Sunday was my first visit to The Watering Hole, an establishment which caters to Moshi’s ex-pat population and is managed by my boss’s wife, Libby. The place is particularly popular among Westerners because it is the only place in town you can get a drink with ice made from boiled (purified) water. While we call it a bar, TWH is also a restaurant that offers some great food for those jonesing for a taste of home. Ovens aren’t very common in Moshi, so it’s THE place to come for a brownie, banana bread, or even quiche. The “cheeseburger” is about the closest thing you can get to an American burger in Tanzania. The Watering Hole is a personal haunt, however, because it is the only place in Moshi where I can access the internet to upload pictures! Unlimited internet is available at TWH for 1500 TSH/day (about $1.15).
Also at TWH on Sunday were Claire, the lovely Australian bartender, and Olaf, German poker shark. To the locals, we are all the same—mzungu—and because we communicate to each other in English, it was easy to forget that we are from such diverse backgrounds until Olaf went looking for the dust bin, Claire showed him the rubbish bin, and I saw them looking at a trash can.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Rethinking Voluntourism
My office job doesn’t lend itself well to blogging in a way that some other projects might. I sit in an office all day with a couple of computer programmers and IM my boss in the next office over as I evaluate their current marketing tools—not exactly what you think of when someone tells you they’re flying half-way around the globe to volunteer in Africa.
But maybe it should be.
When I first showed up at Amani last week, I was introduced into an office I would share with two young men, Matthew and Jared, who were having waaaay more fun at work than any computer programmers I’ve ever seen. As it turned out, one of them was on vacation.
Matthew Todd, the husband of Amani Children’s Home executive director Valerie Todd, is a pretty well-known programmer. While at a conference a while back, Matthew put out a call for volunteers. Amani needed a data base but could not afford the expensive man hours needed to design the system, so Matthew used the conference to invite volunteers to come to Amani and work on the project. Several people took him up on the offer, one of whom is Jared. With permission from his employer, he was allowed a short leave of absence to volunteer at Amani. He used his vacation time and took a few weeks off without pay, but was able to keep his insurance and will resume his position upon his return.
I’ve heard of a lot of people coming to Africa for a few weeks to work on small service projects, but this level of voluntourism is all too rare. Digging latrines or building schools is great but, as Matthew put it, “that is all stuff people here can do.” Technological ability, however, is very rare here and in enormous demand.
With so many companies asking people to take voluntary (or not) sabbaticals, I can’t help but wonder if this isn’t a good opportunity for some companies to allow those with specialized skills some time off to do good work.
But maybe it should be.
When I first showed up at Amani last week, I was introduced into an office I would share with two young men, Matthew and Jared, who were having waaaay more fun at work than any computer programmers I’ve ever seen. As it turned out, one of them was on vacation.
Matthew Todd, the husband of Amani Children’s Home executive director Valerie Todd, is a pretty well-known programmer. While at a conference a while back, Matthew put out a call for volunteers. Amani needed a data base but could not afford the expensive man hours needed to design the system, so Matthew used the conference to invite volunteers to come to Amani and work on the project. Several people took him up on the offer, one of whom is Jared. With permission from his employer, he was allowed a short leave of absence to volunteer at Amani. He used his vacation time and took a few weeks off without pay, but was able to keep his insurance and will resume his position upon his return.
I’ve heard of a lot of people coming to Africa for a few weeks to work on small service projects, but this level of voluntourism is all too rare. Digging latrines or building schools is great but, as Matthew put it, “that is all stuff people here can do.” Technological ability, however, is very rare here and in enormous demand.
With so many companies asking people to take voluntary (or not) sabbaticals, I can’t help but wonder if this isn’t a good opportunity for some companies to allow those with specialized skills some time off to do good work.
Monday, May 25, 2009
So, um…. What the heck are you doing in Tanzania?
To fulfill my course work with the Clinton School of Public Service, I am completing my International Public Service Project (IPSP) with Amani Children’s Home in Moshi, Tanzania. My project is a little different from most African service projects you may hear about. Instead of digging toilets or teaching English, I’m working in an office on a sustainable fundraising project.
