Saturday morning we woke up early and made our way into town to go to the Maasai market. After three Dalla-Dalla rides and a one hour drive with 25 people crammed in to a 12 person van, we made it to Dumila. For one of the first times since I've been in Tanzania, I was certain this is where we got off the Dalla-Dalla. The field was full of colorful tribespeople herding their cattle towards the market. The paths were lined with dietict bright fabrics of the Maasai people.
The Maasai are pastoral nomads who have actively resisted change, and still follow the same lifestyle that they have for centuries. Their culture centers on their cattle, which provide many of their needs- milk, blood, and meat for their diet, and hides and skin for clothing. The land, cattle, and all elements related to cattle are considered sacred.
Maasai boys pass through a number of trasitions throughout life, the first of which is marked by the circumcision rite. Successive stages include junior warrior, senior warriors, junior elders, and senior elders; each level is distinguied by its own unique rights, responsibilities, and dress. The most important group is that of the newly initiated warrions, morran, who are in charge of defending the cattle. Maasai women play a subservient role and have no inheritance rights. Polygamy is widespread and marriages are arranged by the elders, without consulting the bride or her mother.
The women wear Kangas of saphire blue and plum purple, large, wrapped gold bands around their wrists and ankles, and have their ears stretched long enough to put a toonie through. Added to their colorful dress are layers of large, beaded necklaces and earings. The men wear one Kanga wrapped around their waist, topped with a shoulder sash on one side. They carry a long stick (which is used to control the cattle) and have a machete and tobacco pipe always fastened around their waist.
For me, walking through the market was like flipping through the pages of my Anthropology textbook; a year ago I studied the Maasai, trying to memorize their lifestyle for a test, now I was walking amidst that very lifestyle I was trying to memorize only so I could pass a test. This has been one of the highlights of my African adventure. I've always dreamed about seeing indigineous tribes, but I never thought I would be able to get that close to observing their lifestyle. As I shook hands and conversed with the Maasai people, ther was undoubtably a surge of ecstatic energy flowing through my veins. One more notch ticked off my "50 Things to do before I die".
Monday, March 16, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Play Day
This Saturday we had Play Day at the Faraja home based department. The play program has been running since the beginning of YCI's partnership with Faraja trust fund. The play program strives to ensure that children living with HIV/AIDs have a safe and accessible space in which to play and be creative. As we all know, playing is an essential part of childhood development and at Play Program we aim to give children a positive and stigma-free environment for creavity, energy, and fun.
So from 9am to 1pm, us four girls were given the task of arranging games and activites for a potential 122 children aged 2-17. Although we did not have a full capacity, we still managed to entertain a good 80 or so kids. For those of you trying to picture this in your mind, let me throw you some key words: chaos, screaming, yelling, crying, running, laughing, soccer,basketball, jumprope, bowling, puzzles, crayons, playdoh, duckduckgoose,reading, drawing,punching,kicking,music, pinethetaleonthedonkey,dressup,telephone,tag...36degrees celsius.
Although I sustained minor injuries, (ie getting kicked in the head, pulled hair, peed on, and bitten twice), this has been one of the most eye opening experiences for me thus far. Every single one of these children were HIV+ and many will not make it to their 15th birthday, let alone 20th. In fact, two children who were at the last play day on January 31st have since passed.
What does HIV/AIDS look like to you? I dont think a single person could pick one of those children out from a crowd and say "Watch out- that kid has AIDS." The stigma these children have experienced from almost birth is enough to rob them of their innocence. At school, they're often shunned- no one wants to play wit the kid who has aids. For these kids to have at least one day a month where they can gather and play with no harassement, no worries, no judgement, this makes sucha difference in their livelihood. Everychild desereves the right to play, be loved, be picked up and hugged, just do know that they're supecial.
As chaotic, loud, and overwhelming as 80 children in 36degree weather was, I will never forget the hundreds of hugs and thousands of smiles I experienced that day. I encourage you all to do your part: reduce the stigma behind HIV and AIDS. HIV is not a death sentence: You cannot get it from touching an infected person, using the same toilet seats, mosquito bites, kissing, or drinking from the same cup. Ignorance is the biggest killer.
So from 9am to 1pm, us four girls were given the task of arranging games and activites for a potential 122 children aged 2-17. Although we did not have a full capacity, we still managed to entertain a good 80 or so kids. For those of you trying to picture this in your mind, let me throw you some key words: chaos, screaming, yelling, crying, running, laughing, soccer,basketball, jumprope, bowling, puzzles, crayons, playdoh, duckduckgoose,reading, drawing,punching,kicking,music, pinethetaleonthedonkey,dressup,telephone,tag...36degrees celsius.
Although I sustained minor injuries, (ie getting kicked in the head, pulled hair, peed on, and bitten twice), this has been one of the most eye opening experiences for me thus far. Every single one of these children were HIV+ and many will not make it to their 15th birthday, let alone 20th. In fact, two children who were at the last play day on January 31st have since passed.
