One month left...........

Time is going so fast and there is so much I still want to do.  I want to visit other orphanages and spend some time at a project for street children in Mwanza.  They have a project where 47 boys from 5-17 are living and going to school.  I have met some of the volunteers and it is a great project.  The boys also make jewellry which is beautiful.

This week I went to another community called Igoma - the town of Stouffville, Ontario is a partner of the Health Centre there and they have been raising money since 2004 - Mr. Matari showed me around and it is great.  They do a lot of prenatal care, childbirth, have two doctors, and will be expanding soon to do small surgeries.  I have heard about this from my clients in Stouffville and it was great to visit and hear about the great work they are doing.  People come from far villages to seek treatment which is mostly free.

This coming week, I am doing child development workshops for the Bethany teenagers who are training at the orphanage - these girls are wonderful and will hopefully find a job and be independent once they finish training.  I am looking forward to this opportunity - also have a translator but most speak some English.

I am working harder than I have worked in a long time - it is physically exhausting but I have just as much energy as the 20 year olds.  They have all been sick and I have yet to be ---let's hope that continues.

I am still in awe of the work that Amy and her staff do here.  I am learning so much about life in Africa.  I am grateful to live in Canada - we take so much for granted - like health care and education......I am attaching two pictures - one of Catherine (from the UK) and myself wearing Kanga's and carrying babies on our backs the way people do here.  The Mama's were laughing to hard putting the babies on our backs- my baby is very small so hard to see.  The other picture is me and two of my favourite twins -  they are three months old and beautiful.  They have elderly grandparents who are very, very poor - the babies might go back to family at some point.  That is always the goal, if possible.  Adoption is nearly impossible - it takes now three years for international adoption and the parents have to live here during that time.  Everything here takes a long, long time.........

Daily Life

Up early with roosters crowing, birds chirping, dogs barking and the call to the Mosque at 4am.  I try to walk early with whoever else is walking - usually Jade, a long term volunteer from Australia.  You see so much walking - other villages, people cooking breakfast, washing dishes outside, washing clothes, cooking on an open fire, kids walking to school and other kids playing in the dirt.

This morning we walked along the shore of Lake Victoria and came to a spot that we could not cross because of about 30 feet or more of water.  Fishermen were laughing at us and for 500 shillings -50 cents, brought their rowboat over and gave us a lift to the other side.  It was so funny.

We work different shifts - 6:30 am to 11:30 am or 3 pm to 7 pm but I usually work longer as I want to get more out of this experience.  I am also going to do workshops for staff and the Bethany teenage girls on child development starting next week.  I am also helping them come up with more ideas in terms of sensory activities etc.  We do activities with small groups of children, take them for walks to the market, take the teeny babies out to the garden on a blanket.

We get local produce at the market, vegetables and fruit - amazing mangoes.  In the market there are Duka shops to buy water, eggs, bread etc.  There is a seamstress, Sophie who made a couple of shirts and bags for me.  They know me now and always have a greeting and a smile.  Yesterday, I took pencils, balls and hair clips for the kids.  They were so excited.

I am attaching two pictures - one with the kids playing with Insta-Snow I brought - they just could not understand the concept of snow but it was fun - also a picture of a great Mama - Rosalie and me.  She wants me to bring her back to Canada with me.  I wish I could!!

On Safari

I went on safari with Shelley from Chicago.  We left on Friday morning - driver Charles and cook Yasim picked us up at the volunteer house at 8:30 am and we were at the Serengeti gate by 12 noon.  I don't know when I have been so excited.  We begin to see animals right away, Impalas, alligators, giraffes, elephants, hippos, wildebeest, wild buffalo, warthogs, leopards sleeping in a tree - this was day 1.  The landscape constantly changes as we drive with beautiful umbrella trees.  It is surreal to see these animals in their natural habitat.  Charles has been guiding for 15 years to is very knowledgeable and answered my many questions.  We arrived at camp on Night 1 - beautiful sunset, ate dinner, slept in an uncomfortable tent hoping I did not have to go to the washroom. 

