Bruce and Gerry in Tanzania
Bruce and Gerry Melville Joined: August 28th 2007
Logged in: January 7th 2011
Logged in: January 7th 2011
Travel Blog Posts
Carvers in Kigoma
It is hard to believe that our stay in Dodoma and Tanzania has come to an end. Our time here, almost a year and a half, has never dragged. I do not think there has been a moment when we have wished time to move on a little quicker. In fact, mostly it has felt like time was rolling along at an accelerated pace. Be that as it may, we have now come to the point of saying our good-byes and returning home. December has been a time of bringing the school term to a close with mid-year exams, a Christmas Production, and generally concluding what can be concluded and arranging things in such a way that those who follow us will be able to pick up and move on from here. One of the characteristics ... read more
Gerry and Pendo on Pendo's veranda
Sitting over lunch with her teaching assistants at the Early Years Centre, Gerry became curious about the food they were bringing to eat. There were some very typical Tanzanian foods that one sees a lot - rice with beans, pillau, mendazi, chapati, fruit… But Gerry’s attention was caught by the bread that Pendo, one of the members of her staff, brought to school - lovely, fresh, golden brown, white bread. Pendo told Gerry that she made her own bread. She baked it on her jiko, Swahili for stove. Jikos come in a number of forms. Pendo’s jiko is a deep pan about 14 inches in diameter that burns charcoal, one of the main fuels in use here. There are also jikos about the same size that burn kerosene. The alternative to a jiko that many people ... read more
The Dodoma Farewell Committee
Given the October school break, Gerry and I decided it was time for a little travelling. Gerry, our daughter Karen and a friend visiting from Canada planned a trip to Zanzibar and Mikumi National Park. I decided this time to go on my own so I opted for something a little out of the ordinary. My plan was to ride the Central Line of the Tanzanian Railway west from Dodoma to Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika. After a couple of days in Kigoma I would board the MV Liemba and take passage to Mpulungu, Zambia, at the south end of the lake and then back to Kigoma. There is very little information available on Liemba's movements other than 'normally sails from Kigoma on Wednesday and the trip to Mpulungu and back will take four days.' As often ... read more
Cattle at the roadside near Dodoma.
I have read on a number of occasions that agriculture is the foundation of the Tanzanian economy so I thought this month I would pursue that theme a little. As we have visited the north of the country as well as the eastern coastal region and live in the central part of Tanzania we have been able to observe from the road at least a sampling of Tanzanian agriculture. The regions to the north and east have fairly consistent rainfall and quite fertile soils, so they produce a great deal of the food that enters both the domestic and export markets. In contrast, Dodoma Region where we live is not a fertile area. The soil here is sandy and lacking in nutrients. We have a long dry-season and receive only unpredictable rain in the rainy season. ... read more
The cabins in the background were our digs at the Mikumi Wildlife Camp.
In the same way that people around the world associate mounties, mountains and hockey with Canada, I expect Mount Kilimanjaro, large animals and the Maasai often come to mind when people think of Tanzania. These are, of course, what tourism in this country is built on - elephants, giraffes and exotic safaris. Along with mining and agriculture, tourism in Tanzania is one of the three largest sectors of the economy and generates more foreign exchange than any other industry here. In recognition I expect of the importance and value of the environment and ecology of this country, Tanzania has protected more than 25% of its landmass in conservation areas. According to my reading that is a substantially higher percentage than any other country in the world. For most tourists there are two regions of Tanzania that ... read more
The principals of Kisedet and the matron of the Shukurani Orphanage
Tanzania is among the poorest countries in the world. A few stats - the national budget is roughly one-ninth that of BC and 1/138 th that of Canada. Close to 40% of the population is considered to be malnourished. Foreign governments and agencies through grants and loans provide roughly 45% of the national budget. With so little ‘disposable income’ the Tanzanian government is in no position to finance a social safety net for its 40 million or so citizens of the type we enjoy in Canada. As a result, Tanzania is awash in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), faith based organizations (FBOs) and other agencies such as the UN who all play a part in providing aid and social services to the population. In and around Dodoma every day we see buildings and vehicles operated by World Vision, ... read more
Sunrise over the Indian Ocean at Bagamoyo
Recently, we were in Dar es Salaam to meet our daughter at the airport before having a little holiday with her in and around Tanzania. One morning we were at a loose end in Dar so we visited, with the help of a local guide, the Dar es Salaam fish market. I thought you might be interested to learn a little about fisheries in this country and see some pictures from the market. Like agriculture, the fishery in Tanzania is predominantly a subsistence activity. While there is a commercial side to it, people fish largely for their own needs, selling only their excess catch. The two main fisheries in the country are the coastal fishery in the Indian Ocean, and the lake fisheries in Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika. On the commercial side, shrimp and lobster ... read more
Visit to Lamaiti
The Carpenter’s Kids Programme was established two years ago to address a problem faced by many of the children of this Diocese. Since 2002 Tanzanian children have been entitled to a free primary education, from Reception (Kindergarten) up to Grade 7, known here as Standard 7. Prior to that time, fees had to be paid to attend and as a result only about 50% of children actually went to school. While there are now no fees for primary school, to attend, a child must be in possession of a school uniform, black shoes and school supplies. So, if a child cannot afford to purchase these things they may not attend school. It is estimated that in the Diocese of Central Tanganyika there are roughly 40000 children who are orphans, cared for by a grandmother or someone ... read more
Dodoma Billboard
This month I thought I would give you more of a look at the city of Dodoma where we live. Actually, there are three Dodomas - Dodoma Region, the Rural District of Dodoma and the city of Dodoma. Dodoma Region is much like a province of the country. It is roughly 200 km east-west, 300 km north/south, has a population of 1.7 million and sits geographically in the centre of Tanzania. The principal population centre in the region and the third largest city in the country is the city of Dodoma with a population of 325000. The Rural District of Dodoma then, is the district surrounding the city of Dodoma. It is not easy to take a picture in Dodoma. It is against the law to take pictures of any public building or anyone in uniform. ... read more
Welcome to Buigiri School
The Buigiri School for the Blind is one of five schools operated by the Diocese of Central Tanganyika. It was founded in 1950 by an officer in the Church Army and is situated in the village of Buigiri, roughly 20 km east of Dodoma. It was the first school of its kind in the country, which at the time was the British protectorate of Tanganyika. The choir from Buigiri School attended our church one Sunday and then a month later, Gerry and I visited the school. Buigiri is a residential primary school with a current enrollment of 96 students, offering grades 1 through 7. While a majority of the students and a number of the staff are blind or visually impaired there are places for some sighted students as well. The Head Teacher (Principal) of Buigiri ... read more
