Figuring it All Out

Another week has gone by and it has been a big one for us in terms of becoming more comfortable with our lives in Africa.

Monday was an especially difficult day for me at school. It is very common for the teachers at our school to leave the classroom for long periods of time, leaving us volunteers alone with the children. I'm not sure if this is typical in Africa or simply just our school, but sometimes it makes us volunteers feel somewhat taken advantage of, when the teachers tell us to run the lesson or watch the children while they disappear for the day. Additionally, when the teachers leave, communicating with the children is nearly impossible, and makes it difficult to manage the classroom. On Monday when I was left alone with the children, a few of the kids began to hit, pinch, and crawl all over me, and I had no real way to control them because I couldn't do anything besides yell "Acha" (stop) over and over again. The children also seem to know that the mzungu (white) teachers would never hit them, so I think they sometimes act out more with us than with their African teachers.

I left school that day in tears, exhausted and exasperated. I began to question whether we had made the right decision by coming to Africa and whether I would be able to continue being a special education teacher when I returned home. I think the hardest part of it all, is wondering what kind of difference we can really make in the lives of these young children. Initially, I thought that even the small activities I did with the children were beneficial to them because they are better than what they could be doing at home, but it's hard to know if those short-term solutions will make any difference in their long-term lives. I thought, if we don't know if it's possible to make a difference in their lives short or long-term, then what is the point of being here? And to be honest, I haven't really figured out an answer yet.

On Tuesday, I spent the morning in the little class, and the afternoon in the big class. Even though I felt like I was copping out and abandoning the little kids who are in need, I also realized that it doesn't help anyone for me to be completely burnt out. The rest of the week went much better. The young children are more focused in the morning, when I do activities with them, and I feel like we are making some improvements with the older kids through art projects and math assignments. I can't predict what the following 10 weeks will be like at placement, but I at least have started to feel better about my role, however little it may be.

Other things that have been going on this week:
I did laundry (by hand, of course) for the first time this week and it was quite an experience. I'm thankful that most of the clothes I brought are inexpensive and old, because they are already getting destroyed from all the wear and tear.

Scottie and I have been in workout mode--being on a diet in Africa sounds pretty strange but it is so necessary! Rice and beans and deep fried everything was not the weight-loss plan we were hoping for in Tanzania, but working out feels good and gives us something else to do during the afternoons. The walk to the gym also allows us to spend time in town every day, which is fun and good for us because it is important for us to know our way around.

Scottie and I went out to lunch at a westernized restaurant this week, because we were craving regular food. We figure taking a break from African fare once or twice a week will save us from going crazy, plus it's kind of fun to try pizza and sandwiches with an African flare. The place we got food is called "mzungu square" by the volunteers because it is an area where a lot of white people hang out. It's also a bit a of a joke, because we are so accustomed to being yelled "mzungu! mzungu! (white people, white people)" wherever we go. Annoying, but I guess it comes with the territory.

We are getting more used to using the daladalas everyday, although I can't say we are getting used to the way people drive. There are no real traffic rules in Tanzania, so bikes, dalas, and cars are constantly driving four wide on the two-way main street, Somehow, admist the beeping, swerving, yelling, and general craziness, we always seem to make it to our destination in one piece.

Thursday was Australia day and we had a big celebration at the volunteer house during "social night". The house can get a bit crazy at times, especially because many of the volunteers are somewhat young (there are a lot of 18-20 year olds) and have partying on their mind. It has been a bit difficult for us to get close to people because we're not willing to miss placement to stay up late with everyone else, but as people go away for the weekends and the groups get smaller and less crazy, we are meeting more people and doing a bit more.

This weekend was our first in Arusha and we had a ton of fun. We taught the few people at the house how to make our own Scategories (a la holidays at the Gramma's house), which was fun, and we also started watching True Blood (surprisingly good--what!?) On Saturday we went to the movie theater in town and saw Tin-Tin and then got some delicious cheeseburgers and milkshakes! It wasn't exactly the same experience as it would have been at home, but it was good to do something familiar. Today we went to the Massai Market and had a great time bargaining and buying some souvenirs. I think we might go back next week for even more. Next week we might be participating in a flash mob--stay tuned on that one--Scottie is definitely spending a lot more of his time in Africa dancing than he thought he would. I wonder how he'll feel about being on youtube at some point?!

Here are some pictures of the volunteer house...enjoy!

Australia day celebrations (with two Americans, a Canadian, and an Icelander)

The porch at the volunteer house

The other half of the front of the house

The lawn (where Scottie and I pepper with soccer balls) and the sitting space outside

The living room, part 1

 The "dining room" and more of the living room

More of the living room

Our bedroom (Scottie and I are now sharing a room!)--please note the classy mosquito nets

Shower, toilet, and sink. Modern amenities.

