You know sometimes you have this feeling you are just meant to be somewhere - Im not sure if everyone gets this, but as lame as it sounds I've had that feeling about both Africa and India for a very long time. I dont know what started it - maybe its the millions of true stories I obsessivley read about these regions, maybe its the fact that these places are so poor and as a little girl I was fascinated by Mother Theresa's life and those that she helped. Now dont worry I'm not about to repent and become a nun - ha ha I can imagine my mum laughing right now! I often claim to be an angel but we all know Im lying :)
So back to the point.... Since reading Gemma Sisia's book about her mission to set up School of St Jude, I decided to add this as a charity of my choice and used my dance school to raise funds. I dreamt of going to Tanzania and helping in anyway that I could.... I just never dreamt that this would be through photography - which is such a bonus as its my favourite me time hobby!
It was April this year after galavanting around India that I saw the photographer job come up at St Judes - I looked through all my pics from my travels and thought it's time to take this "creativity" somewhere - heck if I can make dancing work for me, I can get photography moving too! So I applied and after waiting for 2 months with no news, I lost hope and figured I wasn't going. Well destiny had other ideas and as I was relaxing in the Canary islands and making plans to explore Spain, Portugal and Lebanon for the rest of the European summer, I receive an email asking me to get to Tanzania asap! At first I didnt take it seriously then as Im booking my ticket the very next day, I realised what was going on - kind of and got very excited!
So after my 3 or so hours sleep at the Kenya Comfort Hotel in Nairobi, I headed down stairs at 6am with my meal voucher for breakfast - ok so that wasnt so exciting but the news about the World Cup was just exciting - I was in Africa while this was happening & today was the rememberance day for Rawanda's genocide tragedies - news that dosent really filter back to Australia.
I was packing my things and looking out the window as it was daylight and a hive of activity - I was told my shuttle bus to Arusha leaves from across the street - I could see a side street lined with shuttle buses and as Lonely Planet warns, lots of touts hanging around. Just then my phone rang and reception told me that the bus driver was there to collect me - ha ha we dont even get such service in Australia if you get a shuttle! So I rushed down with my bags and the lovely door boy with his huge black trench coat, black army boots, cargo pants and black beanie (strange site) wheels my bag over and makes sure that I am getting on the right bus. It wasnt as chaotic as I was bracing myself for but once I handed over my ticket to the guy with the clipboard, he said I could sit inside... but I've learnt from India - never assume they your big bag will make it onto the bus alone. So I politely declined and said I was happy to stretch while I could since it was a long drive and stood outside in the cold with the smokers whilst keeping an eye on my backpack. I could see that they intended to throw it up on the roof of the bus - which eventually did happen and they even cover it with a tarpoline.
Meanwhile I started to get stalked by the 5 or so African guys roaming the crowds with their beaded necklaces, bangles and assortment of wooden stuff that you can buy from the $2 stores in Australia. One man was quiet insistent with his copper bracelets and we started to have a competition between us to see who would cave first - ha ha little did he know who he was messing with! It didnt end nasty but I thought it was hilarious that he kept saying in a true African accent "So you wont let me have a taste of your money" I told him if he was hungry he should take an early morning tea break ha ha - I know I crack me up too!
So eventually we all pile into the mini bus - I scored a window seat - much needed as its a 5 hour bus ride. I have read everywhere and all I keep getting reminded is "T.I.A" - "This is Africa" I think Im screen printing a shirt if I cant find one with this on it as I would later learn this is the motto for this continent and one that you need to regularly repeat to keep your sanity :) The bus wasnt too squashy and there was a good mix of locals and tourists - there was even a mum with her two teenage kids from Brisbane on their way to Arusha for a wedding that weekend - that tripped me out, but again I would later meet so many QLDers that I realised they should screen state of origin here!!
The start of the journey was smooth and even on our way out to the airport to pick up some passengers we look to our right and there is a herd of giraffes alongside the highway??!! I was loving what I saw! Our ride was a little over 5 hours and no toilet stop until around 3.5 hours into it just before we stopped at the border of Kenya and Tanzania to get our visas. I befriended the "muzungu" old lady on the bus that spoke fluent Kiswahili and clearly was a missionary with a huge cross aroudn her neck. I found myself extremly jealous of what she was doing here - she had a little African girl called Esther with her, whom she had just taken to the hospital in Nairobi as she needs a heart operation. Turns out this lady runs a charity in Arusha, Tanzania and has lived here for the last 27 years working for both other charity organisations and her own. The one she is now running is called "Help for the Masai" and as the name suggests she works with the Masai communities around Tanzania and helps provide education, clean water and refuge for the poor.
