Down to Work

I remember when I was smugly sitting on my couch back in Toronto/Mississauga and I would read other intern blogs from various points of interest across the world. I would think, how come no one is writing about logframes and RBM, or site visits, or needs assessments, or SWOT analyses (?) ??? Today it occured to me that I have never really written about what I am actually supposed to be doing in Tanzania or have I written about what Pat (the other intern) and I do during the "work" week.

As most interns or people who have survived foreign placements know, what they tell you before you leave, never quite measures up to what happens when you get here. Part of that is the Canadian government's fault (the proposals for funding of interns are due almost a year before the actual intern sets foot on foreign soil and a lot can change in a year...just ask George Bush), some of the blame rests on the host's organization as most of them write proposals with a best case (a.k.a how can I get the most money out of the donor..) scenario, the rest of the blame I would have to say belongs to the donor community in general and the ridiculous hoops organizations in the South have to jump through to get money.

According to my contract from Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (HITAL) I am here to:

1) Do advance research for a documentary Humber is having made in February about their five-year project in partnership with MUCCoBs. This is supposed to include filming "interesting events" at the various regional centres. This said camera travelled with me from Toronto, weighs about 40 pounds and came equipped sans tripod.

2) Visit various regional centres to compile statistics in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of this project to CIDA (the Canadian International Development Agency)


3) Preparing for a lessons-learned workshop to present the highlights and lowlights of the project and use findings to prepare recommendations for the reformation of microfinance policy in Tanzania

4) I am sure I am leaving something out...

According to what I have actually been doing I am also responsible for:

1) Supervising exams (OK so far just one)

2) Counting lizards (so far about a million)


3) Attending presentations about pesticides (OK so far just one)

4) Taking photos of campus for the school calendar and prospectus (about 50 photos)

5) Editing reports, while refraining from reading with a Canadian brain (1 report and 1 procedure document)

6) Surviving daladalas (on average one daily)

7) Suffering from culture shock (daily)

8) Speaking really bad Swahili (ditto above)

9) Buying bananas (ditto above)

10) Observing the behaviour of wild dogs (nightly)

11) Laughing at the silliest things (which I would like to say I really really excel in on a daily basis)

I am slowly working on getting things done as outlined in my contract, but as I am sure everyone who has visited Africa already knows...things here move at a different pace. Think molasses in July :) An internship really is what you make of it...and everyone in the end benefits from the experience of living and working in a new country within a new culture.

On Monday (November 19, 2007) , Pat (hi Pat!) and I visited the MUCCoBS Regional centre in Arusha and had a chance to sit down with the centre's director and chat about the centre's activities. One really interesting thing we discovered is that the centre, acting as a consulting firm invited by the community or an NGO (Non-Government Organization), visits various regions in Arusha (there are five districts) and does a business assessment. They compile a list of businesses they feel will be viable. A group of community members is then formed to assess and select which activities they are willing to engage in and the Arusha centre is then responsible for training the members in how to conduct the business/activity. Some of the successful businesses that have been started, with the help of the Arusha Regional Centre, include: Bee-keeping/honey production, fuel-efficient clay stove production, brick making, soap making and turkey and sheep keeping.

After our visit to the regional centre we were "abandoned" for three hours by our MUCCoBs escorts. At lunch time (1pm in Tanzania), they let us out of the car in front of a restaurant, said "This is a very dangerous city. There are a lot of thieves. Don't even take your mobile phones out." then proceeded to go and get some nyama choma for their lunch. Pat and I ended up eating at a place called "McMoody's", which was kind of like a scene out of "Coming to America" except in the sequel, Eddie Murphy returns to Africa and starts up his very own McDonaldsesque restaurant. The signs promised "The Best Burger in Africa"...now there's a tall promise :) The burgers were great....if you closed your eyes...the fries even smelt like McDonald's fries. Yes...like the silly tourists that we are we couldn't wait to hit the closest McDonalds (or semblance of such) for a fix of trans fatty acids :) I refrained from getting the elephant (tembo in Swahili) burger...but there's always next time.

For the rest of the three hours we walked up and down the same street, we didn't have a map and didn't want to get lost and visited electronics shops, saw mosque shaped alarm clocks (useful for planning your prayer-filled day), bags of Skittles and M&Ms (sadly we didn't purchase such luxuries), and went into a beauty supply store to view the $14 bottles of L'Oreal shampoo and and the $12 stick of Mennen and Lady Speed Stick deodorant. You really can get everything you need in Tanzania..you just have to be willing to pay for it. Sadly this also goes for health care, education, and most everything else necessary for a peaceful, healthy, and productive life.