I hope all is well at home! We miss you! Keep the emails, phone calls, and text messages coming. We love hearing from you!

Much Love,
Laura and Scottie

Safari!!

We just returned from Safari and had an amazing time!  We left Friday morning with a group of 10, which we broke into five people per jeep. Our group consisted of a hodge podge of volunteers  from the house, but it turned out to be a perfect mix  of people.

Day 1: Lake Manyara

The first day we entered the park, we were surprised at how wooded the park was. It almost resembled a jungle. I think we were all a little worried  that we wouldn’t see any animals because the first part of the drive was getting a little boring until—BAM! Elephants! A whole group of them right in front of us on the road. The elephants were amazingly close, and even had little babies. They were pretty impressive walking through the woods, taking trees down with each step.

That day we also got to get up close with giraffes, impala, wildabeast, tons of baboons, and hippos. We were so pumped that our first day started off so well. The weather was a bit chilly that day, so luckily we weren’t too hot and we slept comfortably that night in our tent outside of the park.

Day 2: The Serengeti

The next morning we drove from Lake Manyara to the Serengeti. Along the way we saw more impala, gazelles, and ZEBRAS! So cool. We also got to see some amazingly diverse scenery: the Ngorongoro crater, green cliffs, and the vast plains of the Serengeti.

On our way, we stopped at a Massai village (conveniently we got a flat tire right outside their village...strange, hmm?) and were able to watch a traditional Massai dance as well as view their huts. It was pretty amazing seeing how differently the tribal people live.

The Massai people

Eventually we reached the Serengeti and almost immediately got to see LIONS! There was a pride of lions sitting on top of a grassy hill when we first drove in, which was pretty amazing because sometimes lions are hard to spot. They were pretty sleepy and didn’t do much but  we didn’t care too much.

That day we also got to see large groups of elephants walking across the plains as well as more impala, zebra, hippos, and birds.

Scottie the adventurer. 

It was a bit dusty on the ride...

That night we set up camp in a campsite in the Serengeti and were amazed at how many stars there were that night. Seriously, up north Wisconsin has nothing on the layers of stars we saw that night. So beautiful!

Day 3: More Serengeti

On Sunday morning we woke up very early to see the sunrise on the Serengeti. It was incredible. We were thinking it was maybe too cloudy to see, but all of a sudden as we were photographing some impala, the red sun popped up in the horizon. It rose super fast, but we got some amazing photos as it did.

Later that morning we saw something super unique—a leopard (pronounced leo-pard; our guide’s favorite animal) playing by himself in a giant tree. It was cool seeing the leopard paw at the “sausages” hanging from the sausage tree and we didn’t think it could get any cooler until the leopard called to a leopard (lady?) friend, ran over to meet her, and walked with her right in front of all the jeeps! We saw the two playing in the grass and got some great up-close photos of the two. It was so rare to see them so close; we felt so lucky.

Later that day, we got to see something even cooler (is it possible?!)…our guide Chui (the Swahili word for leopard) stopped abruptly as we were driving and stared at this tree in the middle of the Serengeti. We were all tired and half-asleep and figured it was nothing when all of a sudden he shouted SIMBA! and pointed at the tree. Sure enough, a lion (with a mane!!) got up and scratched and stretched against the tree. We were freaking out excited and were so disappointed when the lion laid back down. We asked Chui how he knew there was a lion there when he couldn’t see it and he said he noticed tire tracks going down to the tree (totally illegal) and figured there had to be something there. We teased Chui that we should get a closer look and figured he wouldn’t take us up on it because it is such a big fine if you get caught by the rangers going off the paths, but he took our jeep right off the road into the tall grass RIGHT up next to the two lions! We seriously could’ve touched them and got a few cool photos right next to them. Once Chui got our jeep back on the road we all seriously could not stop laughing out of excitement and surprise. He even revved his engine at the other jeeps to show them how cool we were. It was SO cool.

Later that day we also got to see a very hidden cheetah; another rare sighting. That night we arrived at our last campsite at the top of the Ngorogoro crater. It was by far our most beautiful campsite; right  under an amazing tree, but it also turned out to be the scariest. About 25 buffalo took over our campsite during dinner and continued to graze on the grass next to everyone’s tents. The park rangers tried to keep them at bay so people could walk around, but it was pretty intimidating. Additionally, right before bed, a pack of stray dogs began barking obnoxiously. When we couldn’t figure out why they were all freaking out, we shined our flashlights on them and screamed when we saw what they were barking at—hyenas! And a lot of them, in our campsite. Needless to say, no one got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night.

The coolest tree ever, which we got to camp under.

