Time for Reflection...

Apparently it's that time in my internship where I am scientifically supposed to be extremely homesick (thanks for the calculations PW!) and wishing the whole thing was over and done with and I was back home in my homey bed, eating home food, and doing homey things with my homies.

Yes I have managed to reach the 2/3 half-full mark almost unscathed. I don't have any parasites or amoebas (at least none that I know of), I don't have malaria or rabies (although I keep running into people who do..malaria...not rabies thank goodness!), I've only had to kill all of the bacteria in my digestive track with cipro 3x (and that was probably a little excessive..thanks again PW!), I haven't been robbed or mugged (despite all the people who told me I would be before I got here), I haven't really been traumatized by insects, I have no permanent scars, have only been to the hospital once (and that was mostly out of paranoia) and most importantly I CAN stand the heat (good thing too as I don't have a kitchen to get out of!)

It's time to take stock (and make lists) of all of the wonderful things that have happened since I arrived:

1) I have learned a few words of Swahili (However with my very strong Canadian accent..many people do not know what I am saying and sometimes I am very afraid that I am saying something offensive..I have a very guilty conscience)

2) I have eaten bananas in every make, shape and form known to humankind. I have even acquired a nickname while I have been in Tanzania. I am known in some circles as "Banana Lover" sometimes shortened to "Banana". This gets confusing sometimes...especially if someone is calling me and someone else just happens to be selling bananas nearby.

3) I have survived the dala dalas, the buses and the crazy taxi drivers...all without seatbelts and thinking the entire time as my life was flashing before my eyes..."If my mother/father/sister could see me now she/he would kill me!"

4) I have managed to, after about four months of intense therapy, not scream every time a lizard/gecko/chicken/rabid dog runs in front of me.

5) I have developed a highly scientific, yet hands off approach to killing cockroaches. It involves a can of Doom (bug killer spray which kills continuously for 6 months- don't you hate it when the bug you think you have killed reincarnates as a bigger, uglier, bug a few months later?) and a giant floor squeegee (giant floor squeegees??? Yes...I have one and every morning and after every shower I squeegee about an inch of water from the bathroom floor).
6) I have discovered that YES I can eat beans and rice for lunch AND dinner six days a week.

7) I have been privy to the unique Tanzanian way of explaining things that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Like the time a random bus guy tried to get us to take his bus to Arusha with the selling points of "It's smaller and MORE expensive!"

As for my homesickness list I miss:

1) My family, friends and PW
2) Cool temperatures...and sometimes I even miss snow
3) Order (As in lines and bus schedules)
4) Speaking and being understood. (I know this would be easier if I knew Swahili..but most of the time I am speaking English to someone who speaks perfect English...and still I end up with an omlette with french fries embedded in it.)
5) Knowing what is going on...as I rarely know what is going on here. Even when I think I know what is going on... I end up being unpleasantly surprised. It's like the time I bought a five pound bag of peanuts...which I thought were beans. What do you do with a five pound bag of raw peanuts??
6) Being anonymous...as in NOT being stared at...people who know me know this is a big one for me. Although people keep asking me if I am African and telling me that Natasha is a Swahili name, I stand out a little here and staring is NOT rude in this part of the world. Takes some getting used to.

All joking aside....here are the highlights so far:

1) Ngorongoro Crater: The most beautiful place I have ever been in my life. A Monet painting, set in Africa, come to life. I was also lucky enough to share it with one of the most important people in my life.

2) The people: We could all learn a lesson from some of the people I meet every day here in the TZ. There is a lady, who I call "Sucker Lady" because she sells lollipops and candy near the gates where I live. She sits on an overturned bucket all day....from morning until dusk trying to make a little money for what seems to be her hundreds of children. Her clothes are dirty, her children's clothes are dirty, she lives in a little shack at the side of the road and that's just the problems she has that I can see. I am sure the whole picture is even more dire. She never fails to greet me with a smile and always shows concern and says "Pole!" (which means I am sorry for you) when she see that I have been walking around in the hot sun with a heavy backpack all day. Also, since we are talking about people, my fellow interns, the people I work with at MUCCoBS, the friendly residents of Seminar Block the dorm I live in, the hard-working staff at CoCasa (where I eat almost every night), the porters and guides who work tirelessly on Kilimanjaro, and the dozens of rural entrepreneurs I have met who are tirelessly trying to improve their lives one schilling at a time, have made my internship just a little more meaningful and memorable.

