP3yHfBrtGlVUvq1479kA7znyafuGp6yt5y8Lt4g/s320/Picture+1326.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">Mom and Dad,<br />A reminder of all the years you had to lug me around<br /><br /></p><div align="left">After our safari we headed back to Dar to sleep for a few hours before catching a ferry to Zanzibar. With nothing but the ocean ahead the three of us sat with the wind blowing through our hair in pure ecstasy. As the island came into view so did several bow fishing boats. We peered into the crystal clear water to see coral reefs and could see the idyllic turquoise coast line as it neared. We spent the day wondering through Stone Town and were able to impress many of the locals as we were among the only tourists who could converse in Kiswahili. We met a friend from Mwanza who drove us across the island where we swam with Sea Turtles and floated in the ocean as the sunset. It was paradise. </div><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179724612126751554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-wABoSgXrp0SLrNefHG2_wKrqc6xJ7lOyxfoW36Rr1XD_7Dgz9w7s5waoWVH8h0rfofp5_DDzT5WeBEom0jy-y27LOO9wxZ718xocwVtA7WrqpvxDlYfpEW_4fVW8OKgOaBfC7XYINQ/s320/Picture+1347.jpg" border="0" />Glad to know the fishing boats are sturdier on the ocean<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179724616421718866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Z_ihhJgBuFQaHEB3cOnH9YcZQxBLsH-_SZOhAq5CkgRTcNu8iGWWkmjA4JYytOVlXXqMETOPVmXamNlbKjqsutgGJ82YMVLuVGyRcC7R3qka9On7TC5x-lq4AiTWpuSaFuuh0vXPc8o/s320/Picture+1373.jpg" border="0" />Tara with Leonardo and Raphael,<br />Michelangelo swimming up from behind</p><div align="left">We spent two days making friends with the Massai Warriors on the beach and relaxing on the powdered sand. We played beach volleyball, went snorkeling and ate the most deliciously fresh seafood. I’m so glad I was able to share the experience with two people who appreciated the land so much. We spent the next two and half days fighting to get back to Mwanza. We missed the ferry and watched it float away knowing that it caused us to miss our bus that evening. We were lucky enough to stay the night with a friend in Dar and made the two day bus ride back. Now, we are back safe and sound in Mwanza and ready to work! It was a week I will never forget and an amazing way to recharge the internal battery.<br /></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179730092505021282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfdw4xP0ZY6gd00onozqx_f4g2VNh6Ufx-Qt_BUExmsthpJgLtV6ca9ct22B1cMQr1xXcxaI9eY3JWwpCjhx2DozjoDWChkbBFH5HlIzxo1JxtkXqnDVAe4fdm9d17qFfvjSIzlwqJx2U/s320/Picture+1406.jpg" border="0" /> Massai<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179730096799988594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkdsFLrIOU1JuP1hlIVaBMFjN6L7uPvdaCbVPap-ryPaMfGo7N1tFv3l8FdaB7FTdKjWckB3aanYWukPdpu_cFixnoXquIuMBTr7scgNJmK3EV7hSaLQo8IZPkT6F-e2L9wbiOK-_Tz0/s320/Picture+1414.jpg" border="0" />Fun in the sun<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179730101094955906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKND6ZWeiwWKMwNj84JdC_pkXxocLifgCqXrTXT7gZmm8rbASadzfWRzloNbDZHXX2nfpOZCtYFW7H9mf8KLyqC4QerydXkJkiKFp7egaCLj3_KGcOyqI1qecDNfonDZnS-kRESrq9dg/s320/Picture+1422.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">Playing the part of the Sun Goddess!<br /><br /></p><p align="left">And now back to reality for my last next two months in Mwanza.<br /></p>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-27195640075859307422008-03-06T15:30:00.002+03:002008-03-06T15:33:44.601+03:00Wiki Tisa na Wiki KumiI will be away for a few days next week and will be unable to make a posting.<br />Ruben and I found Tara at the airport (luggage and all!) on Tuesday and will be taking a few days to travel around Tanzania by train.<br />I will post for two weeks when we return.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-74507323767231493172008-03-04T08:52:00.004+03:002008-03-04T09:21:49.209+03:00Wiki Nane<div align="left">I began the week with a meeting a Kivulini to discuss the major events for the month of February. Masele and I sipped chai and revisited the task of creating an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved in the WHE project. It seems like a simple task, but when you consider the vast background of the partners it becomes quite difficult to draws lines. A Women’s Rights Organization, a Medical Research Institute, a Canadian University and a group of 12 Tanzanian Women- you can imagine how often our ideals clash. Surprisingly enough, it seems to work as we all do share common goals at the end of the day. </div><div align="left"><br />I’ll entertain you with my Monday afternoon tale, the story of the stamp. During my eighth attempt at the immigration office for my Visa renewal, I was given the final task in order to complete the Mwanza cross-city scavenger hunt. I arrived at the office around 12:30pm and was set off on my stamp mission. I returned about 20 minutes later to an office that was closed for the lunch hour. I returned at 2pm to deliver my trophy- two 400Tsh stamps… only to be told that I needed one 500Tsh stamp. I smiled and nodded, realizing that any old stamp would be far too simple to find, and ventured off to find the “right” stamp. Another 20 minutes later I proudly walked in with my 500Tsh stamp, so excited to know that I had completed my task -only to be told that I had to go to the Tanzanian Revenue Agency to buy a specific 500Tsh stamp. I couldn’t help but to laugh and muster the words “you’ve got to be kidding me”. He pointed to his watch to remind me that I had only half an hour until they refuse payments for the day. Absolutely determined not spend another day in the labyrinth, I quickly set off down the street, reminding myself of a penguin as I ran in my floor length kanga. I bought the real “right” stamp from TRA then ran/waddled my way back to immigration. The only thing I could think was AWA, Africa Wins Again- But in a few days I will legally be in the country again!</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173764772267886402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeUoVN2BExAnZpw69I3Wjy-2wDLQ9QfgJtEbaGQltDs41CnEs_rF8QCT6bB5M6HzJURLmAQH4DEayxa0reuz_sT1DvNABmcG-Sn0dIiOGX0xEOtvTMbudJI40pMYYpWn1-f21fEN3_Lo/s320/Picture+960.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"> Monkey business, that’s all I have to say- this picture could not be more appropriate!</p>On Tuesday I biked to Starehe to deliver yogurt and teach my final class for the month. Next Tuesday I will be heading to the airport to greet the next WHE intern, Tara, a Masters student under the supervision of Dr. Gregor Reid (taraheadseast.blogspot.com). In the evening, I had a local friend over for dinner. I had my second spa day since my arrival in Tanzania (the first was at an orphanage in Buswelu during week one). This treatment was a little more invasive. At the ripe age of 22 I had my first face lift- my hair was braided so tightly that I could barely wrinkle my forehead. Well worth it for the smiles of approval that I received from the women I passed in the streets for the rest of the week. I heard the words “safi sana dada” meaning “very cool sister”, if felt really cool to see their smiles and to feel acceptance from my peers.