Hi all,
 
As always things are polepole (slow) so achieving my list of ‘jobs to do’ each week never really happens.
We spent most of the week catching up with the various primary schools, checking on the kids and trying to get a letter written and a short video. Their English is so incredibly poor.
Accommodation is very basic and to get enough warm water to wash my hair is a challenge. There is also no wifi at the accommodation.
I have resorted to buying a ‘router’ for wifi for Team Vista house. Costly but what a difference it has made.....
Hi all,
 
As always things are polepole (slow) so achieving my list of ‘jobs to do’ each week never really happens.
 
We spent most of the week catching up with the various primary schools, checking on the kids and trying to get a letter written and a short video. Their English is so incredibly poor.
 
Accommodation is very basic and to get enough warm water to wash my hair is a challenge. There is also no wifi at the accommodation.
 
I have resorted to buying a ‘router’ for wifi for Team Vista house. Costly but what a difference it has made.
 
One of Ally’s friends, Herry sent a photo of the watch he asked me to buy duty free- a GARMIN 55. I finally found it at Doha duty free, costing $301 USD!!! Ally gave it to him and he ‘flipped out” as he had seen the watch on a Chinese website… a knock off!!! I explained to him that duty free do NOT sell Chinese rejects.mmmmm…..Naturally he loves the watch and is paying it off polepole!!
 
Many desks and chairs from the container went to Reginald Mengi Secondary school so had to call in check on the kids and see the classrooms. There are three open drains running through the centre of the grounds coming from Moshi town. The worst one through the middle stank and there were plenty of mosquitos hovering around. The school has tried for years to get Municipal to take action and do something. The last time they came was two years ago and suggested the school kids clean it out!! The kids have fallen into it as well over the years. Yahaya and I met with Municipal Health, showed them the pictures etc. I was on my BEST behaviour and pleaded the case of the kids getting soooo sick with malaria. Of course govt has no money, however I reminded her about the health and welfare of the kids is priority. Of course I said a small contribution…. Straight away she will ring Yahaya on Monday.
 
Last night I received a message from Regional Educational officer, and we are meeting on Monday!! It sounds like it might be one govt official after another but at least a starting point. (I have put things on TeamVista Facebook page if you want to check out.)
 
I am driving Yahayas old car – manual- but it gets me around. I went straight past the police and just gave them a friendly wave. Petrol here is a shocking price and has limited the number of cars and bikes on the roads around town. Ally says that almost every month the price goes higher.
 
I pulled up at the markets to let Yahaya and Mosses out to collect some fruit and of course a policeman came over to me… hadn’t even got out of the car BUT had turned off the engine so as not to waste petrol. “You are NOT parked in the yellow lines!!” The boys started yelling in Kiswahili, so I said to the policeman (politely… sort of) that you need to speak to ME and in English!! Having explained the rule to me I said thank you… he added that he had already taken a photo and I would be getting a 30,000 tsh fine!!! Well that didn’t go down well with me so I calmly asked if this RULE was somewhere on the internet so I could see… and I couldn’t actually see any yellow line!!! He didn’t fine me just wanted money which I did not give him. Check out the photo I took of the yellow line!!!!!
 
Had another great session with our Women’s Empowerment with the police from women’s and children’s welfare coming to speak to the girls about Violence against Women and Children. The girls listened so intently and asked some great questions (not that I really understood their Kiswahili) Next Friday is our last sessions before their exams and then all August is holiday although we are running classes for all secondary and standard 7 in primary as our uni students will also be around.
 
 
We are having a netball tournament … and picnic at the end for next week. The girls are very excited.
It is not often that a child comes to the office (with a baby on her back) asking for help. This happened yesterday. The little girl saw me at her school and asked one of her friends about us and was told that maybe we could help her. She came without her parents realizing and asked if we could help with school fees as she wasn’t receiving any food. Her father’s job is drying rice job. He is struggling to pay fees and could only pay a small amount each month. There were 2 others at school.
 
A nuclear family…mum and dad and 4 kids!! Quite a rare situation in Kaloleni. We decided to pay for her food at school but couldn’t commit to sponsorship. Cherie put up on Facebook this morning and we have someone wanting to sponsor her already!!! So wonderful and we are so grateful!
 
I received some funds from Hornsby Rotary and another donation which we have used to clean up the small cottage out on the farm. The boys have made a fabulous start with walls going up, cement being put down and doors and windows going in….the Tanzanian way.
 
It is going to make such a difference. Thanks to Camberwell Rotary club, we will hopefully get the last part of the irrigation done ready for next years planting. Everything is so dry, and the farmers have really suffered these past two years. My friend Shungu will take our farmer Rama to attend a course on farming without using chemicals and how to improve soil etc. I went and saw Shungu’s place this morning. It is beautiful..so peaceful and he also is caretaker for the area at the front of his property which is one of the larger tributaries coming from the mountain. Shungu is growing beans and maize that is native to the area. His home is a shipping container, complete with proper toilet  but shower is still outside with water from the river. Bob the dog and Peepee the cat follow everywhere that Shungu goes.. even down to the river.
 
I have just come back to the Team Vista house and Said and Lembris are cooking lunch. Today is Iddi so the Muslim people eat celebration food such as pilau. They use every possible utensil in the kitchen!! Smells delicious. I have been cooking some meals for the family during the week to save our housekeeper Rosemary… now it is ‘payback’.
 
Hope you are all well.
Love Mama Kerry XXXX
 
  
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