3) The children: Tanzanian kids are quite possibly the cutest kids on earth. I can't help but smile when I am walking and one who barely reaches to my knees greets me with "Good Morning!" when it's 7pm. I've also run into a couple who insist on following me around, and humming the theme to Koch Koch Hota Hai, which is arguably the most famous Bollywood movie of all time. The other week when I was visiting a home for street children, a group of them sang the entire chorus in Hindi to me. What a small world! I can't even sing it in Hindi...

4) Mount Kilimanjaro...a.k.a. my nemesis: A startling beauty with a killer heart and a sick sense of humour. Nothing about climbing this mountain is easy, believe me I tried. But the beauty revealed with each step (if you can ignore the cracking of your knees) is indescripable. In a matter of seven days I travelled through what seemed like every temperate zone on earth...I think I even managed to walk on what seemed to be parts of the moon. I learned to respect the earth...and am secure in my previous knowledge that I am not a conqueror and perhaps Kili is best enjoyed from afar.

5) Zanzibar: A little piece of Africa, India, the Middle East. This island's history (the good and the bad) the food and beaches result in a place where dreams, babies, and lifelong commitments are made :)

6) Most importantly I have had the pleasure to discover one of the most beautiful countries on earth. Tanzania is not only the birthplace of mankind...it is truly one of the this planet's jewels, a magnificent centrepiece in the earth's crown.

Nothing Says I Love You Like...A Deep-Fried Grasshopper

People eat all sorts of strange things all over the world....in Canada we have beavertails, Kraft Dinner with chopped up hot dogs and french fries covered in cheese curds. Here in Tanzania, well in the last week or so...I've seen deep-fried flies (in my french fries) and a deep-fried ant (in my samosa). Accidents do happen...and I am sure those two bugs are missed by their family and friends. However as most travellers to exotic locales (like Hamilton) know sometimes people eat bugs on purpose....

I just came back from an internship-related trip to the Lake region of Tanzania. We visited the cities of Mwanza, right on the shore of the largest lake in Africa, Lake Victoria, and Shinyanga (a city in the semi-arid region of Tanzania about 2 hours south of Mwanza). The purpose of the trip was to visit rural entrepreneurs and learn about this business successes and challenges. More on that in an upcoming entry...but first here is something very interesting which, as usual, I managed to discover completely by accident.


We (Pat-my fellow intern, Mr. Goodluck Mmari- our professorial escort from MUCCoBS, and Mr. Jaffrey, our drunk and driving driver) we all sitting down to dinner at a nyama choma place in Mwanza, when a young man carrying a large covered box approached and asked us if we wanted to buy what was inside. Since everything was being said in Swahili...Mr. Mmari, answered for the group and said "Hapana Ahsante-No Thank You!" I asked what was in the box and was told nonchalantly....Grasshoppers!


In the Lake Victoria region apparently, the greatest delicacy of all is the fried or smoked soft, seasonal grass hoppers “ensenene”. In particular, it seems there is a tribe in Tanzania, the Haya, that consider a bag of fried grasshoppers to be the ultimate present to get your sweetheart if you have been away. It's a sign of affection and something you are required to purchase if you haven't seen the man or woman you love for a few days, weeks or even months. And is a present that is expected if you have travelled away for any period of time. As much as I was dying to chase the guy and look in the box in order to take a photo, I restrained myself and you all will have to be satisfied with the photo below courtesy of Google images.



Here is a recipe that I found in case anyone reading this wants to give them a try:

There are many ways of preparing ensenene, this recipe spices the dish up with the addition of chilli, onion and ghee.