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173764785152788306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22081dnds7-q8xubtqAv9YlYFFuiPa0Zp-yKvr6pn_xVFwwUxSFv6rUC9dnfh3R3SzLdekhalV70sD29egnO9m4Cjw5MUmg6F6rL8bPyPyCNvMgNe42mo9ZB38uNq2VbFxLf3LLGQYnI/s320/Picture+408.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">Adamu with one of his 160 siblings at Starehe</div><br /><div align="left">In the middle of the week I was treated to a wonderful surprise. I opened an email to find a message from Andie, a friend of the past interns, Meaghan and Alison. She is one of the women involved in organizing the annual Mwanza Charity Ball. M&A were able to donate probiotic yogurt to the event, and shared the history of the WHE project. They must have “wow”ed the coordinators of the event, because they have donated 1 million Tanzanian Shillings to the Tukwamuane Women in order to continue providing yogurt for those infected with HIV/AIDS. Kudos for all your hard work ladies! Andie and I spent some time discussing the stipulations of the donation, which includes a report and pictures of those who are benefiting from the project. She also advised me on the process for applying for another grant in the future. I had a good friend over for dinner on the roof top in the evening and two and a half hours of Swahili lessons. </div><div align="left"><br />I also ran my sensory panel this week. I was able to entice my neighbors, local friends, the Tukwamuane women and their friends to sample some of my creations. I was trying to pair local prebiotic foods with the probiotic yogurt and I feel I was successful for three of the five items I had prepared. I used a nine point facial hedonic scale where 1= nzuri sana (very good), 5=sawa sawa (okay) and 9= mbaya sana (very bad). I felt really bad when I got an overwhelming “mbaya sana” response for one of my samples, which was oddly enough my favorite of the five. I have defiantly met a group who do not appreciate fine Italian cooking! Tanzanian’s are absolutely not accustomed to free hand use of garlic, onions and eggplant…Thank god I was able to revive myself!<br /></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173764798037690210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJb8vnI9Vvdk7A__HbMFODykwo-ddjG3ultezwVeVajJ-b8YDWBuXWz1Y2LXhvFdOy_JwJvjsC9f5zVX-Cc8iMoVv7VH25FBLHSzaJyia2-01ubRQSvSyRiFVGYfi5xLpyAWixY963ns/s320/Picture+1094.jpg" border="0" /> Later in the week I was able to meet a potential candidate selected by Meaghan and Alison for the position of project coordinator and translator for Western Heads East. Grace is a very intelligent and educated woman with a background in agriculture. I see her to be very valuable in the months to come as we continue to work towards building a new kitchen and cow banda for the Yogurt Mama’s.<br />On Friday after English Lessons with the Yogurt Mama’s, I made my weekly trip to Forever Angels to be with the kids that I wish I could bring home with me. I watched one of my favorite little guys take his first steps and shared his excitement with him. He knew what he did and was so proud.<br /><br />Every Saturday evening there is a group of us that play Ultimate Frisbee. We call ourselves the team of the world because we almost have at least one representative from each continent. It’s amazing to be apart of such a diverse group. The language barrier disappears when you let loose, laugh and play. The Africans out run me by a factor of ten, and I miss almost every play, but its all in good fun. We’re even toying with the idea of representing Mwanza in the Tanzanian National tournament held in Moshi this May- who knows, we may make it to the next Olympic games :)<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173766885391796098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUreKTcFMJkVDHR7DnkOG6fvxjt_DelbTShk_sF6WpzaiFVqjLMl8xalDWfdoR-zcWf-VzVN3eWTqihv_9BISlBQK22-onhpnMiM8tQdHIy01ZtI3KMIwSiuTHA4kqwJlMUshDw4fm4c/s320/Picture+903.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">The most multicultural team I’ve ever played on<br />(Australia,<br />Zimbabwe, South Africa, Tanzania,<br />Ireland, England, Germany, Austria,<br />Philippians, Hong Kong<br />United States of America<br />and<br />Columbia just in this shot)</div><br />It was a happy yet sad weekend. I have met some of the most interesting, full of life people during my time here. The tough part is that they come and go way too quickly. We had a going away party for one of the girls nearing the end of a three year contract in Mwanza. I used to think my stay was long- two months in and I’m realizing how numbered my days are.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173766876801861490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeW8bWBki3Q7ztpsEgkr2V2q21JIlbh8eBaNijgGlBUzD8B2FAq-G_rcr_-oeXE7ywhycmY4Qq5rLJI25HlrQnZyaU7EKkR30PESnqVc8QHXd8eKGRbHiSMyvlB5TeE55sFWUqI2ySaM/s320/Picture+1073.jpg" border="0" /> I ended the week with a gorgeous trek along the rock beds surrounding the lake to rejuvenate for the week to come.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-22473382188018329272008-02-27T14:13:00.007+03:002008-02-27T15:03:03.627+03:00Wiki SabaI’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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171620866102109282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_13bFZkRQFR5KnAmc7jpQ70EqVifeCK1VMnSekXIVmSJ5JDlxW3kaYL6kCO-2Jcwsr99Y0DoGms3_F2Q8k5iBcfkUgq_1UgMnDUTw02c9wX3zrJYuH8a0EnmIZtDAU6On0bnrZl3PLA/s320/Picture+910+(2).jpg" border="0" /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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???<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171618198927418418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAki1fnAM0rDW-mTCoinc08_iLxlkGxgbtlIL_jmG50Qpuoai0eP5Hd-eckBGs120bA7Km-vvykB3zwcPqTFhtcHqG33KKCwW3eSqPdMfumI936oSotIN2hboAv_TkEp8ABpqHG0u7_aE/s320/Picture+939+(2).jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">Fisherman returning from a long night out on the water </div><br />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.<br /><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171622562614191234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi80V2Xla7phrW0YUS5O3qKZKj5XodoGKmJBU977LJkVlWjfYOYutIockAcrFPchoRWy1yTi9y99XmVF9-TCxuFbirOXcLASLkqcEorvm3V42zhylM8bwrwXKMIg0qJWufnGw4waIrO5I/s320/Picture+718.jpg" border="0" />Really happy chickens at the market… I’m glad I enjoy rice and beans</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">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. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">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. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171620857512174674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BplFbvPV-_pQuR_oX1ysQtB8Ni4-tx4L0WbeoxlgGV9_eO6zvrHcpkIqOGoi9yukrRhiwkOd8NAX7k_o2zhUHJs0ZNJnXvKOinxcQib3Rv9hczjlVbzB2SQiHygPaxHj4ZP7IxMpp7E/s320/Picture+897+(2).jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center">Children cooking for each other</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">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. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">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. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171622549729289330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrGy_7Pxm4jQvNisC5CrgqgtFRq9gCT0p3LwOgGdo1t7__lGazOAtP8EWg8dioXgzyNyoYFo4g4iePz-_Ddh8WqEExqnoWCOS8jWI8H06fpdsPH4VMX4KFsqhDEytBAeqRh-E_MHWxns/s320/Picture+968.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center">The view from the thinking rock </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">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. </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyN2nJEuKt9DLzv1MfgokpXeYqe3XIr39ur4MF2wqob1zPmWuM03l0ozaApmg8H9oLcIW9KvRd-kdc97mi-cWPiAYyNwjrGV4HB2N6NWTf_UIrreAxqKHbL-mLW3c4OEIQW6ZLJwDU1Y/s1600-h/Picture+835+(2).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171620848922240066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyN2nJEuKt9DLzv1MfgokpXeYqe3XIr39ur4MF2wqob1zPmWuM03l0ozaApmg8H9oLcIW9KvRd-kdc97mi-cWPiAYyNwjrGV4HB2N6NWTf_UIrreAxqKHbL-mLW3c4OEIQW6ZLJwDU1Y/s320/Picture+835+(2).jpg" border="0" /></a> Micheal, a Forever Angel orphan since he was two months old<br /></div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-43423253903353266272008-02-18T12:36:00.001+03:002008-02-18T12:40:52.384+03:00Wiki SitaI 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!<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />For the sake of the reader, I hope to report more exciting events and pictures next week!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-4077820012548223792008-02-11T09:45:00.000+03:002008-02-11T10:43:28.960+03:00Wiki Tano<div align="left">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.</div><br /><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165617146067395490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPedroMMGh0x9OGIHAZHaP4_xQnuNT-YLGNiYWdZSisCdfJ9MWXZJcget-fWkF2R189RWECBkT4SfGd4GPpwq7VvJgx8wKrQGTzDzeS-YCvlZUwB-JL-HsMy9ojXl-ALLDWL1cJwwSvHU/s320/Picture+490.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">Afternoon snack at Jiko la Juma.</div><br /><div>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. </div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165617150362362802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EBXtlqIEGB2rlHhEjdm26NbmeUMIyffS6uTA7OskNVASbbpsfXRyxc4OvSvBf0EMWwsl1NhJRebJT-vqcVtAHU37CG3Uhhs1P85oXYMDkZfj2-XoIqTF3mawq7gUnIBr0npgIikLWyU/s320/Picture+576.jpg" border="0" /> <div></div><div align="center">Gorgeous view- probably even better in the light of day!</div><br /><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165617154657330114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12z1jo4RpcMBFXj071hiIYvw2EyUk25Y1jZHTWBf1hDoiTg2z5Ti9243VeDp40y8PaRhBI-4nJYahCH5geWuShR2rx4Jb-M1u4j4xLbJaeUvVoStPJQViqjU_X5RTQzCT2GZ16PP9qe8/s320/Picture+647.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p align="center">Two styles of tire shoes- watch out for these on the runways of Milan!</p><div>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!</div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165620453192213458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjezbbSR3niyWIRLXqAOC2Tahky3SBSV1APb8jE2JpZOIpBaaxtV6TR7WsyIPY0IlTq8o6AdzBFUL5MfCWML6BAxne5-ZhoO_M9K2KhucmLPpgzPi3kpaE8A-0s2lSEsm8u-k0IQbw_U/s320/Picture+521.jpg" border="0" /> </div><div align="center">Mama Paskwalina, in blue, taking a few minutes to work the crowd<br />after her presentation on the health benefits of probiotics for PLWHA</div><br /><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165620461782148066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSZUKnRMHBTZpEo9dvd8uxl33qU2IEpdG4708ck1U7lU95M6rhAVLKPyewaSH-LpRvUZxOMY3AvtEYes9QmbZq0MC6zrBsiXdH6VlDtw6PS0LArgY1fA5970G0Q-gY0NsraT4mIvR7j8/s320/Picture+526.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center">Paskwalina and Joyce presenting Fiti- and becoming celebrities in Mwanza</div><br /><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165620466077115378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzqkrskcUHFKonFIbsgSj5IzyXO8Y4QAKeuUtwTqOwPkfQE6QBFnaxSLxETNs0X95NNUG4EBOEtfkM9sv4sNBIk28A1VHPh7ZYFZNkNL1wqD6zOwgldGC0QIE7tSojppvKnREpuZ1jxo/s320/Picture+522.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">Taking a moment to commemorate an exciting day!<br />(L to R: Me, Joyce, Paskwalina, Louisanne)</div><br /><div>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.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165624194108728322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitB1lunhxDjxh44odMb2hnnMJLqsfG9APiGlgLrzBAZhhhbt6fMizkUtbGcXjaL5CM3VgaAf_zejGE5Bb56YyowaWSfK1_8nodsJoGStXqOh6Vr535Hl6twea9xiPodqF2Zp2gNZQ-GSc/s320/Picture+539.jpg" border="0" /> <div></div><br /><div align="center">Re-defining the George Castanza wallet!</div><div><br />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.<br /><br />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!</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165624198403695634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtarKSZxlB6mCxBOAKGpGDygl4X25f7Cw8gnxz5TiTIXa1QEM2KQD7Ltn1APa8_TNHNfQ9yf-Ca1f56jJxI9kZnRChRAD1gR8I1yCzhog9L-gUtFAsSfs4OgCTJDrv-Fg1jz_UZKknL4/s320/Picture+621.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center">Pascal (top) and (Pili) bottom, saving some for later</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165624206993630242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_idv7Nzhuo0j_AFUfCl2mHXmKcKB8RyE23aN4VWDjPdG_g-yd47OXOyDbtVCKncG5-nceM5DcR05pE1zLAoDHJbpSIMJh9iCPSVnWbPPumUGMGz2eVOyQJ1Eu8s7TWsJWb-nl0wT1QE0/s320/Picture+628.jpg" border="0" /></div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-40507410017669956042008-02-04T12:09:00.000+03:002008-02-04T13:56:54.104+03:00Wiki Nne<div align="left">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.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163053044231640770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzf_-JHmDSDSmqqsAE6wcoWy_ci3i9RouBJPMnNuC4-XfLb9iqXMs-TrnwJfukZJZu2L7mrztYShaXeo2DFBU4fV3hm0TZc0NF7Yj3OMkheyMmzIcEt-LEjgEz2pn9kSMl98958Nv0X_Q/s320/DSCI0055.JPG" border="0" /> </div><div align="center">Showing off new toy cars.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">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!<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163053052821575378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihF2CntBpWbWFGdNMZ4RUMQf-gKHF2m9Anf2a7d0p31OPf40e4iMYFWzVMgN5eQWb2mw2rimT0qaZSat4pIPp8_kM3Xhy8s3PK3c903zgjHQMVFfpjlXlqVxFSB9_DdekaI5MiPaTBk1A/s320/Picture+271.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">A few of the Starehe cuties</p><p align="left">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.<br /><br />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.