tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40058244536246671912024-03-14T02:24:11.696-07:00Asante's Alaskan in TanzaniaLHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-78851477693713408172015-03-22T19:10:00.000-07:002015-03-22T19:10:20.442-07:00Every Good Thing Has To Come To An EndUganda . . . it is so green here, even in the middle of a drought. Just seems everywhere one looks, there are green and growing plants. It is really quite remarkable.<br />
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Two short flights brought us to Entebbe (via Nairobi); Mustafa (our driver from 3 years ago) wasn't able to meet us, but his younger brother was waiting for us at the airport. The drive from Entebbe through the edge of Kampala is chaotic, crazy, noisy, hot and dusty. Imagine the worst traffic you could conceive of, then subtract traffic lights, lane lines, sidewalks and basic 'rules of the road' and you have Kampala traffic -- with the addition of about a gazillion little motorcycles which are used as taxis. Needless to say, it took a while to get out of town and on the road to Ft. Portal!<br />
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We met up with Mustafa who was bringing Ineke, her brother-in-law and another friend back to Ft. Portal from their safari up north, so it was fun to hear about their adventures. We finally all met up at the guest house in Ft. Portal in time for a cold beer and a lovely dinner. Rwenzori View Guest House (ineke's establishment) is such a lovely place to stay.<br />
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Over the next few days, we hung out at the guest-house, walked into town, visited with friends, shopped a little and met up with a Rotarian who invited Jaime to their meeting in Ft. Portal. We also visited Gertrude's school in her village; unfortunately, much to our disappointment, none of the women from whom we purchase baskets (through Gertrude) were available for us to meet, and Gertrude had no baskets for us to see. But we had a nice day at the school and the students presented some lovely singing and dancing to welcome us.<br />
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We did get a chance to meet with some of the women from the Rwenzori Women's Group (which is really 4 groups together). We saw their weaving, watched as they made the dye from flowers and leaves, and hiked down the hill to the swamp where they pick the papyrus for the baskets. It was great to visit with them, and I loved being able to watch them work. Ineke and I talked about possibly providing some classes on how to make some new colors, as well as the possibility of follow-up classes to build on the home and money management class we sponsored a few years ago.<br />
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Jaime attended a rotary meeting in Ft. Portal on Wednesday; I was invited to accompany Ineke and her brother-in-law to visit the home of one of Ineke's staff -- he has been building his home for a couple of years and just these last few months, finally was able to move himself and his family in! It was pretty exciting to visit his home, meet his wife and share in the celebration of having it so close to completion.<br />
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Lots of interesting discussions with various Ugandans about politics, presidents, corruption, education, health-care and the kingdoms in the country. Most of the folks I talked with believe that education is the critical issue in their country and that corruption is what is seriously holding them back. The problem, of course, is how to control and eventually eradicate the corruption. There are small, hopeful signs that a new generation of leaders are, and will continue to be, motivated to honesty.<br />
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Friday early morning we went on a birding walk through the Botanical Garden; then into the car for the long drive back to Entebbe and the even longer flights to Amsterdam, Seattle and Anchorage. 40 hours later, I was home -- exhausted and jet-lagged. Jaime stayed on a few days to experience Kampala.<br />
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Sad to leave Africa, glad to be home, and already thinking about what I want to do on my next trip over! LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-57276107181868118912015-03-16T08:16:00.001-07:002015-03-16T08:16:55.636-07:00A Long Post to Catch UpSo here we are in Uganda. everything is quite lovely here but let's back up a few days.<br />
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Jaime felt better on Wednesday and so was able to drive into Arusha for the Rotary meeting. Thank goodness for air conditioned cars!<br />
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I drove with Janet and Julie to Mwika to visit with Glory and Mama Jessica who do most of the tailoring of clothing and aprons. I had brought some clothing with me to help explain the various ideas we wanted to get across. Glory is just so talented!! She pretty much understood everything once I could explain it to Janet and Janet could translate. <br />
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Then we had to address the difficult issues of her continuing to sew for Asante, and filling our orders promptly. Last November and December we had some misunderstandings about the need for promptness and attention to detail as well as her taking other clients when Asantes orders were going unfilled. Much discussion ensued. and then even more discussion. And then some more. But we reached an agreement in the end--I hope.<br />
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it was a very long, hot day in Mwika, but I am hoping it will turn out to have been a profitable one for all of us. The drive home to Moshi from Mwika was also very long, hot and dusty. Jaime returned from Arusha with good reports of her Rotary meeting; after a late supper, the bed felt so good.<br />
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Thursday we were able to sleep in a bit before heading over to Janet's workshop so Jaime could meet Puzo and we could follow the batiking process. It was amazing to watch as Janet and Puzo turned plain fabric into works of art. Draw a design in wax, dye, dry, more wax, more dye, dry a little. Then boil in water to melt out the wax, rinse in cold water to set the dye again, hang to dry and "presto", a beautiful piece of fabric. But of course, it isn't presto, because of the time, talent and energy required. I am so glad to have seen the process, so now when folks ask at our sales, I can explain and show photos.<br />
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Friday--up early for one day safari to Tarangire NP, known for elephants. Long drive, but almost as soon as we were inside the gate we were slowed by giraffes and zebras and impala in the area. Right up CLOSE!!! Then one elephant, and more zebras and Cape buffalo. We followed one track up and around and suddenly we were in the midst of an entire elephant herd! It was almost scary how many there were and how close they were. Old matriarchs, mature females, teenagers and infant elephants -- all just milling around, grazing and ignoring us. it was quite remarkable, to say the least.<br />
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As well, we saw cranes, hawks, buzzards, tortoise, wart hog and mongoose. And more and more elephants throughout the day. Finally we had to leave for a long drive back to Moshi and dinner with Janet <br />
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We were invited to a thank-you celebration for everyone who helped with Frederick's installation as Bishop of the ELCT, Northern Dioscese. So we knew no one and couldn't understand any of the speeches but it was a lovely party and everyone seemed to be enjoying the evening.<br />
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Saturday we flew to Uganda. <br />