Ingredients
- 4 mugs of live, fresh ensenene
- Chilli powder to taste- 2 mugs water
- 1 large onion, chopped- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoon mature ghee


Pluck the wings and limbs off the grasshoppers. Put the insects in a pan. Add the salt and water and cook slowly on low heat for about 20 minutes. Drain off the water. Put the ghee in a small bowl, thoroughly stir in the chilli powder and put aside. Put the drained grasshoppers in a heavy bottomed pan and cook over low heat, stirring all the time until the water evaporates. Add half the ghee and continue stirring over low heat for about 10 minutes, making sure it doesn’t burn. (If you don’t like chilli, use the ghee without it.) Finally, add the chopped onions and the remaining ghee. Keep stirring until crisp and golden brown. Serve hot.


Fried grasshoppers apparently taste just like chicken and are a crunchy and satisfying snack. I am sure they are tasty...but I am not prepared to try any anytime soon.

No Justice! No Peace! The Rwanda Tribunal

On Thursday we made a trip out to Arusha to try to sit in on a session of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. The tribunal is based out of the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC) and was set up by the United Nations (UN) in November 1994 following the horrific genocide that took place that same year and claimed the lives of more than 800 000 people. The tribunal delivered the world's first condemnation for genocide in September 1998, when former Rwandan Prime Minister, Jean Kambanda, was found guilty.

To enter into the complex housing the tribunal you need to sign in, surrender your passport and camera, your bags screened and cross through a metal detector. You then take an elevator up to the second floor of the complex, surrender all of your bags to a security guard, and are given a headset in which to hear a translation of the proceedings. The proceedings are divided into two main courtrooms enclosed by soundproof, but not "sightproof" glass. (This was a little disconcerting as we -Jen, Adam, Pat, and I- walked into the observation area everyone seemed to stop and watch us) Although the defendants back was towards us, we were able to see his lawyer, the UN's lawyer (decked out in a strange blond wig-yes like the types you see in photos of British lawyers...but not white...blond), note-keepers, translators, and other various important research and law type people. Many of whom looked like they had had enough genocide for one day.

In this case the defendant, who's image (and the image of the prosecutor) was projected into the observation room via close-circuit television spoke entirely in French, while the prosecutor spoke entirely in English. One of the English translators (there is a team of at least two at any given time) had a very BBC documentary air about him...however he also seemed to be of quite and advanced age and at least once during the proceeding seemed to haven fallen asleep. This caused a bit of embarrassment as the defendant has just finished answering the prosecutor's question in French, and the prosecutor was standing there unable to proceed as he was still waiting for the English translation to come through his headphones.

We we able to witness, the cross examination of Major General Augusti Ndindiliyimana who is being tried for conspiracy to commit genocide. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) issued an indictment against Ndindiliyimana and three other former FAR officers, charging them with genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, and related crimes.
On January 20, 2000 he was arrested in Belgium and handed over to the custody of the ICTR in Arusha.

From a news report:

The former chief-of-staff of the Rwandan gendarmerie, Augustin Ndindiliyimana, has demanded that the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) order his release and drop all charges brought against him, because of what he calls “policy of selective prosecution” by Carla el Ponte, the ICTR prosecutor.

General Ndindiliyimana, 60, was arrested in Belgium on January 29, 2000 and jointly charged with three other officers of the former Rwanda Armed Forces (FAR) in what is known as the “military 2” case. They are charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. They have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

From late 1990 until April 1994, Ndindiliyimana is alleged to have conspired with other high-level Rwandan Armed Forces officers to plan the logistics of the Rwandan Genocide. In early April of 1994, he allegedly informed interahamwe leaders of a plan by UNAMIR force commander Roméo Dallaire to search for a cache of weapons, later used in the genocide.

Many of you have seen the movie "Hotel Rwanda" or read the book/seen the movie based on "Shake Hands with the Devil"written by Romeo Dallaire (Dallaire served as Force Commander of UNAMIR, the ill-fated UN Peacekeeping force for Rwanda between 1993 and 1994). Ndindiliyimana's character is mentioned in both movies and in Dallaire's book.. Dallaire writes that he "had always found his [Ndindiliyimana's] loyalties an enigma" and initially assumed he represented a moderate voice in the crisis committee. In his autobiography, Paul Rusesabagina (Hotel Rwanda hero) says that Ndindiliyimana was more of a moderate who did not seem to entirely approve of the genocide. He also notes that Ndindiliyimana was responsible for dismantling a potentially disastrous roadblock in front of the Hôtel des Mille Collines.

