Best experience in TZ to date!

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Today was what we will call a good life decision. After a night spent at a going away party for an intern who is leaving the tribunal after nine months, Julia and I woke up and headed to a nearby hotel to catch a ride on a dala-dala. This is essentially a VW bus with seating for 10 (plus a driver) that is usually crammed with something like 20 people. They function like busses with set routes around the city and are very inexpensive to ride. We, however, were treated to the relative luxury of a chartered dala-dala so there were only 11 of us.



After a few stops to pick up the rest of the passengers, we headed out of the city and into the foothills of Mount Meru. We rolled through villages and passed stands selling fruits and vegetables. Farmers and children herded animals along the side of the road and the dust of the city gave way to lush green forests and small family farms. Turning off of the paved main road, we headed up a dirt road that was pitted with potholes and pocked with ragged boulders erupting from the surface. Bumping along for what seemed like an eternity once we arrived at the gate of our destination: one of the local orphanages.



I had pictures in my head of what an orphanage would be, but whatever I had imagined, this place was not. The gated facility is populated with smiling kids, a massive hen house (there is so much local demand to buy the eggs from the orphanage that they cannot keep up with it!), a vegetable garden, fruit trees, an avocado tree, open fields for the kids to play in, local staff that are attentive and loving, and two wonderful women who run the facility and seem more like caring (although certainly overworked) parents. I do not want to paint a picture that is too happy to be realistic. There are certainly problems there, the first being that these kids, at such young ages, have had to survive being orphaned. Some of them have serious health problems and behavioral problems are also evident, but I had been expecting something very different than what I saw.



The group of us got out of the dala-dala and were immediately surrounded by the kids. They hugged us and we quickly split into two groups. The first group headed down to a field to play soccer while the other went to the music/craft room. Guess where I went? The kids taught us a song, danced with us, colored pictures, read books, and played with balloons that the volunteer coordinator brought with her.

Last night I tried to prepare myself for this trip. I had expected to be sad, to feel guilty for leaving the kids in the orphanage. I was so wrong. I left feeling like they were in the best possible situation and counting the days until I can return next weekend to play with them again.

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Photos

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His name is James and he is 6, and he was very excited to hear that I have a brother named James that is the same age.

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Not soccer, but you know, soccer.

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My roommate, Julia, and the kids hanging out.

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Part of their garden.

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Their banana tree.

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Me, after a morning at the orphanage, lunch in town, a very long walk around Arusha, and a trip to buy some fruit. No wonder the locals stare at me; I am a mess!

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Dancing and singing.

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This boy reminded me of Logan so much. He was like a little tornado.

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Awesome drumming.

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This little girl was so much fun! She sang and danced and so happy to play with us.

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The universal joy of a balloon!

Comments

[Georgia Lee]

great
You will never forget this. enjoy. G.L.