Happy Memorial Day!

Wembley sure is a party animal. He took Memorial Day by his little kitty feet and CRUSHED it!













Hope you all had 1/2 as much fun this Memorial Day as Wembley did.

10th Anniversay Weekend

Last weekend Chris and I managed to sneak away for 2 nights to a lodge outside the Serengeti to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary, which went relatively uncelebrated a few weeks back. While it was not as nice as the places we stayed in the park, the lodge was nothing to complain about. We enjoyed resting, watching movies, playing games, and being a tourist for a few days.

Chris always wins at Mille Bornes. He claims it's because he's a good player, but I can't see how skill comes into a game of chance. He can be pretty obnoxious about it too.



We took a boat trip into Speke Bay to see some birds. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed just being in nature for a few hours, quite a contrast to our life in Mwanza!


The lake was so calm and quiet.


We saw a lot of cormorant.


No wonder fishermen have such huge arms. These guys take a boat out a few miles into the lake and drop in a huge net. Then they return to shore and spend the rest of the day pulling it back in again. The whole operation can take up to 6-8 hours!


The happy couple. We've changed a bit in 10 years!


The village was relatively quite because it was mid-morning. Most of the fish come in in the morning, so that's when it's really bumping.

Our tour of the lake was conducted by a young woman who volunteers for a community group that gives tours to tourists. This village community was discovering that their local residents were begging from the tourists who were passing through on their way to the Serengeti. They thought that wasn't the most appropriate way to go about things, so they organized this community group to give tours of the lake and the village. The proceeds go toward their new Montessori school, loans to business women living with HIV/AIDS, and to other helpful projects in the area. What a great way to use a resource to their benefit (the resources of both the tourists and the village's beautiful surroundings!).

Tanzania is such a beautiful place. The development in this area is happening so fast and there is so little planning or concept of preserving the environment. I hope that people can see the value of this precious place and that they will include it in their vision as we move forward.

Do You Support Missions?

Really great post over at Jamie the Very Worst Missionary. Whether you're a missionary or not, whether you're religious or not, I always think she's got great things to say in general about a lot of different topics. This time around she's encouraging people to take a critical eye to the missionaries they support.* Here here. I couldn't agree more. In fact, I think if you support any cause (non-profit organization, church, political party, etc.) you should be sure there is at least some transparency.

Anyways, she says it all.

*By the way, thanks again to all our supporters. Seriously, y'all are great and I'm constantly baffled by your unyielding faith in us. I hope we live up to your trust.

Where Does Change Start

Yesterday my executive director and I went to a meeting of local community groups* in a nearby area. We were invited by the groups to hear about their work and to request our assistance with mobilizing their community to prevent violence in the home. These group members are all part of our We Can Campaign, which registers and supports local changemakers in various communities who agree to take a public stand against domestic violence and to influence their social networks to do the same. It's a grass-roots program to create a social movement toward change.

The group was saying that they are having trouble getting the word about the We Can Campaign out into their community because they don't have funds to hold community gatherings. My organization's executive director asked them about the messages toward violence in their homes. Do their children, wives, husbands, friends, etc. know about violence? Can they recognize it in the community? Inevitably most of them said no. The ED encouraged the community members to start with their own homes. It takes no money to teach our children, talk with our spouses, engage our friends and coworkers. It's a simple, yet complex way to get the word out and to start shifting the social paradigm that allows violence to continue in our communities.

It made me think if I've had a discussion lately with my family and friends about violence? If I had a child who saw bullying in school or was hit by a teacher would he/she come home and tell me he/she saw violence in school? If a friend of mine was talking about hiding money from his/her spouse, would I talk with him/her about the use of economic influence over their partner? There are so many discussions that need to happen every day in order to change these intrenched behaviors.


* These kinds of community groups are really common in this part of the world. Communities exist to help and support one another. People in this area often form communal groups/coops based on their work (for example, a farming cooperative). That group may be a part of a larger group of groups that support each other and lends help in larger community issues. It's a systemic way to ensure that when someone or some community is in need, everyone will have the support they need. This is a very effective way of helping one another in a world where structured support such as government or charitable assistance, bank support, etc. are ineffective.