The cross-examination seemed to focus on why Ndindiliyimana managed to recieve a high-level promotion within the armed forces just prior to the course of the genocide, seemingly without having the seniority or life experience of others given his rank. Once the cross-examination was wrapped up, the defendant's lawyer decided to adjourn for the day and continue begin his rebuttal to the prosecution's examination of his client the following day. I couldn't help but feel that witnessing a short hour of such an important event was my small and insignificant way of taking part in the condemnation of the Rwandan genocide.

The tribunal has been plagued by controversy, most notably for the UN's reputation for lavish spending and ineffectual bureaucracy. By the time the tribunal wraps up in 2010, one and a half billion dollars will have funded the trials of just barely 70 suspects. In other economic news, just having a UN tribunal in the area, accompanied by hundreds of overpaid UN staff members, has driven up the cost of almost everything in Arusha, from hotel rooms, restaurant meals, and rent. It has also seemed to span the creation of a market for $12 boxes of imported cereal and $10 hunks of cheddar cheese.

Is justice for Rwanda to be had at any cost? You do the math...

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

....to get away from the crowd of Tanzanians chasing it on Independence Day!

Sunday December 9, 2007 was Tanzanian Independence Day. Tanzania was granted independence from the British on December 9, 1961 (those darn Brits!) so this year marks the 46th year of independence. Not a milestone anniversary...but a day that may have just passed by quietly if I wasn't such a curious person. (Sometimes to a fault! ask my sister about how I used to peek at not only mine, but also her Christmas presents when we were kids...ok..I did it last year too!)

A brief history:
A German colony from the 1880s until 1919, the area (which at the time did not include the island of Zanzibar and was known as Tanganyika) subsequently became a British Mandate from 1919 to 1961. It served as a military outpost during World War II and provided financial help as well as munitions. Julius Nyerere became Minister of British-administered Tanganyika in 1960 and continued as Prime Minister when Tanganyika became independent in 1961. Tanganyika and neighbouring Zanzibar, which had become independent in 1963, merged to form the nation of Tanzania on April 26, 1964.

Garbage bonfire

When I woke up on Sunday morning and set off for breakfast...most people seemed to simply be going about their day.. There were crowds of children and their mothers coming back from church. People setting bonfires to burn their garbage. Women hanging out laundry to dry. Taxi drivers trying to drum up business. Nothing seemed unusual...The dogs were still howling. The wind was still blowing and the clouds were still shrouding Kilimanjaro.

However at around 9:30 in the morning I heard a strange (stranger than the normal strange noises) noise. A marching brass band was parading past the front of my room belting out a strange but parady (not a word!) type song. Marching behind the band was a group of about 20 women all dressed similarly (blue kangas, yellow shirts, white head scarves). The group was marching up the road to the stadium. Once the noise faded and they finished marching past...I almost forgot they had even existed until a few hours later when I was walking past the stadium on my way back from a very tiring "I am one of the idiots (hi Adel and Timmy!) who is going to climb Kilimanjaro" fitness walk.

The Stadium

There was a lot of noise coming from the stadium...so I peeked in. I am so happy I did. The stadium was filled with joyous Tanzanians all there for a day-long exhibition/celebration in honour of Tanzanian Independence. I only stood at the back by myself for about a minute before I was welcomed by one of the event organizers to take a front row seat (better for taking photos he said) to witness the festivities. I only stayed for about an hour the ceremony was being conducted in Swahili and my translator was supposed to be working at the event so I didn't want to take up too much of his time.

It was part May Day, (remember the Soviets? Nyet?) and part family picnic...here's why:

1) The entire time... (except for the end of the day football match) a squadron of military police, brandishing bayonets, were in formation in the centre of the stadium field. I felt so sorry for them as it seemed they were going to have to stand for the entire event. However, I was more worried about the bayonets. What if one went off accidentally? What if someone tripped and fell on their bayonet? I have never been somewhere where so many things are guarded by guns (Here most banks have armed guards with visible weapons...sometimes automatic -Uzis...sometimes shotguns...the bigger the bank the bigger the guns). Most of the fancier homes have guards (askaris) stationed outside...even the university has guards outside of all the gates..however they are only armed with nightsticks.

