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Published: October 21st 2005
Morogoro is a large town nestled in the foothills of the Uluguru Mountains about 200 km inland from Dar es Salaam. The view of the mountains as I walk through the town is breathtaking - huts can be seen all the way up the side and clouds often linger on the top. Morogoro relies on Agriculture as its main industry. I've been getting spoiled with fresh vegetables, fresh fruit and traditional Tanzanian dishes at every meal. So delicious! It is very hot, dusty and dry here. Most of the roads are dirt (and are really more like trails than roads), so that adds to the dust. Some desperately needed rains are expected in November and December, although probably not a lot.
The Uluguru Mountains are home to one of the 130 ethnic tribes in TZ. They speak their own tribal language as well as Kiswahili. Watching them walk up and down the mountain with bundles of wood, vegetables, fruit and supplies on their heads is impressive! The majority of the tribe still follows their tribal belief system. This system includes burning the mountain as a symbol to the gods that rain is needed. For the past week huge fires can be seen on the mountain in the evenings from the town below. Although government agencies have attempted to educate the people on the destruction this causes, fires still occur in times of drought. Like many tribal traditions, it is deeply ingrained in the culture and belief system of the people. Another example of such a tradition amongst some TZ tribes is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
We've spent the last two workweeks visiting all of the FARAJA departments and finalizing the various project details. As 4 Canadians working on a pretty tight time line, one challenge we have definitely faced is working within what we affectionately call "Tanzanian Time". TZ Time means that what might be a half hour, to the point meeting at home takes two hours filled with pleasantries, interruptions, etc. It we want to meet people, we may stop in a few times throughout the day to try to catch them. Meeting times aren't really set. And if they are, you can expect the meeting or event to begin anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hour later. I'm not saying that this way of doing things is bad. One could argue the pros and cons of Canadian and TZ paces of life. It’s just different. And it’s a challenge for us to adapt to this way of life.
A couple projects we did get to help out with this week were the International Youth Week Events and some basketball clinics that some community members were holding. We helped with the clinics by recruiting the FARAJA school kids. These kids are orphans and/or street kids and/or at-risk kids. They don't get much opportunity for play. At first we didn't think any were going to show up at the after school clinic, but then they all came! We had a great time and many kids continue to attend the clinics. Teresa is especially proud of one girl she was helping out who has very limited use of her left arm and hand. But she’s determined and she hasn’t missed a practice yet!
We also got to tag along on some home visits that the Home Based Care unit does for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). We visited a family in which the entire household is infected with HIV. There must have been about 10 people living there and many of them were children. (Extended families often live together.) They are living in complete poverty. Unemployed. And they all have HIV. We got to hold an adorable 6-month-old baby. She appeared to be a bit sick and Karla commented that it was the smallest 6-month-old she’d ever seen. The baby is infected too. She was born with HIV. She has no say in the matter. The parents had another baby who died. They were advised by the counsellors at Home Based Care not to have another as is would put the mother and the baby at great risk. The couple was using a condom, but the staff suspects that the father tampered with it because he wanted a child. The wife now sells juice on the street to try to generate some income for the family. The husband says that he does not fear the disease. He only worries about trying to find a job so that he can support his family. Courageous or naïve? Sijui. (I don’t know.)
I’m sure we will encounter many of these stories of the next few months. And hopefully some of the workshops and training we provide will help the health and employability of families such as this one.
Okay, so this has become a really long entry. Pole sana! (Very sorry!) I still feel like I'm still not giving you the full picture, but hopefully I can keep adding more in each entry.
Kwa Heri! (Good Bye!)
Michelle
TZ Fact: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is still performed at an early age in approximately 20 of the country's 130 ethnic tribes. It affects 18% of the TZ female population. In some ethnic groups it is compulsory and in others a women who has not undergone the ritual may not be able to marry.
TZ Fact: TZ has approximately the same landmass as British Columbia. The population is 36.5 million, roughly the same as Canada.
Quote: Culture is a way of being, a way of seeing, a way of feeling, a way of living. - Martin Carter
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Respect
I was thrilled to read the next story on your site. I can only imagine what it must be like. I have family members who also went to places like the one you are at now. Fighting FGM is a tough thing to do and I undersand that it is part of people's culture, but I really do believe it's something that should be stopped. The pain and suffering these women have to endure as kids when it's done, and as adults when sexually active or giving birth, is beyond anything. I've worked myself with a teenager to whom it was done, and we had to go see a doctor several times to make it even a little bit better for her. But never will she be alright when it comes to that, ever again. The poverty...It must be heartbreaking to see families suffer from HIV/AIDS...add to that the poverty and the familymembers they've lost and you can not even begin to imagine what it must be like to live like that. I think it is amazing what you and the others are doing there, that you give your own energy, space, time and moreso your heart to leave your own country to be able to help people on the other side of the planet. I truly have a deep respect for that and I wish I was in the circomstances to do the same. But I'm not right now, and therefor it does me a lot of good to read about your work and your experiences. I do think of the many people who put themselves out there every day, so know you are all in my thoughts. Good luck with eveything that will come on your way while you are in Tanzania. I will continue reading your site with much interest and my heart goes out to you and the families you are helping out. Take care.