</p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163053065706477282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJv00IRwvJ6-c7ZVKIcTl1vWTS47jBOC6_CstrmyMgQ2SUQySsUiTvNHFdVRsgZyJ4-np42_qH2la9GxT7LZSfHJjhwrAbwb31BcqP4a77e3OLs_RmUpLCaiYkengvSTUh7tJqD8u8Tk/s320/DSCI0062.JPG" border="0" />A truck outside the apartment making way through the shallow end</p><p>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!</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163057115860637442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VSX6sqGkLilimmi0Gl-BUNC6HvZ2DmmZ7n3Ur-Z39qCG6dr2_rOwv72U_cMgfVOCcyA7x_EMdItTTux0okM90KQD4v1wVigLCOLnt5S1uvSVx1cUHueMkOJfY5VCQnQFGHAVqbRbI60/s320/Picture+280.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">Eagerly watching food being prepared<br /></p><p>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. </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163057107270702834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQS4xm1KJj_T1yvjufBCsYjfZPb7KYK4CoA2di8FpB6aYksyJH9B9vApCxUjKV6Au5KEPJMLddKV2UDqxWf5TYo8YOB7vcsF79_b0Xiq23iU-vFrOxbm1L0xG67CkxTpHQ2jS5hhCo-gI/s320/Picture+080.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p align="center">Spending some time with Salum before he goes home with his Dad</p><p>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.</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163057120155604754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66r1vQ_Xn4z9N9C5B8bU8cLBfKgGO5eez6X2KKqjPuKNufKTnKQ10BuCPoFMsbPmCT_yhdGZrEt9w8z0mSsnv5MspVtrCeHcxeBrpL_eQKAz5EjsOFDXP-a0KyaQOgUDMvQkKKGlQ-7c/s320/Picture+192.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">I will never, ever get tired of the red African sky!</p><p align="left">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.<br /><br />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!<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163058631984092962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6mTOAgqwBWR5Lm3U_a-Toeuc70Q7reOlQAzw_wmDcQwfX-gxQkQl7IotYtqSO0XI1b6_CfXwG86oRTCLsmBGBE3PcvP7i3tQeKEMmrRvUyqNlouYtt_bNGtKGIhpGsnUhGGaP6acx5c8/s320/Picture+451.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">Some of the Forever Angels. It wouldn’t be any fun to go down the slide one at a time!<br /><br />The end of wiki nne.</p><br /><p align="left"><br /></p>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-37673044433715450192008-01-28T11:12:00.000+03:002008-01-28T12:08:39.789+03:00Wiki TatuThe week began with the creation of English Lessons and tests for the week. I went to the market to pick up fruit and veggies and practiced the art of bargaining in Tanzania. I’m beginning to learn some of the tricks, and am becoming more comfortable using the phrase “Ni ghali mno”, “that’s too expensive” (Thanks M&A!) I’m also learning some of the truths of Mwanza… there is a women around every corner carrying bananas on her head and you see lizards as often as you see squirrels in Canada!<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160440381265745426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHethxfZyFSEGWSmaWKM9LWy2nRMNsX0N5B6S2PhUt8zU7k8CjrF69ywjbeGDjpOKKQlYIEKva1KhLxKm7jPPznUmzsGxOyd7mh-MiI5OB_NJMRgkXsWaOZ88CkBIXAfA492F3xC3R2U/s320/Picture+006.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">Around every corner…Banana Ladies and Lizards!<br /></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160442601763837506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg78fbd-DRpAjHMGn8yMCuTrczvIwgVjGG_FoLctaTXtHpSkgU4kjJjqcs5FzcCPy8FRu_YYVYnKa7A9rihhEC820k18YSh9IyN9NaJPTLhu8w60te2I4OWTpa-N4kL9DwvtPjWKKn-50/s320/Picture+032.jpg" border="0" /> On Tuesday morning I rode my bike to the Starehe nursery school in Nsumbe. I spent the morning reading stories to a group of four and five year old children and we practiced numbers and the alphabet in English. We played in the courtyard and then took a break for a lunch of ugali and beans. In the afternoon the primary kids returned from school and we had homework club for two hours. I met with the couple who built and have organized the orphanage and together we came up with a plan so that I may begin to conduct my research study next week. I shared information regarding the health benefits of probiotics and they decided that they would like me to bring probiotic yogurt to the orphanage following the completion of my data collection.<br />Wednesday morning Mama Joyce met me at the WHE apartment and we spent the morning discussing a plan to suit the needs of the new yogurt customers. We set off to NIMR together, had a brief chat with Simon, and dropped off some milk to be inoculated with GR-1. I stayed at the library at NIMR where I spent the remainder of the morning replaying to emails. As I was leaving NIMR, I was trapped in a heavy rainstorm and hid in the shelter of a primary school. Luckily, I had a package of stickers in my bag and quickly became very popular with the primary students. When the rain let up I went to Mabatini to give an English lesson. Earlier in the week I received an email from Meaghan, the WHE intern who left Mwanza at the end of December. She sent a message in Swahili for the Mama’s. They were absolutely thrilled and asked me to take a picture to send to Canada. Past interns, they mentioned all of your names and send their love!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160442606058804818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7VCy9eqk7H239vzhLsCWqEgxOB_eTnq74UWO0nk44x0vgysjjiuXGH6GU_xW_MrGNmV5urB8R9e85uAzhYZUYQoO8HOtHnUEyqcPKoBdJQXaoxjnDfXN0XJi2BojUiZsxWCiZosIaY9o/s320/Picture+344.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">Mamas Joyce, Elizabeth and Sabina waving hujambo…<br />and very possibly distracting me to avoid writing their test!</div><br />In the evening Mama Joyce and I set off in the dala dala for a meeting with a woman by the name of Louiseanne from the Shaloom Health Center. Louisanne is a public health nurse and is in Mwanza researching herbal healing remedies (Imagine my excitement!). She just so happens to be a fellow Canadian and MacMaster University Alumni- such a small world! She met Mama Joyce at a trade fair in November and is very interested in probiotics. She works with families who are affected by HIV/AIDS as well, and is hoping to partner with WHE to in hopes of improving the health status within this community. This is going to be an excellent distribution opportunity for the Yogurt Mamas representing between 1,000-3,000 potential new clients.<br /><br />Thursday morning I biked 5L of yogurt to the Shaloom Health Center for a trial run. I met several researchers within the facility and visited the youth center. Louisanne was kind enough to invite me into her home so that we could share our goals for our time in Tanzania. She gave me a copy of her report and explained at length the details of her study. She is working on a pilot project to see how plants native to Tanzania can reduce the incidence of malaria and decrease opportunistic conditions associated with HIV. Lemongrass, aka Moringa Oleifera, as a natural mosquito repellant and Kombucha fungus, a plant with strong antiseptic properties, natural immune boosting power and anticarcinogenic properties are among those she is studying. I’m really looking forward to learning more and following her project over the next few months.