One of the challenges of computer training is the lack of consistent electricity. Dr. Lace says this is worse than he has seen before. We may have electric a few hours in the middle of the night but then it's gone during the day. So we have a generator that has worked some days.
The students that we have in the computer class are from a shelter for homeless youth. The agency works hard to get the students off the streets and into their safe environment. One of the goals is to help the individual gain job skills and computer literacy is one of those. Some of these young people are also in tailoring or cooking classes in the afternoons.
Many of the students were shy to start with but have opened up and have gotten quite engaged. Some of the young people have a small amount of English but the language barrier has been another challenge. It is a wonderful feeling to be helping someone through an experience and then for them to share that with another student who hasn't quite understood yet. It may have only been a few days but the students are certainly gaining their skills. And now really enjoying their facebook and emails!!
The Orphans Foundation Fund organization has great hopes for this computer lab to help individuals gain job skills and in the future to also be available for others in the community to pay for their classes. This will then become an income source for some of the programs as well.
Our group felt very close to those individuals in the village last week and were sad to leave them but this week has developed into a whole new group of relationships and just as meaningful. It's a wonder what can happen in a week's time.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Shanga Sign Language
Our group went to Shanga, a place where people who live in Arusha and are disabled can work. Shanga is Swahili for bead, and this place was a bead/craft making workshop and gift shop. There were quite a few people who worked there and we were able to see people making and sanding beads and making other crafts. One of the bead makers was going very fast it was very cool to see his technique. While we were watching him, we saw the group of people in that area all using Tanzanian Sign Language. I myself use American Sign Language so I was fascinated watching them.
The director came over and he knows how to speak Swahili, English, and Tanzanian Sign Language, very impressive. He would interpret for us what the deaf people were saying and our responses or questions to them. We all introduced our names then the director said we could go to the sitting area and one of the girls would come over and teach us some Tanzanian Sign Language. There was a board that had words in Swahili and English and she showed us the signs for them. Our whole group was signing and I was very excited to learn and enjoyed watching the rest of my group sign also. There is a person at the place we are staying who uses Tanzanian Sign Language so I wanted to be able to communicate with him.
Once we learned Tanzanian Sign Language I was asked to go up and show the same words in American Sign Language. I really enjoyed showing them my signs and they loved learning it. All of the deaf workers there came over to watch and they asked me a whole bunch of words to show them and they usually laughed when they saw the difference. It was a fun, interactive experience. This went on for about a half hour and then one of our group leaders asked for a picture with everyone so we all got in a picture. That is a picture I will always cherish.
The director came over and he knows how to speak Swahili, English, and Tanzanian Sign Language, very impressive. He would interpret for us what the deaf people were saying and our responses or questions to them. We all introduced our names then the director said we could go to the sitting area and one of the girls would come over and teach us some Tanzanian Sign Language. There was a board that had words in Swahili and English and she showed us the signs for them. Our whole group was signing and I was very excited to learn and enjoyed watching the rest of my group sign also. There is a person at the place we are staying who uses Tanzanian Sign Language so I wanted to be able to communicate with him.
Once we learned Tanzanian Sign Language I was asked to go up and show the same words in American Sign Language. I really enjoyed showing them my signs and they loved learning it. All of the deaf workers there came over to watch and they asked me a whole bunch of words to show them and they usually laughed when they saw the difference. It was a fun, interactive experience. This went on for about a half hour and then one of our group leaders asked for a picture with everyone so we all got in a picture. That is a picture I will always cherish.
~Katharine Choate
Traveling the Roads of Tanzania
One of our main activities on this trip has been driving in vans and cars trying to get from place to place- the village to Arusha, the orphanages and resource centers to home. There are many sayings about how one must enjoy the journey as well as the destination, and in this case, we truly are. The roads here are so bumpy, hilly and rough that each voyage feels like a carnival ride. And if the state of the roads are not bad enough, they have added speed bumps at close intervals to make things even more interesting. Even this would not be so bad, is we were riding in vehicles with good shocks and planty of space for each passenger to have a padded spot for their rear. But, alas, this is not the case. Our vehicle is generally a land rover with hard seats that barely fit all of us inside. On the occasions that we drive through the unpaved areas (this happens frequently) it feels as though the walls are going to fall off the car and that we will be thrown out the windows. Needless to say, after these rides our butts complain profusely with all our other joints providing supporting complaints. But as in all aspects of this trip, our group makes the best of this situation. We laugh at the big bumps and try to make sure no one seriously injures themselves by hitting their heads on the ceiling and that no one ends up too car sick. I think that smooth road and comfortable, spacious vehicles are some of the things our group is most looking forward to reclaiming in the US. As with any carnival ride, it gets old. We have fun, but no one will complain when we leave it behind.
Teaching health in the village
So one of my favorite memories that I would like to reflect on is when our team taught health to the women in the lengasti village. We had just arrived in the village the day before and we were all eager to get to know people and get started on all of our projects. We were asked to teach health the next day to the women in the village. We had a brief meeting the night before. All of us weren't quite sure how it was going to turn out and we all tried to prepare ourselves for whatever would happen. We all sat around a table and just started out with asking the women questions about the village and what they do to take care of themselves. Our conversation very quickly transitioned from malaria to HIV/STD's/AIDS and it wasn't until that moment that I realized how much previous knowledge I had on something so simple. It is definitely easy to assume that everyone should know what I know, but unfortunately they were not given this sort of information. We had a translator there helping with the language barrier but although we could not fully understand one another our emotions were clear that when something was serious the tension was serious but when we practiced putting condoms on the models then the tension became more comfortable and it was clear that we all felt the same giddiness. the women made it clear that they were grateful for what we taught them and to make it understood it is not that the people were unintelligent for not knowing this information. If no one teaches you these things then how can they be retained. The women left confident and secure in what was taught to them and through prayer and the new knowledge they have retained I myself am confident and secure that they will teach others in the village the importance of their health.