AIDS and Culture

As much as this blog has been about various funny events, weird happenings, "tasty" food, and beautiful scenery in Tanzania...the time has come to discuss a serious subject. One that seems to affect every aspect of life here....HIV/AIDS.

The high rate of HIV/AIDS infections is a problem in Africa...you just can't ignore it. In Tanzania, it's is the leading cause of death for people aged 18-35 and in some places the rate of infection is as high as 44%. One in every four Tanzanians has HIV...staggering statistics. There are millions of AIDS orphans and a society suffering from the loss of many of its most production members.

Although when we were sitting in class learning about the problems that effect development in sub-Saharan Africa and HIV/AIDS came up all of us always thought that the issue was simply related to health care and prevention education. We thought that if people just knew how the infection was caused, how to prevent it and had free or affordable access to ARVs (Anti-Retroviral drugs) and improved health care....the problem would be solved. However, there is a whole side of this problem that, to put it mildly, exists only under the rocks....with the other creepy crawlies.

I had the pleasure the other day of helping to edit a report entitled, " Cultural Practices Leading to the Increase of HIV/AIDS in the Chagga Tribe of Moshi Region" What I read in this report had me questioning if the fight against AIDS can be won with the methods they are teaching in North American universities, colleges and in the boardrooms of Northern NGOs (Non-Government Institutions) The report basically summarized the cultural practices of the Chagga tribe (the dominant tribe in Kilimanjaro region...where Moshi is) that (in the respondents opinions) contribute to the high rate of HIV/AIDS infections in the region. Let's just say I was shocked at what women in this country have to deal with and ever so much more thankful that through some lucky chance (or divine intervention) I am North American in the 21st century.

I think I had to question my own beliefs as I read the report as I finally came face to face with something cultural that I just could not wrap my head around or make logical sense out of in any way. I don't want anyone to think I am standing on a high horse or judging anyone...I just want people to know just how hard the battle against HIV/AIDS is in Africa...there is just so much to overcome...even before the condom goes on.

***************WARNING**************

(If you are my mother or my father or easily offended please don't read any further)

Here are some of the high(low)lights of the report...a summary of the cultural practices that contribute to the high rate of HIV/AIDS infections.

1) Widow Inheritance: In the Chagga tradition a woman is simply property. If her husband dies, she, her children, the house, the household goods become the property of one of her husband's brothers. In theory, this is meant to ensure the women and children are looked after. However, in practice, the woman simply becomes the sexual partner of her husband's brother all loses all of her property. Also, when her new "owner" is away, she is left at the mercy of the community, and may be forced into sexual relations with others.

2) Women's Do Not Have Rights to Their Own Bodies: In Chagga culture, a woman is not allowed to make any major decisions affecting her own family, her own body or her own health. A woman cannot even get tested for HIV unless she has her husband's permission. A woman cannot insist a man use a condom. A woman cannot even refuse to have sexual relations with her husband (or anyone else who asks...as you'll learn later).

3) Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or Female Circumcision: This is a practice where part of a woman/girl's genitalia is cut and/or sewn shut (with only a tiny hole remaining..which is opened when she is married for intercourse) It is a cultural practice and is meant to ensure a woman's purity at marriage. It also apparently guarantees a higher "bride price" from the husband's family.

The report does not say FGM is wrong, in fact the warning about FGM, is that if the women has intercourse while the wound is still open or fresh, it increases the chances of contracting infection.

5) "Secret" Sexual Practices: The actual title of this section was Secret But Culturally Acceptable Sexual Practices...I am not one to judge but apparently in the Chagga tradition, incest is perfectly acceptable. Mostly it relates to fathers having "relations" with their own daughters and is a reported common practice in rural areas. It is also perfectly acceptable for a man to have more than one wife, for father-in-laws to sleep with daughter-in-laws etc.

6) Separation of Partners: If your husband has to go to another town to look for work for an extended period of time it is perfectly acceptable for him to take on a "concubine" in order to satisfy their libido. According to this report, it is completely unimaginable for someone to be separated from their partner for an extended period of time and remain faithful. (PATRICK....YOU BETTER NOT!...)

