The Dala Dala

To visit the nearest town Moshi which is 40 miles away.    You first have to walk down to the Marangu Mtoni village about 40 minutes walk and there you pick up the local bus service.  When I say local bus service it doesn't run to a timetable that has any sense or meaning. There are either 5 there or none.  Mind you those of us who now have a bus pass would say ever the same!  The service is run my individuals who own a mini bus.  They are usually beat up old vehicles that have been modified to increase the number of passengers from 13 to 20.  Two Saturday's ago I travelled to Moshi for shopping.  I was fortunate to be one of the first person on the bus as so I had a pick of seats I opted for one half way down the bus.  By the time the bus left it had 18 people on board.  The bus can be flagged down at any point on the journey.  Before we had travelled 5 miles there was 23 on the bus with 5 people standing including the conductor who seemed to get much pleasure from hanging out of the bus the whole journey.  It is certainly a way to get to know the local people.  They only drive at two speeds either flat out or stop.  On my return journey I was not so fortunate as there was limited choice of seats.  I ended up on the back seat which should have seated 4 people but which had 8 and a baby.  The baby for some reason cried every time I looked at her?!  I did consider asking to see the drivers MOT and insurance certificate before I got on but thought better of it.  They are certainly dangerous and surprise surprise we passed one in a ditch on the way home.  Happy days 

A woman's work is never done

On all my walks in the surrounding woods and forest and on the parthways down to Marangu Village I have never seen a man carrying anything.  It is the women who seem to do the fetching and carrying.  So walking up from the village after market day it is the women you see carrying the shopping. It might be sacks of grain or heavy water containers and the other day I met one carrying a grate of Kilimanjaro beers.   Their work outside shopping is also very demanding as you often see them cutting grass for their cattle but also collecting firewood to enable them to do their cooking.  These pictures where taken when I walked up into the forest above where I live.  Gathering firewood is illegal from the forest but there were many mums and daughters carrying these heavy loads on their heads.  It really is a man's world here 

The Chagga Cave -Kasimo Cave

Recently I had an opportunity to visit some local caves in the foothills of Kilimanjaro. All I was told was that these caves were interesting and worth seeing.  I imagined some ancient rock formations and an opportunity to see cave drawings.  Little did I know the surprise that was in store for me. We were met by the Director of the Kasimo Cave Ombaeli Makuni who agreed to give us a personal tour.  The first picture shows the Director at the entrance to the cave. It might look like a Chagga hut, for those of us that are more with familiar with the local culture, but it is in fact a disguised entrance to the cave. It was when we were shown inside that my pulse began to race, a little, as I looked into the hole in the ground and the homemade ladder that disappeared into the darkness.  Too late to turn back.  It was just a pity I had my white t shirt on and nice clean trousers.  The Director produced a torch as he disappeared into the hole.  Tim (another volunteer) followed and almost fell into the hole as it was very slippy as you stepped onto the ladder.  I reluctantly followed as they disappeared into the darkness - only one dim torch.  We crawled on hands and knees until we came to an opening where we could sit upright. The Director then began to give us the history of the caves.  By the way, by my definition they were not caves but tunnels dug into the ground and also ,by the way, unsupported tunnels!  Heart beating fast!!  They were dug in the 1800s when the Chagger tribe were at war with the Masi tribe and used as a hidding place when the fierce Masi warriors were raiding.  The clearing we had crawled into was the guard warriors hiding place and if the Masi found the cave they could be easily killed as they came through the entrance, as they had to crawl to get in, and their bodies stored on shelves!!! in this opening.  We crawled in deeper to find cooking areas and sleeping areas and were told that even cattle were brought down. They would stay down here for days.  There were ventilation shafts and sleeping areas.  In the darkness I  thought I felt something brush against me and I suddenly had this panic feeling and desire to get out as quickly as possible. Some rodent perhaps? I waited patiently for the return journey and hoped the Director knew his way out as I was at the back and there was just blackness. I was delighted to break out into the sunshine and I wasn't scared at all!?  Another Tanzanian experience.

