solar is installed

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so after a few trying days, the solar indeed has been installed in the village. after numerous phone calls and hours in the dmo's (district medical officer) office we got it all under control. and best part is i didnt even make the trip to dar es salaam. it turns out the guy that had been helping me from solar aid was fired. so he wasnt really going to be helping me. and instead i talked to the operations manager who was really helpful and gave me a bunch of phone numbers/suggestions of people in dar and the rest of the country.

so thats how i got in contact with koko electrical. they are based in iringa and morogoro. and i talked to them friday. they made it to singida sunday. then to the village on monday. the grant was for 2.5 million shillings. so about $2000. which isnt a lot but very helpful. i believe we ended up with one panel, four batteries and i have no idea. i just know that we have 11 indoor lights, 1 outdoor light, and the ability to use the tv/vcr. which is really great. the only thing is that since there is only one panel it is for the two buildings closest to each other. the third building (which is where the mama's clinic/male and female wards are) did not receive solar. but the office, the lab, the labour/delivery room, the meds room, the supply room, etc. got it. and so thats really exciting.

i feel accomplished. but then im also frustrated. as the guys were finishing up a teacher (one of the ones who is at university doing his practical in the village for a few months) came up to me and said 'there is one panel ONLY' and i was about to punch him in the face. instead i asked him how many panels he had. zero obviously. but most people were just really excited/grateful. but its hard too because they dont understand where the money came from. im actually not even sure if my head doctor knows. most people think it came from my pocket or from my parents. but its PEPFAR (Bush's presidents emergency plan for AIDS relief) money. also its frustrating. because the dmo's office was supposed to donate 25% which was about 860,000 shillings. and they did a fraction of that. if they would have done all of it the other wing of the clinic might have gotten solar. but all in all its good. and were going to start having weekly video evenings. and im sure all the nurses delivering babies are relieved that they wont have to be delivering by flashlight anymore. so all in all. great!

also good news. i have finally given my wood to my fundi (carpenter). this was a couple of days ago. and im hoping by sometime next week he'll be finished with the shelves for the school. and then after that books will be in those shelves. the timing isnt great as school ends in november. but i guess it will be cool when it opens up in january. and we'll put a girl and a boy in charge of checking out books. the kids here are so starved for reading materials. or just anything to call their own. and also this is good because the headmaster insisted on paying me for overseeing the mock examinations. and as im a volunteer its not allowable. and i explained that to him. but he said it would be our secret. so now i have given the money back to the school and i dont have guilt anymore.

mama regins youngest kid, saidi has been talking for a month and a half now probably. and a couple of weeks ago he started saying my name. its great. if im in a bad mood i head to her house. and i can expect him to run at my knees in a huge embrace. hes great. actually the kids keep me sane. sometimes. i still feel like im running an after school center. they love all the games and even more than that i think they just like hanging out with each other. some kids even like showing up at 830 am to ask for the toys. i say wait until 4 or 5. i had one little boy tell me today that he couldnt come back at 4 because his mom wouldnt let him leave the house. so i told him i would come pick him up. haha. so important.

and i think i have juma (the (bwana mifugo) vet's kid's friend) promise to help me in farming this year. ill probably borrow cows from my baba. and people will help me out again. but i think i will try to put more effort into it. im really looking forward to the rainy season. i hate the rain in america. not hate. but prefer the sun by far. so its kinda funny.

a couple of days ago when i stopped by mama regins house she told me utambi's (works for my baba on the cars) wife was sick. this kills me. i mean its just different. its expected of you to visit somebody who is sick. and its just awkward. but she was bad. emaciated. i gave her like $5 and she could barely grasp it. wasted. and its really sad because only a few months ago her daughter died. and when i had gone over then i gave some sugar and some rice. and they had insisted i take away some corn. and she had been so happy to see me/healthy. this time she was unrecognizable. and everyone says she has homa. aka fever. but im wondering if its AIDS. i dont know. its not super prevalent in my region because were in the middle of nowhere. but it does exist. not that anybody will tell me though. hoping for the best.

also good news. i heard from korie. a volunteer in katesh a couple hours away from me. and shes writing a grant to climb kili. and shes invited me and two other volunteers. its going to be a girls empowerment climb so we each are bringing three girls to climb the mountain. i was actually supposed to start choosing the girls today (explain later). obviously ill be looking for girls who are able. and we'll start doing exercises and stuff. but also for girls who havent been outside of the village. and who are doing well in their studies. i dont know. but that will probably be in april sometime. something to look forward to.

i missed choosing the girls because nassoro (my health boss i guess) came to my village. and i got a ride with him into town. he was able to see the solar at the health clinic and congratulated me which was nice. but its frustrating because as volunteers we maybe get one or two site visits per year and each are about 5 minutes long. he didnt make it to the school or go see my chairperson. its not necessary but the villagers really like puffing out their feathers. oh well.

last sunday was election for people in the village. my mwenyekiti is still the same person. and mama regin won her position. shes in charge of natural resources or something. i dont really get it. but i was excited for her. she ran under the CCM ballot. the leading party. i dont know how many women are involved in village leadership. but im very excited/proud of her. and i dont know if i mentioned this already or not but shes also started getting sewing lessons for the past month. so she can start making a bit on the side. shes a really good go-getter.

i think i will be going to dar relatively soon. the demand for these micro solar packages is really high. i think the average income per year for a tanzanian is $100. so its really impressive that people in my village have been able to scrounge together $30 for these solar kits. i have money for 7 people already and more are trying to get it together. so thats cool. and also i think i have a cavity so i will have that checked out. my teeth have died here.

i guess thats all for now. still holding on. excited for halloween. meeting in town today with the other volunteers in singida to make some food and watch tv. should be a good one. cant believe the time is flying by...

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Comments

[Nina]

wooo
Proud of you!! good work kris