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Enough for now . . .LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-42331413616600267912015-03-10T07:19:00.005-07:002015-03-10T07:19:49.472-07:00Moshi, TZHere I am in Moshi, for the first time in a couple of years. It is bigger, busier and more crowded, with lots of new construction. Hopefully, the economy can support the new retail and commercial space. Residential buildings are being pushed further and further out into the edges of town.<br />
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I arrived Saturday night; Ima and Julie met me to bring me back to the hotel. Sunday everyone was busy, so I had the day to myself. After an initial bout of feeling lonely and abandoned, I realized I didn't Have to do anything! What a treat. So I rested, walked, photographed Mt. Kilimanjaro from the back balcony, read, and in general, enjoyed the heck out of the day!<br />
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Jaime arrived late Sunday night; we visited all the school where we provide a lunch program. Here's what I thought was hilarious -- you will have to tell me if I am warped . . .<br />
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When I travel to bush Alaska for work, I visit the school kitchens and cafeterias. Sometimes, the village cook happens to be 'sick' when I come to visit and I get to meet with the sub; or the business manager was unexpectedly called out of town; or the food service director called in sick. In short, some times I feel as if I am a persona non gratis! So, the funniest part is that when we got to the first school we were visiting here in Tanzania, the cook wasn't there! They had a sub! I was laughing pretty hard in side, especially since we weren't there to review anything; just to introduce Jaime to the headmistress and show her how our sponsored program works. We did look at the new garden, which is modeled after the gardening techniques taught in the workshop Asante paid some of the teachers to attend.<br />
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The second school we visited, the headmistress was 'out of town' and the person who had attended the gardening workshop wasn't available; and the third school, the headmistress was in Arusha with some students. Hahahahaha! I just thought it was so funny -- AK and TZ the same. Maybe I need a new job or a new persona! Anyway, the lunch programs are runnnig smoothly -- Asante's woman here in Moshi does an amazing job of purchasing a delivering rice, beans, cooking oil and ground corn to the 3 schools, over quite long, rough roads.<br />
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Then today we were to visit Mwika, to check in with the women who do the sewing and tailoring for Asante. Mwika is about 45 minutes away from Moshi. About halfway there, Jaime began to feel quite ill so we turned around and drove back to Moshi to a well-known and well-respected physician. He diagnosed dehydration and told her to rest and drink more water. Thank God she is OK, and the cure is easy. That is what she is doing now; I am on call in case she needs me. She just doesn't do heat well, I think. We are hoping she will feel good enough to visit the Rotary Club meeting in Arusha tomorrow, before we head north to Ketumbeine.<br />
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Stay tuned for more . . . I hope to get to Mwika tomorrow while Jaime is in Arusha.LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-16132547851123925482015-03-06T22:02:00.002-08:002015-03-06T22:02:20.342-08:00From Amsterdam through the fog of exhaustion and jet lag!Good Morning from Amsterdam! The original plan was that I would meet Jaime here this morning and we would fly together to Kilimanjaro Airport . . . that was the plan . . .<br />
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Friday morning, she called from Anchorage --her flight to Seattle had been cancelled; hence she would miss her connection to AMS. Soooooooo, here I am, and there she is. She'll be on the same flight, one day later. I will arrive in TZ in about 12 hours and she will arrive Sunday night. Dang, I will miss her company on the flight and I know everyone in TZ will be disappointed that they will miss a day with her.<br />
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My time in Minneapolis went quickly! it was wonderful to visit with Mary Ann in her new home; I just wish Jack had been there as well. Mary Ann and I had a great time catching up with each other and she was able to give me a little information about Jack's recent trip to TZ.<br />
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Bethany Freiburg came over early Wednesday morning for a visit and then MA and I ran a few errands. It was definitely more winter-y in Minneapolis than it has been in Anchorage all winter. Cold, snow and windy. Brrrrrrr! Good thing I had brought all my winter gear. :-)<br />
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Thursday morning we met Bethay at the train and rode downtown to visit Diane Jacoby with Operation Bootstrap Africa and the Maasai Girls School in Monduli. Asante has long supported girls via scholarships at the Girls School and it was great to visit with Diane again and to see the OBA office. She had some lovely photos of their recent anniversary celebrations at the school.<br />
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Then home with Bethany for time to focus on NAAPOK. Which is just what we did for the rest of the day! We talked about successes and continuing challenges for the bead ladies. I am looking forward to visiting Ketumbeine this week to greet them with love from Bethany and Asante. <br />
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After a leisurely hike Friday morning to Minnehaha Falls and the locks on the Mississippi River, Mary Ann and I had lunch; then I took the train to the airport. And here I am, awaiting the next 8 hr. flight which will take me to Kilimanjaro Airport and my friends there in Moshi.<br />
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Later . . .LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-28828125141090805042015-03-02T19:01:00.002-08:002015-03-02T19:01:45.438-08:00ok. just checking to make sure I can publish from my I-pad. I keep trying to convince my kids I am not a techie illiterate but I don't think they believe me!!LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-49979145699107208362015-03-02T15:56:00.002-08:002015-03-02T15:56:47.154-08:00and one more important goal:<br />
follow up with Floresta and Plant With Purpose on the gardening workshop Asante provided for some teachers.<br />
We sponsor school lunch at some primary schools in the Moshi area, and feel that it is important if our schools can also have gardens to provide fresh vegetables to supplement the meals. So there was a training a few weeks ago, and we will be talking with the participants, visiting the schools, etc. to see how it all went.<br />
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Funny thing -- I am pretty involved with the Farm-To-School initiative here in Alaska, working with schools to begin gardens, greenhouses, high tunnels, etc. So it will be interesting to see how Asante's little "Farm-At-School" program is shaping up! LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-63594011409545917262015-03-02T15:50:00.002-08:002015-03-02T15:50:38.969-08:00The clock is ticking down . . .<br />
Get up tomorrow at 3 am, leave here at 3:30; board the plane at 5:20 and off to MSP.<br />
Plants are watered, laundry is finished, and my house is about as clean as it ever gets :-)<br />
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I am so excited to see Bethany who is our connection to the Maasai women beaders; and to see Mary Ann, who is our founder. <br />
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Some goals for this TZ and UG trip:<br />
1. Assist Julie in developing some strategies for minimizing defaults and late payments to our micro-loan fund. She has really stepped up to the plate as far as administering the program; we just need to work together to iron out some of the difficulties.<br />