<br /><br />Friday morning I worked on translating my own research study into Swahilli. I spent the afternoon at the kitchen and gave the Mama’s a review before their English test. I biked to the Forever Angels baby home in the afternoon to deliver yogurt and made it just in time for a dance party with the toddlers. I couldn’t peel myself away to take a picture, but just imagine 12 boys and girls between the ages of two and four years old dancing to Bongo Flava music. My face hurt from smiling and laughing! I can’t help posting a few shots of their adorable faces.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160440394150647346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsv8wVfkldl0pdbLAQo7iKh0o1s9JP1Wfd_7VxLidHF-Fub9Xa8I4IZSdX3dVbkftFSGOxhyphenhyphenGQo1IZ_9Px3vJzRsBmSrZScWcfWtkaE0TsBIa8fsWdArLWMF-wpzrLV5MYSu-uwOAe8JA/s320/Picture+230+(2).jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160440385560712738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DFcg5ESfgVpP3pMGE5iYzf-GWN8Hf96VbKJlaeOWjjL1METyiGF92Q_f7iJ4uzYkeJGvT3VNn0fA1StUZF_VNq9-vrNTr9TSq8QwyMJJWvaEMIxDpZAOyxlfyT2Xdr9hvpB1c18vTck/s320/Picture+011.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center">Point of realization- these cuties know and love the camera!</div><div align="left"><br />I ended the week off with another amazing hike on the island just opposite of Mwanza city called Sammane. A 5,000 Tanzanian Shilling round trip allowed me my first wildlife sightings in Africa. A Hyena, Gazelles, Monkeys and a Lion topped the list! I really can’t think of a better way to spend $5 Canadian! The island was stunning, and as always, the pictures do it no justice.<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160449400697067186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQl-kljjMi6XzWwO5pMpP4S3kMOLUFkRsvIl_LIJhU3hFIUgaZEmWyR-y7C_5qWHqy0ogUQ0H_Mc8mlJZLq60AYqXKkWtj-J60_e6PmI0wE2Ia5n6oeD6wUq5nfblQrez5TnIP3ZqYzw/s320/Picture+363.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">A game of "Where’s Waldo?" Can you spot 6 furry critters?</div><div align="center"></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160445887413819010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1tJEjTvBTGXhBJNQ5eKogUzPIPiMANuGggNIGERVVdAJJC1tPXs8TWVCBo88mrNJ9p-63kXzP3ResMnlO3evQCOa6QIv9_VjncdtICfSgXjQuWlJFZWwbkqXXmBiL2x1-PCC-Fz_Egg/s320/Picture+407.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"></div><div align="center">If you blink, you can literally miss them! Gazelles are sooooo fast</div><br /><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160445883118851698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBwcOMSMDwHSfUssyaPB0CsanJlLxN2agtTRtso8UJoCNR_jularEqnOh0qp0y5qwDE4Wb4Enr8XYGeYwPg1J1sVA5d_inIrvs8i42KeDcW83GWxp1dU8s624k_72E6eabzSB_RC_NoQ/s320/Picture+397.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">I may have actually risked a limb for this one… But well worth it! </div><div align="center">This lion had no problem letting me know where I belong on the food chain!</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160445896003753618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIa2fBFpe5DOoSE0jSCsoYWo5vNJzmxLi1SK4lHrVH6SHOzEzt8a1gSw21XwoT2bP99Qln-y_6fDmDz23bp_A1SHuzbEKNJTpKO_WwSKj2uClf3tMdMiDNhtS54_ZjJ8Msdow4bKirNcU/s320/Picture+381.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center"></div><p align="center">I wonder how far under water these rocks used to be??<br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160449392107132578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdskv7SHCankFs2flkSTp9osJXRFefc1o8Dz1o7fiQSlaNH5iJifQbCCsMiM_Dhvn0aqCdBXa0SjkEJOvv3NIo8OEOh6ya1xmV8HYPDwt-Wy5Yptnviiyt6c6KLFH5ksa1o2nScRCE2o/s320/Picture+388.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">Ruben contemplating how to catch the fish<br /></p><br /><br /><div align="center"></div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-90038925408843499132008-01-24T14:11:00.000+03:002008-01-24T15:11:19.692+03:00Wiki MbiliSundays mornings begin with a 7:30am bike ride to Forever Angels were I spend 5 hours playing, cuddling and laughing with the babies and toddlers. We sang songs, read books in English and Swahilli, played house in the playground and ran around the jungle gym. <div><div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159010062666896818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYHuNT8KkmS_GV0fHdJ5ppkeEdv_BNv9XSfES0OHs2e50fl9kBixgFCybPqipZNh5K3SFOYcg2RrNNv6nvouqec-hYar_aPeCnJxggzZHyeIqMgotOAwUcC8ys5xe5CXubKBCn6sFF6I/s320/Picture+133.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">Taking a quick break to rehydrate!</div><br /><br /><div></div><div>In the evening, some local friends came for dinner and shared some tales of their life in East Africa. Grace, orphaned at birth, explained her story growing up with a family in Kenya on an opium farm. You can imagine how interesting her stories were! She is now a 25 year old proud mother of two, with a diploma in counseling. Her husband, Jontwa, is also a counselor for a Christian group and he works to educate and provide support within the HIV community. He explained his ambition to write, and detailed the book that he is currently creating based on the mind set of government leaders in East Africa. Jontwa explained to us that one of the biggest political problems in Africa is corruption, and stated that he believes the route cause of these actions stem from a childhood of poverty- a very plausible explanation. </div><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159001923703870802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuvxtM-4do0L_HJggErIAm05U5Uo09ERbV9IrwCz7KZgjiXR30D4C7sATXY0cycH0rw_YGVCSGA4xsz7xfdmjVreUcEqls_uUweoca9T8X-xkprD2Z78j55iWZX6FtS4SBuF2b9gHKQg/s320/Picture+002.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><br /><div align="center">Grace, Jontwa, their two children and I in the WHE apartment.</div><br /><div><br />Monday morning began as I created English lessons for the week. I spent the day with the Mama’s making yogurt and practicing my Swahili conversation skills. We had an English lesson for two hours and I was able to meet a few of the children of the Yogurt Mama’s. </div><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159001932293805410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfl28LC28SGJ5u0o-WdYnhSyxGTkMXHXfPto8YNz22X0wLjmkt2iiLNOE5xlUJnuxokDHtTxgWYzhmN54Bg0LGUmhuhs7afSL0oIB5HbFuU0KOYO-9iYqOL4QL01mgea3NiQYvX2lGcY/s320/DSCI0039.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><br /><div align="center">Yogurt Kitchen in Mabatini.