7) Alcohol: Drinking is an ingrained part of Chagga culture. Everyone drinks beer here...from teens to old women. It is the traditional way of socializing and sharing news. However, the report blames the tradition of drinking alcohol because too much alcohol causes men to act irrationally and to "rape" women, and to have "relations" with "mad" women who may not reveal their HIV status. Oh yes...and alcohol also increases libido..and lowers inhibitions in women. In fact the report stated that men invite women to bars with the sole purpose of getting them drunk and having their way with them. (Ummm...ok)

8) Traditional Dances and Bootleg Video Shows: Dances- Apparently all the gyrating paired with alcohol and the "suggestive" clothing worn by the loose women who attend the dances leads men to again...act irrationally. It also leads to premartial sex, unprotected sex, and the overall end of civilization as we know it.
Along the same lines...children who go to makeshift showings of uncensored and inappropriate movies will end up trying to "imitate" the actions they see on screen. (Thank goodness SAW 1,2,3 and 4 have R ratings!)

9) Superstitions: There is a widely held belief that having sex with a child will make one prosperous or increase one's wealth. I can't even think about this one as my head feels like it is going to explode...we have also heard here (and in class) that there is a belief that having sex with a virgin will cure you of AIDS. There is a high rate of child rape in this country...a high rate of rape in general. It truly is sad..especially when most of the time it is condoned or the woman is blamed for enticing the man.

Can I lay judgement? No...I don't think I can. So I won't. I can enlighten myself and come away with the knowledge that the fight against AIDs in Africa will never simply be about free condoms, free testing or free drugs....it's a mountain of issues higher than Kilimanjaro itself.

A Big Fat Tanzanian Wedding

I am in Violet and Oswald's wedding video. I am probably in some of Violet and Oswald's wedding photos. I definitely ate some of their cake :) This past weekend Jen got invited to a wedding and I got to tag along as her plus one. Thanks Jen!

The ceremony was earlier in the day, and the reception was being held at the YMCA, a ten minute walk from Seminar Block (the dormitory where we live). Jen went to get her hair done...well washed and blow dried straight at a salon we discovered in town. It took two hours...and the girl has straight hair.

We put on some of our best clothes (which for me isn't saying much as but now I can proudly say I wore dirty running shoes to a wedding) put on actual makeup and walked in down the hill to the YMCA.

The best things about the evening...1) the applause track 2) the roasted goat cake 3) the great music 4) the dancing (yes I know we have dancing at weddings at home..but not in the receiving line and during the presentation of the gifts 5) I fact I had an amazing time. Although some things reminded me of weddings in Canada...the bride wore white, the hall was decorated (in gold and white) with organza, balloons, strings of lights and flowers, there was a maid of honour, a best man and bridesmaid...and tons of free alcohol. Yes..this wedding had a lot of elements that made it seem like it was going to be just like a typical Canadian wedding...that is until it started...

When we got to the Y, Jen had to show the invitation in order to be admitted into the hall, and then the fun began...right away. We were offered Fantas, Cokes, Malt beverages, Kilimanjaro beer, Tusker beer , Castle beer and Safari beer...and last but not least...PEANUTS. We both took water and peanuts...and then said a little prayer for red wine. We were told to sit anywhere on the groom's side (Jen was invited by the groom's mother) and were joined by two very nice ladies (Lydia and Verynice..yes that is her real name) from Kiwawkukki (Jen's NGO).

Here is a my account of the evening...hopefully following the correct timeline.

First there's a ceremony....Once the couple is married, they parade through the streets of Moshi in a caravan of cars almost always followed by a pickup truck, with a brass band in the back belting away at the tunes, and a videographer capturing the moment for all eternity. Then it's off to the reception venue.

Guests are greeted at the door and invitations are checked and marked to ensure now one crashes the wedding. You are then given a drink and asked to sit down to await the arrival of the bride and groom...and they certainly make an entrance. The MC asks everyone to stand, the music starts and the procession starts, flower girl and ring "boy", 20 bridesmaids, the best man and maid of honour (who was more or less dressed like a bride), the bride and groom and finally the brass band led by the trombone player and closed off by the bass drum. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! There was going to be a lot of line dancing tonight (just no regular dancing as there wasn't a dance floor!) ...I just didn't know it yet.