Since it was founded in 2001, Amani has experienced enormous and well-managed growth. They’ve gone from a two room house with six kids, to a new, large, well-planned facility that can hold more than 100 children, which is already nearing capacity. Among the non-profits I’ve become acquainted with, Amani is far and away the best managed and forward thinking NGO I’ve seen in the area. While they’ve also done a great job fundraising, Amani has not been exempt from the recent worldwide economic turmoil. Individual donations have dropped 50% from this same period of time last year, while their financial need has only continued to grow.
This is where I come in. I am working with Amani to diversify their income by reaching new donors and encouraging previous donors to give again. Specifically, I am working to modify and expand Amani’s Partner Schools Program to include churches and businesses.
Intrigued? Check out Amani’s website http://amanikids.org to find out more about Amani and their unique fundraising efforts.
Since it was founded in 2001, Amani has experienced enormous and well-managed growth. They’ve gone from a two room house with six kids, to a new, large, well-planned facility that can hold more than 100 children, which is already nearing capacity. Among the non-profits I’ve become acquainted with, Amani is far and away the best managed and forward thinking NGO I’ve seen in the area. While they’ve also done a great job fundraising, Amani has not been exempt from the recent worldwide economic turmoil. Individual donations have dropped 50% from this same period of time last year, while their financial need has only continued to grow.
This is where I come in. I am working with Amani to diversify their income by reaching new donors and encouraging previous donors to give again. Specifically, I am working to modify and expand Amani’s Partner Schools Program to include churches and businesses.
Intrigued? Check out Amani’s website http://amanikids.org to find out more about Amani and their unique fundraising efforts.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Lesson 4: Dining on a Budget
So, dining options in Moshi are pretty limited. You can get something that resembles a hamburger at a few restaurants in town and there's a place that offers something called a pizza, but more closely resembles cardboard and ketchup. Luckily, however, there are several wonderful Indian establishments. One of my favorites (and cheapest!) is Milan's. The "Taste of India Lunch" is, I think, whatever they have laying around the back. It costs about $2.70. Add a coke for about $0.40
First Photo of Mount Kilimanjaro
I live in a rural area of town called Catalina. We are surrounded by small subsistance farmers, small "dukas" (shops,) and medium income housing (i.e. indoor toilets, electricity, & security gates).
I'm about a 15 minute walk from Amani Children's Home. To get to the highway where the daladalas run, it's about a 25 minute journey.
Mt. Kilimanjaro plays hide & seek on most days. Especially during the rainy season, the summit is often covered by clouds. This is the first time I was able to catch a pic. Luckily my roomate Laura was along so I got to be in the photo as well...
Use Your Imagination
...because it's almost impossible for me to post pictures. :-( I'll try to add one or two a week, but the internet connections here are sketchy.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
"The daladala is never full..."
Today, I took my second trip on a daladala. A daladala is a form of public transportation, a vehicle roughly the size and shape of a mid-size van. The daladala has three rows of seats along with two bucket seats in the front. A one-way trip will cost you 300 TSH (about $0.20).
While waiting for our ride, Laura shared with me a local proverb: “The daladala is never full.”
After waiting for about 10 minutes, we were ready to jump on the first daladala into town. As the door slid open, however, I wondered if it was really possible to fit anything more inside. Even though the front row was occupied by a large bag of bananas, a large bag of corn, and a large number of rather sad looking chickens, we still squeezed at least 18 people into the remaining seats. Standing next to the door, I had to exit several times as people got on and off.
As the lady carrying the large load disembarked, I stood along the road and silently counted chickens. Apparently Laura had done the same. I came up with a conservative estimate of between 20 and 30, but Laura insists there were more like 50. The chickens, alive but sullied, were bound together by their feet in groups of what I think was five and she thinks was ten. Our debate waged on until, while waiting for our driver at the Oryx, Laura pointed out that the clouds had parted. For the first time since I arrived six days earlier, the clouds had dispersed, revealing the summit of the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro.
While waiting for our ride, Laura shared with me a local proverb: “The daladala is never full.”
