My First Week

Right! This is going to be a long entry since I have a week to cover...sorry about that! It’s just a rundown of my first week – minus pictures as I can’t work out how to put them on my computer yet, but I will find a way =]

And a side note, I haven’t really spoken about the weather since it’s been over 30 degrees everyday and it would get boring =] But let’s just say it’s very very hot during the day and it’s still around 25 degrees at night!

Hope you’re all well, I miss you lots.

The Flight – 26th February 2009

We got to Heathrow around 3 in the afternoon, checked in and for the most part it went smoothly! After I said goodbye to Granny, Mum and Dad I made my way (slowly) through security and found myself in the terminal 5 shops. So I bought myself 5 books (4 of them have been read already...) and some pens since I couldn’t find any nice ones at home. Didn’t get much else except some perfume and by that time I had to go wait at the gate. Thankfully no terminal train was needed, just a five minute walk! Once boarded I was surprised to see that the plane wasn’t really busy, in fact the section I was flying in only had 4 people so I had about 6 seats to myself!

I watched High School Musical 3, because I’m super cool and then it was time for dinner. I think it was chicken. But you can never be too sure about these things. I spent the rest of the flight trying to sleep (and failing miserably) but I think I managed to watch the beginning of 6 different films – none worth perusing till the end.

Day 1 – 27th February 2009

Well we were early by 40 minutes which was a surprise but I made it quickly through security as I’d already got my visa. The only problem were my cases, which decided to take forever but I suppose that’s a good thing as it meant then I wasn’t too early. I meant Jill at the airport and we got my cases in to her car and she started to drive to her house.

First impressions: My god it is hot, as soon as you got off the plane the heat slaps you in the face. And their driving is just petrifying! You think it’s bad in the UK, just you wait – there is no concept of right of way, it’s just who has the biggest cars. More often than not that’s the Dalla Dalla’s (mini-bus) which honestly believe it’s their road. Everyone drives big 4x4’s and there’s people running across roads, bikes, mini taxis – it’s just so different. Wonderfully green.

We get to Jill’s and I have a little sleep before we go to Richards for lunch (Richard is Jill’s son) and that seems to sum up my first day since I was so exhausted I probably couldn’t have handled much more than that! Jill has two dogs, a Doberman (Rusty) and a...well I think it’s a Jack Russell and her name is Milly. Jill lives on the beach front; her house is quite nice but a very unfamiliar style to home. Eventually I go to bed at 9 and sleep straight through the night.

Day 2 – 28th February 2009

I wake reasonably early (8-ish) and spent some of the morning reading until about 11 and Jill is taking me to meet some people. I met Gwyneth – her house is pretty astounding, swimming pool and a really lush beautiful garden. I should probably mention here one thing that’s really thrown me out here – Everyone has staff??!? So for those who thought I would be slumming it (including me) I’m not, it’s bizarre to not make your own lunch – they all think I’m weird because I always insist on making my own drink, it’s just so different.

After Gwyneth’s we visited Mary - she was one of the people organising this trip for me. I should probably take this time to say the thing that had happened two days before. Mary had fallen over at the American Embassy and managed to crush her shoulder and break her elbow so she’s stepped back a little bit with the organising of my trip (which is fair) so my first couple of days were quite a lot of confusion down to this. BUT, Mary was lovely and a very high spirited person considering the state she was in! However, she very kindly said I could borrow her driver with getting to and from where I needed to go.

That afternoon I meet some of the Para Girls for the first time. The para girls are the disabled girls (12-19 in age) who go to the school Jangwani. I met five out of the 52 when Jill brought them round to her house. Beatrice, Rema, Stella, Anna and Monica. We sat on the beach and drank tea...which reminds me, I need to get some tea bags; I can’t cope with tea leaves floating around in my tea. After that we sat in the living room and talked about lots of things, mainly about the atlases I had brought them, it’s odd to think that the knowledge we take for granted is something, well they’d never even heard of. For example, I was shocked to find myself explaining who Hitler was and that there had been a second world war. It was lovely to talk to them and they all seem very sweet girls, Beatrice seems to have become my right arm though, her English is pretty good and a lot of the girls still rarely speak anything other than Swahili to me. I’m hoping that will change, I’ve learnt some Swahili so in turn I hope they become more confident with English.