Everyone takes a seat and the festivities begin...the first part of the evening was the introductions. The mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts, grandparents, cousins, milkman, teacher..EVERYONE in any way related to the bride or groom had their name called, were introduced, stood up and waved to the crowd accompanied by the (strange) applause track. (At first I thought people were applauding...so I was clapping along too...then I realized not enough people were clapping to make such a loud sound.)

Then it was time for line dancing part two. Toasting the couple..or as I like to call it...the conga receiving line. All the guest lined up and danced in a line, all holding their various beverages of choice, to toast the parents of the bride and groom, the maid of honour, the best man, the bride and the groom. Jen and I toasted each and every one of them, dancing in the line the entire time, with our bottles of Kilimanjaro water. I must have said "Hongera!/Congratulations!" to about 20 people.

Then...came time to cut the goat. Yes cut the goat. More music starts up and the servers all conga line dance in..followed by this skinny little chef with a tall white chef's hat on wheeling in an entire roasted goat (by entire I mean entire...hooves, head, eyes, hair etc) decorated with ribbons, palm leaves and orange slices. He then proceeded to dance with the goat and present it to the couple.

The couple then sliced off tiny bits of the goat, just like it was a wedding cake and fed it to each other, then to the maid of honour and the best man, then to their parents. It very symbolic but at the same time I couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor goat.

Then, thankfully there was an "English" cake. It was a architectural wonder...eight layers and cake supports and what looked to be a bridge. They cut the cake...same as we do at home then it was time to eat.

Everything was piled on to one plate, salad, wedding cake, goat, rice and we all had to eat with our fingers. Nothing is wasted...everyone patiently waited their turn to get their plate...and almost everyone ate everything on their plate. I just couldn't eat the goat...and it's accompanying goat hair...sorry Violet and Oswald!

After eating...it was time for speeches (strangely only the fathers of the bride and groom make speeches) and the gift ceremony. At this point the MC announced, "Some people here really smell...so no one is allowed to hug the bride and ruin her dress"...um OK :) The gift ceremony was another conga line...people lined up by family, or work relationship, or by themselves, were announced, then had to line in a line up to the bride and groom and present their gift. (The couple was very lucky to receive a milk cow and its calf from the groom's father).

I wasn't about to miss out on this part, and I don't think the ladies we were sitting with would have let me....I danced along with everyone else up the conga line and down to the bride and groom and helped to present the gift. I then proceeded to be almost trampled by the crowd of women who grabbed the mother of the bride, all the while making strange noises (kind of like a native war cry...sorry can't think of a better way to describe it) and hoisted her over their heads. A genuine outpouring of joy...

The gift ceremony took about an hour and continued right through a power outage that lasted 1/2 hour. It was just business as usual. People were happy. People were drunk. People were smiling. In Tanzania the entire community gathers together to help a couple get married. People contribute money, whatever they can spare, to help make the occasion a happy one.

Oh yes a wedding is a happy occasion in Tanzania...well..unless you are a goat :)

Food Glorious Food!

Although we are by no means hungry here in Moshi...something is missing and for me it set in almost right away. What is missing? Choice...and I don't just mean President's Choice (Although when I speak to Patrick on the phone and he tells me he had a President's Choice Chicken Tikka Masala for lunch...I want him to slow down and say it again).

There are Chinese, Indian and Italian restaurants here, but they all seem to put their own unique Tanzanian spin on things. The other night I had chicken chow mein...the noodles were rigatoni. RIGATONI.....and served on a sizzling fajita plate. Although I just douse whatever they give me with pepper sauce and it all goes down nicely.

Tanzanians...tend to eat the same things for lunch, dinner and breakfast and for most Tanzanians going out to dinner is a luxury. So most of the non-Tanzanian food restaurants cater to ex-pats and the prices (even though they are still low to us) are exorbitant to the average Tanzanian. For example....An entire meal at the campus cafeteria where we have our weeknight feasts of wali (rice), maharage (beans) and pili pili (chili peppers) costs $1...it used to cost 50 cents...but apparently inflation has hit the cost of rice and beans. At the ex-pat places....an entree starts at $4-$5.

