YOU can help Save Africa too!

Getting to know the kids and staff at Save Africa the past two weeks has been such a pleasure.  We have a lot of fun playing games and running around- no day is like the day before and although I am the “teacher” here, I have been learning so much more from these kids than I feel like I am teaching them.  Each day is rewarding in its own way whether it’s realizing someone can now write the letter ‘G’ because you took the time to show them how or you finally got the little boy to stop crying by putting a simple flower in his hair.  These moments are what help us get through the days and remind ourselves we are making a lot of small differences because sometimes it is difficult to find those moments amongst all the chaos.

Working at the orphanage has been a lot harder than I originally envisioned.  There are a lot changes that need to be made and a ton of obstacles to overcome along the way.  Matt, Karina, and I have been trying to brainstorm some overall goals for the orphanage and figuring out ways in which we can meet those goals in our short 3 months here.

Yesterday, we removed the barbed wire fence that surrounded the front yard of the orphanage.  Yes, you read that correctly- there was a barbed wire fence in front of a school that houses 50 kids.  The kids were tripping over it, cutting their hands and feet open by walking into it, and some were even sitting and swinging on the wire.  The teachers and project managers didn’t see anything wrong or frightening with this fence but we immediately asked if we could take it down and replace it so that they could avoid further injuries and infections.  Next week we will be buying and putting up chicken wire in its place so they are still following the required property boundaries.

The barbed wire fence

Something as simple as pencils cause huge problems at the orphanage because there are not enough for all of the kids to have their own.  Once the teacher hands out the exercise books, the kids go crazy trying to get their hands on one of the few pencils that are circling around.  If they aren’t so lucky, they have to wait around until the others are done and this usually leads to fights and more distractions.   Most of our time is spent shooing kids away from jumping on us while trying to help the kids with pencils complete their exercises.  We have been trying to bring pencils with us to school everyday but the kids go through them so quickly because they lose them or sharpen them too much.  We have also been shopping around for a sturdy pencil sharpener to screw into the wall so the kids can’t play with it or lose it but we have yet to find exactly the one we are looking for.

Waiting for a pencil :(

As I have mentioned in a previous post, the group is divided into a baby class and a pre-unit class.  The pre-unit class is more advanced and teaches the kids reading and math skills.  The teacher in the pre-unit class seems to have a good grasp over the children and is able to deliver lessons that are at the level of all the kids in the class.  The baby class is where we have seen most of the issues because there are 35 kids in the class and they are all at different stages of development.  The older group knows the alphabet, counting, and can write well but they are not at the pre-unit level yet while the younger kids are struggling to keep up since their fine motor skills have not been completely developed.  Because there are so many kids in the baby class, the younger ones go unnoticed and are not given the full attention they need to learn letters, numbers, and writing skills.  This week, Karina, Matt, and I divided the baby class in half and took the younger children outside.  From there, we split them into three groups of 5 so that each of us could give more attention to them.  We are hoping this method will be more efficient in helping these kids learn how to write and recognize letters and numbers.  It will also allow the teacher in the baby class to create lessons that are a little more advanced for the older kids.  We will be buying more pencils, notebooks, and exercise books so we can create new lesson plans for the younger groups and hopefully get some of them writing so they can join the baby class again.

Clothing and food are not plentiful amongst the children at Save Africa.  The program coordinators try to have breakfast and lunch available to the kids everyday but sometimes they are stretching to find something to give them.  The food they are fed is not the most nutritious so we are going to start cooking some meals at home to bring into school for the kids- rice, beans, pasta, and some other traditional Tanzanian dishes.  We would also love to be able to buy/donate some children’s clothing to the orphanage since most of the kids wear the same ripped and dirty clothing everyday.

A long-term goal for the orphanage is to buy another bed for the children to sleep in.  Of the 50 kids that we work with on a daily basis, 12 actually live there full time.  They have two sets of bunk beds for the older kids and 4 or 5 of the younger ones all sleep in one full sized bed together.  They are quickly going to outgrown that so we would love to be able to put money towards another bed.  In the near future, they have also talked about adding on another room to the orphanage- either a bedroom or a kitchen.  Right now, all the laundry, cooking, and cleaning is done outside.

The backyard at the orphanage where all the laundry, cooking, and cleaning is done...hopefully the site of a new bedroom or kitchen.