At the border the bus was swamped with touts and locals selling everything from water, snacks, more copper bracelets etc. There was one extremly old Masai lady who came up to my window asking for food and water - after India I have realised Im a little detached from beggars now and have somehow managed to not hear them. So the same happens with this lady and it wasnt until the Muzungu lady from the Masai charity calls her around to her window and gives her fruit and sandwhiches and some money. She talks fluently to the old Masai lady and jokes with her. I felt really bad that I had zoned out and not realised how old this lady was and that she was not pimped out as the kids are in India - she really needed food and money for her family. She as well looked after by our Masai lover though so that was great.
Getting the visa side of things was alot easier than I expected... You get a departure stamp in your passport on the Kenyan side then you walk across a gate like 100m into the Tanzania Visa office - hand your passport and money over to some guy behind the glass window and wait for 10 min till your name is called out and your passport handed back. There's signs up everywhere saying that you must pay in USD and that you notes must be dated after 2006- moment of panic as I thought it was post 2003 - lucky I fluked that and had a $50USD note in the right timeline.
Finally after the worst roads on earth - granted they are building the highways, but my butt wished they were already done as we bumped along heavily pot holled dirt tracks! As we rolled through Arusha town, I asked the girl next to me if this was it and she said yes. In all honesty I was really shocked in what I saw - I hadnt prepared well at all! I guess I just thought things would be cleaner, concrete roads, proper shopfronts. Nope! It was just really dusty, dirty and poor - ok yes what did I expect -something on par with India I guess, not further behind.
We pulled into a dusty parking lot - basically a vacant piece of land and there's a few touts and taxi drivers waiting to bombard us as we get off the bus. Im looking for the St Jude's bus but not sure if Im meant to get off here or somewhere else. I hope off to talk to the driver while trying not to smack the persistent taxi drivers in the head with my daypack. Finally I see the St Judes bus pull in and our HR manager waving from the front seat. I yelled out to the guy on the roof of the bus hurling bags off the roof and got him to chuck me mine. I jumped into the back of the St Judes van and was introduced to our driver. The HR manager briefs me on what I should buy on the way back to the school and advises that I go to the ATM - so we do some grocery shopping, visit the ATM and stop at a corner fruit stall so I can stock up for the week ahead.
I arrived at the school late afternoon on a Monday so had a grand tour and was introduced to a few teachers - I was shocked how big and new the school was. I knew it was big but I just didnt imagine that they had that much support! 300+ teachers, chefs, drivers, guards, gardeners, admin staff - its insane!!! But you can really see the sponsorship money at work here and I liked that fact immediately.
I was really shocked when I was taken to my own apartment - I was half expecting to have to share plus Im one of the lucky one's who gets a room in the new volunteer house called "Bondi". Quality was so not what I was expecting but their partnership with Rotary Australia has ensured that accomodation for volunteers and visitors are safe and comfortable and I guess rightly so for the volunteers who are giving up their family and friends to live here 1 year + to support the school.
I like the fact that there are 24 hour security guards on the door and 2 german shepards roaming the grounds. The guards are mostly Masai and walk around at night with bow and arrows which is hysterical and big sticks during the day. The number of buses on campus is amazing and I later realise the importance of the buses in transporting both the students and teachers - who if it were not for the sponsorship of the buses would have to either walk several hours per day or hop on a few dala dalas (public minivans) to get here.
Straight away I was taken under the wing of one of the volunteers staying a couple of doors down from my room - drinks at the "Water Hole" on the first nite and dinner in the kitchen with everyone. We have a "kitty kitchen" we all pay 15,000 shilling into every week (less than $15 a week) and a roster for whose cooking for 13-15 people who are part of this kitchen. Ive been here two weeks so far and havent cooked - its brilliant!!
The bedroom has a double bed with 4 posts to support the mosquito net - I love it! I lucked out on hot water for the first week as they are still working things out for this new building but I was excited to unpack my bag for the first time since April!!!
Next blog.... Settling into St Jude's way of life
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