A typical Tanzanian food diary would read like this: (At least here in the northern highlands where Moshi is located)

Tea (Breakfast) 10:00am

Option A:

Chappati (same as the Indian) a flat fried wheat pancake or roti

chai or kahawa (coffee)

Option B:

Boiled Cassava or Banana

Option C:

Supu (A beef broth served with chunks of beef and a plate of salt and chili peppers on the side)

Lunch 1:00pm

Option A:

Wali (rice) or Ugali (cornmeal porridge like substance)

stewed meat (usually beef or chicken)

greens (local spinach or cabbage)

maharage (beans)

Option B:

Fried chicken (including a few feathers)

chipsi (fries)

Dinner 7:30-8pm

Same options as lunch

Yes I know there are people in this world who go to bed every night with empty stomachs...and I should be happy for whatever I can get...it's just that I have never in my life been so preoccupied with food.

Case(s) in point:

• I have been having dreams about cheddar cheese.


• I made Patrick (for those of you who don't know he's my poor suffering - but very very lovely in the British sense of the word -boyfriend) go to the grocery store, call me when he got home, and describe everything he bought in detail as he unpacked.


• When I see people eating salads on the TV in commercials...I can practically taste them.


• The other day I saw a mini-bag of Doritos in the grocery store....and almost wept.


• I have actually considered doing unmentionable things for a Diet Coke with Lime.


• I have considered the logistics of opening up a Tim's here...yes in a place that has some of the best coffee in the world...

If anyone in my family is reading this...don't worry...I have enough food and I am. There is no need to send care packages of chocolate bars, salads, cheese......aahhhhhhhhhh! Wait maybe there is...but the Tanzanian government will hold it hostage until I pay $100s in customs fees. I appreciate the thought though...

The Snows of Kilimanjaro

Although a few things have happened in the last few days that are less than positive...I find it hard to stay in the culture shock phase of my internship for too long. I really am surrounded by beauty. Every afternoon when I walk back to the dorm for my afternoon siesta (I wonder what the Swahili word for siesta is ???) I travel down a road lined with beautiful trees covering in magenta, lilac and pink flowers...I catch fleeting glimpses of jewel-coloured birds and butterflies. I hear the beats of Bongo Flava (amazing Tanzanian music)...I smile at groups of the cutest kids I have ever seen in my life...I feel the warmth of the sun beating down on me (something that I have never experienced in November) ... I smell wood fires burning and cassava frying...and lately I have started to see a few familiar faces travelling the same road.

I am happy that what was once so unfamiliar is starting to be recognized and that I am slowly getting comfortable and carving a small piece of home here. Even if sometimes what home means to me is purchasing cleaning products and spending an afternoon scrubbing my floor...that's what I do at home :)

One breath-taking moment that I am lucky enough to experience on a daily basis, if we leave for dinner at the right time, is a glimpse of Kilimanjaro. (Yes I did take the photo above) In fact, the best thing about living in Moshi is getting to see that snow-covered peak every evening. I think it's my favourite mountain...if you can have a favourite mountain.

Every time I see it (and you can really only see it's peak early in the morning and from 6-6:30 in the evening..the rest of the time it is covered by clouds) I stop and stare in awe. It's very existence is unfathomable.

"Kili" as I, and others affectionately refer to it, is the highest peak in all of Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. However, I think it's also the most recognizable mountain and the site of a it's snow-covered peak towering over banana trees always seems to be a bit of an illusion.

Every year thousands of tourists come to Tanzania to climb Kili, and it isn't cheap. To do it properly costs at least $1000 (US) and only 1/3 of the people who attempt it actually make it to the summit at Uhuru peak. Kilimanjaro, the Every man's Everest, is a seemingly easy climb but about 10 people die each year. There are tons of sites explaining how to prepare for a climb safely and everyone advises to go "Pole! Pole!" (Slowly...slowly)

Still...it is an accomplishment and a chance to stand at the roof of Africa and a great photo opportunity. At the summit, there is a sign posted by the Tanzanian government. The sign (printed in English only) reads "Congratulations! You are now at Uhuru Peak, Tanzania, 5,895 m. Africa's Highest Point. World's Highest Free-Standing Mountain. One of World's Largest Volcanos. Welcome."


Sadly, the snow on Kili is melting. The ice cap of Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the most famous landmarks of Africa, but it may be gone in less than 20 years because of global warming.
About one third of Kilimanjaro's ice field has disappeared in just 12 years, and 82 percent of it has vanished since it was first mapped in 1912. Some reports say the snow could be gone by 2015...but others are saying it will last until 2040. Kili just won't be the same without its crown of snow :(

If you are planning on climbing Kili...Good luck and Safari Njema! Take lots of photos :)