At the end of most chaotic days, we leave frustrated and exhausted however, I know deep down that we are really making a difference to these kids.  It is obvious that they do not get the love and attention they need at home so they look to us for hugs and affection. I love being able to put a smile on their faces by just listening to them but I can’t be here forever.  Hopefully the small changes we are making will improve the overall environment and turn those frowns upside down!  In general, conditions at Save Africa are not great and I would love to see some big changes over the next few months.  I think that most of the goals we are setting for ourselves are attainable with a little bit of fundraising.  If you have been at all affected by my descriptions of the orphanage and Africa so far, I ask that you please consider helping the cause by donating.  Unfortunately, receiving packages here is unreliable so the best way to help out is to donate money so we can buy everything we need here.  I will begin to keep a running list of exactly what I am spending the money on so you can see the difference you are making!! Just a few dollars goes a really long way so any amount is appreciated J

A place to call home

While I am completely convinced that I have been here for at least three weeks, only one full week has gone by.  The people here really make you feel right at home and I have been welcomed with open arms into their culture already. It is impossible to walk down the street without people coming out of their houses to yell “Karibo” (welcome to my home) and there are always kids in the streets that are genuinely happy to see us so they can practice the few phrases they know in English. I am trying to blend in as much as a white girl with freckles can, I even follow the rules of covering my shoulders and knees when out in public! The weather has been gorgeous everyday- cool in the mornings/evenings and about 85 during the day with no humidity.

My house is very homey and the staff and other volunteers make it even more fun. There is a kitchen, 4 dorm style bedrooms with bunk beds & mosquito nets, two bathrooms, a dining room, and a living room.  We have running water, electricity (most of the time), western style toilets, and even a TV!  However, options for showering are not exactly ideal- we can take a cold shower, a bucket shower, or rinse off with a small hose in the shower. I have been opting for the bucket showers and it has been quite an adjustment!  First my house mama has to boil half a bucket of water on the stove and then I mix it with cold water to get the temperature just right. And after that, well, I’m sure you can figure out the rest…

My neighborhood is safe during the day but we are not allowed to walk around after dark and must take cabs past 6pm.  Zaki, our security guard, stays up all night long to watch guard and keep us safe. He is from the Masaii tribe so he’s not messing around.  While he is scary enough to ward off any intruders, he is so funny and happy all the time.  He is always laughing, dancing, and teaching me new Swahili words…he really brightens up my day.

On Saturday, a bunch of us went to the Moshi hot springs to go swimming.  It was one dalla dalla, a bus, and a tuk tuk away from home but totally worth the trip. Tuk tuks are these crazy little cars, kind of like a golf cart, that drive around the dirt roads easily (but not necessarily safely). I was pretty sure I was going to fall out 90% of the time; it was really fun though. The views while we were on the tuk-tuk were amazing, we could see Mount Kilimanjaro for most of the ride.  Every time the clouds separated and revealed the snow covered summit, I got butterflies in my stomach knowing that in just a few weeks I will be climbing to the top!!

I was as excited as a little kid at Disney World for the first time when we finally got to there.  It was sooo beautiful- the water was crystal clear blue surrounded by these exotic trees and the best part was that there was a rope swing!!  After realizing that we hadn’t all died and gone to heaven, we took turns trying to do flips off the rope swing.  No one was successful. After exploring a little bit, we found out that you can camp along the river for the weekend so we are definitely going back soon. I guess I could say that week one was a success.

My first week at Save Africa

Today was my third day at the orphanage and I am already exhausted!  The kids are adorable, little balls of energy- after I figure out a way to keep up with them, I am going to find a way to smuggle them all back to the US with me.

On Tuesday, Matt, Karina, and I were escorted to the orphanage by one of the TVE staff members.  She kindly did the commute with us so we knew where we were going.  It’s about a 20 minute walk and two dalla-dallas away from our house so leaving at 7:15am gets us to work around 8:30am….a little tardy in NY, but we are right on time in Africa time! The orphanage managers met us at the dalla-dalla stop and walked us down the dirt roads and through the small town until we were warmly welcomed by a swarm of 50 smiling faces running through the field and directly into our arms.  I have never felt more like a human jungle gym (even at all those crazy family parties at Nana’s).  “Teacher, teacher, teacher! Bebe, Bebe! (pick me up)” is what I hear all day long.

I am assuming that not much affection is given to these children at home so they are looking for it from anyone that will give it, even Wazungu they have only known for a few minutes. Most of the kids show up in the same clothes everyday with holes and stains all over. For some, their only meal of the day is the small cup of porridge they are fed at 10am but despite all of this, they seem to be very happy and willing to learn. I guess that is what really matters.