The guards standing at attention.

2) Tug-of-war
For the top prize of 50 000 Schillings ($50) we watched groups of "opposites" pitted against each other in a fierce and hilarious tug-of-war battles. First up were the retired men vs. the CCM (Chama Cha Mapinduzi- Party of the Revolution in Swahili) CCM is the ruling political party of Tanzania who's current president, Jakaya Kikwete, has led the party since 2006.

The retired men took only a few seconds to pull the CCM workers to the ground. It was an impressive victory which saw most of the CCM side land face down in the dirt covered ground of the stadium and one winners on the retired men side leap almost three feet in the air for victory. Next up were the housewives against the female office workers. I had my money on the housewives, but sadly, the female office workers kicked some major butt.

3) Chicken (and duck) Chase
If you can catch it you can eat it. First the men, then the women. A chicken is set free in the stadium and whoever catches it, gets to keep not only the chicken, but a 5Kg bag of rice and a 4 litre plastic jug of sunflower oil. Sounds like a nice Sunday dinner! I have a hilarious video of a crowd of about 20 men, running all over the stadium, waving their arms and yelling, chasing a chicken. The women got to chase a duck...I think ducks run slower...so it was a little favouritism or sexism..depends on how you look at it.

Sadly chasing chickens (and goats...and ducks!) seems to be a generally accepted form of family entertainment here. I, of course, end up feeling sorry for the poor chicken, but then again if they just didn't always come home to roost they would have half a chance at escaping.

4) Football Match
Everything seems to end with a football (soccer match) here in Moshi. People are football crazy. A big match was held in the stadium to finish off the day of festivities. I didn't stay to watch but we did see the winners, driving around in the back of a truck downtown with their trophy.

Independence Day...Moshi style. No huge fireworks displays. in style...very laid back...and a little strange (to me at least!). I have always equated Independence day celebrations with fun.

Canada Day is one of my favourite holidays. I look forward to ideally, being in Ottawa on Parliament Hill, walking around dressed in red and white, lining up for poutine (fresh cheese curds and hot gravy on fresh cut french fries) from an Ottawa fry truck, devouring a beavertail (it's a type of flat doughnut...I am not THAT cruel) and getting a neck spasm from craning to watch fireworks.

I asked a few Tanzanians I encountered on the way back from the stadium (Judah and Sully-both lecturers at MUCCoBS) why most people (except for the people in the stadium) seemed to be nonchalant about what I perceived to be a very important day. I was told, "Back when Tanzania was a one-party state people celebrated Independence day because they were expected to. If you held any position of high regard you were expected to attend official events to celebrate independence. Now that Tanzania is a multi-party state, no one bothers anymore."

Strange...the freedom to celebrate results in the decision not to celebrate the freedom to celebrate because you now have the freedom to decide what you want to do. That itself deserves a celebration!

By the Each

There are a lot of things in Tanzania...and probably Africa for that matter that you can by a single takeaway "serving" of. This is probably more of a result of economics than of convenience but here are a few examples I have noticed:

1) Eggs: Try going into your local Loblaws, Sainsbury's or Sobey's and trying to get away with buying only one egg. Sometimes you only need one egg....so why do we need to buy a dozen. Here in Tanzania you can buy one egg, or two, or three, or 20. What fun it is to buy eggs in odd numbers. It gives me a strange sense of power :)

2) Shots of Alcohol: Konyagi is a brand of vodka produced here in Tanzania. From the Konyagi website: "It embodies the care –free, fun loving nature of all Tanzanian and is truly “The spirit of the Nation.” Crystal clear alcohol with a citrus and spice nose, the flavor is different!Konyagi is exceptionally smooth at strength of 35% Alcohol content. (75 Proof)."

Frequently I notice empty sachets of Konyagi along the side of the road. Most often after a football (soccer) game has taken place in the area.