Day 3 – 1st March 2009

Unfortunately today Jill has become ill and feels that she may not be able to cope with looking after me, something which I understand and I agree that staying with Richard, her son, would be the best course of action. I move there in the afternoon and meet his wife Karen who is also equally nice. So this is where I will be staying from now on. My room is pretty big, wonderfully African as there is wood everywhere! I also have an en-suite with a pretty basic shower, but I don’t mind, just nice to be able to unpack and put things in cupboards. I’m still missing people wildly though. The house is bigger than Jill’s – it even has a swimming pool! And a TV that is big for the UK let only in Tanzania – it’s a lovely place though.

In the evening I get taken down to the Yacht Club, a place where my father “grew” up, Richard even use to Cadet Race against my dad and my uncle Michael. It’s a lovely place but very different from the real world. Think country club by the sea?

Day 4 – 2nd March 2009

Right. Monday. First day in a proper routine as it were. We’ve decided that I’ll spend Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the school Jangwani with the Para girls and then Thursday and Friday helping out at Karen’s nursery school. Another thing about where I’m staying now. It has a nursery school attached?!

I get picked up around 9 by Mary’s driver, Lugendo, who takes me to Jangwani. I meet up with Beatrice and she takes me through to the dining hall where the Form 1 and 3 girls are working. There are 4 forms in the school, 1, 2, 3 and 4. Form 3 and 4 are equivalent to GCSE’s. Form 2 and 4 have their lessons in the morning and Form 1 and 3 have their lessons in the afternoon so I’ll be mostly dealing with Form 1 and 3 since I’m only there for the mornings.

The dining room is very basic, rows of benches and tables with no air conditioning or even fans so it’s very hot and I do have to remember to keep drinking. I spent the first morning handing out some books Jill had given me, plus a few of my own. We spend the morning talking about Geography and they asked about my country, family, how I grew up, schools and cultural traditions. They find it odd that I have a boyfriend and we’re not engaged and it’s very difficult to explain the concept to them! And they think that I’m very odd since I don’t have a belief in God – another think which was awkward to explain. Other than that they are just girls, teenage girls with great senses of humour – Zena even asked if I knew Ronaldino because she thinks he’s “LOVELY”. However, they have a thirst for knowledge which is so nice to see.

I leave around half twelve and go back to Richard and Karen’s – I spend the afternoon reading and I get to check my emails for the first time since being here and that’s really great. I’m still missing a lot of people but it is starting to get easier now I have things to distract me.

Day 5 – 3rd March 2009

I start the day off the same as yesterday – Pancakes for breakfast!? Make my way down to Jangwani and the set up is basically the same. Only now they’ve started to ask me questions – which is great! I don’t want to feel like I’m just talking at them; it’s nice that I can help them with what they think THEY need. I also get a tour of the school grounds today – still basic and hard to comprehend how schools can run without supplies of exercise books and a properly maintained canteen. The 52 Para girls board at the school and the other girls live locally so it’s just one out building for the Para girls. They sleep on bunk beds, sometimes more than two to a bed and no mosquito nets. They seem so happy though, so welcoming and I’m glad I can help here – the girls are just wonderful. Great sense of humour and very cheeky:

Beatrice: “You know the school’s name don’t you?”
Me: “Jangwani?”
Beatrice: “Means desert.”

In the afternoon I go to my very first Tanzanian supermarket, an odd concept I know. All the same, it’s very interesting and I’m astounded every time I see something I recognise – There is Cadburys out here!! I’m still thrown by the “staff” business because once you’ve finished your shopping someone from the supermarket helps you carry you bags to the car. The evening is spent watching TV with the family and again...reading! Now it’s no wonder I’ve gotten through so many books in the space of a week.