On day one, we were given a quick tour of the 5 room orphanage (2 small classrooms, 2 bedrooms, and an office) and then just played with the kids for a few hours.  There is a big field in front of the orphanage so they can run around and play/climb all over us.  I was so happy when I saw the kids kicking around soccer balls and that there was a soccer goal post set up.  It is going to be a fun 3 months! 

Yesterday, we observed the two classes so that we can hopefully start teaching next week. I do not have any teaching experience but I was already able to identify a few changes that need to be made to the structure of the class so that the teachers can be more efficient.  The kids are split into two classes- baby class and pre-unit, I was observing the baby class so the teacher was reviewing numbers and the alphabet as well as singing a few songs in English. The teachers and kids know a little bit of English but not enough for us to fully converse. The placement managers, Pascal and Francis, speak a fair amount of English so at least we can communicate with them. I have started Swahili classes for 6 hours a week for 4 weeks and I have already learned so much.  I’m sure I will be able to communicate with the kids pretty well by the end of my time here in December.

Thursdays are “farm days” so we went with Pascal to the orphanage farm about a 15 minute walk from the school.  We walked through fields of all sorts of crops and passed by all different kinds of homes, it is unbelievable how many people can live in such a small space and be so comfortable.  After scaring a few more children with the color of our skin, we crossed over the Usa River and arrived at the section of the farm that belongs to the orphanage.  They grow vegetables for the children who live at the orphanage full time so that they have food for dinner. We watered the crops and tilled the soil…barefoot (easily the highlight of my day).  After that, we walked to Pascal’s friend’s house to cut down some sugar cane; it was delicious!  The land and mountains are so beautiful in this part of Arusha!

 My first week has been very busy getting adjusted to the new schedule.  A lot of time is spent on the dalla dalla or walking from my house to the other volunteer house but these are the best ways to get to know the city. We make the best of our time, homework and studying on the dalla dalla and drinking traditional Tanzanian Tusker beers on the walk home, no time is wasted J I am happy with my placement at Save Africa so far because while it will be challenging, there is a lot to be done.  It sounds like some of the other schools are a lot more established so I am hoping we can really help make a difference at this orphanage.

Jambo Rafiki!

The first few days in Arusha have been amazing!  I was greeted at the Kilimanjaro airport by a few very nice TVE employees and was then driven back to the volunteer house where I will be living.  Right now, there are 4 other volunteers living in the house along with a cook, house manager, and security guard.  We are served 3 very filling meals a day which each take about 4 hours to prepare- all the meals are made from scratch by our house cook J  Believe it or not, avocados are served with lunch almost everyday!! Anddd there is a big tub of peanut butter! I guess that plan to drop a quick 10 pounds while I am here has already gone down the drain.

I slept most of the day on Saturday trying to recover from the very long trip and then on Sunday a few of us walked around Sakina (the part of Arusha we live in).  The main roads are paved but all of the neighborhoods are down windy dirt roads that do not have names so it is very easy to get lost. Good thing we brought Nancy, one of the house managers, with us!  We wandered through a bunch of roads around our house to say hi to everyone and learn the walk home from town.  All of the kids were coming out of their houses to stare at us and follow us around because it’s not so often that “Mzungu” or white people are hanging around.  One little girl even started to cry and run away because she was scared of us, she had never see a white person before!  We let her touch our hands so she could see we weren’t any different but I’m pretty sure we still thought we were scary monsters.

I have already learned a bunch of basic phrases in Swahili and I start language classes tomorrow so hopefully I will be able to have a basic conversation soon. Many people here speak English but I think the kids and employees at the orphanage speak only Swahili so it’s important that I start learning quickly. Zaki, the security guard, and Hilda & Elouisa (the cooks) have been teaching me a lot of short phrases so in return I taught them how to do the Chicken dance, which they think is hilarious.  Tomorrow I will show them how to do the Electric Slide and the two of the girls from Mexico are teaching everyone the Macarena. I asked Lillian and Celia if they would speak Spanish with me at night so I can practice that too- before you know it, I will be tri-lingual! (and maybe a better dancer?)