Day 4: The Ngorongoro Crater

On our last day we got to see sunrise above the crater, and later drove into the crater, which was by far the most beautiful sight of our trip. Driving around we got to see two lions mating, rhinos from far away, a lion close enough to touch, and millions and millions of flamingos. It was maybe a less exciting day animals-wise, but the views completely made up for it.

The Ngongoro Crater

After lunch (where we had to avoid the eagles eyeing our food) we made our way back to Arusha. It is strange being back in such a croweded, noisy city after being around such clean air and wide open spaces, but in a way I think we’re happy to be back. We are excited to start another week of school and sleep in a real bed for the first night in awhile.

We hope you enjoy the pictures!

Miss you,

Love Laura and Scottie

A Day in the Life

Hello!
I heard that the Midwest is getting hit with some pretty cold weather--I hope everyone is staying warm; we definitely are! 90+ degrees every day. Good thing the smell of sweat is popular here.

I thought I'd give you a quick idea of what our typical day looks like.
We (as well as the rest of the house) get up around 6:30 and have breakfast, put on sunscreen etc., before leaving for our 45 minute walk to school. We could take a dala instead but we prefer the walk (minus the mini-mountain at the end).

School begins between 8 and 9 (time-keeping is pretty nonexistent in Africa). The younger kids sing good morning songs all together, which include songs where they say hello to each child by name, then they  have each child look at themselves in the mirror and point to their eyes, nose, and mouths. In Scottie's classroom with the older children, the children sing songs as well and then begin practicing math problems.

After singing "free play" time begins. During this time, the other volunteers and I are able to do any activities we plan. So far, it's been tricky deciding what activities to plan because of our resources, but I keep reminding myself that anything is better than having the children sit on the floor building blocks all day without being talked to or engaged. Most of the young children are working on learning and recognizing the numbers "one, two, and three," which is difficult because they just came back from a two month break.
During this time, the pre-vocational children  have Swahili and English lessons, where Scottie and Claire (another amazing volunteer) do things such as teach the children how to greet each other with handshakes and high-fives and how to say "good morning, good afternoon, and good evening".

Mid-morning the children are served porridge while the teachers have tea; a much-needed break.

The rest of the morning is spent outside and in the classrooms doing whatever activities are planned. Today we played soccer with the kids which was super fun, especially watching one of our favorite kids, Derric, try to run after the ball despite his physical impairments due to cerebral palsy. Some of the kids were great at soccer and it was really cool seeing all the kids interact with one another for the afternoon.

Next, the children are served lunch (two meals--awesome!) and the volunteers eat lunch separately from the kids, which was a surprise to me because lunch time is such a great opportunity for learning (oh well, hakuna mattata). After lunch the young children read books, play outside, and rest while the pre-vocational students do beadwork; practice for a potential profession in later life. It's kind of crazy to think of all the handcrafted gifts I've bought in the past--maybe one of them was made by one of the children at our school!

So far, work at the school has been really tough. We are mentally and physically exhausted by the end of our days. The children are SO dirty; we come home literally covered in filth, and it is so difficult to interact with the kids because of the language barrier as well the fact that many of them are nonverbal. Many of the younger children hit, scratch, and bite, which is frustrating for me because I can't navigate how to discourage their behavior and a few of the children with Autism are so overstimulated I struggle to know how to begin to help them. It's not all bad though. Many of the pre-vocational students look after the younger students, which is pretty awesome, and all the little ones have truly won our hearts. They are completely adorable and amazing for their resilience. Our struggles are simply figuring out how to push each child and help them with the little resources we have. I find myself using the basic things I learned at my special education student teaching experiences and just hoping that they somehow works. It's a lot of guess and test, but I think over time it will be worth it.

Scottie is really liking being a teacher. In only three days I can tell how he is realizing both how difficult and how rewarding of a job it is. Scottie jumped right in on the first day and confidently leads music lessons with Claire, plays soccer with the little ones, and teaches math; among other things. I'm so amazed at how easily he has assimilated to being a teacher in such an unfamiliar setting--he's a natural!

After we finish with school, Scottie and I try to work out at the gym we joined, run errands, and then eat dinner and hang out at the house with the other volunteers. Last night we went out to the bar for the first time, which was really fun and an experience to say the least. African karaoke was a bit different (no Journey, what?!) but it was pretty funny to watch.

All in all, things have been going really well here. We knew before coming to Africa that it was going to be essential to roll with the punches, and that is definitely what we have been doing. It's impossible to get too frustrated with the way things work here because if we did that we wouldn't enjoy ourselves at all. We're trying to take every day for what it is and have fun along the way. Hopefully this mentality carries with us for the next 11 weeks as well!

Modi loves to climb on the adults and be held.

Zainabu is pretty much the most adorable child in the world. 

Miss you!
Laura and Scottie

Week one

Hello!

