St Jude's sponsor child home visit - July 2010

Back in around 2009 through my dance school – World Fusion Dance Company – we started sponsoring a student and teacher at the School of St Jude in Tanzania. We held a fundraiser concert to raise money for the sponsorship and I have continued it since travelling. I always dream like my World Vision sponsor that I could one day visit my sponsor child and see how the money was helping her education (if at all – which we all fear right?!).

So as soon as I arrived at the school to commence my volunteer placement, I enquired about a home visit. By the time I actually went out to meet her and her family, I had already been working at the school for 2 weeks and had actually even been taking photos in her class – so I saw and knew who she was, but she never knew that I was her sponsor.

The day finally came to get the school bus on a Saturday morning and we were to pick her and her mother up from a designated stop on the normal school bus route so they could direct us to their home. We drove down a dirt main road around 20 minutes from our school and there stood my very timid sponsor child with her mum who was dressed elegantly in a yellow and black African Kanga outfit including the African style turbans. They guided us just around the corner to their home which was typical for the poorer areas of Arusha with 1 bedroom mud with homes in adjoining clusters of 3-4.

Inside was one room with no adjoining kitchen or bathroom – one room which mum dad and 2 kids sleep, eat and live within. It was very tidy and appeared to have everything they really needed. Inside she has a kerosene burner which is the norm for cooking inside or a wood/charcol fuelled fire outside. I didn’t take notice if they had electricity there but I am guessing not as it’s not very common for most poorer areas of Arusha.

Through my interpreter from the school I was able to ask questions to the mother and vice versa. She actually could speak a little English so we were very happy to communicate and especially when we realized she was only a year younger than me with 2 kids! She asked about my family history and I asked about their’s. I learnt that she has been doing a tailor course so that she can start sewing as a means to bring money in because currently only the father works as a truck driver in Arusha.

Slowly my sponsor child came out of her shell. She pulled out all her report cards and some of her exercise books with homework for me to see and promised to keep studying hard. We have realized that these children look at their sponsors as people who at any moment could end their education. They know that they are sponsored which pays for their education so they think if we see they have bad marks (below 80%) that we may not continue to sponsor them!

They took me for a walk around their neighbourhood. As they don’t have any taps with running water in their house or within the group of houses, they go to a mosque next door that has a well which they purchase a small bucket of water for approx 80 shilling. One thing I found frustrating was the stream at the back of the neighbourhood which many people take the water to wash their clothes and some to boil and drink – it was full of rubbish – people just dumping it in as well as the endless breeding ground for malaria. I watch everyday as people throw rubbish onto the roads, into gardens, around their homes, into creeks and even whilst I was in a boat in Zanzibar a fisherman threw plastic bottles into the ocean. It really kills me to watch a nation choke themselves and their environment on rubbish and create preventable situations that arise to disease. Im hoping that slowly the next generation that we see coming out of the likes of St Jude’s are educated and responsible to understand the damage they are doing. I’ve often joked about doing a “Clean up Arusha Day” just like we have in Australia and we all agreed it’s never going to happen. There are no apparent rubbish collections in the neighbourhoods, so people do the best they can and burn the rubbish, leaving the charcol and bit left over for the local chickens and goats to sift through.

Sorry got off track – so it was a great insight into the way many of the locals in Arusha are living – I must say that even though my sponsor child and her family did not have a lot of belongings, their home was immaculate and everything decorated with doilies, plastic flowers or tributes to god. Her mother took great pride in what they have and this is often reflected when we step into many of the sponsor childrens homes and even the boarding rooms at the school, where the children have carefully decorated their beds and walls with cards and pictures.

I walked away that day not depressed but happy to know that the money I’m using to sponsor her is going where it is supposed to and it really is giving her and the rest of her family a chance for a healthier and more opportunistic future.

Next blog….. Zanzibar!

Just another Sunday in Arusha... hospital & markets!

Just another Sunday in Arusha… volunteers lazying around on the grass trying to lap up what rays of sunshine we can steal from mother nature. One of the girls really hasn’t been well and I felt like I was following suite too – we decided it’s long enough for her feeling like this and since she’s home to Ireland in a couple of days it’s more affordable to see a doctor here and get treated then if she leaves it until she gets home.

It was only my 2nd week in Arusha but I had heard that the process to go to hospital here was a painful one. In Australia we call them medical centre’s and here they are hospitals – there’s both private and the proper public hospital. One of the girls got “Arusha belly” and got to experience the public system first hand… join one queue to get a ticket, then sit in another queue and shuffle along in that order, see the doctor, then queue to get tests, queue to pay, queue to see the doctor again then queue for medicines – this process averages 4-5 hours! The smart thing I have been told is to get there as early in the morning as possible to get them when they are fresh and when most people haven’t made it out yet. Apparently they aren’t even qualified Doctor’s as such – it sounds like a diploma level – eek!