Guests of Honor
Tonight we went to a house warming party for a new home in the village of Lengasti. After a bumpy ride standing in the back of a truck, we arrived at our destination. As we got out, the Maasai women handed us chairs and instructed us to put them in a semi-circle. As we sat down, I noticed every single Maasai face was turned towards us (about 250 villagers). I asked our Tanzanian friends Stanley, James, and Evelyn about it and they told me to just stare back--it's just what they do when they see strangers. Feeling awkward, I attempted to do so, but could hardly help but smile and laugh when their faces remained blank for over 15 minutes. I'd be surprised if they even blinked.
After this, we were moved to another area where a Maasai man brought over a huge slab of meat on a stick and began handing us chunks of it. At this point, Gladness told us we were the guests of honor at this party. This meant that we had to eat the meat or it would be very disrespectful. Not normally eating much meat myself, I reluctantly accepted the pieces they handed me. It was not appetizing, but as soon as I got a piece down they promptly handed me another. I quickly learned to eat a bit slower to prohibit them giving me too much.
When the entire slab of meat had been eaten, I let out a sigh of relief. They quickly brought more though, howver this time they brought goat ribs. I politely declined their generous offer this time, as did most of our group. When the Maasai were done eating, I noticed them rubbing their meaty and juicy hands all over their bodies. I asked Gladness about this and she told me that it is because they enjoy the smell of it so much and it also moisturizes their skin.
A few of us then went for a walk around the village and down a small path. After 10 minutes we noticed about 30 children running towards us. We stopped to see what they were doing. It turns out they were just following us so they could stare at us some more! After walking through our paparazzi back to the party, we were invited to dance with the Maasai women. They graciously motioned us to join their circle and taught us their traditional dance moves ( a lot of shaking of the shoulders and chest as well as jumping).
I feel blessed to have had an opportunity such as this and to experience the Maasai lifestyle for the 5 days we stayed in Lengasti. Tonight was truly one to remember.
-Stephanie LeVine
After this, we were moved to another area where a Maasai man brought over a huge slab of meat on a stick and began handing us chunks of it. At this point, Gladness told us we were the guests of honor at this party. This meant that we had to eat the meat or it would be very disrespectful. Not normally eating much meat myself, I reluctantly accepted the pieces they handed me. It was not appetizing, but as soon as I got a piece down they promptly handed me another. I quickly learned to eat a bit slower to prohibit them giving me too much.
When the entire slab of meat had been eaten, I let out a sigh of relief. They quickly brought more though, howver this time they brought goat ribs. I politely declined their generous offer this time, as did most of our group. When the Maasai were done eating, I noticed them rubbing their meaty and juicy hands all over their bodies. I asked Gladness about this and she told me that it is because they enjoy the smell of it so much and it also moisturizes their skin.
A few of us then went for a walk around the village and down a small path. After 10 minutes we noticed about 30 children running towards us. We stopped to see what they were doing. It turns out they were just following us so they could stare at us some more! After walking through our paparazzi back to the party, we were invited to dance with the Maasai women. They graciously motioned us to join their circle and taught us their traditional dance moves ( a lot of shaking of the shoulders and chest as well as jumping).
I feel blessed to have had an opportunity such as this and to experience the Maasai lifestyle for the 5 days we stayed in Lengasti. Tonight was truly one to remember.
-Stephanie LeVine
Building the playground
When we were told that we would be building a playground, I am not sure what I expected. I envisioned power tools and precise measuring devices; this was a gross overestimation on my part. What really happened , is that Denvy and Gladness went in to town and bought the materials, and for the next two mornings we put together the whole thing. I personally worked with a few other people on garden boxes and the climbing apparatus. This entailed tying evenly placed knots, over and over again. Keep in mind that this was using 100 meters of rough hemp rope! It was a rough process, let me tell you! after considerable teamwork and frustration, we finally managed to tie the rope into a net of sorts that we would later put up on a wooden frame. This was very tiring work, but ultimately was worth it. The others worked on building garden boxes and the swing set. Men helped immensely by digging three foot deep holes (through rock!) to put the posts for the swing and the climbing thingy, which were then filled with concrete. Unbelievably, it only took two mornings to put all of these things together; proving just how much can be accomplished with teamwork!
Emily
Finally We're On
It seems redundant now that we're near the end of our trip we would report in that we arrived OK, but this is the first opportunity and time to access the Internet. We have been busy the entire 14 days and are looking forward to one more computer literacy session tomorrow in the midst of ice cream this afternoon, disco tonight, safari tomorrow, church and flying the next day, touring DC on Monday just before we arrive home.
Chronologically the story may be endless so you may receive several blog entries on different topics. Happy reading and we look forward to seeing you.
Chronologically the story may be endless so you may receive several blog entries on different topics. Happy reading and we look forward to seeing you.
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