What does HIV/AIDS look like to you? I dont think a single person could pick one of those children out from a crowd and say "Watch out- that kid has AIDS." The stigma these children have experienced from almost birth is enough to rob them of their innocence. At school, they're often shunned- no one wants to play wit the kid who has aids. For these kids to have at least one day a month where they can gather and play with no harassement, no worries, no judgement, this makes sucha difference in their livelihood. Everychild desereves the right to play, be loved, be picked up and hugged, just do know that they're supecial.
As chaotic, loud, and overwhelming as 80 children in 36degree weather was, I will never forget the hundreds of hugs and thousands of smiles I experienced that day. I encourage you all to do your part: reduce the stigma behind HIV and AIDS. HIV is not a death sentence: You cannot get it from touching an infected person, using the same toilet seats, mosquito bites, kissing, or drinking from the same cup. Ignorance is the biggest killer.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Safari
Giraffes, elephants, monkeys, and hippos: The Tanzanian country side is beautifully decorated with an abundance of African wildlife. The girls and I arranged a safari excursion to Makumi National Park this past Saturday. 5:30 am came around and we hopped into our hired van that conveniently picked us up at our doorstep. After a short one hour drive, we reached the park gates; literally within one minute of being inside the park, there was monkeys running on the road and zebras crossing in the distance. Once we reached the safari area, we hired a guide and were on our way. The first animal to greet us was a lone giant, standing strong, chomping away at some grass, the Massai Giraffe. Standing about 5 meters away, he stared directly at us as if he was studying us as much as we were he. He stood tall, not moving an inch, before he turned away abruptly as if to say; move along now, shows over. After our first encounter with a giraffe, many more were to follow. The openness of the East-African landscape-broad rolling grasslands dotted with lone acacia trees- makes spotting a giraffe an easy feat. Their long legs and great neck stretch high to eat from the lone trees.
The following half-hour of our trip had us studying hippos as they bobbed about in the pond, gazing at packs of Impala standing on alert for predators, and laughing at Baboons as they played about with their family. We managed to see a great number of elephants in various herds scattered throughout the park. As we approached one herd of approximately four females, two babies, and at least one male, we were reminded that these animals are wild, unlike the many we see at zoos all over the world. We were at a standstill when all of a sudden the male of the group began flapping his ears wildly, shaking his head, raising and blowing his trunk, and running straight towards us. He charged us and came to a halt at about 15 feet away. I guess this was just his way of saying “screw off.” Luckily, I managed to capture this moment on video, so stay tuned for that.
Throughout the day, we managed to see more elephants and giraffes, monkeys, crocodiles, hippos, zebras, impalas, various birds, a giant lizard, water buffalo, saddle-billed stork, and wildebeests. Unfortunately, there was no Simbas for us L but that’s okay. You basically have to spend the night to be able to get up early enough to catch the lions in the morning, so we were grateful enough to have been able to see as much as we did.
The following half-hour of our trip had us studying hippos as they bobbed about in the pond, gazing at packs of Impala standing on alert for predators, and laughing at Baboons as they played about with their family. We managed to see a great number of elephants in various herds scattered throughout the park. As we approached one herd of approximately four females, two babies, and at least one male, we were reminded that these animals are wild, unlike the many we see at zoos all over the world. We were at a standstill when all of a sudden the male of the group began flapping his ears wildly, shaking his head, raising and blowing his trunk, and running straight towards us. He charged us and came to a halt at about 15 feet away. I guess this was just his way of saying “screw off.” Luckily, I managed to capture this moment on video, so stay tuned for that.
Throughout the day, we managed to see more elephants and giraffes, monkeys, crocodiles, hippos, zebras, impalas, various birds, a giant lizard, water buffalo, saddle-billed stork, and wildebeests. Unfortunately, there was no Simbas for us L but that’s okay. You basically have to spend the night to be able to get up early enough to catch the lions in the morning, so we were grateful enough to have been able to see as much as we did.
Netball
Yesterday Katie and I had our first net ball experience. And wow… was it a treat. First off, we met James at Faraja and he led us to where we would be playing. Once we got the field, what are the chances that school was just getting out. So here came over 100 wide-eyed children screaming Mzungu, pointing, and running towards us. So as James set up the court ( by attaching metal rings to giant sticks, digging a whole into the group and ramming them into place), we were swarmed by children looking at us as if we were on display at a zoo. We were in Chamwino which not many foreigners ever venture off into so we were being examined from all angles. Once James set up the court and some girls trickled in, we were to be begin. James put us on opposite teams and told us to start. Neither Katie nor I had any idea what netballs was, never mind how to play it. James doesn’t speak English, none of the girls do either, and we were unable to use the little Swahili we knew to communicate that we didn’t know the rules. But, the show went on. With the lines drawn in the dirt and teams made, we began running around, unsure of which direction to go or if we were even supposed to be running. Well, having Mzungu’s in Chamwino alone was an exciting event, now picture Mzungu’s running around with no idea what they’re doing. Our crowd (of say close to 150 people at this point) was roaring with laughter and screaming cheers when we did something right. We continued to play for about an hour and I think we have the basics covered now.
