Farewell Dodoma

---

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 of life at CAMS has been the almost constant flow of people through our lives. In a year and a half we have said good-bye to no fewer than 13 staff members at CAMS alone, and this a school of only 160 children. Of course outside CAMS there has also been a steady coming and going of people, project workers and others, most of whom we have met through the church. The good news, of course, is that we have also welcomed almost as many new people to the scene as we have said good-bye to and that has been exciting. These are people from other parts of Africa and from all over the world who come here, usually to progress a project or pick up a job that someone else has had to leave much as we are leaving ours.

I have put together just a few miscellaneous pictures of some of the things that have gone on here in recent months. We hope you have enjoyed reading our blog month by month. Through it we have tried to provide a small insight into life here, the people we have met and some of the things that have occupied our thoughts and time. It will be wonderful to be home, to resettle there and to have the opportunity both to share some of our experiences with you and to catch up on your life in Canada. In the mean time, may you enjoy a happy Christmas season, good health in the New Year and a restful holiday.

---

Photos

Carvers in Kigoma
These are two wood carvers I met and chatted with several times in Kigoma. They are both refugees, one a Tutsi from Rwanda and the other from Congo. I bought the mask they are holding on condition that I could take their picture.

Neighbours
These people are neighbours of our friend Mariam who lives in a village near Dodoma.

Critters
With the coming of the rains, the 'critter' population increases. This locust was close to 10 cm long and could eat a lot of leaves!

Karen Visits
One of the high points of the last months was a visit from Karen, seen here distributing school uniforms and supplies in a village of the Dodoma district.

Karen Helps Out
While Karen was with us she gave workshops to teachers and teaching assistants and generally helped out in the Early Years Centre.

Gerry Turns a Corner
In October Gerry celebrated a birthday - a big one!! We had a lovely party at the home of friends to mark the occasion.

The Ibhewa Project
In November we visited an agricultural project in the village of Ibhewa. Our friend Brian demonstrated a pump that can be made out of some pipe, an old car tire, a length of rope and a meter of rebar. It works and it's cheap!

About to leave Dodoma
Donald, the guard on duty when we left our home in Dodoma, was the same guard who greeted us and helped us with our luggage on our arrival, almost a year and a half earlier. It seemed fitting that it was Donald who helped us load up on departure and wished us a final good-bye.