Konyagi 30ml pouch

Konyagi 100ml pouch


Drinking suggestions

• Konyagi is smooth enough to be drunk straight with a twist of lime or on-the-rocks [with ice
• Konyagi is fantastic with bitter lemon and crushed ice, known as Slush.
• Konyagi mixes well with Fanta Passion.
• Konyagi and Coke, or with Soda water all go down well.
• Konyagi and fresh fruit juice for those hot weekends.

3) Slices of pineapple: It's pineapple (nanasi in Swahili) season here in Tanzania and the tasty fruit is everywhere. However, purchasing an entire pineapple is a little costly. So around town there are people with wagons set up selling pineapples by the slice. For the low cost of 100 TSch (10 cents) you can enjoy a nice, fresh, juicy slice of pineapple.

4) Condoms: Yes, you can buy just one condom out of a machine in the washrooms of some of the finer establishments in downtown Toronto, but here in Africa, condoms can be purchased at most stores on a use-by-use basis. This probably makes planning your sexual encounters in an AID/HIV prevention-friendly way a little difficult. Especially if you are not an optimist and never plan ahead.

A popular brand here is Salama. They are sold (for about 3 cents each) or given out for free by NGOs and can be found almost everywhere.

5) Laundry Detergent: Maybe you just need to wash one t-shirt or one pair of pants (trousers!) or ..well you get the idea. Does it really make sense to go to the store and buy a box or jug of detergent. Laundry detergent can be purchased here in package sizes similar to the Konyagi sachets mentioned above. It's very convenient.

6) Cigarettes: Now I know for a fact that you can't do this at home in Canada, that is unless you are a smoker with stingy fellow smoker co-workers/friends who charge you when you try to bum a smoke. In town, on almost every street, young boys walk around holding circular baskets. In the centre are piles of red-skinned peanuts and the edges of the baskets are rimmed with packages of cigarettes. They walk around town clinking coins in their hands to make people aware of their presence. People can buy cigarettes by the pack or "by the each". Strangely, once you have made a purchase, you are given a small handful of peanuts. Not sure why...

7) Toilet Paper: I remember visiting a local Sainsbury's with Adel (my good buddy who lives in London) and spending at least 20 minutes perusing the vast quantity of choice in the toilet paper AISLE. There were different colours, different scents (only in England!), different thicknesses, different patterns. However, one thing was constant, the toilet paper, no matter the brand, only came in packs of 4, 6, 12, 16, 24 etc. This is beginning to sound a little Seinfeldesque but why is it you can't buy just one roll of toilet paper? You can here...only problem is...you may need to use the whole roll in one go.

I am sure everyone reading this knows how spoiled we are in the "developed" world when it comes to toilet paper quality/choice/variety/plys. Here there are different brands, Rexa is a major one, but all of the paper is the same, it's one ply and seems to dissolve upon contact with anything wet.

Here is an excerpt from an article about the toilet paper situation in Tanzania:

July 11, 2005- Tanzania Wants To Flush Out Poor Toilet Paper

"Concerned for the comfort and hygiene of its citizens, the Tanzanian government is warning the toiletry trade of legal action for producing or selling sub-standard toilet paper in the east African nation." The Tanzania Bureau of Standards, the country's principal regulatory body, says it will take manufacturers of poor-quality toilet paper to court if their products do not meet the national requirements.

A senior TBS official said, "It has come to our notice that there are firms manufacturing and selling sub-standard toilet paper...The production of sub-standard things like toilet paper is not only bad for the manufacturer but could tarnish the country's image."

Yes I agree...it could tarnish a country's image...Apparently, in the tropics, it's healthier to use water, instead of paper, and air dry. A pleasant picture, but essentially a more environmentally and nether-regionally friendly one.

*******

Now I know that this "by the each" phenomenon is not unique to Africa. In fact, one might argue that at Canada's very own Bulk Barn, people are able to purchase singles of just about anything. (For those of you who don't live in Eastern Canada, Bulk Barn is basically a store full of bins of candy, spices, grains, pastas, cereals, baking ingredients, nuts etc. Bulk Barn is Canada's largest bulk food retailer and has more than 100 stores in Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) Technically, at Bulk Barn, you could purchase a single grain of rice. If someone decides to try this, please take a photo of the cashier's face when you do so :)

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.