</div><br /><div><br />On Tuesday, I met with a teacher from Germany named Tini. I was able to share with her the grand opening of a nursery school that she has spent the past five years fundraising for. She introduced me to about 60 of the 117 children who live at the orphanage on the premise, and we spent the afternoon running around the playground and completing math homework. Tini has agreed to allow me to conduct part of my research project with the children at the orphanage. I will be comparing the diet and growth progression of the children at the Starehe nursery school (children who are not consuming probiotic yogurt) to the children at Forever Angles (those who are consuming probiotic yogurt). These are very similar populations as both groups of children arrived at the respective orphanage in infancy, and have consumed a similar diet of traditional dishes and local foods. I will begin data collection over the next few weeks. </div><div><br />Wednesday morning I ventured to the market in search for a basket for the back of my bike. My chariot is now officially the yogurt delivery mobile of Mwanza. I travelled to Sekou Toure Hospital with Ruben so that I could see where he conducts his research trials. There was an interesting trailer at the entrance of the Hospital…. A storage unit where one may go to purchase a coffin…. Not the most reassuring site to see!!! I spent the afternoon in Mabatini where the Mamas shared a meal of rice, spinach and onions with me, and we had our English lesson for the day. </div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159004483504379266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDaxZBuI1_QqjcDymNVlGbaCJF4TylOkzNCpCa37jeUQNx8Z28J-IagzyDC541SHHUG3LEgj2ApjGpaTFLUUD_CRbYfvgRnuIrH19UZ6sbZsfPEzQy1zDlUb1qZnJs-EjGrPhb3OOFSE/s320/DSCI0036.JPG" border="0" /><br /></div><div align="center">The “choose your coffin” trailer at the entrance of the hospital</div><br /><div><br />On Thursday I fought with the internet for several hours trying to post my blog. Plan A, and the contingency plan both failed. It has been quite the uphill battle with the internet. I can finally appreciate the patience of previous interns! I spent the afternoon chatting with Simon, the microbiologist that is in charge of the bacterial cultures for WHE. I was able to read some journals published from NIMR researchers in the afternoon. I rode my bike to Tunza in the evening for yoga and made a quick detour to shoot some pictures.</div><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159004474914444658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHk-viWzM9xeFd27GrCsE4ZBd0Q1ZZOduyp9wQ6vMdGF8eiO1cPd-jTdn9YfHpXoah5BkMrxq_CT7OHh1LlxpWX1rNTq9bKsDmHBBjorKaXKvz2Ylnk4w5K_LodgTdvge913sKVk7n5I/s320/DSCI0030.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><br /><div align="center">The sun glistening over the waters of beautiful Lake Victoria</div><br /><div><br />On Friday morning, January 18th, I woke up to a Birthday song from Ruben and Pendo and had cake for breakfast! Together the three of us shared stories of our past Birthdays and spent the morning laughing. I spent the morning printing and photocopying (a 10 minute task in Canada, but a 3 hour job in Tanzania!). I travelled to the bank then onward to Mabatini to give the Mamas their English test for the week. I picked up 6L of yogurt, strapped it onto my bike, and headed to Forever Angles for the afternoon. I came back to the apartment around 7pm. I walked in an immediately dropped everything that I was carrying when I saw the cutest little kitten sitting in a box in the middle of the floor! Mama Coroko, the nurse who had Ruben and I over to her home for lunch last weekend has decided to “loan” Ruben a kitten for the remainder of his time in Tanzania! We played with the little cutie for a few hours then met some friends for a Birthday celebration dinner at the restaurant of hotel Tilapia. We had a delicious meal then spent the evening dancing at a local hangout. We grooved to African beats and stayed out way too late! The other volunteers that I have met here are such incredible people. I am so lucky to share this experience with such kind hearted friends who have made me feel so welcome in Tanzania. It was by far the best Birthday that I could have ever asked for!</div><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159010054076962194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqicx9d0Id-Q5G1Vfk1gwBu-RP1ZZEwLvBjSDo5d4QFBFYHBwFME4F3a5iO2DANgEnlY7SdWv04eIJFWF6sI0RlDsUuCNFJIrfbca3o6QRtQ-2W-KQwllzwMSEfvAKp81bvP-4hFJwQvA/s320/Picture+027.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div align="center">Awwwww! </div><br /><div><br />On the weekend I set out for a hike to discover the beaten paths of Mwanza. I found myself in the heart of a little fishing village where I saw birds that stood about half my height. </div><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159010058371929506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13AGzHejStVYOTtj6rU44wxsd4PZxLBTJdb3dzP1-g3tbHslzTmib0YorCNuWMkMyidcq3CREJcuQOLld1nu3wUpskSgDzO6dbWt5sSKKA_6q1y3zLr7pel_5wMCGU2z1Xw5ouPzhRyI/s320/Picture+024.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div align="center">Fishing village</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159013597424981442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsd-7922uxE4LFaQW55pLZXaKEW8jI46wsG64GfBoUHuIgi-ys4B8EMBQNLE07s3MTRAnOofShxsUC0-4oTO_b7iFmzoEAUt7HoBA9EgcTXnKdLcyIEU0QIdP_zVAK7-jhEU0qptCAso/s320/Picture+019.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div align="center">Birds that stand almost 3 feet tall! </div><br /><div><br />Around 3pm I went back to the apartment to feed Miss Kitty her favorite meal of dagaa, dried fish the size of sardines, yum! Ruben and I set out for walk, which turned out to be a second hike for me for the day. This time the travels were in the opposite direction, up the granite stone hills. We found a huge water tower, which at the time was the highest point that either of us had ever reached in Mwanza, so naturally, we figured it would be a good idea to climb. Not so! On my way down I was met by a group of locals and a man who shared a piece of his mind with me…. Apparently I have no business shooting pictures of the city. We spent a good half hour listening to this man explain his point of view. We came to realize the source of his frustration- the documentary “Darwin’s Nightmare”, which is a depiction of life in Mwanza. Pole sana bwana (very sorry sir). We continued our journey and shot several more pictures of the outstanding landscape.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159013610309883362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihurSZoZZ872hHoMFzyKJ9NinG2qpRQCFvABZ6BQd34uq8qHS__IyG9ToxZvkLA_JmfECWpXCRtv5eUkVEG2Npd4JTFAokrVKZkvix0WXqFXun-O4-649Qdi0hvtdGAEjQ8V4FokcVTfU/s320/Picture+178.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>We met several little cuties along the way, each pointing and laughing at the wandering wazungu. We stopped to play a quick game of soccer at the top of the mountain were I was totally outrun and out played- and I used to think that I had endurance!</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159013601719948754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSOOWPW8qFxix5GMJJX6rarVsomMXWdFOOjQH9VV4NBxNvS5xkxwNN16OsoJGDM-rkpVmr-YB9VXmyarG86yrFhGsWrWiC6xZoYgy_k0yL55zN9CbodPecciiQMDxdsg59vR8mSRe3eQ/s320/Picture+167.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div align="center">Some faces of Mwanza</div><br /><div><br />On our way back into town we were guided down the hills by some children who were carrying water to their homes the traditional African way.