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It’s the Age of Malaria

It’s the age of Aquarius, age of Aquariuh-us … Aquarius! Get that song in your head and then substitute Malaria for Aquarius and you have the latest catchy tune that I’ve been singing lately (along with ‘Sweaty Crack’ sang to the famous Pheobe classic ‘Smelly Cat’ from the hit TV show Friends – TMI?) . Malaria… Malaria. Fortunately, it’s not because any of us have Malaria right now, but we’ve sure been joking enough about the day when, not if, one of us is diagnosed. Luckily – we know exactly the drug to take if we get it … Coartem. Recommended to us by our pal David, the American writer in Dar – who has had malaria 7 times in his life, including during the week we met him. In fact, it will be David that we blame when we are diagnosed as it was his idea to take us out for a drink at a bar in Dar that led to our demise (kidding, David – but it is your fault! haha) Continue reading “It’s the Age of Malaria”

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US-Ireland-Italy-Egypt-Tanzania

This summer I have the great fortune of traveling with friends. Coming to Tanzania alone last summer was an adventure and made for some entertaining blog entries (I’m told) but it also made for mental exhaustion and some loneliness. This year, at this point, I am in the great company of Laura Fombona from Spain and Hadley Rampton from Salt Lake City, UT. Soon, I’ll be joined by Carter Jensen of Salt Lake City – if he continues to survive his many adventures … sleeping with hippos, rafting the Nile and climbing Mt. Kenya. Continue reading “US-Ireland-Italy-Egypt-Tanzania”

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Safari Kubwa

Safari Kubwa means Long Trip in Kiswahili and this journey has been nothing less – and I don’t only mean the literal journey from Salt Lake City that began on June 19th, but the journey of Project Wezesha from inception to this point. After a long year of strategizing, spreading the word, fundraising, and digging deep emotionally and mentally, I have returned to Tanzania to really get things started. I have no idea today what this short month-long stay in Tanzania will produce for Project Wezesha, but no doubt – we will all know very soon! Continue reading “Safari Kubwa”

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Saying "I Do" in Kiganza

There is possibly nothing more alive than a village wedding! The colors, the food, the singing, the dancing, the laughing, the whooping… I had the fabulous last minute opportunity to go to the wedding of Hindu’s sister, Amina. On what I thought was my last trip to the village to see the kids, Hindu handed me a sweetly constructed letter inviting me to her sister’s wedding that Sunday. Knowing that I had resigned to staying in Kigoma town on Sunday to relax and pack and take in the last few moments in town before flying to Dar the next day – you’d think I would have hesitated before answering, but I found a big ‘yes’ flying out of my smile before I could even catch myself… Continue reading “Saying "I Do" in Kiganza”

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Watoto Wazuri Wanasoma

The children continue to blow my mind here. They are so excited to learn and therefore so delighted by the smallest of gifts … like pencils or pens. They take them shyly, with the right hand – left hand placed gently on their right elbow as a sign of respect and then turn and run screaming back to their homes to show brothers and sisters what they just got from Rehema. I can’t help think … but what will they write on? Most of them won’t have paper or notebooks at home and yet, the gift of a pencil is so coveted.

I delivered my last round of books, notebooks and writing tools to the village the other day. We set up a library of sorts in the home of one of my favorite little ones – Saidi. His father was so delighted to meet me this year and he’s 100% behind the children’s education. He won’t let them tire of learning and insists that it’s the only way for them to go somewhere in life. When I suggested using his house as the learning center, he was more than happy to say yes. The kids in the neighborhood have already come up with a system of ‘checking out’ books to read or use for a day or two. We’ll see how long the books survive and if they come back once they go, but I think in a village this small – the checks and balances will work easily as they all know each other and want to hold each other’s respect and friendship.

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A Day in the Life – Tanzania

If you ever think to yourself, I’d love to join Rai on one of her adventures in Africa – then maybe you’d first like to know what a day in my life is like on this little education-building mission.

As I mentioned, I forewent the cheap guest house accomodation for a little peace of mind. I’m still paying a very reasonable rate for a nice cozy room and my own bathroom on the top of a hill overlooking the lake. I wake up and mozy on over for breakfast – which never changes in its options: fresh papaya, pineapple, banana, warm chapati, and a surprise tub of peanut butter and a side of jelly. Of course, chai, coffee and hot chocolate as well as fresh juice are always available! Not so shabby. The TV usually blares in the room, often from Aljazeera – which has me convinced that little good is happening in the world right now. The majority of the news I see is about police in Iran killing protesters, people in Israel taking over Palestinian lands and properties, US killing civilians in Afghanistan, Somali pirates kidnapping anyone and random and assorted details about trains and planes crashing in and around the US… so, I take all that with my fruit, wash it back with fresh juice and then begin my day with the intention of having a positive impact on a seemingly doomed planet! Continue reading “A Day in the Life – Tanzania”

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Watoto Watoto

Watoto is Swahili for children. Kiganza, a small village in the Kigoma region (not too far from Kigoma town) has no shortage of Watoto! The children are amazing and so beautiful, as I’ve said before. They are so independent and resilient. It is not uncommon at all to see a 10 year old carrying a load larger than herself on her head, walking the distance from Mwandiga to Kiganza (two villages connected by an hour on foot along a dusty dirt road). It’s also not uncommon to find young girls (as young as 4 years of age) toting their kid sisters or brothers on their backs, slung in a kanga with a big knot tied at their chest, the toddler on their back almost half the size of the sibling that’s carrying him/her – usually fast asleep – and all the while, the older sibling goes about with her actions: carrying a load, singing with the other children, walking to and from the market, or just sitting around, staring at the Mzungu (guess who that would be!).


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