More pictures of the new house

We're settling into the new house slowly, slowly. I'm reluctant to post too many pictures because it's constantly changing as we move and remove things around to find the perfect location. But for now, here are a few shots (that are already outdated because we've shifted some things).

Master Bedroom




Hallway as you enter the house. Master bedroom immediately on right. Living room/dinning room/kitchen in the middle of the hall on the left. Main bathroom across the hall from the living room. At the end of the hall on each side is an extra bedroom (one will be an office).


Living Room/Dinning Room




Kitchen

(We've moved the counter to the other side of the wall and we hope to put up shelves or something to have a little more storage.)

Also, here's a better picture of our new puppy before she got all weird looking with the skin infection.

At Work

Yesterday I managed to download this YouTube video* from the interwebs and show it at work to some of my coworkers. They were really engaged and had some excellent thoughts/feedback. They were surprised that we have the same issues with violence in America than they do in Tanzania. Most people in TZ think that everything in America is perfect and that relationships exist without any issues of power and control. My coworkers know that I used to work in sexual violence prevention, but I guess it still hasn't hit home that I was working with real people in situations of real violence.



As an adviser in my office, I try to open the eyes of my coworkers to understand more about the issues of violence all around the world and to help build their capacity to prevent violence in our communities here in northern TZ.

*Thanks, Paula, for posting the video on Facebook and giving me the idea to share it with my colleagues.

Avocados and Rancid Together Again for the Very First Time, Just Like Nyeusi and Smokey

In the new house.

We're still unpacking the boxes and trying to figure out where to put things in a house that has no cabinets, closets or shelves. Right now the food and spices are all stored in boxes on the floor. But despite that we love the house. It's quieter, cozier, the water and electricity work, we have a working hot shower and a whole lot less mosquitoes. And now, we have this little lady!

*

Her name is Nyeusi, which means black in Swahili, because she was at a MK sister's house for a few months and they had to distinguish her from the other puppy who was white. Smokey and Nyeusi liked each other from the start and now they're BFFs, rolling on the ground and playing with each other. I'm so happy for Smokey because she's got a friend now and I think she'll be much happier with the company.


Check out that smile on her face! She was so excited!

*Nyeusi is recovering from some sort of skin infection that she's had for the past few weeks. Poor baby was a bloody, scabby mess. She's a lot better now and her fur is slowly growing back, but she kinda looks like a wrinkly old lady. We love her anyway and thinks she's just the cutest.

We're in!

We'll, we successfully moved all of our crap from one house to another. It's amazing how much stuff two people can amass even when living in Africa.

Everything went without a hitch, though, and we look forward to settling in. It was a tiring day for all of us, but this little guy was stressed out! He's happy to know we aren't going anywhere without him.

A Decade

10 years ago today Chris and I were married in a small mission chapel in a town on the coast of New Jersey. When we created the ceremony one of the songs we chose was kind of an odd choice for a wedding. While most people choose songs for their weddings that are about love, devotion to each other or togetherness, Chris and I chose “Pescador de Hombres” or “Lord, You Have Come,” which talks about following God to far away places in search of the lost. I have always loved this song and we both felt like it had a certain message for us both as individuals and as a couple. Now 10 years later, this song has even more meaning for our lives than it ever has.  

Lord, you have come to the seashore,
neither searching for the rich nor the wise,
desiring only that I should follow.

Refrain
O, Lord, with your eyes set upon me,
gently smiling, you have spoken my name;
all I longed for I have found by the water,
at your side, I will seek other shores.

Lord, see my goods, my possessions;
in my boat you find no power, no wealth.
Will you accept, then, my nets and labor?

Lord, take my hands and direct them.
Help me spend myself in seeking the lost,
returning love for the love you gave me.