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159013618899817970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLVTqt7Edwo1oAxygN6DXwIGmoJbZbDRks-EvVbajqZSzkgF3j_YAYl_SUjnGY75Pq-CkyYOJ-rOwXI1rCm3dxSjRBHkj394l6vGL4cETnva5xqRPjC2JqKlviS4W72Tr35f8OcXe-a0/s320/Picture+186.jpg" border="0" /><br />Water delivery</div><div><br />This is the end of another amazing week in the beautiful country to Tanzania.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-81042205105970390262008-01-23T12:07:00.001+03:002008-01-24T14:10:26.907+03:00Wiki moja na Wiki mbili<div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">The end of my first week and a half in Mwanza has already arrived, and what an experience it has been so far.<br />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. </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158596371416945682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUGBXQS4kt_ofLX_IT2mUObzF9DMJBwjccDm3OxV0a91tXciaOWHEQOTUlHfwcLCbuP2iXvgwgXZX7BKf9NT8_zeNvem3z5fc7uCSgSbVxtPjB7fgy0ZV6YBohKhO7qYREtN96zZAMGM/s320/blog+photo+barries+waterfront.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">Barrie Spirit in January</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />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.</span> </p><br /><br /><p align="left"></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158598518900593698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSiHONlOMrhu-1FyQACc0KUzESx6D2YMvfPknaL87cYnQGidLHm49HhxiiASEMsbPlT3NOLQUil_Rob1Zw12tx0epTzlqJ0xleIjPn3W6BfF4DsoUmybujHNjBqMfSa54ZhdEiaz60w4E/s320/DSCI0046.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><p align="center">The river in Queens Park outside of Buckingham Palace</p><p align="center">A Canadian monument in England</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158601168895415346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAGY8NJNCByXzL3KpJhlfMxZYhSEQM-f7j5pSRCfeDI0bgyXMtVITTlmPNhrstewUi_ZdAaMtGaus6Wm4kJan6ubSKN43437XwkckOc0SPafzjf8eE_sc7iSgTZZoT6NorcSRZsa2pKA/s320/DSCI0039.JPG" border="0" /><br />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.<br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158993874935158066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SiC_aU2XarhpvhFX3iALDuaFOTMCVuUXiDYi3XQTufV-zwpPG-raQQbTaNH103_So7SeDTi6vT6jLRzvdh3kA4KdNcGHBQHyfzBCRPCDXRUQke_Dyzt52Y205DkOSU0KE4q5Lmxff2A/s320/DSCI0051.JPG" border="0" /><br />Daho Airport, Qatar</p><p align="left"><br />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.</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158607993598448722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PvtyepTlC_rvYTQveDpwI9XobguqXuCSlAvSYufuK58n7yTPC5DPLNise1KVysIMZtMuHdhMYA2k4Vb4jw2HmDvyUyshiVsHntAjggzMNrPZH7hXG84HreV8zWPaO5RknYeVfoQUEkg/s320/DSCI0055.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><p align="center">Finally, I have reached this destination!</p><br /><br /><p align="center"></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158608019368252514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYb56_Ch2h-M_3wzk7niJxCCx7k9MPZrzsUlN2_Y1b87nyyujILvOJePTeG_1cihS2h-bGLU5u3kuaKo0GGaiFrrK34auPJBKoSIq0jRQWpEX_MCc26cnSwyZZF34xJTEFW30GcQZhpw/s320/DSCI0054.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><p align="center">The luggage conveyor belt... or lack there of... in Mwanza</p><br /><p align="left">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.</p><br /><p align="left">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.<br /><br />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…<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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!<br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158980002190791794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6aOxnkmRHINiEaDvZs6GQfdHMNQdLaWGVhoTNQFDifGtMqgIZJsE9MNhzCUzr9dokbBtp0ROodjwBBl4I2yNNKG9jDrRHaMF-StAG_YlZqcREdTkg1SyFbStwkaSyNPCe4uaSJh6Q8ZU/s320/DSCI0005.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><p align="center">Sunset over Lake Victoria</p><br /><p align="left">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.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158981831846859922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOqiUGAlR_SxFj2fHESuzZl4LrRYHvI40YtRP5tPXvklT3OBEHWm7qDDOW0eQlFjc2pVnfDSGtLlpryw0WTlyQ6LRnsQ0Eo-JbzRcEvWvTb2XSpKapFvRIW6Zi5dwzSyW0xJCVmE_WRk/s320/DSCI0059.JPG" border="0" /></p><br /><p align="center">View of Lake Victoria</p><br /><p align="left">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!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158982811099403426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01i4lyGLibiX7J4RzKjUZ1riq0t3QY7reB3R975uOQj3IjrBCIhc8ncDVe11LHXjkYYvLdTHBYfpDHy9BxBgFoz0pLGhwjOnZOYRQBlgB9C_-P4yiDgBMntrMUQsfQrRh-igmHc3cKEI/s320/DSCI0157.JPG" border="0" /></p><br /><p align="center">Playing games<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158983571308614834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdOyGx4ckb1nWgHjkUQexr9LuTtYgBup0YvtxcrZXzMr0kpy6bb71cYvOGiWyETkoCWA4xhIJKkZCsHszE6tDYZw6XeaItCSFgY453f6v0JeJZ0A9NCvyLzaglpN-0EYJ4mixC2UA3rY/s320/DSCI0084.JPG" border="0" /></p><br /><p align="center">Getting a manicure in Buswelu, Tanzania<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158984434597041346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihshzel4NX55YSgKYQz8YekOgJKBiznDGpWWQqGchELWF2H-sncAlQo7FGoG7355d6csfwX3AYBXxVNaOioYT5cmgyGAaYXgpU9PCjJhlicyqyy2hle4HFFNDvBdUNYVrPaIireI0APuo/s320/DSCI0139.JPG" border="0" /> Dinner time</p><br /><p align="left">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.<br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158998157017552194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlG0kjmy1aPpnAmgOWltj4uVaFy2xoDv7ASBMU98-xPt3b7ZzyG92jBRkGD5ZpgdROb7OiZTk28LKGb6gudD-su1rc636CMld_XQo_P0hbMPS1NfWZe9KvPcvg5lmEwGthITnXazzcXsU/s320/DSCI0020.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"><br />Two Angels, Joseph and Baiti<br /><br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158988854118388978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuY-lMaYtknf_I1B-PvVKgY-33qg7A4B_ETLwMy5_CIQPSkI08qj5QwL1ml8277biglDtngcos1tSBETUSzBZcXaVmIl6oOz2-lCjQ-h686rk17PDEiA74IX-itrIxf1nNt7d8XBhJd8/s320/DSCI0035.JPG" border="0" /> Little Princess<br /><p align="left">On 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.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158990859868116226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6B1eFg5gFLU7bAPn0mvgXunaUcR9tFpJS4wVW0OWYDkhVkGLMZ2KKGb28gWZlKJax82fPfVAcg2rkD5cvk6h6bQZLTHazsIHBoilOd1lAxXiw1bVMjiqIL2LVR5fnSaPxGe9rGuDXGU/s320/DSCI0043.JPG" border="0" /></p><br /><p align="center">Mama Coroko and her daughters introducing Ruben and I to some African vegetables<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158990864163083538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZX0-MWOFgQz6lEubQmZPyaTFZxZ_BNAHHhXFLEgzuUsLYG5xSmH8cEsv4J1QjU-PX3zPSrjxpX4cSN8UVEx3vEt-8sECpN_yH_dOCPTYcRqx7icO_vKKFEw87I98lJ_540d6671oeZ2w/s320/DSCI0047.JPG" border="0" /></p><br /><p align="center">Typical cooking facilities in Tanzania<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158991925020005666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3RX3E0icqK4gzqa_hI9KRcqfslGKvXeHiaj72eAOQjogRRMwOa2A2I5Iz_cwLfW20Rl0xrdBslsAmV1-6IqjtsCTz4vcAe_ACzW9v0szi1jTeYy5eqVJ3uvRob8HdHCvaPcMXROEirQ/s320/DSCI0044.JPG" border="0" /></p><br /><p align="center">Chemistry lab (Take a look at how chemicals are stored…in Dasani water bottle!)