The language barrier was immense but it didn’t prevent the game from going on. This was definitely the toughest situation to date that I’ve had to face in Africa. It’s in times like these where you both panic and have a freak show because you have no idea what’s going on, or you just laugh and take it like it is. In my opinion, the only way to survive here is to live each day and laugh it out. Once we were finished the girls all came up and “nipe tano-ed” us (give me 5) and all asked when we would be playing again. I guess we made the cut. The following Thursday, since we play every Tuesday and Thursday, the girls showed up with their version of jerseys. They were blue skirts that had nice watermelons and mangos for decoration. Oh, did I mention that it is mandatory to play netball in skirts? So Katie and I were each given a uniform and… well, lets just say we were too fat to fit. The only way we could wear them is if we hiked them up to almost right under our boobs. We looked great.
The language barrier was immense but it didn’t prevent the game from going on. This was definitely the toughest situation to date that I’ve had to face in Africa. It’s in times like these where you both panic and have a freak show because you have no idea what’s going on, or you just laugh and take it like it is. In my opinion, the only way to survive here is to live each day and laugh it out. Once we were finished the girls all came up and “nipe tano-ed” us (give me 5) and all asked when we would be playing again. I guess we made the cut. The following Thursday, since we play every Tuesday and Thursday, the girls showed up with their version of jerseys. They were blue skirts that had nice watermelons and mangos for decoration. Oh, did I mention that it is mandatory to play netball in skirts? So Katie and I were each given a uniform and… well, lets just say we were too fat to fit. The only way we could wear them is if we hiked them up to almost right under our boobs. We looked great.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Ushujua Kwa Uhai- Courage for Life
Thursday night was our first talent show night that we organized. Michelle and I have been working with a local drama group here and they prepared some skits, as well as raps, dances, and songs all with a focus around HIV/AIDS awareness. This talent shows theme was Testing. With a slow turnout in the beginning, approx 100 people were in the audience, Marco ( our local project coordinator) got things rolling with him being the head MC. I would guess that near the end there was about 300 people in the audience. Three girls went on stage to perform talents which we were super excited about because female participation is a huge challenge here in Tanzania. Habibu and George, new friends I have made who are also in the drama group, were my translators for the event. I was in charge of condom distribution and demonstrations. So lets just say, I am officially a condom expert now. It was amazing to see how many people had no idea how to use a condom, or what they even were for that matter. I demonstrated the correct 12 step procedure I would say at least 15 times to probably a crowd of at least 150 people combined. Many people did not even know what it was used for, here are some of the questions I received: What does it protect from? Can I wash it and use it again? Do I wear it all day? What kind of air is in that package that makes it kill sperm? And so on... now you can see the lack of education that east africa faces. Everyone was eager to learn so I was excited to be demonstrating... at times, people were so anxious that they would actually push and shove eachother just to get closer. Thank goodness Habibu and George were there because I would have been trampled for sure!
Starting Work
This past week has been jam packed as it was the first week of programming. Tuesday was my first presentation to seconday students in an area outside of Morogoro known as Bigwa. We were greated by the second master of the school who introduced myself and the local consultant/translator that I will be working with. This school has about 700 students and the head master told us that so many students signed up to be a part of our governance workshops that they had to select students. So what they did was take the top students from different school departments and thats who we're teaching: the cream of the crop. The level of respect and readiness to learn was astonishing. The first lesson was a success and I hope that all the ones to come will be as well. This is the first time YCI has ever done Governance so this is a huge leap for the organization.
My second task was to start Gender workshops in the area of Chamwino. Chamwino is known for being low-income and under-resourced. It is also the site of high rates of youth prostitution, early pregnancies, unemployment, alochol/drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, and other illnesses. The houses in this area are stick-mud huts, usually with six to ten people living in one room. The girls that come to our workshops are un-educated and have little to no english knowledge; thus, a translator is needed at all times. Although a mere five girls attended the first workshop, many important questions they had were addressed. Their eyes were glued to our presentation as they studied our makeshift drawings of a woman's uterus and discussed details of the women menstral cycle. It was aparant that these women know little about their bodies and issues that face them so I am excited and eager for the coming weeks.
My second task was to start Gender workshops in the area of Chamwino. Chamwino is known for being low-income and under-resourced. It is also the site of high rates of youth prostitution, early pregnancies, unemployment, alochol/drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, and other illnesses. The houses in this area are stick-mud huts, usually with six to ten people living in one room. The girls that come to our workshops are un-educated and have little to no english knowledge; thus, a translator is needed at all times. Although a mere five girls attended the first workshop, many important questions they had were addressed. Their eyes were glued to our presentation as they studied our makeshift drawings of a woman's uterus and discussed details of the women menstral cycle. It was aparant that these women know little about their bodies and issues that face them so I am excited and eager for the coming weeks.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
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