Lord, as I drift on the waters,
be the resting place of my restless heart,
my life's companion, my friend and refuge.

As a couple, we are not only following and finding refuge in God but we are also supporting each other on this journey. There have been times over the past 10 years when one of us has had to figuratively take the hands of the other and direct them, to reminded the other of the larger picture or to help them to remember who they are at the core. We have had to be the resting place, companion and refuge for each other when one of us has become the lost.

Thank you, Chris (aka Scoobs, Scoobie, Squnch, Squeebs, Bud, Buddy, DB, Dude, Duder), for being my partner, my companion, my guide, my best friend, my client, my patron, my teacher, my student and so many more for over the past 10 years. I love you.

Why is Infrastructure Important?

Last weekend a water pipe broke at the top of the hill from our new house, which also happens to be right outside the grounds of the local Catholic church/MK parish. The water caused the ground to sink and when 2 daladalas (minibuses) and a car where overtop of it, a hole developed and the three cars all fell in. 

Here is the hole with the pipe fixed and the dirt 1/2 filled in.

We first heard about the pipe breaking when on Friday we went to the new house to bring a load of stuff and start cleaning the house. There were about 20 kids and young women in the road outside our house collecting water from the stream. It’s not unusual for people to collect water from the stream, but it seemed strange that there were so many of them. That is when we found out that the water in the neighborhood had been out for several days because of the problem at the top of the hill. It’s bad enough that the neighborhood homes and businesses were out of water for days, but to make matters worse, I soon learned that the hospital at the top of the hill was also affected by the situation. This main (huge) regional hospital (with services found nowhere else in the area) was without water for the week! Can you imagine!??

Plus, the road that leads from the church to our house is completely destroyed. In all honesty, the road was not that good to begin with. It has not been passable by cars for the past 9 months, but at least motorcycles and bicycles could pass, as well as pedestrians. Now, it’s barely passable for people even on foot.

A year ago we drove down this road.


These ditches are about 3' deep.

As we were walking up the road to church on Sunday, a Bibi (grandmother) stopped to greet us and, shake my hand she said in Swahili “This road is very bad!” Uh, yeah, I’d say so!

This really highlights one of the major problems that holds Tanzania (and other developing countries) back. Access to safe roads and clean water should be a “given.” Yes, every country will experience water valve breaks and other unforeseen accidents, but for these incidents to cause so much damage is unforgivable. Mwanza is built on many hills. There is no drainage system, so, when it rains (or when water pipes break) the water runs down the hills, washing all the dirt paths and roads with it. The destruction each year is insurmountable and because development in this area increases every day, the destruction keeps getting bigger and bigger.

I just wonder what happened in the hospital when the water went out. What system do they have in place to provide sanitation in the hospital's bathrooms, scrub rooms, and wards? I cringe at the thought of how many infections happened because of this. How will this road ever be fixed? Answer: it probably won't, unless citizens in the neighborhood decide to come out with pickaxes and sandbags. But even then, when the rains come again the road will surely deteriorate again. What about the business owner who might rely on water for their hotel, restaurant or other place of business? How much money did they lose when the water was out?

These are complex problems with no easy solution but I wanted to share because to show some of the daily problems (or inconveniences, as the Tanzanians see them) that they encounter every day. Problems like these would be inconceivable in the developed world but here they are commonplace.

In rememberence

It was a very strange, sad and unexpected turn of events that I found myself driving to JFK airport yesterday with the NY skyline and the new World Trade Center in front of us while listening to the tragedy at the Boston Marathon unfold in the news. It's like we take one step forward and then take another step back. My heart goes out to those affected by this attack and to those who will relive their memories of tragedies in the past.

As I type this I'm sitting in an airport in the Middle East and watching the faces of our diverse world pass me by. I remind myself that these tragedies are not a true depiction of our world. We are better than this, more complex than the thought that we can't exist in harmony. And I know we will transcend any force that tries to tell us otherwise.