Standard 7 Leaving Day Masia Marangu

In September each year Standard 7 pupils take their National Exam over several days for entry into secondary education. After the examinations primary education is then finished.  In Tanzania Primary Education starts at 7 and continues to the age of 14.  There is also pre-primary education in most schools but in some the parents have to pay for the teacher.  The Standard 7 examination takes place so that the top 50% of pupils can then go onto secondary education.  The remainder of the pupils who are not in the top 50% then either go to vocational school or private schools which again parents have to pay for.  I was privileged to be in Masia Marangu on the day of their Standard 7 leaving celebration and to be part of this.  The whole school gathered on the grassed areas in front of top table.  The leaving children danced and sang songs and read out poems that they had written and then they presented the school staff with a letter of thanks for all their efforts.  There were prizes for the head boy and girl and they presented a gift to the staff that was passed through the hands of those assembled there before arriving with the headteacher.  They all gathered for a formal photography which I took and then they ate hot  food prepared, by parents and school cook, on open fires  with staff and pupils together.  It was all very moving and a moment to be remembered.  I certainly will remember.  The next day I presented a collection of all the photographs taken to the pupils.

The Table Tennis Club

I have now established a table tennis club at the local school and had 12 regular attenders since it started.  When it first started it was like a war zone with balls rebounding of the ceiling, windows, walls and me occasionally.  But their lack of skill at this early stage was countered by their wonderful enthusiasm to learn the game. But they listened and kept at it and quickly improved  Of course my fluent Swahili helped? Or it might have been my skill of demonstration?  Or perhaps they improved despite me?  It is amazing how we explain things when language is a barrier. I danced around to encourage movement and if you 'd have seen my demonstrations without the ball been used, I think, you might have said, it was artistic.  They did laugh a lot.  But it did work. The key, I think, was because there was a language barrier I spent longer at the early stages.  If you could see these pupils playing the game now you would be amazed. You can see from the photos that the tables are joined together and there is a crack down the middle which all adds to the fun and the card board nets work fine.  Thank you to Evans of Longton who supplied the bats and balls.   We play every night after school except Friday and have also started a Saturday morning club.  Who knows they may be the Tanzanian Champions of the future.  I move onto to my next school shortly where they have even better tables.  I think the kids think I'm a professional table tennis player and who am I to tell them otherwise!! 

The weekly market

Well another week passes and I have talked about the weekly market in Maragu Mtoni.  This market operates on Monday and Thursday every week.  Its a mainly fresh vegetable market but you could buy anything here from cloths to domestic appliances.  It starts early in the morning and lasts the whole day.  It is mainly selling local produce and local people come to sell a  few potatoes, bananas or a few tomatoes but also they are people who are growing commercially.  They all display their goods and you are expected to barter for what you buy.  Normally my house girl does the shopping at the market.  I write a list and she delivers but last Thursday as schools where closed I ventured here myself.  The first thing that struck me was the quantity of goods for sale but also the variety of colours to take in and also the smartness of sellers and buys.  It was like not been seen in Waitrose without your make up on!!  Just a few favourite pictures. Enjoy

A beautiful sunset

The climate is, since I have been here, constantly around 26oc each day and hotter as you go lower.  Most days at 6.30 with the sun streaming into my bedroom it provides a real incentive to get up and start the day.  The position of the house is south facing and so I get the sun in my bedroom in the morning and in the lounge in the late afternoon.  However, the last few days I have woken to be shrouded in mist which means the cloud layer is low and we are in the cloud.  It is hardly surprising as I am at 6,000 ft but by lunch time this has cleared. I am told my locals that this is because the new moon is rising and as it rises it brings the cloud up the  mountain and that it will disappear as the moon waxes.  It is such a pity that the sun sets so early and so quickly as it would be nice to sit out in the evenings.  But once the sun goes down it becomes cooler.  I have no heating in the building and it quickly becomes sweater time.  Thankfully I have recently received a duvet cover from home to keep me warm at night. As no other sources available! I attach a picture of a particularly beautiful sunset.  I took the picture from Katy's (Project Director) balcony.  Needless to say I was sipping a nice glass of South African Rose while enjoying the moment and to make it complete.