Pics -
1 - Samweli's family.
2 - The latrines we built for the community and had to use while we were there!
3 - A woman carrying firewood and other goods down the road.
4 - Samweli listening to my iPod!
5 - Lunch at Mt Kili.
6 - Me and Agnes shopping.
7 - In from the rain.
8 - International trade - purchasing jewelry in a hut!
9 - Kimani, Samweli's dad.
10 - Me and Samweli in his new shirt!
Posting about Samweli yesterday encouraged me to do something I've been wanting to get done - finishing sharing about our time in Tanzania. We have our computer / desk set-up in our kitchen area now since the baby's room is our old office. Our computer monitor cycles through our pictures when we're not on it, and inevitably in each cycle there are pictures of Africa. We're daily jetted back to Samweli's boma, the beautiful arid plains of Tanzania or the always looming chaos of the Congo. It's amazing how pictures can do that.
I believe we left off with Anthony leaving after our safari. The safaris were fun, but I enjoyed being in the community more. I visited a village at the base of Mt Kiliminjaro on Sunday with Kim and Eddie and that was awesome because we were able to see a completely different way of life in Tanzania. It was a village of the Chagga tribe, who are considered the most successful of the Tanzanian tribes because they are generally more educated, more entrepreneurial and have a higher standard of living of other tribes and people. The village was literally cut out of trees and banana groves. You could survive well off of the land. Our safari guide, David, was from the village and we were able to have lunch at his uncles home (see picture on porch). We sat on the front porch and ate steamed bananas, cucumbers, pumpkin greens and other local produce. It was wonderful!
The next week in the village was great. The time was very laid back and it was a smaller group - true relationship building with the people. Every Monday in Mairowa they have a market where the locals buy their produce and other goods like cloth. We went to the market to spend time with the people. Agnes, Samweli's Mom, found me at the market and we went shopping! We were able to get Kimani, Samweli's Dad, a new outfit (which was literally 3 yards of cloth that he wraps around himself, see picture), some produce for the family and some staples like sugar and cooking oil. It was fun shopping with her and also buying from some of the local people that we had met the previous week. I then spent the afternoon at Samweli's boma teaching the children games (Red Rover and Duck, Duck Goose) while they showed me some of their games. Samweli was covered with dirt when I got there and I soon learned why when they showed me their game which involved spinning in a circle and falling on the dirt and rolling around! It actually sprinkled a bit that afternoon and in one of the pictures above you can see the rain spots on Samweli! I can't imagine what it's like there in the rainy season. There has to be mud everywhere!
The rest of the week included having a meeting with the community to share with them the results from the child health screening. The community members were very interested in hearing the results of the assessment. The issues observed were many, but coughing, respiratory and eye issues were the main concern. This is because they have fires going inside their huts and are constantly in the smoke. We were able to show them a solar oven and hope that we can introduce this on a broader scale to them so they are less reliant on fire. We demonstrated cooking rice and a hard boiled egg and they thought it was pretty cool. One of the main chores that they women have to do is find firewood and that sometimes requires walking miles each day.We did a few other teaching lessons with the women including hand washing and proper posture and basic massage (the women literally are like pack mules with what they carry on their heads and backs - see picture). I was able to visit Samweli's boma everyday and interact with his extended family. It was awesome! Another aspect of our ministry in Mairowa is that we purchase jewelry that the women make and bring it back to the states to sell. This microenterprise exercise helps the women make a small income as well as establish social groups. Beading and jewelry making is a huge part of their culture, so it is a great way to provide them with some income.
In all, it seems to simple and cliche to say that our experience in Tanzania was life changing. It was, but it was even more than that. I guess we could say it was eternity changing because of the impact we had on others and, more importantly, how it impacted us. I've attached a video of Samweli saying John 3:16 in Swahili (sorry, it's sideways!!). Sitting in that dark hut made of mud and cow dung hearing him say John 3:16 by memory was awesome. No matter how different our lives are with others in this world, there are things that can unify us and I'm so glad that Christianity is one of those things that we share with so many others. We'll continue to pray for Samweli, his family and the community of Mairow and watch the amazing things that will take place there as God moves! How awesome it was to play a small part in His greater plan!