An Admission

I have a confession to make. I've made a visit to the US and am typing this blog post from the couch in my parents' house. On my birthday*, April 1, I loaded a plane from Mwanza, flew to Dar es Salaam, and then to Qatar, and then to JFK in NY. It was a last-minute decision by me and the hubby that I should go home for some R&R after the last round of illnesses at the end of March. Up until that point I had been sick most of 2013 and I have been bouncing around on medications for the past 9 months. It was starting to do its toll on me both physically and emotionally and we thought a change of scenery and some rest and relaxation would do me some good. Unfortunately, Chris wasn't able to join me because it's a really busy time for us and for the MKLM community in Mwanza. So I'm sad that he had to stay back and hold down the fort at home. As great as this visit has been, I really miss him and wish he could've been here.

This is my first time back in the states since moving to Mwanza 15 months ago. I'm still processing what it means to be here again and to understand how I see my home country differently. It's been great to be here, great for my mental health, for sure. It's such a relief to easily go anywhere and pretty much understand the systems and know the language to get across anything I need to say. I've loved stopping into a gas station and buying whatever treat I want.


God bless America and gas stations.

The scenery has been beautiful and I've been able to do some jogging without being gawked at.




Spring is beginning to show its blossoms.

There are magic machines that eat your laundry and spit them out clean and dry!



But most of all, it's been so wonderful to be able to see some family and friends. Even though I haven't seen nearly everyone I'd love to* it's been a wonderful thing to see those that I have.


 My grandparents in their little house in Georgia.


My friend Melissa and her daughters walking to the beach in NJ.


Me and my niece Maddie on the beach.


My sister and 2 of my nieces playing on the couch.

I've got more stories to tell and more pictures to share. But this is good for now. It's been an amazing trip that has revived my spirits and helped me to gain some strength and perspective again. I head back to TZ on Monday so hopefully I can keep this energy to propel me to continue in TZ and keep keeping on.

*Thanks so much for all the birthday wishes! I didn't write anything on my actual birthday because I was in transition.

**I didn't tell most people that I was coming home because I only was here for 2 weeks and I needed to spend some time catching up on rest. Sorry! I'll hopefully see more people when we return for a longer visit, hopefully sometime early in 2014.

As We Approach Triduum

This week started with an awesome procession for Palm Sunday.


We started at church, walked through the neighborhood to the elementary school, said a blessing, then the procession continued for another 1/2 hour until it reached the church again.


It was a pretty neat experience, much more elaborate and joyful than the processions I've been a part of in the states.

It was hard to jump back into the solemnity of Holy Week, but I look forward to that kind of exuberance and more when we celebrate Easter on Sunday.

I also heard that we'll be slaughtering a lamb for dinner on Sunday. I mean, we won't be slaughtering it. But the church will give it in the offering and the MK community will slaughter, cook and eat it. Even though that still makes me sad for the cute little lamb, it also kind of ads to the festivity of it and I'm looking forward to it.

Wishing everyone a blessed Triduum and a happy Easter to come.

Around Mwanza

Despite still being sick over the past few months, we've had a lot going on in our lives and with the MKLM Community in Mwanza. In early March the new missioners were back in town because they were on break from language school. Chris is in charge of their orientation, so he spent a lot of time going with them to see potential houses, visiting their future ministry sites, viewing our current ministry sites, etc.

On one particular day I took the folks out to visit Caitlin's school because our court case was coming up that morning and Chris had to be there for it.* It was so fun to hang out for a few hours with 60-ish pre-schoolers. They're the cutest!


Here's one of the classrooms. There are 2 regular education classes and 1 special education class in this private, Catholic school. The school uses the Montessori** method, so the kids take off their shoes and sit on mats on the floor.


The best part is when the kids chant in English with their Tanzanian accents. "I am sitting on my MAT!" Or "Thank you teacher for the PORRIDGE!"


The Special Education classroom was really touching. The TZ education system doesn't make room for people with disabilities, either physical, educational or mental. Therefore, this classroom gives kids an opportunity where they wouldn't otherwise to get an education.

