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Published: March 7th 2012
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I was asked to go to the island of Pemba this past Sunday and Monday to shoot some footage of an educational program that VSO and the Peace Corps are working together on. It's all about teaching the english language to the teachers of the schools on the island. They, in turn, will teach english to the students
The video and pictures I took has been sent to the Peace Corps offices in Washington, D.C. where they will edit them for a meeting that is taking place between British Prime Minister, David Cameron and U.S. President Barack Obama at the middle of the month
This project is one of the the first efforts where VSO and the Peace Corps have joined forces.
Pemba Island lies approximately 80 km northeast of Zanzibar Island. Pemba is the second largest island of the Spice Archipelago and is known its excellent natural vegitations. It is sometimes referred to "the Green Island" by Arabic mariners beacause of its lush vegetation.
I left Dar on Sunday morning under a glorious sunny sky. Our first stop was Zanzibar where we dropped off a few passengers. A light rain was falling and the ground crew
was squeegee-ing the walkways. We took off and headed north to Pemba. That’s when the storm hit.
At first, I thought it was a little bit of rain, but then the clouds darkened, the rains pelted the 12-seater plane, and we bounced around like a 6-month old on his father’s knee.
I like a good roller coaster as much as the next guy, but the guy sitting next to me wasn’t enjoying it at all. He was a Tanzanian who was “white-knuckling” it. The sheer look of terror in his eyes was kind of funny. The woman in front of him who was holding her baby in her lap was sound asleep.
As we bounced around high above earth, I thought of Patsy Cline, The Big Bopper, Richie Valens, and JFK, Jr… They, like me, were trusting individuals who climbed aboard small planes and met their demise.
We circled twice before making our safe decent into the airport in the capital city, Chaka Chaka. As I climbed off the plane and walked to the tiny terminal, the rain eased up and the sun started to shine.
It was a one hour taxi ride to the
town of Wete (Wet-tay) where the VSO and Peace Corps volunteers are doing their work with the PIE Project. I would be staying with my friend, Les… You have seen him in earlier blogs.
Sunday night, 6 of us dined at a local hotel in their rooftop gazebo where we ate local cuisine. Being a predominantly Muslim island, Wete is basically a dry island. You can by beer discreetly at the police station. We didn't do that during my trip, but I think they assess you before selling it to you and then you must take it home and drink alcohol quietly in your home, not in public where others might see you.
Before dinner, as the sun was setting, the “flying foxes” took to the skies for their nightly flight. In reality, these are huge bats that live in the trees around the hotel. There were hundreds of them, and they just kept coming. It was very cool, but creepy at the same time. They are called “flying foxes” because they have a face that is very fox-like. I didn’t see one up close, so I took their word for it.
Monday morning we were up
at at 630AM and were taking pictures and videos of kids going to school. The morning classes start at 7AM. The school day is broken up into two. There are so many kids that they only go to school for half a day... Kind of like the kindergarten programs back home.
We went into the schools to get shots of the teachers and kids in action and what a shock it was! I am used to schools in North Amerca where bulletin boards are decorated to stimulate the children's minds. Computers, desks, play stations, book cases, books, and supllies always seem to be in abundance. Here, I saw concrete floors, no desks in some classrooms, a weathered blackboard. and walls that are in need of a fresh coat of paint... It seems that the kids don't even get a fighting chance in the classroom, and yet they are happy. Amazing how you will be content with what you have when that is all you know.
After the first school, we walked through the streets Wete to the second school where we interviewed more poeple and I took more shots. Wete is one humid place. If I thought Dar
was bad, that was because I had never been to Wete. The heat was incredible and the sweat flowed while we were sitting still. I have never experienced humidity like that.
By 230PM on Monday, I was back in the taxi and heading to the airport in order to get back to Dar. Once here, I swung by the Peace Corps offices, which are very nice, and gave them all my work. Presently, they are writing and editing the video story for Cameron and Obama.
Apparently. the edited version will be posted on The White House website in the near future. I will forward that information to you when I hear back from them.
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Will
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Bobby and Barack
Isn\'t it exciting to think that possibily one day these photos will have some impact on decisions made at the White House? I wouldn\'t be to quick to discredit your efforts thus far. It\'s funny how lives mesh and worlds collide. Every rock big or small tossed in the ocean leaves a ripple. Let me say, in the politest way possible, keep tossing. :-o