Day 6 – 4th March 2009

I went to Jangwani in the morning, though a bit later than usual since there was a lot of traffic. Today I spent the day talking about science and I have found it is very difficult to describe what a skeleton is without a picture! So I’ve promised the girls I will investigate before Monday to see if I can find something with a picture of one.

Karen teaches aerobics classes in the afternoons and since we were planning to go to the Yacht club tonight she takes me with her and drops me off at a place called the Slip Way which is a...well it’s like a shopping mall but instead of shops it’s full of boutiques. I must admit I did rather enjoy the first experience of shopping – I’ve started getting souvenirs for people now – which is great! I also ventured in to the book shop and I managed to find a book on skeletons and biology which is fantastic!

The Yacht club was still nice; I had a burger and chips – best chips ever. I guess I could say the food is not much different here, but it is. A lot more rice (which is not great for me but I try my hardest to eat a little bit each time) and it’s whatever the cook decides to prepare – it’s often a type of curry, though it’s never really spicy? I’ve also had a lot of sausage and mash =]

Day 7 – 5th March 2009

Today was my first morning in the nursery so I was really excited about that. It starts at 8 so I do have to wake up a bit earlier though it’s not as if I have to go far! The kids are really sweet; Amelia seems to have formed an attachment with me and won’t let me out of her sight. I’m surprised at myself with my ability to have learnt their names. In the two days I’ve spent there, I’ve mastered 75% of the names which is weird for me! I spend the morning doing individual work with a lot of the children – it’s amazing how a difference of six months age can determine your ability to write/read and comprehend. The ages of the children there are 3-5.

The afternoon is something new for me. There’s something called the international school in Dar es Salaam where the overseas residents send their kids. The school has decided to link itself with Jangwani girls so the ITS sent a bus to pick up the girls and I went along. It was great to see them so welcomed. They spent the afternoon playing games and decorating bags which Monica (the Head Girl at Jangwani) says everyone really enjoyed so I’m really pleased. Also, since it was quite a success they will try and makes it a more reoccurring thing! The ITS school also gave me some old school books which will come in handy.

Side Note: Brenda who was the organiser has told me that there is a possibility of Canadian sponsorship for the girls. She would like me to put together a profile of each of the girls, a picture, name, likes, dislikes, their condition, how much an operation might cost and general information about the girls. This will hopefully make the campaign more personal and generate bigger donations which I think will be fantastic for the girls.

Day 8 – 6th March 2009

I spent the morning in the nursery again and it’s still very fun helping out the children, some of them need special attention since some of the Tanzanian children are still finding English very difficult. They spend the morning playing, colouring, writing, reading, swimming and playing – makes you wish you could be that age again! Carefree!

The afternoon is spent reading again and then it’s another trip to the Yacht Club, Richard is very keen on sailing. In fact most of the people there are, you just have to smile and nod. But it’s a wonderful setting, cool breeze and a fantastic view looking out in to the bay with all the boats.

End of the Week and Plans

Well overall I’ve enjoyed my first week, there have been a few hiccups and I have been missing people a great deal though I feel that it might be getting easier.
Richard and Karen are away sailing for the weekend so I have the house to myself – the Jangwani girls are coming round this afternoon which will be nice. Tomorrow I think I’m going to have a day off, maybe go for a swim since I haven’t yet. But my plan for next week is Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Jangwani and then Thursday at the nursery since Tuesday is a national holiday.

Jill’s daughter (Nicola) and granddaughter (Sophie) are arriving here on Tuesday to help Jill move out of her house and in to a flat above the school here at Richard and Karen’s house. But I should be going to an Orphanage in Bagamoya not this week but the week after and the plan is that maybe Sophie comes with me which will be nice. Then it will be back to interchanging between the nursery and the Jangwani girls.

- Love, Emma xxx