Long overdue post

It is amazing what technology can do. I am thankful for technology and the way it allows me to connect to people despite the distance that is between us. This afternoon I got to talk to my mom and thanks to USB modems I also am able to connect to the internet, despite the fact that I am in a rural part of Tanzania. The closest village is about a 45 minute walk. The nearest paved road is a few hours by car. The typical journey into town involves a motorcycle ride, a river crossing by canoe (only during rainy season), a long wait for a bus in the village, and two bus rides. The journey is tiring, but I really enjoy the motorcycle rides through the grasslands and enjoy the relationships I have built with some families in the village and with my most trusted motorcycle driver. One particular day I was traveling to school and it rained a lot. This day’s journey included an extra long wait in the village for the rain to stop and then an attempt to cross the river, but unfortunately it rained so much that the river rose above the bridge and since this was the first day it happened this rainy season, the canoe taxis were not there yet. We turned back to the village and after waiting for a long time for a bus to head back to town, I decided that I would just stay the night. I stayed with a family, who I now visit each time I pass through the village. The next day we waited until a canoe was made and brought to the river crossing. A motorcycle took us near to the river then we walked to the place to cross the river. We got on a canoe, paid 200 shillings for the ride (about 15 cents), then we walked a little ways further and I got on another motorcycle that took me the rest of the way to school. Here are a few pictures from the day.

This is what the path looked like after the run that day.

Note this is not the river or a stream, but the path to get to the river.

I have been spending more of my time at school since the start of May. I have helped with English clubs for our first year students who are diligent in their studies, but struggle a lot due to the language barrier. They are very eager and enjoy the extra English practice. I have also been helping with the school store. The school store has two main purposes: to provide added incentives for students to do well in school and to provide a way for students who can’t afford some basic needs to buy things like pens, paper, soap, toothpaste, femine products, etc. We also sell fun things as well. Most of my activities are in the afternoon after students finish class for the day. In some of my free time during class hours, I decided I want to spend more time in some of the villages surrounding the school. After a conversation with the local village chairman, he introduced me to a teacher from a nearby primary school. We decided that I would help teacher English in the primary school 1-2 days per week. It’s a small school with only 1st through 3rd grade. There is only one real classroom and only two teachers. I really enjoy these lessons and the teachers really appreciate my help. On another free day I took a trip to the coast, which took about an hour and a half. There is a village called Boza right on the beach. It is a small fishing village. I visited the primary school, saw the uncle of one of our graduates from last year, saw where the river lets out into the ocean and learned to drive a motorcycle. Learning to drive a motorcycle on the beach by a small fishing village with the lesson all in swahili…a very memorable experience.