After waiting for about 10 minutes, we were ready to jump on the first daladala into town. As the door slid open, however, I wondered if it was really possible to fit anything more inside. Even though the front row was occupied by a large bag of bananas, a large bag of corn, and a large number of rather sad looking chickens, we still squeezed at least 18 people into the remaining seats. Standing next to the door, I had to exit several times as people got on and off.
As the lady carrying the large load disembarked, I stood along the road and silently counted chickens. Apparently Laura had done the same. I came up with a conservative estimate of between 20 and 30, but Laura insists there were more like 50. The chickens, alive but sullied, were bound together by their feet in groups of what I think was five and she thinks was ten. Our debate waged on until, while waiting for our driver at the Oryx, Laura pointed out that the clouds had parted. For the first time since I arrived six days earlier, the clouds had dispersed, revealing the summit of the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro.
Lesson 3: Shopping on a Budget
Largely, I haven’t wanted to leave the house by myself, except to walk to work. My Swahili is poor and (despite having heard otherwise) most locals don’t know Kiingereza (that’s “Swahili“ for English). Until I learn a bit more, I’m not jumping on the daladala alone, lest I end up in Nairobi. Given that, my shopping options are limited. Being sick of starches, however, I had to break out of the house and get some of the fresh produce I knew could be had from the local women who set up shop in front of the dukas (small shops) along the Arusha-Dar es Salaam Highway, at the end of our dirt road.
Before leaving the house, I had asked my housemate what I should expect to pay for a few items. I don’t think you can call what I did haggling. I think the ladies were maybe just tired of my broken Kiswahili and agreed to take whatever price I was suggesting. This was true for all except one man who was selling grilled corn. He grinned and readily changed the price from mia mbili to mia oja—a 50% price cut from 200 to 100 TSH (Tanzanian Shillings). Not yet quick with the currency conversion, it wasn’t until I returned home that I realized I had only paid the precocious man seven cents.
After making the rounds, I made it back to the house with three tomatoes, three bananas, two Cokes, and an ear of corn that had been cooked over a fire. All of this for just right at $1.00, American. At home, this would have cost between $4.20 and $5.00.
To be fair, the corn turned out to be almost inedible—not quite the grilled corn you find at Riverfest. After remembering the scary looking pile of burnt fish (where’d he get fish in the middle of Tanzania??) that was sitting next to the man, I figured I’d been too mean to the chickens & maybe they were hungry. Here Pot Pie…
Before leaving the house, I had asked my housemate what I should expect to pay for a few items. I don’t think you can call what I did haggling. I think the ladies were maybe just tired of my broken Kiswahili and agreed to take whatever price I was suggesting. This was true for all except one man who was selling grilled corn. He grinned and readily changed the price from mia mbili to mia oja—a 50% price cut from 200 to 100 TSH (Tanzanian Shillings). Not yet quick with the currency conversion, it wasn’t until I returned home that I realized I had only paid the precocious man seven cents.
After making the rounds, I made it back to the house with three tomatoes, three bananas, two Cokes, and an ear of corn that had been cooked over a fire. All of this for just right at $1.00, American. At home, this would have cost between $4.20 and $5.00.
To be fair, the corn turned out to be almost inedible—not quite the grilled corn you find at Riverfest. After remembering the scary looking pile of burnt fish (where’d he get fish in the middle of Tanzania??) that was sitting next to the man, I figured I’d been too mean to the chickens & maybe they were hungry. Here Pot Pie…
Made it to Moshi
My flight got into JRO about 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. I was greeted by my new housemate Laura and her favorite driver, Juma. Once in the car and off to the house, I remember one essential aspect of travel in Tanzania—cars drive on the left side of the road, not the right!
Once at home, I was greeted by what I would come to find as an almost nightly event—power failure. We fumbled around the house & I unpacked by candle light. After a good nights sleep, I awoke at 4:30 a.m. the next morning after being woken up by Laura’s roosters—Shug & Wheezy. After being woken up by these cocky roosters several mornings in a row, I have renamed them Kiev & Pot Pie. Laura only thinks this is moderately funny and the roosters don’t seem to get the joke at all.