We have had a whirlwind first few days! We are finally adjusting to the time difference and have been getting better sleep. Sleep here is hard to come by...there are howling dogs, goats, crowing roosters at three in the morning, and 30 volunteers coming in and out of the house (and the bedroom) at all hours of the day. Earplugs have been by far our most essential item here, but besides the small annoyances, Tanzania has been super fun so far.

To catch you up on the past few days:

All of the volunteers have been SO friendly. The volunteers that have been here for awhile know what it’s like to be new, so a few of them showed us around town and helped us get settled. I assume we’ll do the same when a new round of volunteers comes in while we are here as well. On our first day, we went to a beautiful swimming pool, got chicken and “chips” with a group of people, and checked out the internet café. Walking everywhere was helpful to get the lay of the land, as well as see what Arusha is all about.

Saturday we took a trip to Moshi, the city that serves as the gateway to Mount Kilimanjaro. The first day we went on a tour of a coffee plantation which turned out to be quite a hike, but was beautiful and super interesting, considering the tour was at a Tanzanian family’s house in Moshi.

On Sunday in Moshi we did a hike to a waterfall and literally climbed on the grassy cliffs at the base of Kilimanjaro (If anyone asks, we basically climbed it). Then we took a looong bus ride back to Arusha and proceeded to sleep for 9+ hours, our first good sleep here.

Interesting things we’ve learned about Africa thus far:

1)      It is hot. And dusty. Like brown boogers dusty. But it gets cooler at night and is more enjoyable then.

2)      There are bugs everywhere. Not too many scary ones yet, but they are everywhere. 

3)      Everyone is SO nice. The people here are very friendly and helpful.

4)      The women actually carry things on their heads—bananas, bags of rice; it’s amazing. The women work so hard; the mamas in our house get here at five in the morning, clean up our dishes from the previous night, make us breakfast, clean the entire house on their hands and knees, and then begin working on the next two meals. I can't tell you how much we appreciate their help and are amazed at their strength. 

5)      Daladalas are the form of transportation we use every day, when we are not walking. They are small buses meant to fit 16 people, that are consistently packed with 20-30 people each ride. They are smelly, bumpy, and somewhat dangerous, but all part of the experience.


      Our first few days here were a bit hard; getting to know everyone and managing sharing a bedroom with strangers, but it has all been a part of the experience. 
     
      Our first day at our placement was yesterday and it was very difficult. The school is really great. It is about a 45 minute walk, and only one dala stop away, but we will likely walk every morning. The school has four classrooms: a little class, a medium class, an autism class, and a pre-vocational class. Things are very different at this school compared to the special education schools in the states, which is to be expected. It was hard seeing the children playing by themselves on the floor with the same blocks all day long, while the teachers sat in the corner not engaging them. We have to remember however, that these children are very fortunate to even be in a school, not to mention a special school for them, so anything is better than the alternative. Many of the children come from awful home situations, which is also difficult to see. I felt so overwhelmed the first day, but have been brainstorming with other volunteers and we are taking small steps to improving the classrooms and the school. 


      We finally have internet so should be in touch a bit more. We also have African cell phones which you could buy calling cards for and call us with. We also can send and receive texts. Phone calls are a bit more expensive for us, so we'd love it if you called us. But if you get a call from a weird number--answer it!        


      Scottie's number: 1 255 768 334781
      Laura's number: 1 255 769 233144

This weekend: SAFARI! So so excited! Did you know you spend the night in a tent with the hyenas and warthogs? A bit crazy/scary, but SO cool. I will post pictures as soon as we have them. 

We will keep you updated on our adventures. We miss you all! 
(Also, Scottie is sad that the Packers lost, but maybe a little glad that he missed it.)

Scottie and I in front of the Mount Kilimanjaro gate

The daladala with a flat tire quickly being fixed

Laura and Scottie

We are here!

Mambo from Tanzania! We arrived safely late last night and have had a wonderful first day in Tanzania. Our home stay is really nice and very modern (relatively speaking). We have showers and bathrooms, bunk beds with mosquito nets, and "mamas" that cook and clean for us (better than America, no?)! People here have been very nice--Africans and volunteers alike, and we spent our day checking out Arusha, swimming, and getting food with new friends. We have heard a lot of good things about our placement at St. Dympha and are looking forward to orientation on Monday, however we are grateful that we have a few days to adjust and enjoy ourselves before then. We are planning a trip to Moshi tomorrow (a city two hours away from Arusha) to go to a waterfall and perhaps tour a coffee plantation. I can't wait to see how it differs from here!

Africa is obviously much different than America thus far, and our first sleep was a little restless, but we have felt so welcome and we are excited to see what the rest of our trip offers us. Everyone here says they love it and don't want to leave and we are already seeing why!

We miss you all and will continue to keep you posted!
Love from Africa,
Laura and Scottie