2. Meet with some of the seamstresses who sew our batik clothing. We have come a long way in the last few years in terms of helping the women in Tanzania understand how women in America shop for clothing. Over there -- you go to your tailor, he or she measures you, and you come back to pick up your order. Over here -- you go to the store, head for the size 12's and try on what you like. Some of the new styles and batik prints the Miichi women have come up with are wonderful, and selling well. We want to capitalize on that success.<br />
3. Check on the progress of the latrine for the girls' dorms at the secondary school in Ketumbeine, where our Maasai women live. Asante partnered with the school to construct a lovely new latrine for the boys a few years ago; we are in the process of assisting with the construction of the girls'.<br />
4. Reconnect with the basket weavers in Uganda with NEEPU.<br />
5. Meet once again with the basket weaving women of Rwenzori Mtn. Women in Ft. Portal, UG.<br />
6. Locate new sources of jewelry, batiks and wood carvings, since the disastrous and calamitous fire destroyed the Maasai Open Air Market in Arusha. <br />
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And now it is time to prepare for a nutrition workshop I am offering at our church this evening. 2nd in a series of 4 -- tonight is reading and understand ingredient and nutrition labels. <br />
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<br />LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-15548967424025325122015-02-26T14:00:00.001-08:002015-02-26T14:00:33.050-08:00Man! What a whirlwind set of events have led to this upcoming trip!<br />
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Originally scheduled it for last April; then things conspired (I got really sick) and I wasn't able to go. Finally, we have been able to coordinate our dates and set the trip itinerary.<br />
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I am traveling with our newest Asante volunteer (and treasurer extraordinaire), Jaime Fink. She and her family are long-time Alaskans. Asante has been blessed to have her on board and I hope she is looking forward to traveling with me, as much as I am looking forward to traveling with her.<br />
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Our Maasai beading group's coordinator, Bethany Frieburg, is in Minneapolis right now, so I'll be heading there first to visit with her and talk about the NAAPOK group. Also will have a wonderful opportunity to visit with Mary Ann Sheets-Hanson and her hubby while there. Mary Ann is the founder of Asante, so it will be great to see her.<br />
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I am leaving here March 3 for MSP, then leaving there for Amsterdam on March 6. I'll meet up with Jaime there, and we will travel together to Kilimanjaro Airport and the town of Moshi.<br />
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As you all know, internet access and connectivity can be sporadic and slow over there. I have (supposedly) unlocked my iphone and only need to insert a TZ sim-card to have phone access . . . we shall see how that all works. Luckily, the Uhuru Conference Center, where I generally stay the first few nights, has pretty good internet, so I will try and get off a note from there, before we head up to Ketumbeine to visit our Maasai women.<br />
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Cheers, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.<br />
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<br />LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-21845815731837250412013-03-30T12:53:00.002-07:002013-03-30T12:53:59.544-07:00Photos of Moshi and KetumbeineHopefully this will work!<br />
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To view the first of several web albums with photos from our trip, click <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/113853707780224338361/MoshiAndKetumbeine?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPKduoHUjfGFgQE&feat=directlink">here</a><br />
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Hopefully that will work nicely and I will get the rest of the photos up soon.<br />
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Happy Easter to everyone! I'm still suffering sunshine withdrawals, but at least today we are seeing a little bit more of the sun than yesterday. There is still a lot of snow here, but I can picture the wonderful plants and animals of Uganda and Tanzania . . .<br />
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<br />LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-71966813073783655482013-03-28T11:39:00.000-07:002013-03-28T11:39:52.556-07:00And Now It Is Time To Leave the "Pearl of Africa"I started this post while we were still in Uganda, and now will be finishing it since our return to the States. <br />
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After a couple of wonderful days and a great hike, it is time to bid farewell to Ineke's and Uganda. I need to come up with something to do here, so that I can come for three months at a time! I will miss the incredible green of the countryside, the bird calls early in the morning, the flowers and butterflies, Ineke's cooking and the beauty of this place. <br />
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We had an uneventful drove for Ft. portal back to Entebbe. Stopped for dinner at a restaurant right on Lake Victoria, and I actually went wading in the Lake! It is one of the ten largest fresh water lakes in the world, by volume. For some reason, it was kind of a cool thing to do.<br />
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Uganda: miles and miles of tea plantations, mountains treed all the way to the top, rich red earth, hundreds of bods-bodas which are motorcycles used as taxis ( sometimes with three or four people on one motorcycle), busy and chaotic village markets, and amazing women weavers. Next visit, I hope to be able to do some hiking and rafting over by Lake Victoria, the headwaters of the Nile and Murcheson Falls. <br />
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The flights home were loooooooooooooooong and uneventful! 5 hour drive across Uganda from Ft. Portal to Entebbe, 3 hours in the airport waiting for the flight, 8 hour flight to Amsterdam, 4 hour wait in AMS, 8 1/2 hour flight to Minneapolis, 3 hours in the MSP airport, 5 1/2 hour flight to Anchorage, and an hour drive home. Whew! But it was so worth it. And without air travel, it would take months of travel to reach Ft. Portal. So sometimes when I whine about the length of the travel time, I try and put it in perspective . . .<br />
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Today my goal is to put together some web albums to correspond to past posts. I will post the links and send them on.<br />
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It occurred to me this morning, as I was having breakfast, looking out at the fresh snow and leafless trees, that for the past 26 days, every meal I have eaten has been either outside under the trees, on the veranda, or in a dining room completely open to the out-of-doors. Guess I will have to wait a few months for that to happen up here :-)<br />
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<br />LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-15934148226886240762013-03-23T03:20:00.001-07:002013-03-23T03:20:35.356-07:00Off To UgandaOne more day of meeting with Janet and Julie to catch up on some final details: the financing of the latrine at the school in Minjingu (for a history of that fiasco, see the post from our last trip entitled Greed, Generosity and Corruption); sharing some of the products we purchased at the market in Arusha to give new ideas to the Miichi women for batiks; tips on packing the carvings to minimize breakage; request for new microloan to Mama Deborah; and final accounting for how much Asante owes Janet and Ima for the transportation while we have been here. <br />