</p><br /><p align="left"><br />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.</p>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-5210195002739074632008-01-02T11:30:00.000+03:002008-01-24T15:21:37.176+03:00Last day in Canada...<div>Well, after 8 months of preparations and anticipation, I finally have my bags packed and have crossed off the last calendar day leading up to my journey to. I am so thrilled to be able to contribute to this amazing project, and I really look forward to sharing the experience with you.<br />Before I depart, I want to say a great big thank you to everyone who has inspired me to participate and for the kind words of support over the past few months. A special thank you goes out to the whole Western Heads East team, from the past interns who shared their journey and offered advice, to the compassionate steering committee and the hard working faculty members and researchers who have made this project a success. To my supervising professor, Dr. Hekmat, and all of the other professors at Brescia who have shared their expertise and helped to prepare me for the adventure that lies ahead. To my entire extended family and my amazing support network of friends, I love you all and I can not thank you enough for all the good times! I truly want to thank you for being the amazing people you are.<br /></div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159016801470584322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAvQTHCEqvCmm039qw21vpnKFF1vYkGHb8d5RAEulyylOXp-r9F9bu2vosFWT07c4LVqSrfz8rhTHNOvC1SRDEicUeXIT5ooVMq8d1jVcdtcxDmk-EnfT9CFzcfhvFZI0JJsiYDtTF2oU/s320/DSCI0036.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>A few members of the WHE team.<br />Past intern Jackie, Jaimie, Meaghan, Cynthia and Jonathan (1,3,5,6,7 from left to right)<br />Future intern Tara (second from left)<br />Present intern, Me (Middle)</div><br /><div><br />Time and time again I have been asked the question, “What are you going to be doing while you are in Africa”. For the sake of clarity, I have put together a list of objectives that I hope to achieve, but I have promised to remain open and keep in mind the infamous “AWA” mantra of Meaghan and Alison (Fall Intern, August-December 2007). Ah yes, Africa Wins Again. A quotation used in reference to the pace of life in Africa. Although the cell phone revolution has taken over, the high speed wireless internet, blackberry, deadline driven mind set is yet to be wide spread (In fact, AWA represents a beautiful sense of culture and community). This is a change that I will need to become familiar with, respect and truly embrace. I have always measured my productivity in the number of items that I cross off my To Do: list in a day, and now I will be on the agenda of others….<br /><br />A brief description of my plans:<br />-To continue to pursue efforts of the past interns in terms of project growth as we work toward sustainability (ie// complete TASAF (Tanzania Social Action Fund) transactions so that the Mama’s may gain access to a new plot of land and cows, SIDO, SACCO etc)<br />-Assist the Yogurt Mama’s to further develop their business as they become a registered NGO<br />-Continue to teach the Mama’s English-To work with and learn from local NGO’s<br />-Explore opportunities with other local groups both in Mwanza and its surroundings and in the city of Dar es Salaam to continue the forward movement of WHE<br />-Volunteer with other local organizations (ie// Forever Angels orphanage, Starehe Nursery School etc.)<br />-Personal research for course credit (continue studies spear headed by past interns Jaimie and Alison, that is, to evaluate the nutritional content of the local diet and compare the macro/micronutrient composition of yogurt consumers and non-consumers in hopes to confer the health benefits of probiotic yogurt, and to compare the diet and health status of HIV/AIDS probiotic yogurt consumers and non-consumers, as well as a sensory evaluation of probiotic yogurt in several variations)<br />-To experience what it means to be a minority and experience what it is like to be immersed in a foreign language<br />-To experience as much of Tanzania as possible in five months!<br /><br />I hope you that you are able to enjoy the journey as well!</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499765232681298891.post-88129307282051879152007-12-27T11:21:00.000+03:002008-01-23T12:06:24.350+03:00From CanadaWestern Heads East, a project that I am so proud to be a part of.<br />I first learned about the project in fall ’06 when a summer WHE intern, Jaimie, spoke of her experience in Tanzania. I was blown away by what she had learned and how she was able to contribute to reduce the burden of HIV/AIDS in Africa. I was eager to learn more about what I could do to fight for the same cause. At the time, I was lucky enough to have a class with a very passionate professor and researcher, Dr. Sharaheh Hekmat. Dr. Hekmat shared with me her involvement with the project and pointed me toward the WHE website so that I could learn about the project from its inception in 2004. I was then able to hook up with the student run Fundraising and Awareness Committee at Western as a volunteer.<br />Over the course of the year I was able to lend my assistance for events on and off campus and had the opportunity to meet and befriend the upcoming summer and fall interns. I felt so inspired by all of the positive energy from the student body, steering committee and supportive faculty staff that applied for the position as an intern. After a few weeks of anticipation I was notified that I had been selected to travel to Tanzania in January 2008…. And so the preparations began.I can not compliment the WHE team enough for demonstrating such impeccable work ethic. They all put in countless hours of time and energy to ensure a positive experience both for the student interns, and for those that we are partnered with in Africa.<br />The past interns have been a tremendous amount of support to me and for one another. Whether through sharing Swahilli lessons, research projects or personal experiences, the WHE team works together toward the common goal of sustaining a grassroots community development program based on microbiology and nutrition. I encourage you to learn more about what the project has to offer and how it has grown and developed over the years: www.westernheadseast.ca . I will end it here for today. Blogging is brand new for me, so over the next few weeks I am going to have to ask for your patience.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00313510001727154266noreply@blogger.com3