Kitchen to serve 350 each day! When I first started visiting East Africa in 2010, there was a phrase we often used – T-I-A which meant “This is Africa”. It was a way of saying ‘it is what it is – just go with the flow”. I had forgotten about that acronym until today when a series of events made it very apropos.
I thought I had planned the perfect day. I was scheduled to have one of my former students (Rehema) travel in from her village which is approximately an hour outside of Moshi. She was coming with our OneLove field operations officer (Herieth). I had a second meeting set up with Mama Alice – a teacher at Longuo School to talk about what is needed to complete their dining hall. Believe it or not – they actually prepare food for 350 people a day in the outdoor kitchen pictured above. UNBELIEVABLE! The International School has stepped in to help build a new dining hall on the condition that the school raises a portion of the money for materials (equivalent of $7,000). That meeting was set for 1 pm (LOTS of time between my 9 am and 1 pm meetings).
The last meeting of the day was the microfinance officer with KCCO (Kilimanjaro Centre for Ophthalmology). I have worked with KCCO for several years providing entrepreneurship training to village women. It has been proven that when a women’s economic situation improves (even slightly), her priority is around the health and well-being of her children. The link between economic empowerment and the improvement in vision and eye care has had amazing results throughout third world countries.
Knowing it was going to be a busy day, I had treated myself to buying some chicken at a local grocery store that caters to ex-pats (brings food in from Kenya) so I could have a nice dinner. I paid 7500 Tshillings (equivalent to approx. $5) which is hugely more expensive than the 500 Tsh (3.5 cents) I would pay for a stewing hen at the market (that I would have to wait to have the head removed and then pluck at home).
The makings of a great day. HOWEVER .... this is how it unfolded.
Rec’d an email that the microfinance officer was stuck in Dar es Salaam and transportation was delayed. Needed to switch the meeting to 1 pm. No problem – emailed Mama Alice to change our 1 pm meeting to 2.
Waited until 10 am – no Rehema or Herieth. Texted Herieth. Rehema’s village was rained out. She would be late. Arrived at 11:00. Herieth was not with her. She had to stay at her work since we are getting close to the holiday weekend.
Was worried about my 1 pm meeting (already rescheduled with the microfinance officer) but rec’d a text from her that the roads were closed and she could not meet until later in the week.
Spent 2 hours with Rehema and no translator. Have you ever spent two hours in a room with an individual where neither one of you speak the same language. Lot of smiling and nodding. J The 2 hours felt like 4. This is where an iPad and a game of Angry Birds would have come in very handy. Actually it all worked out. I made lunch for us (universal language) – spent time on my laptop showing her pictures with other ideas for the paper bead jewelry she makes and negotiated the pricing for a large order for me to bring back to Canada to raise $ for OneLove. In the absence of our translator drawing pictures and numbers on a pad worked just fine.
Was worried about my 2 pm meeting with Mama Alice. Called her only to find out that her power was out and she never rec’d the original email switching the appointment from 1 to 2. She was already on a dala dala (their public transport - mini vans for 10 that they squeeze 20 into). She said she would just sit and wait until I got there.
Herieth arrived just after 2. Completed business with Rehema and got to meeting with Mama Alice at 3 (2 hours late – I’m fitting right in.)
After the (productive) meeting, I decided to walk home (approx. 1.5 miles). Forgot to consider that it was close to 90 degrees and that I was wearing ‘brand new shoes’ I had purchased prior to leaving Canada. (WHO comes to a country where a lot of walking on dirt roads is involved with shoes you have never worn or broken in)????
Despite the sore feet and blisters, I was excited to get home with my plans for a great chicken dinner and movie on my laptop. NOT! The power was out – laptop was dead – chicken had gone bad without refrigeration.
Decided to eat crackers and go to bed early.
Oh well … this is Africa (T-I-A! - Pole, pole Mama (slowly, slowly Mama) J
Love to all
I thought I had planned the perfect day. I was scheduled to have one of my former students (Rehema) travel in from her village which is approximately an hour outside of Moshi. She was coming with our OneLove field operations officer (Herieth). I had a second meeting set up with Mama Alice – a teacher at Longuo School to talk about what is needed to complete their dining hall. Believe it or not – they actually prepare food for 350 people a day in the outdoor kitchen pictured above. UNBELIEVABLE! The International School has stepped in to help build a new dining hall on the condition that the school raises a portion of the money for materials (equivalent of $7,000). That meeting was set for 1 pm (LOTS of time between my 9 am and 1 pm meetings).
The last meeting of the day was the microfinance officer with KCCO (Kilimanjaro Centre for Ophthalmology). I have worked with KCCO for several years providing entrepreneurship training to village women. It has been proven that when a women’s economic situation improves (even slightly), her priority is around the health and well-being of her children. The link between economic empowerment and the improvement in vision and eye care has had amazing results throughout third world countries.
Knowing it was going to be a busy day, I had treated myself to buying some chicken at a local grocery store that caters to ex-pats (brings food in from Kenya) so I could have a nice dinner. I paid 7500 Tshillings (equivalent to approx. $5) which is hugely more expensive than the 500 Tsh (3.5 cents) I would pay for a stewing hen at the market (that I would have to wait to have the head removed and then pluck at home).
The makings of a great day. HOWEVER .... this is how it unfolded.
Rec’d an email that the microfinance officer was stuck in Dar es Salaam and transportation was delayed. Needed to switch the meeting to 1 pm. No problem – emailed Mama Alice to change our 1 pm meeting to 2.
Waited until 10 am – no Rehema or Herieth. Texted Herieth. Rehema’s village was rained out. She would be late. Arrived at 11:00. Herieth was not with her. She had to stay at her work since we are getting close to the holiday weekend.
Was worried about my 1 pm meeting (already rescheduled with the microfinance officer) but rec’d a text from her that the roads were closed and she could not meet until later in the week.
Spent 2 hours with Rehema and no translator. Have you ever spent two hours in a room with an individual where neither one of you speak the same language. Lot of smiling and nodding. J The 2 hours felt like 4. This is where an iPad and a game of Angry Birds would have come in very handy. Actually it all worked out. I made lunch for us (universal language) – spent time on my laptop showing her pictures with other ideas for the paper bead jewelry she makes and negotiated the pricing for a large order for me to bring back to Canada to raise $ for OneLove. In the absence of our translator drawing pictures and numbers on a pad worked just fine.
Was worried about my 2 pm meeting with Mama Alice. Called her only to find out that her power was out and she never rec’d the original email switching the appointment from 1 to 2. She was already on a dala dala (their public transport - mini vans for 10 that they squeeze 20 into). She said she would just sit and wait until I got there.
Herieth arrived just after 2. Completed business with Rehema and got to meeting with Mama Alice at 3 (2 hours late – I’m fitting right in.)
After the (productive) meeting, I decided to walk home (approx. 1.5 miles). Forgot to consider that it was close to 90 degrees and that I was wearing ‘brand new shoes’ I had purchased prior to leaving Canada. (WHO comes to a country where a lot of walking on dirt roads is involved with shoes you have never worn or broken in)????
Despite the sore feet and blisters, I was excited to get home with my plans for a great chicken dinner and movie on my laptop. NOT! The power was out – laptop was dead – chicken had gone bad without refrigeration.
Decided to eat crackers and go to bed early.
Oh well … this is Africa (T-I-A! - Pole, pole Mama (slowly, slowly Mama) J
Love to all