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Published: June 27th 2006
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masaai boma
the masaai are one of the oldest tribes of east africa. we visited one of their villages (bommas) and were greeted and entertained with local dancing and song sakina, sakina, saKKKIIINA!
this isn't the howl of a fabled african monkey, nor the sullen call of a majestic african bird...but rather the piercing rattle of the dala-dala man, slipping the rest of the way out of the sliding minivan door and onto the gravel side of the road, as the dala-dala lurches to a 4 stop. the old and tattered mini-vans that were originally manufactured to seat 8, maybe 10...are being used to full capacity here in arusha, no inch or cubic air of space gone unnoticed. zillions of dirty white vans zig and zag around the streets, shuttling the arusha public from the city center to the towns, neighborhoods, villages, and bomas, scattered around the northern Tanzanian countryside.
among the volunteers, we have a running count and 26 passengers is currently leading the tally. being in one feels like being at the bottom of a puppy pile and each time the door slides open to unload and reload, i imagine someone ripping back the flimsy tin lid of a sardine can...with all the little grey slimy fish spilling out over the tabletop.
someone told me when i first got here, that its common folklore that you haven't
mzungu! mzungu!
white skin, pale eyes, and silky, light hair are very comical for the gangs of children that are your instant guides as you walk through the villages really "experienced" arusha to its fullest until you've been hanging by your fingers and toes, hair blowing in the wind, from the side door of a racing dala-dala.
after three weeks, i am beginning to become comfortable with the random rules and regulations of the dala-dala's:
when it looks full...get on anyway.
lap space is still 'space'. park it and hold on.
always travel with exact fare. 'changie' for mzungu's is rare.
and when in doubt...a good 'shusha hapa!' shout out always does the trick!
the last three weeks have been a chaotic and symbiotic mixture of fun, challenge, adventure, mystery, confusion, frustration, hilarity, and priceless moment..that i am convinced can only happen in Africa.
arusha, or the "safari capital" of eastern Africa, is a middle sized city in the north-east part of the country. Due to its proximity to Mt. Kilimanjaro and a handful of prestigious game parks (including the Serengeti and the Ngorogoro Crater), there are numerous safari companies and tourist businesses servicing the influx of foreign travelers en route to one of Eastern Africa's famed vistas or attractions. Arusha is also the seat of the united nation's tribunal for
head of the bomma
this is our gracious host, who owns the entire bomma, which consists of 2 wifes, 11 children, and a handful of cattle and hens the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Proceedings are held at an international conference center and have just been extended until 2008, giving another 2 years of job security for the swath of lawyers, researchers, court officials, hospitality partners, and travel operators, that all aid in the interworkings of the trials and hearings. additionally, as the former center for the tanzanian peace corps, arusha still has a vibrant and wide variety of NGO's (non governmental organizations) that are based here, actively working with the local communities and tribes in support of a range of community development activities (health, sustainable agriculture, education, environment, empowerment, micro finance, etc..).
I have spent the last three weeks working with global service corps, an ngo (actually based in San Francisco!) that focuses on HIV/AIDS education and sustainable agriculture programs in both tanzania, as well as Thailand. Our goal for the summer has been to develop and run 2 week day-camps, attended by Form I and Form II school students in 4 Arusha schools (equivalent of 14-16 year olds in US). The camps are positioned as a fun and interactive way for the students to learn about HIV/AIDS education and prevention. the main goal of the camps
mt. meru
the grand mt. meru watches over arusha day and night. this is taken a few blocks from my home. is for the students to establish a strong understanding of HIV/AIDS from a biological, social and cultural perspective, and then in turn, create their own in school 'Health Clubs' that will provide a sustainable and renewing platform for HIV/AIDS awareness and education for younger classes and community outreach.
Many of the Tanzanian youth have been exposed to HIV/AIDS either personally (friends or family) or have felt the economic effects on their community. Although there are many African nations with much worse statistics, Tanzania suffers from a 12% HIV/AIDS rate as a whole (however there is a huge social stigma about getting testing, so the reported numbers are considered largely deflated). There is a large prevalence among youth 15-24.
The average Tanzanian life span hovers around the mid 40's, largely due to poverty issues and AIDS related deaths. Its a vicious, self-propagating cycle....AIDS killing one or both parents, children not having the ability to gain education or a way to support themselves, communities suffering from lack of workforce and resources due to AIDS related deaths, young children (especially women and girls) feeling forced to marry elder men or prostitute themselves for money and food, and thus continuing the bad
the human knot
practicing communication and teamwork skills with challenging contests of the human knot! practices and spread of the virus, with more children being born into unstable environments.
The social stigma of the disease and strong cultural traditions also act as a stifling and debilitating blanket covering the community as a whole. There are many myths about the virus and disease and the process of debunking the HIV/AIDS stigma is still in its infancy. many people still do not get tested or admit that they are HIV+ due to fear or the social ambivalence.
However, there are many governmental and community efforts being made through schools, outreach programs, counseling, and clinics that are making significant impact, tearing down many of these myths and stigmas and working to build a strong framework to slow and eventually stop the rampant spread of the disease.
My students are extremely bright, curious, imaginative, strong and resourceful! They are sure to represent the new wave of tanzanian youth who will hopefully have a huge impact in changing the course of this cycle. over the past two weeks we've covered the gamut of topics about hiv/AIDS, spending the days doing fun role plays, playing interactive games and contests, and having frank discussions about sex, peer pressure, goal
setting and life skills. i hope that they have learned at least half as much from this program, as i have taken away from them and I will surely miss them when camp comes to an end!
My favorite question still stands at: "who likes sex more, the man or the woman?!" ;-)
life is hard for the majority of Tanzanians, but i am amazed daily at their innate ability to focus in the present and appreciate the little things in life...a morning conversation, an evening meal, an impromptu soccer game, a song on the radio, or a funny joke. not a day passes without tons of big teethy grins, hearty "Jambo's!", and sincere and upbeat conversations.
since being in arusha, i've been staying with a local host family who i could not rave about more. we live in the 'middle class', working neighborhood of sakina. i have learned to bathe with a bucket each morning, which is surprisingly simple, easy, and relaxing. you would be shocked at how little water you need to get clean.
all cooking is done in a portable wood stove-like apparatus in the back dirt courtyard of the house and there
is little variety in the dietary staples of rice, potatoes, spinach, beans, sometimes meat (expensive), bananas, avocados, and watermelon. but each night i sink into my bed satiated and exhausted. we've been religiously watching the nightly progress of the World Cup Games and I have found a fun and new playmate with the eight year old, Joshua. We have a little Jenga addiction and are working through a handful of 'ameri-nian' card games (mixed rules that resemble...a make it up as you go along philosophy)
the bathrooms have ground toilets and the electricity is random and inconsistent, but supposedly the swat position is actually much better for the health of your internal organs and i can't really stay up much past dark anyway after a full day at school!
overall, its been an enriching experience and i am currently trying to figure out how to stretch it a bit more...or what comes next!
I'll keep you posted! :-)
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Jeff
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Happy Birthday
Happy 30th Birthday! Glad to hear all is well. Great writing, keep em coming.