Today I had orientation where I met all of the other volunteers that are starting their placements tomorrow.  Most volunteers are in their young 20s but there are a few volunteers that are a little older than that and one lady who was celebrating her 75^th birthday by volunteering for 3 weeks!  In our group there are volunteers from all over the US, Norway, Canada, Mexico, Ireland, Australia, and England and we are placed at a bunch of different schools, orphanages, and clinics around the city.  After getting to know everyone, all 23 of jumped into a “dalla dalla” and enjoyed a very crowded and sweaty, 10-minute ride to the city center.  The “dalla dalla” is a system of vans that operate similar to buses in the US but they are much smaller and are totally cool with piling in an absurd amount of people, even if they are hanging off the side of the car. They also only cost 300 shillings for one ride, the equivalent of about 20 cents- can you believe that!? Walking through the city was a little hectic for the first time, especially in a big group of Mzungu but it isn’t even close to the size of NYC so I’m sure I will get the hang of it pretty quickly.

Tomorrow I start working at Save Africa Orphanage with Matt, my friend from NY, and Karlina, one of the girls in my house from Norway.  The orphanage houses about 70 kids ranging from the ages of 3-7. Only 12 of the kids sleep there over night and the rest go home to their relatives or foster families.  I spoke with a girl today who had been working at Save Africa for the last 5 weeks; she said it’s a little disorganized and there are a lot of crazy kids but it was really fun. I guess our work is cut out for us! 

See ya in 3 months!

The day has finally arrived!! After what seems like years of anticipation, many tearful goodbyes, and two cancelled flights later, I'm leaving for Tanzania!  I really didn't think this day would ever come but it's here and I couldn't be more excited.  I'm excited for the new and interesting friends I am going to make, I am excited to be exposed to a completely different culture, and I'm really excited to meet each of the beautiful kids I will be working with everyday.

But what I am most excited for is this journey into the unknown.  Sure, I have a basic idea of what I will be doing and where I will be living but for the most part, I know just as little as you do.  I mean, how do you gauge expectations when you find out your address is Sakina Kibanda cha maziwa, house plot #200? Is that real, how do you even pronounce those words!? Oh man, I have made a huge mistake. Just Kiddddding!  These are the types of things that give me that flutter of excitement. I have no idea what to expect and finally for one of the first times in my life, the unknown doesn't really scare me all that much.

Here goes nothing...

Catch your dreams before they slip away!

In just seven days, I begin my 3 month journey to Africa for what I hope will be an eye-opening and completely life altering experience volunteering at the Save Africa orphanage in Arusha, Tanzania.  Making up my mind has been quite the process (a big thanks to everyone who has listened to me ramble on about Africa for the past year) but as I sit here writing this blog entry, simultaneously eating dinner, listening to music, checking Facebook, watching the Giants game, and texting my friends, I am 100% confident in this decision to simplify my life.

Over the past few months many people have asked what made me decide to embark on such a crazy adventure. Well if you know me at all, you know that when I am not traveling, I am usually planning my next great escape from reality.  So to most of you, my decision to go to Africa was not the least bit surprising...the most common reactions were somewhere along the lines of "you would" and "you're such a hippie, I'm not surprised". But despite my free spirit, it did take about 2 years of convincing myself that it was okay to put my life on hold for a few months. It's pretty difficult to comprehend that in just a couple short months, an experience can completely change your life yet the world you left behind remains virtually unchanged.  I can't really ask for anything more right now- I have an amazingly supportive family, a ridiculous cast of characters whom I call my friends, and a job that is a little too much fun. So why would I ever want to run away from all of this? 

To be honest, I'm not really sure. I guess it was some sort of calling? Two years ago I attended a presentation at work from an organization called Free the Children. I was so moved by the stories and pictures the volunteers presented that I could hardly focus for the rest of the day. I remember my coworkers trying to snap me back into reality but I just couldn't seem to get the images of the smiling yet starving children out of my head. I think this was when my mind was made up. I can thankfully say that at this point in my life my financial responsibilities are minimal, my problems aren't real problems, and I am not starving.  Unfortunately, many families in Africa cannot say the same.  The simple things we take for granted like an air conditioned home, running water, electricity, cars...are things these people do not even begin to dream about. In Africa, putting one meal a day on the table is considered a win- and this makes my heart hurt.

As I said before, it took a lot of convincing myself that this was the right decision. In this fast paced, ever changing world we live in, it's not easy to put your life, career, and relationships on hold to regress to the simplicities of life that use to be enough- but I think I am finally ready. I really struggled with finding the "right time" for such a journey but as it turns out, there never will be a right time.  It's easy to fill the months with birthday parties, happy hours, Sunday fundays, and weekends on the couch catching up on TV so I finally realized that if I wanted to make this dream a reality, it was up to me to make the time right. 

So off I go!! Because if not now, then when?