Arrival to Tanzania

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    Our family has reached their final destination, Faraja, Sanya Juu, Tanzania. Two plane trips of 16 hours, one hour car ride will get you here with months of planning. Mount Meru is to our west and Mr. Kilimanjaro peaks out occasionally to our east. We cleaned, unpacked, shopped, and hooked up our gas for cooking. After putting a few postcards, a map of Tanzania on the walls, our house began to feel like a home.

    Eight months at Faraja, what can we do to help? Teach English (second language in Tanzania, Swahili is their national language with tribal languages), computer skills, extracurriclular activities, veterinary work (the farm is large) and . Pole pole; it's the African way. Slowly, slowly, we will get busy. Our meeting with Pastor Kielo, Gabby and Gunter Neidhart helped steer us in the right direction.

    Moshi, an hours drive from Faraja, has all you ever need. A stop at The Hole in the Wall, a grocery store and more, run by Indians is almost a one stop shop. The "plastic" shop we got kitichen in many colors, all made in Tanzania. The cell company is where you get your link to the world for $30.00 with a sim card and a Tshillings card for time. The best was left for last, the bread store, a European type bakery.

    Market at our nearby village, both on Wednesdays and Saturdays, is quite the time. Wachingas, white people, we were the only ones. Of course, Francie, the 19 year old German volunteer with her blonde hair is much sought after. We bought tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, okra, onions, bananas and watermelon, which is what we have been eating for the past days. Our dinners consits of these items with noodles or rice or potatoes.

Our 4 wheel drive Mitsubi mini bus got us to Sanya Juu where it died. Many wavulanas, men, gathered around to help. Nelson, the gas station attendent who speaks some English, was the leader. A bit of water in the battery and a fee of $6.00 and we were off again.

    Sunday was watoto day, children's day in Tanzania. The children read scripture, sang and had a little drama. We sat, stood and prayed for two hours in a language we know few words. Being in a different culture is quite the experience. Basketballi on Suunday afternoon down at the drying cement floor at the farm was enjoyable. Language is not a barrier while chasing a ball.

    Rogate started on Monday. She walks 2 hours to get to our house and will earn $3.00 per day. She will clean, do our laundry and cook some for us. Ann thought we should drive her home. I told Ann that Rogate feels very fortunate to have a job. Ann's reply was, "she would feel more fortunate if you drove her home."

    My first English class with the support staff at Faraja was fun. Teaching the ESL way by getting them interacting by greeting one another by saying "Hello, how are you?", "I am fine, thank you, how are you?" "Fine, thank you." "My name is Adjule, what is your name?" makes them feel less intimidated about speaking another language. The ESL books we brought have many lessons for teaching vocabulary, commands, grammer, …………………..

    Loading keyboarding software on the 5 computers for the children was a task in itself. The electricity goes off intermittedly, obviously causing problems. Playing soccer, basketball and tennis has been an everyother day occurance. The girls do not join in those sports. We will have to figure out if this is a cultural blockade. Regardless, I got some of the girls to throw a ball around our circle, hit the wiffle ball with a "pitcher", "catcher", "hitter" and "outfielder", I have them say so they learn English as we play. The smiles on their faces tell me they enjoy being included.

    

Doctori Joseph showed up at our house on Monday, the 29^th. He and Hugh went out in the country to see a cow with 106* temperature. The diagnosis was made from the car before examing the . I have plenty of work to do.

    I started maths class at Faraja on Monday. Sharon tells me, "I will help you in math and you help me in English." There are 16 children in my maths class.     

 

The. dry season is upon us. Corn is done and being brought in. Mogali is being dried, beat, seeved through a mesh like apparatus and stored in the barn for selling.

 

 

 

 

The children of Faraja are like all other children; they have hopes, dreams, fears and but all have some sort of disability. This school seems to be a bubble for them, they are with like people as never before. They help each other and are pole (commpassionate) with each other.

 

The children of Faraja are like all other children; they have hopes, dreams, fears and but all have some sort of disability. This school seems to be a bubble for them, they are with like people as never before. They help each other and are pole (commpassionate) with each other.

I finally figured out how to post this article that was published in my tennis district's magazine, so here it is.