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I have been worried this entire time about our trip to Uganda. For the first time in my adult life, I am traveling without my yellow International Certificate of Vaccination. It is a card on which is recorded all my vaccinations over the past 30 years, including my yellow fever shot. I was told while we were in Ketumbeine, that Uganda requires proof of yellow fever vaccination in order to enter the country. I have been stressing out about this, and praying continually and unceasingly that the way would be opened for me to enter without the card. I wrote a friend who went to my house and searched for that damn card, to no avail. At last, I resigned myself to the idea that if I couldn't get into Uganda, I would just come home early since I couldn't go back into Tanzania without another tourist visa. So it was with some apprehension that I got on the plane for Uganda. Had a great flight with wonderful visibility and in no time (well, in an hour and a half ) we were landing at Entebbe Airort. Came into the airport, filled out the immigration card, picked up my suitcase, took a deep breath and headed to the official -- who scanned my passport, took my $50 for my tourist visa, and wished me a pleasant stay in Uganda. WHEW! What an answer to prayer. Once I was in our car heading for Ft. Portal, I finally relaxed. And I haven't stopped thanking God for His intervention. Now my biggest challenge when I get home is finding that card, and never leaving home without it!<br />
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Long and lovely drive to Ft. Portal, which is all the way across the country of Uganda from Entebbe and Kampala. Took us about 5 hours, since the road is in good shape with good tarmac all the way. And the Rwenzori Mtn. View lodge is as lovely as I remember it. Ineke, who is our contact person for the Rwenzori Mtn. women, who weave some of our lovliest baskets, is gracious, welcoming and runs a fine hostel. This is another place I could stay for an extended length of time. Too bad I don't have anything productive to do here, otherwise I probably would stay for a while! There is always an eclectic group of people from all over the world staying here at Ineke's and they are always interesting to talk with.<br />
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Thursday we walked all over Ft. Portal, starting with a stop at the bank for an ATM. Somehow, it seems as if there is a more established infrastructure here in Uganda than in Tanzania, even though it doesn't really show. Maybe it is that there has been a large influx of international aide to Uganda, which hasn't been available to Tanzania; maybe it is just that the city and county of Ft. Portal has invested in new buildings, paved roads and sidewalks. Anyway, it is just quite pleasant here. We also walked up into the Botanical Gardens and took a guided walk through the garden and forest, learning about herbal remedies for all manner of ailments as well as listening to our guide describe some of the reforestation programs in the country. Dinner was exceptional--a fine ending to a lovely day.<br />
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Yesterday we visited our basket ladies, which was, as usual, inspiring. These women are so gifted and they work so hard. None of them depends solely on baskets for her income. Some of them have small shops, all of them keep gardens and some animals, and they have families as well. They have created some lovely new products, designs and colors. We were able to describe for them what folks in the US like and what they don't seem to like, and what sells and what doesn't. I think I will be able to order some wonderful new baskets for my holiday sales in Alaska.<br />
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And when it rains here, it absolutely pours. Last night we had the most intense lightening, thunder and rain I can remember. Even growing up in south Forida, we didn't have rains like we had last night. It was very loud on the metal roof, and I just loved it. Slept quite well . . .<br />
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Today we had planned to take a one day excursion over to Queen Elizabeth National Park, but unfortunately, Kathy was ill last night, so we are hanging out here all day. Which is no hardship at all!<br />
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<br />LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-57327011397576538392013-03-23T02:18:00.001-07:002013-03-23T02:18:17.568-07:00Elephants, Elephants, and More Elephants!!Sunday morning, we left Moshi for a short safari to Tarangire National Park. It is on the same road out of town as Ngorongoro Crater National Park and Olduvai Gorge; the road to the Crater and Gorge turns off after several miles of road construction. We reached the turnoff for Tarangire late morning. Sometimes I think the entrances to National parks are the same the world over--lots of tacky little shops selling all kinds of curios which may or may not relate to the park itself.<br />
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Anyway, the park is incredible, When the kids and I visited in July 2000, we were surrounded by zebras and gazelles almost immediately. Then came the elephants. But we didn't really see many of the predators. In this season, the beginning of the rains, we saw more elephants than I could have imagined. Everywhere we looked there were elephants. Not just one or two, here or there, but big groups of elephants, as in 50 or 60 per group. But no zebras or gazelles in the park at all. Seems that when the rains start, the grass grows quite high, and some of the smaller grazers leave the park for the surrounding areas, where the grasses are shorter. After all, if you aren't taller than the grass, you can't see a lion or leopard hiding in that same grass! We were very fortunate to see a couple of small prides of lions.<br />
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We drove a couple of the loops within the park, and everywhere we turned there were elephants. I know that I am being repetitive, but we kept exclaiming to each other "Look, there are some more elephants!" There were all ages of elephants in each group, and they were in the road, in front of the car, next to the car and behind the car! Seemed as if they were almost close enough to touch. <br />
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Had a lovely picnic lunch at a spot overlooking the Tarangire River Valley. The geography and geology of the area is amazing--makes me wish I had taken a class in geography of east Africa. Just as we were finishing up our lunch, a cappuccin monkey, fast as lightening, jumped out of the tree behind our table, snatched my dessert and disappeared back into the tree. I didn't even see it but it scared the heck out of me, especially since my dessert was still in my lunch box!<br />
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After a last loop through another section of the park, we left and drove up to Karatu, towards Ngorongoro Park, to reach our hostel. And just outside Tarangire, we saw a herd of zebra, and then several giraffes! The hostel we stayed in was fabulous. Lovely rooms, delicious food, a big clean swimming pool, beautiful landscaping; we were wishing we could just spend a week there. On the way back to Moshi the next day, we stopped at the Snake and Reptile Farm which was, surprisingly enough, very interesting. All the snakes and reptiles in it are local and the guide/naturalist was quite informative. Attached to it is a small Maasai museum which also ws very good.<br />
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One more day in Moshi and we will be off to Uganda.<br />
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<br />LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-77326051711054518822013-03-21T08:30:00.000-07:002013-03-21T08:30:55.807-07:00Mwika and the PreschoolWe traveled to Mwika on Thursday, March 14. The road to Mwika is much improved -- paved and straightened a bit, with the result that the trip only takes about 45 minutes these days. We missed the big market day by one day; I just love the Wednesday markets in Mwika. You can get just about anything you want at that market!<br />
