It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to write – I’ve been crazy busy! Last week was blur but it was really fun. Things at the Nursery School are going well. The kids are really starting to speak English well - the older kids hardly speak Swahili at all when they are at school, even to each other. It’s so fun to hang out with the kiddies everyday! They’re really sweet.
Last Wednesday we took a little trip to the Marangu waterfalls. It was super fun! We had to hardcore hike down (and then up!) a really steep mountain. I felt very outdoorsy! The waterfalls were beautiful, as was the hike. We also stopped at a blacksmith and we went down into these old caves that were dug by the Chaaga Tribe. The caves were kind of nasty – very full of bugs and very muddy. We had to crawl on hands and knees. It was definitely an experience!
This past Thursday was one of the most fun evenings I’ve had since I’ve been here. A few of the other volunteers are working at an organization called TAFCOM which stands for Tanzanian Organization Facilitating Community Development. TAFCOM basically helps set up sustainable community initiatives so that people who have no means to provide for themselves are able to learn a skill that will enable them to get a job. They also support an orphanage for children whose parents have passed due to HIV/AIDS, and they work towards women’s empowerment by providing them opportunities that help them get out of oppressive situations. This past Thursday the volunteers at TAFCOM put together a really wonderful fundraiser that we all went to. It was 10,000 TSH (about $8) to get in and there was a live band, great food, and a bunch of vendor’s selling their crafts, jewelry, etc. They also had something called “Fill This Bowl” which cost 5,000 TSH (about $3.50). By purchasing a “Fill this Bowl” you could provide porridge for an orphan for an entire month. It was a really wonderful idea. The event raised about $1,000 which doesn’t seem like that much to us but will go so far in a country this poor. I had a really great time and it was awesome to feel like a valuable member of this community. I really love being here as a part of the community and integrating myself into the culture rather than coming in as a tourist and taking from the little resources they have.
I’m about to go learn how to make Batik (a form of African fabric painting) so I’ll have to finish catching you all up later – I have CRAZY stories from this past weekend’s safari!
Kwaheri!
Last Wednesday we took a little trip to the Marangu waterfalls. It was super fun! We had to hardcore hike down (and then up!) a really steep mountain. I felt very outdoorsy! The waterfalls were beautiful, as was the hike. We also stopped at a blacksmith and we went down into these old caves that were dug by the Chaaga Tribe. The caves were kind of nasty – very full of bugs and very muddy. We had to crawl on hands and knees. It was definitely an experience!
This past Thursday was one of the most fun evenings I’ve had since I’ve been here. A few of the other volunteers are working at an organization called TAFCOM which stands for Tanzanian Organization Facilitating Community Development. TAFCOM basically helps set up sustainable community initiatives so that people who have no means to provide for themselves are able to learn a skill that will enable them to get a job. They also support an orphanage for children whose parents have passed due to HIV/AIDS, and they work towards women’s empowerment by providing them opportunities that help them get out of oppressive situations. This past Thursday the volunteers at TAFCOM put together a really wonderful fundraiser that we all went to. It was 10,000 TSH (about $8) to get in and there was a live band, great food, and a bunch of vendor’s selling their crafts, jewelry, etc. They also had something called “Fill This Bowl” which cost 5,000 TSH (about $3.50). By purchasing a “Fill this Bowl” you could provide porridge for an orphan for an entire month. It was a really wonderful idea. The event raised about $1,000 which doesn’t seem like that much to us but will go so far in a country this poor. I had a really great time and it was awesome to feel like a valuable member of this community. I really love being here as a part of the community and integrating myself into the culture rather than coming in as a tourist and taking from the little resources they have.
I’m about to go learn how to make Batik (a form of African fabric painting) so I’ll have to finish catching you all up later – I have CRAZY stories from this past weekend’s safari!
Kwaheri!
1 comment:
that's awesome about the fundraiser!
and i can't believe you crawled around in caves! with BUGS!!!!!! you of all people!! my little LS is growing up :)
so proud of you! i love you!
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