In the morning, Laura would assist me in taking my first trek into Moshi proper. We gathered a few essentials and I picked up what anyone who knows me, knows I must have: a coffee pot. The next morning, as I prepared to start my first day at Amani Children’s Home, Flat Stella joined Laura and I for breakfast.
International Departures
My plane left Little Rock on time and I’m currently killing time at the Atlanta International Airport. I’m heading to Amsterdam in a few hours and from Amsterdam will proceed on to Kilimanjaro. I will arrive in Tanzania about 7:45 Wednesday evening—about 24 hours after leaving home.
Based on appearances alone, one might guess I was leaving Atlanta on a C-130, the large waiting area around gate E30 being populated predominantly by soldiers heading overseas. As the nearby airport TV blares a mix of news, devoting more time to an embattled Miss California than it does to the change of military leadership in Afghanistan and the death of five soldiers to friendly fire in Iraq combined, I know better than to ask where they are going or for how long. “Thanks for your service” is all I said to the two young men closest as I stood to board my flight.
Based on appearances alone, one might guess I was leaving Atlanta on a C-130, the large waiting area around gate E30 being populated predominantly by soldiers heading overseas. As the nearby airport TV blares a mix of news, devoting more time to an embattled Miss California than it does to the change of military leadership in Afghanistan and the death of five soldiers to friendly fire in Iraq combined, I know better than to ask where they are going or for how long. “Thanks for your service” is all I said to the two young men closest as I stood to board my flight.
Lesson 2: Dress for Success
After weeks of torrential rains, almost all of the rain boots have disappeared from retail stores in Little Rock. I finally found these at a shoe store in west Little Rock. It was either this or brown with pink polka dots. Fitting I guess…
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Fashion Tips
Yesterday, I got an email from my soon-to-be housemate & fellow Amani volunteer Laura in which she shared a little fashion advice: rain boots are this season’s ‘must have’. I must have missed that in the last issue of Tanzanian Vogue. Even though Dr. Jehan Raheem, who spent several years there, warned me of the rainy season and advised me to bring a slicker, I had successfully repressed this unwanted knowledge.
The rainy season in Tanzania lasts from approximately late March to late May. A friend at Amani described the annual event this way: “The rainy season is where all the dust in the air turns to mud… lots and lots of mud.” So much for Toto’s romanticized notions…
The rainy season in Tanzania lasts from approximately late March to late May. A friend at Amani described the annual event this way: “The rainy season is where all the dust in the air turns to mud… lots and lots of mud.” So much for Toto’s romanticized notions…
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Lesson 1: Minimizing Homesickness
I never thought I’d miss summer in Arkansas. After cursing August in Arkansas for 27 years, I welcomed the opportunity to spend the summer in a place where it’s winter in July. Despite being very close to the equator, a friend of mine that did her Peace Corps service in Tanzania told me, “It gets chilly in the mornings. You need to bring a sweater.” More beautiful words have never been spoken.
While I’ve spent months preparing to work in Moshi, all I can think of are all of the wonderful things I’m going to miss here in Arkansas. In the weeks before I depart, I’m trying to soak up as much of home as I can. I’m also exporting as much of home as I can. I can’t pack up Riverfest, jazz all night long on KUAR, or the banana pudding at Kitchen Express, but I can take…
unpronounceable Vietnamese noodles from Sam’s Oriental Store on University Ave. I stopped by yesterday & picked up about a dozen of the yummy/indestructible packages intended to serve as insulation to fill in the gaps in my suitcase.
2/$1.00 and ridiculously better than Top Ramen, these have become a staple of my diet. I initially grabbed every one they had on the shelf but, feeling a little selfish, I put a single package back in the bin. A few minutes later I heard another patron loudly complain, "There's only one left!" and then ask the owner to get him an entire case from the top of the shelf. Apparently I'm not the only one.
While I’ve spent months preparing to work in Moshi, all I can think of are all of the wonderful things I’m going to miss here in Arkansas. In the weeks before I depart, I’m trying to soak up as much of home as I can. I’m also exporting as much of home as I can. I can’t pack up Riverfest, jazz all night long on KUAR, or the banana pudding at Kitchen Express, but I can take…
unpronounceable Vietnamese noodles from Sam’s Oriental Store on University Ave. I stopped by yesterday & picked up about a dozen of the yummy/indestructible packages intended to serve as insulation to fill in the gaps in my suitcase.