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First stop was the preschool that James Mbando founded a few years ago. Kathy and Stan's church supports his preschool. It is kind of like a Headstart school, only much more effective. The kids begin learning English, which will help them immesurably when they enter primary school. As well, the kids get the same high protein porridge, which enables them to grow and develop more fully. The preschool has alla kinds of various Montessori type manipulatives. We spent most of the morning at the preschool, reading the books with the kids, that Kathy and Stan brought in one of their suitcases. The other items they brought were about 19 soccer balls and pumps, so they could distribute the balls to the schools where we sponsor school lunches. The preschool kids absolutely LOVED the soccer balls and the books. Wish I had thought of packing a whole suitcase with little kids' books . . .<br />
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After school let out for the day, and we had lunch, we joined James on a 'walkabout' to the home of a woman who has a daughter who can't walk. Kathy and I were kind of dreading the visit -- I have been on too many visits to impoverished homes with disabled children. But this one was different. The mom is quite hardworking and the daughter is adorable. Deborah is about 7 nd is quite bright. Setting happened when she was born, and she is unable to walk. James has managed to get her a wheeled chair, but the family home is so tiny that her mom must take off the wheels to fit the chair through the door. Kathy and Stan have helped the mom send Deborah to a special boarding school for kids who are disabled; we are going to explore the possibility of including her mom in the microloan open gram. We believe she would be a good candidate for a loan, and she wants to participate.<br />
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W also walked on narrow paths, up and down, through the jungle and the shambas to James' house. He cares for his dad, who has diabetes, as well as his younger sister and cousins, snd his oen wife and child. He is an amazing entrepreneur and has amazing energy, as well as dedication to the children of his village and his country.<br />
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Friday we accompanied about 60+ preschoolers plus various adults, to Arusha National Park. We left early (by Tanzanian standards) and drove for a couple of hours to the park, in a large, chartered bus. No seatbelts, several kids per seat, lunch and water supplies in the aisles, and assorted adults standing the whole way! It was great fun! Interesting scenery and good roads. Once inside the park, we immediately spotted several giraffes which was exciting for the kids. We also saw a few zebras, waterbuck, Cape buffalo, baboons, ibis, black/white colobus monkeys. The kids were so very well behaved and interested. I kept imagining accompanying 60 American kids on a similar field trip and it just didn't compute. W were all pretty. Well bushed by the time we got back, but we walked down to the market place to see if we could find Mama Irene, me of our original microloan recipients. Too late, though. The market was pretty much finished for the day, so we settled for a cold beer at one of the local pubs. <br />
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We will be sorry to leave the Mwika guest house, as the chef is quite talented and has created some delicious meals for us. His pancakes in the morning are just delicious!<br />
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Saturday morning, just before we left, mama Irene came to visit. She is dong so well, and has changed so much since we first gave her the first loan. She is self confident, healthy, happy and her kids are all in school. Quite different from the downtrodden, abused woman I first met 6 years ago.<br />
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And so on Saturday, we left Mwika to return to Moshi. Tomorrow we will attempt to get things wrapped up, since we leave for Uganda in a few days,<br />
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<br />LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-89916260297417661282013-03-18T08:11:00.001-07:002013-03-18T08:11:25.461-07:00Lambo School and the Kiburoloni-Rau Region microloansLambo primary school is a school we hve been assisting for several years with school lunch. The proper name is Lambo Estate Primary school -- in spite of the name, it is desperately poor. The name refers to an abandoned sisal plantation; when the plantation ceased production, all the local industry dried up and parents were forced to leave their kids in the village with grandparents or cousins, to seek work in other areas. The village is almost deserted, and the school is very run down. The school has, within the past year, started a preschool, and we agreed to help them with lunch as well.<br />
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Preschool kids receive a high protein porridge for lunch -- a combination of soy meal, millet and corn. It is cooked in a large pot on an open flame fire, and the kids sort of drink it from cups. It is sweetened with a tad of honey or sugar, and actually, isn't too bad. The primary school receives the same lunches as Miliesita -- ugali (corn meal porridge) 4 days a week with beans, and rice with beans one day/week. For many of the kids, it is the only meal they receive in the day. Sigh . . . many similarities to the bush schools in Alaska.<br />
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We also visited 5 of our micro-loan recipients. They are all doing so well. First is a woman who is gartening, by hand, a garden several acres large. She is growing primarily maize, greens, beans, okra, tomatoes and peppers. In addition to the work of gardening alone, she sometimes has to take her breakfast to the garden, and stay through dinner. Otherwise the baboons from the bordering forest will destroy the garden and eat everything. And we think moose and slugs are bad!<br />
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Second loan is to a woman for chickens, ducks and a garden. Both women will sell their produce in the market. This loan also will help cover construction of an expanded chicken pen for her increased number of chickens and ducks. Duck eggs are in demand in the market, and she is going to be able to sell the eggs once the ducks mature.<br />
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Glady received a loan to expand her hair salon and purchase a wide variety of hair products to sell. She seems to be doing well, and has a steady clientele. Aparisia has a stationery store, which she stocked with her micro loan. She also has purchased a small copy machine, laminating machine and binding machine. These services are in high demand, as most people don't have electricity, much less access to various office machines. Editha used her loan for expanding her pig pens, to accommodate her growing pig population. Once all the pigs are pregnant and have piglets, she will raise the piglets for 3 or 4 months, and then sell them.<br />
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The last loan-lady we visited was Benedicta. She is renting her house, and caring for her sick mother. Her loan is going for goats and chickens and pens for the animals. She is very hard working, and will be successful with her loan repayment. All of these women are such an inspiration. They work hard, are faithful. desire to educate their kids and move forward with their lives. Not so different from our own aspirations.<br />
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Tomorrow, to Mwika to visit James and his preschool. <br />