So off we drove to a private hospital and I braced myself for a long wait – strangely enough we were the only people there, luckily this volunteer is a Kiswahili teacher back home in Ireland so it’s a joy to watch her converse with the locals. She explains the symptoms to the receptionist then off she goes to the “Bleeding room” for blood tests and we wait for the doctor to give her the results (in that way it was more efficient than Australia waiting for a few days), she was given antibiotics and she paid less than $40 for everything! The “hospital” itself was really more a medical centre – it was a single storey house with beautiful gardens and one wing of the house had a few beds along with a security guard out the front. Still you clearly don’t come here for major aliments.

So not wanting to waste our Sunday sitting around completely, we decided its time to go to the crafts market in town. This was my first visit there. It’s a block of land packed with souvenir sellers for tourists. Under normal circumstances I would hyperventilate and go crazy shopping, but travelling for a year you learn restrain – but I really didn’t want too! Oh and of course there is the fact about your bag and if you are a follower of this blog you will know just how much I love my bag J

There are masaai women sitting on rugs making those beaded collars, beaded gift boxes and earrings; endless amounts of wood-carved animals, traditional batik paintings and every african souvenier you desire. I was purely price shopping to see what they would charge me when i come back. I did decide to buy kanga (african kind of sarong the women wear in 2 pieces. The highlight of the day came from one young shop owner who when i asked the price, he quoted me 35,000 - keeping in mind its about 5-6,000 for a pair!!! I instantly started to laugh and asked him if he was "kicha" meaning crazy in Kisawhili. He realised that I knew it was too much so i gave him a chance to drop his price - he went to 25,000 - I started to walk off still laughing and he grabbed me saying "ok ok how much you pay" I then took great delight in telling him that I had only just bought a pair of kanga the previous week for 6,000 and then he still tried to sell it to me for 15,000 saying he has "better quality" needless to say I kept walking and laughing and ended up buying a pair and a half from two different shops at the price I wanted. Then out of nowhere as I am ready to leave, he charges up saying that "ok madam you can take them for 6,000" I tell him "sorry friend you are too late i have spent all my money" all the stall holders were standing around to see what was going on so I raised my voice and said "next time dont try over-charge the muzungu with 35,000 for a kanga - you should have seen their faces - ha ha hilarious.

So that was that day - not exciting I know but I thought it was good to give an insight into "hospitals" and tourist trap markets in Arusha

As I have been doing with most of the 3rd world countries I’ve visited over the last couple of years, I find myself heading off to yet another orphanage, this time about a 20 minute drive out of Arusha. The orphanage is called Cradle of Love and they have about 50+ children under 4 years – 7 of which when I was there were actually true orphans. This is apparently the only orphanage in the area that will take in babies – there was a 15 day old baby there when I visited!

This orphanage is probably one of the best I have visited in terms of facilities, but it is founded by a Westener whose husband I hear is also on the board for the Adventist (I think) church group next door (the land which the orphanage is built on belongs to the church group is what I was told). Usually when you think orphanage you think drab, grey, cement buildings – well this is actually a massive 2 storey home or mansion which a mustard rendered façade.

A group of us from the school went and we were lucky enough to scab a ride with one of our school buses on its way out to the Usa River campus. We were greeted at the main gate by a security guard who walked us in and we were so happy to see a pile of smiling faces plastered to the window greeting us. We were met by a lovely American lady who had only been there a few weeks and was now running the show for a few weeks until the Director returned later in the month. For someone who was clearly dumped in the deep end she appeared to be coping well.

We were taken into the reception area and asked to wash our hands, store our items and be prepared for screaming kids. Now I’ve worked in childcare so should be fine I thought, ha ha the difference is in Australia we have programs to keep the children busy and quiet, here they are trying to cope with the sheer number of children compared to number of staff. It was like a zoo, kids held onto your legs as you dragged them around and they all fought for our attention to be picked up – it took all of two minutes and each of us had a child on each hip (I mean 2 kids for 2 hips!) plus one of two latched onto your legs.

Although the facilities clean, they are well fell – to me it was very apparent that these children craved loved and attention – and rightly so. There’s no shortage of visitors to the orphanage and local staff are employed for consistency for the feeding, changing and sleeping routines but if only they had enough regular people staff to do cognitive skill building, social interaction etc. The teacher in me just wanted to write a program then and there and start taking charge J But the main point is they have a safe and clean home and regular food and nappies that are changed regularly.