2/$1.00 and ridiculously better than Top Ramen, these have become a staple of my diet. I initially grabbed every one they had on the shelf but, feeling a little selfish, I put a single package back in the bin. A few minutes later I heard another patron loudly complain, "There's only one left!" and then ask the owner to get him an entire case from the top of the shelf. Apparently I'm not the only one.
Academics for the Surreal World: Lessons on Living Like a S.O.B.
At the Clinton School, students partake in a series of core courses in addition to three large public service projects which comprise a full third of the UACS curriculum: the Practicum, International Public Service Project (IPSP), and Capstone. Core courses such as Decision Analysis, Law & Ethics, and Communications serve to provide students with a foundation on which they develop their field projects. Students further their expertise in chosen areas through a wide range of electives offered at universities throughout the U of A system.
Perhaps the most interesting lessons, however, are those learned as a student at the intersection of high-profile academia and normal life in Little Rock. Clinton School students are afforded an embarrassment of intellectual of riches and interesting opportunities, all of which must be balanced with writing papers, attending classes, & navigating financial aid.
During an average week, a student at UACS may:
-Learn a few more words in Swahili/Italian/Spanish/Chinese
-Color a paper doll (aka Flat Stanley) at the Governor’s Mansion
-Spend 15 hours working on their Practicum project in Marvel/Newport/West Memphis
-Introduce a world leader, TV host, or football player at the Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series
-Win another kickball game with the S.O.B.s (Students of Bill)
-Watch a classmate (or be the classmate) on KARK/ NBC Nightly News/Miss USA
However, the student must also likely:
-Maintain long-distance relationships with spouses, children, & friends on different continents
- Read hundreds of pages worth of text books & case studies in prep for class
-Wake up at 4:00 a.m. to study for the grilling by Dean Rutherford
-Go to sleep at 4:00 a.m. after working on their IPSP work plan for Joe
-Make lunch out of the left over hors d’oeuvres from the previous evening’s reception for ______
-Figure out how to make student loans cover rent, food, & gas
The extraordinary nature of matriculation at the Clinton School combined with the banalities of real life offers students a truly unique educational opportunity: Academics for the Surreal World. As my months in Tanzania pass, I'll try to share a few of the pearls of wisdom that have rolled my way over the past year.
Adam Penman as President Clinton and John Memmer as Dean Skip Rutherford, Halloween 2008
Perhaps the most interesting lessons, however, are those learned as a student at the intersection of high-profile academia and normal life in Little Rock. Clinton School students are afforded an embarrassment of intellectual of riches and interesting opportunities, all of which must be balanced with writing papers, attending classes, & navigating financial aid.
During an average week, a student at UACS may:
-Learn a few more words in Swahili/Italian/Spanish/Chinese
-Color a paper doll (aka Flat Stanley) at the Governor’s Mansion
-Spend 15 hours working on their Practicum project in Marvel/Newport/West Memphis
-Introduce a world leader, TV host, or football player at the Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series
-Win another kickball game with the S.O.B.s (Students of Bill)
-Watch a classmate (or be the classmate) on KARK/ NBC Nightly News/Miss USA
However, the student must also likely:
-Maintain long-distance relationships with spouses, children, & friends on different continents
- Read hundreds of pages worth of text books & case studies in prep for class
-Wake up at 4:00 a.m. to study for the grilling by Dean Rutherford
-Go to sleep at 4:00 a.m. after working on their IPSP work plan for Joe
-Make lunch out of the left over hors d’oeuvres from the previous evening’s reception for ______
-Figure out how to make student loans cover rent, food, & gas
The extraordinary nature of matriculation at the Clinton School combined with the banalities of real life offers students a truly unique educational opportunity: Academics for the Surreal World. As my months in Tanzania pass, I'll try to share a few of the pearls of wisdom that have rolled my way over the past year.
Adam Penman as President Clinton and John Memmer as Dean Skip Rutherford, Halloween 2008
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