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<br />LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-623709075167843912013-03-16T04:28:00.000-07:002013-03-16T04:47:52.839-07:00Lyamungo and MiliesitaToday we visited the Lyamungo area, which is in the foothills of the mountains. The area as a whole receives more water than the Moshi region, and is much more lush with vegetation, ravines and hills, banana groves perched on steep slopes, coffee estates and research areas, and more tiny little shambas (farms) than one can imagine. The region is beautiful, with stunning vistas of the higher mountains. It is also pretty impoverished.<br />
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First stop was Miliesita Primary School where we sponsor a lunch program. The school has 393 students. Asante is able to afford to feed these kids ground corn and beans 4 days a week, with rice and beans one day a week. The rice day is the most popular, and if the kids know in advance which day is going to be rice -- there are bno absences!! So the headmistress serves the rice randomly, which keeps the kids coming every day, in hopes they will be lucky.<br />
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The ground corn is like dried corn that is crac ked or crushed rather than ground into meal. Thje cook at this school, who has been here for 20 years or so, can't properly prepare the ground corn meal (ugali) which cooks up into a thick porridge. She cooks it all in one big pot and uses a rough-cut paddle to stir it. She just isn't strong enough to stir the ugali. So they use the crac ked corn. The mixture of corn and beans is a nutritious one -- grains plus legumes -- a complete protein. All the corn is cooked in one large kettle, on a wood or charcoal open flame fire. The fire is built directly on the ground and is encircled by 3 bricks placed in a triangle. The pot is balanced on the bricks and wood is added or removed from the fire to control the temperature. Beans are also cooked on a second fire in a large kettle. Sometimes they are able to add greens from the school gardens, but right now is planting season, so there aren't too many greens available yet. They have the additional issue of neighboring livestock getting into the garden, so we are exploring how to raise some money to provide fencing to protect their crops.<br />
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After we left the school, we climbed up and down the hills to reach the micro loan ladies. First one is a knitter; she was awarded the contract to provide sweaters for the school uniforms at the local school, but she didn't have the capital to purchase the yarn necessary to fulfill the contract. She used her loan to purchase yarn which she can now knit into the sweaters and sell to the school to fulfill her contract.. Second woman used the money to purchase chickens to raise -- both for eggs to sell and to increase the number of chickens in her flock. Raising chickens is an important source of income for many of the people in this region. Even the folks who have jobs in town will keep chickens and raise bananas.<br />
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We also had the opportunity to stop in and say hi to Janet and Julie's dad, who is 92 and still a practicing physician in the village clinic. He is quite remarkable! His lab consists of a small rickety table with a microscope. He has a small examing room and an assistant who helps with injections and dressing wounds.<br />
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Whjen we returned to our hostel, we hiked up the hill a couple of miles to the El Rancho restaurant for . . .. . Indian curry! and COLD beer. It was quite deliciouis. Tomorrow, more micro-loan ladies and another school lunch.<br />
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<br />LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-50387985031175055822013-03-13T08:14:00.000-07:002013-03-16T04:51:27.937-07:00Micro Loans and School Lunches<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">Blog for tues, march 12</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">This post is out of order . . . I hit "publish" a few days ago, but evidently it didn't happen, since I noticed it was still in draft. So the events in this post happened before the post entitled Lyamungo and Miliesita. Love this internet :-) </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Met up with Julie and Janet for the day. Sometimes I forget that this is Africa, and as a result, don't adjust my thinking accordingly.</span></div>
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Julie has taken off work for the week so she can spend the time with us. She is the woman who oversees and administers our school lunch programs and our micro loan program. Over the past few years, she has done a remarkable job of pulling together our ideas and fumbling attempts to make something work here in Tanzania, and she has turned them into very functional programs, well organized, well administered and successfully fulfilling the missions of both.</div>
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When we travel to TZ, we like to visit the schools where we sponsor lunches; we also try to include visits to some of our micro loan recipients. So our time with Julie is limited to the time she can get off work, and the schedules of everyone else. Yesterday, we wanted to settle our itinerary for the next few days first, before we moved on to other discussions. In my mind, this was a 10 minute process: list out where we want to go, map it out and be done.</div>
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But my mind neglected to take into account the tea, visiting, and discussion that accompanies any decisions. So, to make a long story short, we spent almost 3 hours settling the itinerary for the next couple of days. But we were out on the porch of Julie's home, in the garden with a nice breeze and birds singing, so it really was not a hardship!</div>
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Julie has organized a kind of community bank, much like the VICOBA concept of Floresta. The people who have micro loans meet once every three months. They have elected three people as officers. The officers are responsible for collecting the loan payments, depositing the money into the bank, and approving new loan recipients. Julie is the head honcho. She has a ledger page for each participant, complete with photo and description of the project the money is used for. She and the other elected folks meet each month to discuss any new loan applications. It seems to be working quite well; the only real delinquencies we have had on micro loans are the ones Asante made before Julie took over! We will visit some of the women tomorrow and Wednesday</div>
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Since Julie also manages the school lunch projects for us, she reviewed those programs. Obviously school lunches are near and dear to my heart so I always enjoy hearing about how these projects are working in the villages over here. We will visit the schools tomorrow and Wednesday.</div>
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The rest of the day was spent discussing some sizing issues with new skirt and jacket patterns, presenting Julie with a brand new laptop from Asante and hearing from a woman and her daughter who are requesting a partial scholarship to help her finish the equivalent of high school.</div>
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All in all, quite a productive day as well as a pleasant one.</div>
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LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-25052965446929698172013-03-10T07:07:00.000-07:002013-03-10T07:07:34.059-07:00From Moshi to Ketumbeine And Back Again!It is always an inspiration to viait the Freiburgs in the Maasai village of Ketumbeine. Steve is the doctor for the whole area and is involved in so many aspects of the people's lives. His wife, Bethany is the coordinator of the NAAPOK bead project, among other things. They are missionaries sponsored by the ELCA and have been in Tanaania for several years. For a review and bit of background on both the Maasai and the bead projects, see the previous posts from my last visit here : Maasai (2/6/2011)' Maasai Primer and Ketumbeine Secondary School (same date, I think),<br />