I organized a seminar last Saturday for the women in my church. We had a guest speaker*** come in to teach them exercises similar to tai-chi or yoga, which is good to help women get in touch with their bodies and teaches them to relax and de-stress. Unfortunately, I was sick so I couldn't stay for the event.


At least I was able to see the introduction as they got started and set up their environment.

From what I heard from the ladies, the seminar was a success and they are already asking when they can do another one like it.

To see more pictures from around Mwanza lately, check out my Flickr photostream.

*It was postponed until March 21 because the judge had a baby and is on maternity leave. That date came and went and it was also postponed again because the judge still isn't back.

**Well, it's supposed to be Montessori. That's one of the things that Caitlin's working on with the teachers. They were trained in this teaching method but don't particularly adhere to it.

***The guest speaker was Mrs. Mbgoma, Chris's boss. This is what she does with her .

Around the Office

I just uploaded a bunch of pictures from the office and from our International Women's Day events in the beginning of March.

International Women's Day:

We had a tent set up in the stadium in downtown Mwanza where people could stop by anytime during the week to get information, debate the issues or take a pledge to join our changemaker campaign. Here you can see the staff and volunteers having a heated discussion with community members.


One of our new missioners even signed the pledge.


On March 8, International Women's Day, Mama Kikwete spoke and visited each of the tents.

If you want to see all the pictures that I uploaded, click here to see the Flickr set. Disclaimer, most of these pictures were taken by a hired photographer and not by me. If it's a blurry shot, then I probably took it on my iPhone. Otherwise, I probably didn't take it.

Around the Office:
For the past few months we have had an international social work student from Zurich university doing her field placement in our office. She's taken a bunch of nice pictures of the staff, which I thought I'd share here.


Me with Witness (a volunteer who left last week to start her new job), Leonie (the intern) and John (another volunteer)

This posing for pictures was the best thing happening that day at work.


With Kadijah, program officer in the We Can Campaign.


With Asia, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation.

To see more pictures of my staff, visit my photostream.

Music

There must be a kilio (literally, "a crying" but it basically is a funeral) going on across the street today. There is a tent set up with chairs and a ton of people. They are singing music and it is just so beautiful. I'm sorry for their loss, if that is the case. But the music is really pleasant on this rainy, dreary day.

Heri ya siku ya wanawake duniani!

Happy International Women's Day. We had a great event today where the TZ First Lady spoke to a huge crowd of people. I got this close to her when she visited Kivulini's tent.

A little of this and that

I've noticed that my blog posts have been more and more sporadic. That, and I've also stopped journaling, which I normally do by myself each morning. It all started when I was sick and out of my normal routine. I wasn't leaving the house except to go to doctor's appointments so there just wasn't a lot of content to my day. Now I think it's also a sign that life here in Tanzania is just like life anywhere. You just go about your daily tasks and don't really think about how interesting, unusual, noteworthy, etc. things are. Like the fact that I sat out in the hot sun all day yesterday (under a tent) and my lunch consisted of unshelled peanuts bought from a lady carrying them on a tray on her head and a packaged ice cream cone bought from a guy peddling a bicycle that has a freezer on the front. It was kinda old meets new world.



This Friday is International Women's Day. My office is holding a week-long celebration at the stadium in town, which is why I was out in the sun all day yesterday. Here's our new banner getting hung up at our tent. "Together we can end violence against women." I'll post more about the events of the week after everything is done on Friday.

Earlier in the week Chris found this bird almost drowning in the dog's bowl.



It was the cutest little thing and I think Chris was hoping to get a new pet. Unfortunately, it didn't make it the night. It's probably for the best, but that little guy was a sweetie.

We're being hosts this week to the new missioners who are on break from language school. Remember last year when the roles were reversed and we were the ones in language school? Seems like a long time ago! And my, have we grown. We have Rich staying with us for the week and it's always a surprise to see what he pulls out of his luggage from the States!


He brought 4 wigs with him!