One thing we were told to be prepared is that the children have bad nappy rash as nappy rash cream is just too expensive along with formula. I didn’t get to see, but apparently the scarring on the gential areas of these children was horrendous, due to the nappy rash cream being given to only those babies most in need. People who visit keep bringing toys and clothes and they really don’t need anymore – they have so much they need nappy rash crème, wipes and formula – all of which they can buy much cheaper locally so it’s better visitors make a monetary donation. And there’s no need to wonder if the money goes where it is supposed to – just take a look at the number of children to feed, the nappies to buy, staff to pay – it’s going where it should.

So we placed ourselves on the floor and within seconds I turned into a playground climbing frame with kids all over me. All of them again fighting for my sole attention and of course all wanting me to read different books to them. Their concentration levels are non-existent, I cant get past page one without them fighting and trying to rip the pages – I’m thinking of my story telling days in child care and how quietly they would sit cross-legged on the floor. It’s just that no-one has done this with them daily here – they are left to get the attention they need from their daily visitors and staff are too exhausted to cope. I know kids should be kids, but at this age I really believe they need structure and discipline or they are going to run wild and have no boundaries for life and what’s happening in Africa now will just continue.

Anytime you put a child down they would scream incessantly to be picked back up but being the cold hearted so and so I know it’s better to be strong and not cave in. After I got the shock of my life as a carer wheels out this L shaped wooden high-back seat with a young girl with I think cerebal palsy tied to the chair. I understand they need to restrain parts of the body to help correct posture – but on a wood L shape seat with no padding and just random tying? I was really disturbed and knew it wasn’t right. They untied her and lay her on the mat – the carer went and sat with the other carer’s and the little girl was on the mat alone as all the other children are too busy trying to get attention of their own.

I manage to pick her up – she’s quiet heavy and I’m worried to hurt her. All her muscles are so contracted and she’s turned in – I sit her in my lap for sometime, then after a while decide to lie her on the mat and massage straight her arms and legs – it took two of us a good 10 minutes of this for her muscles to relax and hands turn out – within a few minutes though she was stiff and turned in again. I have since spoken to a visiting physio about her and asked her to go visit and see if there is anything she can recommend.

Before long it was lunchtime and somehow there was organized chaos – the toddlers started queuing at the kitchen door and babies must have felt the food excitement in the air. There was a row of high chairs and a weird table with bucket seats cut into it – we sat a row of kids and the babies we are feeding 2-3 at once and the toddlers behind me I’m trying to teach them how to hold the spoon to feed themselves – it was crazy but it all worked. One little boy was so determined he didn’t want my help and ended up wearing the food! I loved lunchtime they were just too cute.

One by one we took them to the sink, washed their face and took them for nappy changes – ha ha got out of that one! Most of them were put in their cots and left to sleep. I remembered as a kid I loved mum patting my back to sleep so stood between two cots while trying to get them to lie on their bellies so I could pat them to sleep. I was no sooner in trouble for doing so and had to leave them to cry themselves to sleep as they just don’t have the staff to pat them to sleep everyday.

I also found out this day that they place newborn babies to sleep on their bellies – SIDS doesn’t appear to be a problem here and the babies fall straight asleep?

By 3pm we were famished and exhausted and decided it was time to go eat something. We went to a lovely garden café/restaurant near Arusha town called Blue Heron. It’s totally aimed at expats and tourists – including the prices I paid 15,000 TSH (<$15) for a burger and fries – again me eating local cuisine  But you cant beat the gardens were stunning with wooden benchseats with massive pillows sitting under jacaranda trees – it was too perfect for an escape from the madness of Arusha town.

After lunch I had my first “daladala” experience for the trip – they are mini vans that operate with a driver and conductor who collects your payment before you hop off. The minivan should sit around 15-20 people – we managed to squeeze on with the door slide wide open while we are driving and Im balancing on one foot only on the step outside the bus!!! I counted 27 people and had some big mamma’s butt in my face. Pick pockets are rife on these things so I’m watching for stray hands. They take great pride in their daladala’s and have slogans, stickers and music blarring – ours had a big screen sticker “fly emirates” and bob Marley pasted everywhere.

All in all it was a brilliant day, and of course exhausting but we had too much fun and I of course went baby photo crazy!!! Check them out www.cradleoflove.com if you want to help I’d suggest the best way is a monetary donation.