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The road from Moshi to Longido, which was under construction and renovation 2 years ago is great! It is all completed and nice and smooth (all the way to Nairobi, actually). And the long gravel road out to Ketumbeine has also recently been graded and isn't too bad either. Once we arrived and washed up and had lunch at Bethany's house, we set out to visit 4 of the new homes in various stages of construction. Some of the homes we visited last time have been completed and several new ones have been started, all thanks to the sales of the beadwork that the women produce. <br />
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It is really quite wonderful to see the progress the women have made in their homes and in their lives. We met up with the mother of one of the students we sponsored for additional schooling, and he currently has a job in the village with World Vision, helping them collect and coile data on preschool children in the region. He is blossoming and his mother is so very proud of him. She is self confident, happy and into the new house she built a couple of years ago, with the money she earned through her work with the Project. She is one of the more accomplished headers in the project, and her home is one we visited on our last trip.<br />
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We also returned to the secondary school, where Asante provided funds for a new boys latrine. It is nearly finished, and everyone at the school is delighted with a clean, new, sanitary latrine facility. Pit latrines really are a much more sensible option in an area with limited water, especially when most of the kids don't have any prior experience with toilets requiring water to work properly. <br />
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Much progress and improvements have been made at the school since it was new in 2007 and I visited it on my first trip to Ketumbeine. Unfortunately, not so much progress has been made by yours truly in iPad operation. I seriously am requesting assistance in creating a Picasa web album on my iPad. I created the album, but when I copy the link into the blog, it opens to my own personal google+ account. How is that for a public confession of tech-illiteracy? I have great photos,but need help sharing them. Sigh . . .<br />
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More later. Thanks for reading.<br />
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<br />LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-73525231477766421542013-03-06T23:04:00.002-08:002013-03-10T06:37:00.929-07:00Just 5 days and already adventures!Arrived safely after 3 very long, exhausting but uneventful flights. <span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">Arrived at Kilimanjaro Airport at just about midnight and then began the interminable wait to get through immigration. But even that was finally realized and we went to baggage claim. And lo and behold . . . All our bags arrived. Since the Uhuru Lutheran Hostel is full for the KilimanjaroMarathon, we are at the Umoja, where Mary Ann and I stayed on our first trip. </span><br />
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Last time I stayed here, the shower and sink flooded the bedroom every time the water was turned on . . . This time there wasn't any water to flood anything ! A bit of water in a pail, so at least I could have a camp bath, to wash off the 31 hours of travel grime. Didn't think I would be able to sleep, but I completely crashed until the Imam woke me up at 4 a.m. with the call to prayer. I could have slept longer, and did, at least, fall back asleep. Most of Sunday, we wandered around Moshi, trying to convince ourselves we were getting over our jet lag. Visited some of our favorite curio shops and then dinner at an Indian restaurant. Moshi has certainly grown in the last couple of years.</div>
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Monday, Janet picked us up after breakfast and we went to her house. Met with Mrs. Mobutu, Mama Harrison, Glory, Mama Light, along with some folks from Colorado Springs and Janet's pastor friend from Germany. All of the Tanzanian women we gathered with are those who do the tailoring and sewing for Miichi Women and Asante. Tea first, of course, with samosas, chapatis, tea and coffee. During our discussion, we relayed our concerns with quality control, consistent sizing, etc. We were also able to get an idea of how much of each person's income is generate by their sales to AN. </div>
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Early Tuesday we headed back out to Janet's for a get together with Puzo, one of the main artists for the wax batiks. Again, we talked about color, new designs and subjects for the wax batiks. I purchased some little dolls that I thought Mama Light mighty be able to make, plus some other craft items to give Puzo and the women some new ideas. They are so creative that they only need some new ideas as to what might sell in the US, and they can produce some wonderful things!</div>
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And Tuesday night, my body rebelled and decided to purge itself of anything I may have eaten or drunk in the last several days. First time I have ever been sick here in any of my a visits. So Wednesday was a waste . . . Thank God for Kathy and Stan who were such a blessing in helping me recover.</div>
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Enough for now. Waiting for Emmanuel to pick us up for transport to Ketumbeine and the Maasai. More later. </div>
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LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-43928685050048394122013-02-26T09:52:00.001-08:002013-02-26T09:52:41.797-08:00Kilimanjaro Marathon!Just found out that there is a marathon, half marathon and 5 k fun run in Moshi-town on March 3. The marathon runs up into the lower reaches of Mt. Kilimanjaro . . . not that I intend to participate or anything. But I'm thinking the 5 k fun run might be just that -- fun. <br />
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Moshi is where we always stay when we first arrive in Tanzania. Many of our friends live there, as well as many of the women who produce our wonderful batiks. The hostel where we have stayed in the past is completely booked up with runners and fans! So this will be a new adventure in a lot of ways.<br />
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Found my suitcase finally, and am now beginning to organize my thoughts as to what to pack and what to leave. Set out everything I think I want to take; next day reduce it by half; and then reduce it by half again. Then pack! LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-81074131680428200982013-02-24T19:49:00.000-08:002013-02-24T19:49:04.625-08:00WOW! This trip is shaping up to be great!<br />
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We have booked our travel from Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania to Entebbe Airport in Uganda. Uganda is where our basket weavers live; it has been several years since I have had the opportunity to return to visit them. Last visit, they gave Mary Ann and me a goat! We regretfully left it behind in Uganda, and asked the women to hold a feast in our honor after we left. It is fairly difficult to bring a goat back from Uganda to the US!<br />
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And, talk about a God thing: Kathy (my travel companion, along with her husband, Stan; as well an Asante volunteer extraordinaire!) and I have been talking about the difficulty of communication with our woman in TZ who coordinates and reports on all of Asante's micro-loans. She has an ancient computer without excel, so all her calculations have to be done by hand. Kathy and I, independently of each other, have been thinking about how to get Julie a new computer with excel, so we could set up some spreadsheets for her micro-loan reporting.<br />
