Blogs from Mwanza, North, Tanzania, Africa - page 2

The last few days of my trip was a blur of reading multiple versions of my survey, scrambling to find electricity and internet access, (I’m starting to think a solar powered laptop charger would come in real handy) and driving down countless bumpy dirt roads. I sat in on a pretest of an interview in Mwanza with a semi-English-speaking interviewer named Felicia. The woman being interviewed was probably in her early 20s—married in the past year. She was shy and humble, which seems to be the typical demeanor of women here. Not sure if it’s my presence that makes them self-conscious or if that is generally how they are, but women my age or below seem to be very quiet and hesitant. Even when I hang out with other women as friends or with groups of ... read more

I can’t believe it’s been almost a week since I’ve been in Tanzania already. The week has been filled with long days at the office, multiple dinner meetings, and tons of work trying to coordinate the big study I am doing this time on Fataki—older men who have sexual relationships with young girls and women. The study is evaluating the effects of the Fataki campaign, which has been running in Tanzania for the past couple of years, that tells people to protect their loved ones from Fataki. Women are contracting HIV in much higher numbers here than men, and it is thought that Fataki relationships are to blame because women and girls in such relationships where they do not have as much power are not able to negotiate condom use. The campaign attempted to change the ... read more

I have had no internet for the last few days so I will upload my blogs from the those days - enjoy.... Its the weekend ... and the work here in Mwanza is done and I am off to the serengeti tommorow for the day, YAY! Just wish Joe could be here to share it with me. Good fun today, we discussed accident investigation with role play and I was the casualty, my acting was so good it even warranted mobile phone cameras being brought out to video me... I am a star! :) I has some Talapia fish for lunch - again! it is so good - it is from the region but they have never heard of Cod or Haddock and thankfully Jelled eels (yuk). if they upload ok - here is a picture ... read more

Thats what keep hearing today! I feel like a child again! I keep telling the staff that My internet doesnt work and my only access is my Blackberry or the hotel computer and all they say is go to your room and we will send Aroon - poor Aroon comes to my room all the time - gets the internet working and as soon as he leaves it stops working again! its crazy! New bunch of Trainees today, really nice guys - we are holding the training at the hotel and at the start a hotel electrician was asked to set the projecter up - well we nearly had a fit when he chose to insert the wires with a pencil into the socket rather than wire them into a plug! After a few words he ... read more

Tanzania, per il mercante, significa sopra soprattutto un' estesa rete ferroviaria, e quindi l' opportunita' di poter attraversare il paese in lungo ed in largo comodamente seduto su antichi sedili di velluto, fumando sigari e sorseggiando rari vini d' annata serviti da premurosi camerieri in livrea. Ed e' per questo che ho iniziato il mio safari ("safari" in lingua kiswahili significa "viaggio") a Mbeya, amena cittadina situata nell 'angolo sudoccidentale del paese tra dolci colline ricoperte da piantagioni di the'; da qui passa la linea ferroviaria Tazara, costruita dai cinesi all' inizio degli anni '70 per collegare le ricche miniere di rame dello Zambia al porto sull' oceano Indiano di Dar es Salaam: quasi 1000 chilometri di rotaie posate impeccabilmente a tempo di record e due maestose stazioni ai capolinea, in puro stile rivoluzione culturale, che ... read more