Next blog…. Hospital in Arusha & the craft markets

Masai Sunday - markets & village

So it was still my first weekend in Tanzania and at lunchtime on Sunday, I managed to pinch a seat in one of the St Jude buses that was taking a visiting tour group out to the markets and our head guard Lukmai's masai village.

We all piled on the bus and made our way out past Arusha airport for the 45min or so drive to the markets. We arrive to a massive dirt field covered in blankets on the ground with locals selling fruit, veges, 2nd hand clothes, traditional Tanzania fabrics, beaded masasi bracelets and household items like soap etc.

To the right of our bus in the football field their was a tiny goat market taking place - although by the time we had arrived most had been sold and only a couple were left. As St Jude's occassionally visit's Lukmia's family we take out a gift of a live goat to his family. So off he went to bargain with the sellers to get our goat... more about him later.

So this particular market is really only for locals, so it is quiet funny that a whole busload of "muzungus" pulls up and hop out. The majority of visitors in this group were older in their 50-70's. As soon as we got off I made a dash to leave the group and get in amongst the excitement - my skin colour is bad enough here without needing to standing in a pack of glowing white tourists ;) Also on this particular day there was a local mobile phone company with their green truck and promo dancers breaking some moves on their makeshift dance floor - a small crowd had gathered of young and old locals wanting to catch a glimpse of the excitement so I decided that's exactly where I wanted to be and walked right on over to the centre of the group with my small digital camera in hand.

I made the decision before I hopped off the bus that I would infact not pull out the huge Canon SLR I'm lugging around as it just dosent seem to rate to high in the popularity stakes here and totally ruins every photo opportunity as people get very camera shy when they see the lens pop out.

So there was me standing in the middle of a local only crowd who were bopping away in their masai blankets and sticks with massive earlobes that have been over-stretched from beaded earrings. Once people started to notice me I attracted my own crowd and an old Masai man in his 70's came over with a huge smile and several missing teeth to shake my hand and welcome me. He was very cute and I wanted to get a photo but know that just starts the roll of "support my family give me money" or paying for every photo.

The photo opportunities for the Canon just kept rolling by and it killed me as I kept seeing everything as photos but even with my small digital I knew its not appropriate to just walk up and take their photos!

I hadn't planned on shopping but knew that you dont pay more than 6,000 TSH for a Masai blanket so walked around asking prices and got everything from 25,000 down to 15,000. The blankets are ok - but I really love the Tanzanian Kanga and Kitenge material. The Kanga is about the size of a sarong and worn over pants like a long sarong, only you tie it above your bellybutton as only the "cheap" girls wear things on their hips I have been told. The Kitengei is like 6 metres of material that you buy to have dresses etc made and also has beautiful patterns. So I came across this one girl who decoratively placed all her fabrics in cones on her tarpoline and I absolutely loved her outfit - a black and yellow polka dot dress.

We started to bargain for one kitenge and I got her down to 6,000 - then I say to her - give me two for 10,000 and you have a good sale. She laughed at me but caved after 5min of me laughing back - thank you! Then I saw a heap of the other ladies from our bus so pushed them her direction and told her to remember my face as I will come shopping again and want special prices for bringing her so much business he he yes it's the European blood shining through!

I managed to take some sneaky shots of masai women in their blankets and adorned in their beaded jewels resting. I was wondering through the vege section and was again befriended by an elder - this time an old lady sitting on the floor selling her fruits. I greeted here with "Shikamoo" reserved for elders and she responded with "Marhaba". Then in the most impressive sales tactic she held my hand, touched my face and showered me with what I can only imagine compliments (I hope) and wouldnt let go of my hand as she started to ask me to buy from her, motioning she needed food for her family, every story under the sun - of course I couldnt work out exactly what she was saying.

Anyways I managed to free myself and headed towards the bus - not before buying a 2nd hand GAP business shirt for less than $3 and a black business shirt - these have proven to be my best and an invaluable buy as they go with everything are perfect for the conservative surrounds I'm in. As I'm waiting for our bus to load up our guard brings around a plate of cooked goat which was delicious even if a tadd fatty. Most people polietly tried one but didnt like it - I was there with the driver and guards feasting with oily fingers - such a lady! Then came the funny part - Mr Billy Goat gets loaded into our bus with us with a small rope around his neck - we tie him to the railing on the steps of the bus and he wasnt scared in the slightest. I didnt want to know what fate awaited him but he seemed happy to be getting all the attention.