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Kathy and I were visiting on the phone the other day, and when we realized both of us were thinking along the same computer lines, we agreed that it was best to simply purchase a new laptop for Julie. We both checked out the ads and found a good HP at BestBuy for a decent price. I agreed to drive into Anchorage to check it out. <br />
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As I was hanging up the phone with Kathy, another friend from up here knocked on my door. We visited, had a cup of tea, and talked about my upcoming trip. I happened to mention the discussion about the computer and . . . as she was walking out the door, she handed me a donation to Asante, to cover the cost of the computer! Talk about God working in this trip.<br />
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So, Julie will have a wonderful new computer, and we have the excitement of being the ones to deliver it to her. Can't wait!<br />
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More tomorrow . . .<br />
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<br />LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-31510087136839430562013-02-21T16:24:00.000-08:002013-02-21T16:24:15.923-08:00Jambo, everyone.<br />
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I know, it has been almost 2 years since my last post, but I haven't been back to Tanzania since then. However, I am returning to Tanzania and Uganda on 1 March. Kathy and Stan (we traveled together last trip) will be along as well. We are all excited about our upcoming adventures!<br />
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We are planning to visit the Miichi Women in Moshi and Mwika to work on some new designs for both garments and batiks. We'll also be able to follow up with some of our micro-loan recipients and meet some new ones. <br />
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In Mwika, we are going to visit with James, who started his own pre-school! He is also starting a guide service for some of the National Parks, and we are going to get to visit Tarangire National Park with his pre-schoolers! What an amazing treat that will be. <br />
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Naturally, a visit to Tanzania isn't complete without a trip to check in with the wonderful Maasai women who create the beaded jewelry and crafts, up in Ketumbeine. It is always a gift to reconnect with Steve and Bethany, who are a medical missionary family in that village. <br />
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Uganda is on the agenda as well -- I was sorry not to have the time last trip to get over there and meet again with the women who created the beautiful baskets that Asante sells. <br />
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So, stay tuned for more as the date of departure approaches . . .<br />
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CheersLHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-70052614449939911012011-04-21T15:01:00.000-07:002011-04-21T15:01:01.986-07:00Change in VenueFor those of you who were planning to attend the Mother's Day Bazaar on May 7 at Egan Center -- the event has been cancelled. Egan Center evidently scheduled the bazaar for<br />
May 8, which is Mother's Day and the organization which sponsored the event made the call that Mother's Day wasn't a good day for a bazaar.<br />
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However, Asante Network will have a booth, with all the wonderful crafts designed and made by our women in Tanzania and Uganda, at the Chugiak/Eagle River Women In Business show on May 7 at Harry McDonald Center in Eagle River. Asante Network (represented by me) had a booth at the show last year -- the show was well attended and a fun one to participate in.<br />
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So I hope to see all of you at the Harry McDonald Center (the ice arena in Eagle River) on May 7, anytime between 10 am and 4 pm. If you have shared the info about the Bazaar in Anchorage with friends who are interested in Asante, please let them know of the change in venue.<br />
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Thanks!LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-61122371200873972372011-03-22T18:11:00.000-07:002011-03-22T18:11:23.036-07:00Two Asante Events in Alaska Worth Attending1. April 10, 11:00 am -- I will be presenting a slide-show and talk on my trip to Tanzania for Asante. The talk will be at my church -- Our Redeemer Lutheran Church -- in Chugiak. The talk will be about an hour. My church has been very supportive of Asante, especially with respect to the secondary school in Ketumbeine. Everyone is welcome . . . please tell your friends!<br />
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2. May 7, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm -- Mother's Day Bazaar at Egan Center. Asante will have a couple of booths at the bazaar; I will be displaying and selling everything we carry -- baskets, batik art, batik clothing and bags, Maasai beadwork, carvings, etc. Come one, come all. In addition to the crafts, I'll have a continuous slide show on my computer for attendees of the bazaar to see as they shop the crafts. Please let all your friends know that Saturday, May 7 will be a wonderful opportunity to purchase these beautiful products, made by the women you have already come to know through my posts.<br />
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3. I am always ready and eager to be a speaker about Asante. If you are a member of an organization, or know of someone who is, and are looking for a program for a future meeting -- call me! The women's stories are so inspiring and Asante's support of these women really make for a great program! Thanks so much.LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-29640155270787363402011-03-13T21:14:00.000-07:002011-03-13T21:14:58.156-07:00Photos for Minjingu Primary School Latrine ProjectSo, I have finished one more album. This one is to accompany the report I wrote on the Minjingu Primary School Latrine project. The name of the post was 'A Tale of Generosity, Greed and Corruption".<br />
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It is magnificent here in Chugiak. A friend and I climbed Bear Mtn. up behind my house, on Friday. Talk about breath-taking! Full sunshine, lots of lovely snow, great companionship, laughter, sandwichs and Alaskan Winter Ale for lunch, and then sliding down through the snow chutes on our derrieres to speed our descent. All in all, a perfect day.<br />
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To view the photos, click <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/113853707780224338361/MinjinguPrimarySchoolLatrineProject?feat=directlink">here.</a>LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005824453624667191.post-76275273782813480982011-03-06T13:40:00.000-08:002011-03-06T13:40:19.694-08:00Welcome to the World of the Techie Illiterate!Now that I have send a few links to photos which didn't actually act as links, my wonderful son has taught me how to send a link that works as a link. Let's see if I can do it!<br />
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Here's a link to the photos of our micro-loan recipients and their various projects. Click <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lwddya/MicroLoanRecipientsAndProjects?feat=directlink">here</a> to view the picasa web album. <br />
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If this doesn't work, I will be humiliated publicly, but will keep trying. Faustin says we need to always continue trying new things, so to keep the brain flexible and plastic (meaning malleable and open to new learning). LHWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04827621118140961284noreply@blogger.com3