We headed off on a bumpy dirt road towards Lukmai's village and approached a area of round mud huts with thatched roofs. The roads got so bad that at one point we had to unload half the passangers so we could get over a hump and then they hopped back on. Suddenly Lukmia is telling our driver Joseph something in Kiswahili and we realise that MR Billygoat is about to meet his new family as on of the boys from his tribe is walking towards us with a heard of goats. We untie him and open the bus door - he jumps out, bleats and heads off with his 40 or so new friends - it was very cool!

Arriving at the village there was a group of maybe 6 huts and lots of kids raggedly dressed come running towards us. Our visitor co-ordinator has the cookie bucket and hands out packets of biscuits and they go wild. I find a quiet place under the tree to start snapping - this time with my big camera and the kids happily pose - gotta love kids!!! Next thing I know they are all interested in my necklace, earrings and bracelets - only the earrings and necklace are silver so nothing too expensive but they decided they want them. I manage to keep my earrings and necklace, then one little girl takes off her masai bracelet and offers it to me in exchange for one of mine. So the swapping begins and I end up giving up my evil eye leather strap from Istanbul and get our driver to explain to the girls the purpose of the evil eye since they are also supersticious. Just before leaving one of the older girls abruptly instructs me to give back all their bracelets and gave me my Thailand one back - it was hilarious - deal off!

Whilst I was absorbed in the kids the others went off to meet Lukmia's two - yes two wifes - its very common here for Masai to have two and even some none masai give it a go Im told.

We had a brilliant day and lots of photos to show for it. Cant wait to go back and get more fabrics from my commission owing :)

Next blog... Cradle of Love Orphanage, Arusha

Lake Manyara Safari with the St Judes kids

So week one flew by with lots of photos to be taken of the kids in assembly, in class and on their way home. Now it was time for the super fun stuff... SAFARI! Arusha is known as the major drop-in point for tourists from around the world who come to Tanzania to experience the safari parks such as Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Ngorogoro & Tarengeri national park - and safari's are pretty much visited by tourists only, so you can imagine the expense!

I was super lucky that my first Saturday in Tanzania, needed me to go on safari with the kids to do some photography of their outing - we actually took the St Jude's buses into the Lake Manyara national park! Mostly tourists go with the drivers from their lodges or organised tours - so you see an abundance of them in open top landcruisers. We had 3 or 4 bus loads of St Jude's students who were super excited and only around 6 teachers to look after them all. I had prepared myself that this is a school excursion, so expect the headaches etc.

Not the case at all! You have never seen such well behaved children - ever! I'm talking that it got to the point that I had to look behind me to check that the kids were still in the bus. The teacher started the trip with a stern lecture on being quiet during the trip and once in the park so as not to scare the animals. When we drove past the airport, all the children lost their mind (quietly though) and were all staring in amazement at the aircraft - it was very cute.

We stopped just before arriving at the national park for some African ginger tea and these triangular donut spongey breads for morning tea. The funniest scene ever - the buses pulled up in some vacant land on the side of the road for morning tea, but as the drive had taken us more than 2 hours to get there, plus most of the kids had been waiting at the side of the road since 6am for pick-ups - they were busting for the toilet. So you just saw this mass of boys run and surround this poor tree and start peeing and then the girl decided they too couldnt wait and there was like 40+ girls running for trees at the back of the land and squatting shyly. Some girls got so excited that they ran over on of their friends and there she lay face into the ground like she had been run over by a steam roller. I ran over to peel her off the ground and wipe away her tears - of course then her friends apologise profousley. After killing the grass here we decided it was time to finally take them to the national park.

We pulled up outside and are greeted by our guides. The female teachers and I who had not been able to join the tree and squat made a made dash for the toilets. Just as we were so close there is a male cleaner in front of us walking so sloooowwwwly up the ramp, that I couldnt take it anymore and started saying at the top of my voice "emergency, emergency" that made him move - it also made him start laughing too!

It was only $30USD for us to actually have access to the national park since we had our own transport. Outside the park there were already baboons and some other type of monkeys roaming around, so the kids were starting to get excited. Once we passed security and drove into the safari park - it was just us and the animals. You should have seen the kids with their eyes peeled looking for the most popular animal of all in this park - the tree sleeping simba (lions). We lucked out this day and didnt see any, but everytime we drove past another tour group they would say they had just seen some around the bend - of course by the time we got there Simba was gone - but Im wondering if they were just saying it to keep the tourists happy!

We saw endless giraffee and impala's. The kids swear they saw hippos but Im still convinced they were rocks in the water. We saw zebras and flamingo's and a heard of elephants were right next to our bus.

You can actually camp in the national park grounds but I just think thats down right crazy!!! Lions prowling around, hyenas!!! You can even do guided walks with an armed ranger through the park, but Im not a fan of animals getting shot just because I need some adventure.

Whenever we saw animals the kids were so well behaved and they like me were hanging to see the lions but never game up hope. We had a short break at the hot springs - the water was really really hot and I forget this and nearly burned my face!!!

Lunch was beside the lake near the flamingo's - it was everyone's favourite pilau and rice that we had in massive plastic bins that were on the bus. Yes sounds glamarous, hence why I didnt want the meat as I thought it would be cold - I tried one piece and it was fine so gobbled it up with the kids who were amused that I sat eating with them and not the teachers.

As we were leaving the park we saw endless families of baboons and even one that was the since of a 4-5 year old child - I havent had my rabies shot so my window stayed closed!!

The drive home took us past some beautiful and typical African scenery with the round mud huts with their stick thatched roofs, too many Masai's and their goats grazing, quiet a few Masai women in traditional gear off to the water holes.

The kids were angels right until the very end. It had been an extremly long day on the road and in the bus for everyone - by the time we needed to refuel and drop off the last few children who must have been famished so I was feeding them arrowroot biscuits - everyone was exhausted but we had some amazing photos to show for it!!

Again this safari was enable by the generous St Jude supporters - if it were not for the donations these children may never afford to go on safari in their own hometown in their lifetime.

Next Blog... First weekend and not only do I go on Safari but the next day I'm visiting a Masai village and bargaining at the Masai Sunday markets!

St Jude's first week experience.....

So I was finally here - pinching myself to check it's real and it so was. My first night in the apartment and I slept like a baby. The rooms are on the Moshono campus and there are around 30 or so volunteers who live here (maybe less). Some live off site as they have local Tanzanian partners and choose to live with them as we cannot have anyone stay on campus with us.

To accomodate for the volunteers and visitors who stay at the school we have 3 or so kitchens - I managed to get lost on day one on my way to breakfast. Thanks to the generosity of many visitors and donors who as what we need, we appear to have an endless supply of Vegemite, so all us Aussies are well cared for in the home sickness department :)

The majority of the volunteers are from Australia - we have one American and an Irish guy. Most people are between 23 right up to 50 something. We have a husband and wife from Australia who have been living here for 2.5 years and working at the school. Gemma the school founder also lives on campus with a residence for her and her family (Hubbie & 2 kids).

My building overlooks the playground, so 7.45am becomes a mass noise of screaming kids on swings and playing football - but I love coming out my room and watching them play from the balcony. Every morning they make me smile and remind me why I am here and I smile because I'm so happy that these children have a bright future ahead of them.

My week day in the office and I already have a pc set-up and some jobs to photograph teachers in their classes, student profile shots for the sponsor updates, bus photos of kids going home on the buses and me hopping off to capture them as they get off and run home.

This is so far my favourite part of this job - I get the bus from the Moshono campus to the Usa campus at 2pm (45min drive) along the way at random points we pick up and drop of local Tanzanian staff who are either finishing or starting work for the day. I'm befriended by one of the older "mamma's" who oversee's the night boarding at Usa campus. She starts giving me Kiswahili lessons and I start practising with everyone who gets on:
"Mambo"
"Poa"
"Viipi"
"Safi"
"Habari"
"Mizuri"

Once I arrive at the Usa campus I wait until the students finish school and board one of the many buses leaving at 3.30pm, we then head off along the bumpy, dusty, dirt roads towards their villages for the various drop off's. One area that there are lots of children and teachers living is call Ugali Limited and it's quiet poor. I'm shocked at first when I see just how poor - they are true slums and as I will later learn - most people dont have electricity in their homes and use neighbourhood taps (about 80cents for a large bucket of water). The scene before me is mud homes or old rotting timber, dust, dust and more dust - little kids running around everywhere - along with the chickens and goats that always seem to be everywhere also!

Endless fields of maize (their corn) and if its not in fields then its drying on massive sheets in the sun. Loads of banana plantations, which explains why most meals incorporate banana as though it was potatoe! I see the most dense jungle with beautiful creeks and mini waterfalls running under bridges - I see families doing their washing in the river, kids bathing and the most beautiful towering tall trees I've ever seen lining the road up a hill with the most perfect sunset trying to cut through the dust trail left behind the truck that just overtook our bus and is overloaded with workers standing in the back.

Everytime I do these drives I find myself mesmerised by the jungle scene with the river and in particular these tall trees. Something really draws me.

I have one photo I posted on facebook of one of these scenes and I mention how everytime I see them I think of the trillion African war books I've read and can see the scenes of the refugees walking these roads out of places like Congo, Rawanda and Burundi to get to the borders of safety. I recall stories of the Rawandan genocide and how children were hiding in banana plantations and the thick forest to hide from the rebel armies capturing young boys as new recruits. These are mobid thoughts, but then I look infront of me and I see this beautiful land and wonder what things these tree's have seen - there is something special along these roads and I cant place it, but every single time I'm on the bus and we pass those 2 (jungle rivers & lines of towering trees) I smile and feel at peace, like I belong here, like I'm so humbled to be here alongside them.

I dont know much compared to some about African history, but I do know that I am sensitive about the whole white vs black people here. What I'm saying is I often see congregations of white's and make a point to attempt to fit in with the locals -if I could only speak their language life would be so much easier. One Irish volunteer that just left was a Kiswahili language teacher back home, so we would go out somewhere and I would sit fascinated as she's joking with the locals and having fluent conversations. I can see the respect they have for her as a white woman who really is embracing her surroundings. I've gone and bought the traditional "Kanga" material that is worn as a sarong by the women here over long black pants - I wore this for the first time the other day and I noticed straight away the gratitude and respect they showed me for my interest and respect in their culture.

I'm really frustrated by the language - I want to be fluent now! We have one guard here who walks around campus and we pass each other maybe 10-12 times in a day and each time all I can say is Mambo and each time he is saying something new to me and it's driving me nuts as I can see he's trying to teach me and have a conversation but I cant get past one word! There is talk that Kiswahili lessons will start in the next couple of weeks, which I'm obviously keen to attend.

As a first time visitor to the school everyone who attends the Thursday assembly in Usa or the Primary and Secondary assemblies in Moshono gets a traditonal welcome with living African drumming by the children, and you are to walk up on stage and introduce yourself. I had to do this at all 3 assemblies!!! The drumming is brilliant and the kids scream a huge "Welcome" after all the visitors have been introduce.

At the start of every assembly the children say a prayer to St Jude - the patron saint of the school, at the end of prayer all the children madly wave their arms around to get hold of the microphone to say who they would like to pray for! Some pray for their teachers and this morning one girl said "I would like to pray for myself" I nearly burst out laughing but then saw the serious look on the teachers faces and controlled myself. Then it's the Tanzanian national anthem which you must be still for (I've only learnt the chorus so far - but that's better than some Australian's knowing their own national anthem right?!) then it's onto the school song "The school of St Jude is a very beautiful school... the school of St Jude I love you so much" and of course there's a whole dance routine to go with it and all the staff do it too. Secondary school has their own school song and dance routine which the kids made up since its a fairly new campus.

I got a tour of the boarding rooms in both Usa and Moshono and WOW! There are usually 6-10 students of the same sex per room and you have never seen such tidy rooms! Every morning they make their own beds - and I need a lesson from them!!! Then they take great pride in decorating the room with cards and letters from their sponsors - both individual sponsors and sponsors of the actual boarding room they stay in. As many of the students live too far for the bus to pick them up each day they board Monday - Friday. We also have many students who live in orphanages, so they board with us during the week then go to the orphanage on the weekend. Friday afternoon is a major nightmare at 3.30pm as all boarders, students and teachers are going home, so the poor bus drivers loose their mind having to do drop off's that take even longer than usual.

The bus drivers are another invaluable resource to the school - most of them are just learning english and you will never see men who are better with kids than Africans. It's amazing - just like some women have a knack as a mother, it's like these guys were born to father lots of children - they are very gentle with the kids and the kids adore their bus drivers.

Everyday hot and nutricious meals are served to the students, teachers, admin staff, gardeners, bus drivers - everyone involved within the school. At Usa that is 400+ meals per lunch - so you can imagine the size of the huge pots they cook in and the number of kitchen staff! For many children and perhaps even staff, this is the healthiest or even only meal of the day that they get if they do not live on campus! Each day has a set meal - I'm still learning them all, but so far I can remember the following:

Mon - cant remember....
Tue - Pilau with mutton
Wed - Ugali (like white playdough), green spinach stuff and ocra
Thur - beans and rice (as Im at Usa campus every thur)
Fri - beans and rice (lucky me I get beans and rice 2 days in a row)

Many of the long term volunteers here are over eating the same meals, so you often see them in the kitchen making western food. Since India my diet and eating has changed so much that Im just happy to have a) a nutricious meal b)free meal c)dont have to cook!

Outside the main gate there is a bar called the "Waterhole" which backs onto a little "store" (a room with bars so you pay through a window) to get mobile phone credit or order "chipsey & omelette" - havent tried this yet but I'll get there. I watched a couple of world cup matches in the Waterhole with our guards - looking at a big old tv that is locked into a cage.

I've been obsessively taking photos at the assemblies and of students in class. I cant beleive they have a maths quiz in assembly every week and they are sooooo excited about it - not to mention that I sit there trying to answer the questions myself and I cant get even an idea of what the answer should be. Everytime I walk into their classrooms, everyone stands and in a robotic voice they yell out "Good afternoon visitor" and before I even get a chance to say hi and ask how they are, they are telling me "we are fine thank you visitor" I then tell them to sit down and keep listening to their teacher and they say "thank you visitor" it cracks me up everytime! Now they are recognising me and they get as far as "Good afternoon Miss....." then I say Katina and they want to start from the beginning!

I love the kids they really are gorgeous and I cant even imagine where the children, staff and teachers would be if it wasnt for the School of St Jude. I've supported alot of charities in my short life and this is the first one that I have seen actually put the donated money and items where it is supposed to go!

Next blog.... Weekend 1 and I'm on safari!!

Athens to Nairobi....July 4th, 2010

After a rather last minute trip to the Greek isles, it was Monday morning and time to pack my bags AGAIN - I've lost count and dont bother anymore. My very sweet cousin insisted on walking me to the platform to get the train to Athens airport and I find myself daydreaming on the train wondering where this next adventure will take me and what doors of opportunity it will further open.

I booked my flights through a new website I've never tried before but now use it as my first go to when Im trying to work out how to get between airports and get a selection of airlines with ok prices. rumbo.com if you want to check it out. So I booked return flights between Athens & Nairobi via Istanbul as it was cheaper and flying with Turkish Air. It was exciting to have food included in the bill for a change :)

I arrived 11.30am into Istanbul airport exhausted from the long weekend layzing by the sea :) I had to kill time until my flight left for Nairobi (or Nairobbery as they call it) at 6.30pm that night, so I visited every store, surfed the web and paced the airport for several hours. At one point I sat on the floor in the quiet end of the airport upstairs outside the club lounges working out how much I need to convert into USD etc for the trip. I was so tired that I wasnt really concentrating, got up and went to the other end of the airport to change money. When I got there I couldnt find my money belt in my bag, so I unpacked it twice - still nothing. I checked out the toilets and went into a nearby lounged I had been sitting next to, to see if anyone had handed anything in.

As I was walking into the second lounge to ask the same question, it hit me what I was saying.... I had lost my Australian passport, travellers cheq, credit card, key cards and all my cash - I only had my greek passport on me!!! I could feel tears start to well as I panicked and as Im walking into the 3rd lounge hoping for a miracle, a cleaner comes running up to me with my money belt! He is asking that I check that everything is inside and then off he runs! It turns out that when I had gotten up to go to the toilet I had left it on the floor!!!!! Usually I wear my money belt religiously but as I had come from Greece where I am a little relaxed about security I didnt have my belt on as I planned to wear it on the plane before I arrived in Nairobi - lesson learnt!

So finally I was on the plane to Nairobi - my flight had a mix of both Africans and Caucasians - yes I was observing. We landed at 1.20AM and Im all ready to look mean in downtown Nai-robbery but silently praying the driver we arranged had waited for me. After changing money and realising they ripped me only to then realise I was thinking in Tanzanian shilling and this is Kenya so he was giving me Kenya shilling - Doh!

Thankfully my driver was waiting outside and off we went on our 30min drive to the hotel that I would be spending a whole 5 hours at! By the time we got moving it was well after 2am and the roads were empty, my driver was fantastic. We spoke about the World Cup the whole way - he was so lovely it was such a pleasent releif to what I was expecting. We arrived at the Kenya Comfort Hotel where I was staying in Nairobi - from outside it looked like an old Australian corner pub - 2 young security guards all rugged up and carrying batons come over to help me with my bags. We got into reception which still looked like an old pub and there are the two girls behind the desk, asleep with their head on the counter. My driver bangs his hand on the counter and they both jump about 10 feet!

We all giggle including them and they shyly apologise. The coolest reggae music is playing and I at 2.30am after flying for 6.5 hours and finding that Im dancing along to the music!!
One of the girls takes me up to my room at the end of a long corridor and with a simple push button lock on the back of the door. My room is all windows as it is on the corner overlooking the street below. It looks yellow but welcoming and I am immediately at ease feeling safer than I thought I would. I climb into bed with the lamest smile.... the real adventure has begun... why do I love travelling to such hard countries? Because the reward for your effort is greatest there!

Next blog.... Nairobi to Arusha