Up early in the morning for a game drive and then back to camp for breakfast.  Off we go again to see more animals and visit a Masai village.  It was amazing - men can have more than one wife - marriages are arranged - you are rich depending on how many cows you have- they only eat meat and goats milk mixed with goats blood.  The make the most beautiful jewellry - women make the houses, raise the children, make the jewellry and the men look after the animals.  I have so much to say about this tribe but there just isn't room today.

Then on the the Ngorongoro Crater area.  The crater is 20 km. wide and absolutely beautiful with forests, swamps on the crater floor.  The local Masai people share the crater area with the animals and have many villages here.  They have the grazing rights for their cattle.

We saw many more animals - another uncomfortable camping night - note to self - book lodge next time.  During the night, wild buffalo were in the campsite grazing.  We could hear them munching the grass and snorting a little.  I was happy to see morning.

We drove back to Mwanza today seeing more animals on the way - an 8 hour drive.  Finally home for a welcome shower.  This truly was an experience of a lifetime that I shall never forget..............

Time is flying by...........

It is very busy here - working early or working late - going in for extra hours to feed babies, cuddle and play.  They never seem to get enough one-to-one time - always group time.  Some of my favourite babies are Anna, Amani, Sharlom and Charles, George, Moses, Noah, Margaret, Emmanuel, Angel and Ella and many more.  They are beautiful.  It is so sad that many mothers died giving birth to these children - hard to believe in this day and age.  Most people cannot afford medical care. 

A few of us went on a hike the other day up to Dancing Rock - a beautiful view on top of these giant boulders which Mwanza is known for - called Rock City- surrounded by enormous boulders.  It is on Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake and the second largest fresh water lake in the world.  It is the second largest city in Tanzania but feels more like a town - just two hours from the Serengeti.

Most locals rely on fishing and small scale farming for a living.  There is a strong Indian influence here with mosques and also Hindu temples as well as many Christians.  The main tribe here is the Sukuma - largest ethnic group of Tanzania.

I am enjoying the simplicity of life here, forget the hair, forget the make-up - just sunscreen and mosquito repellent - unless we go out for dinner.  Weather is great so just flip-flops and T-shirts.....We wear clothes we don't care about to the Baby Home because we get spit up on, peed on and you know the rest.  We walk everywhere unless we go into town.  In fact, a few of us are walking daily now for fitness........feels good.

There are things I don't like - living with lots of people, very little privacy, being woke up by dogs barking, roosters crowing and the call to the Mosque at 4 am.   I miss my home routine but time is going quickly and I will be back soon enough..........

Happy Valentines Day

It has been a busy few days.  We have two new babies at the Baby Home - Happy is 2 months old and Emmanuel is 9 months old - they were both abandoned and Amy chose names and birthdates for them.  They are beautiful and seem very healthy.  There is no information about their history. Babies are abandoned here all the time as people are very poor and can't feed them - or parents are very sick.  There are many reasons.  I spent time with Mama Anna who spends afternoons with the children with special needs.  We took Elizabeth for a walk in the stroller in the garden as she rarely gets out.  She saw the kids through the garden fence and they sang to her.  We spent time with the other kids in the Sensory Room doing stretches and massage.  It is sad here for kids with special needs, there is no physio, or OT, or speech therapy - no funding for equipment- no accessibility in Tanzania.  The future looks bleak for them.  They can stay here until age 5 and then need to go another orphanage - none are as good as here apparently so it is very sad.

My new roomate Catherine arrived from the UK - she is lovely and down to earth.  We hit it off right away.

I took her into town by myself on the Dala Dala to show her the post office, the bank, to get her phone organized and to buy some food.  Hard to believe that I now am showing people around a town in Africa.  A few of us went to dinner last night to celebrate her arrival.  She is staying for 3 months.

There is a birthday party at the Baby House for all the kids who celebrate birthdays in Jan. and Feb.  It's fun - we have balloons and cake.  The kids have so much fun.

Today - Sunday - we took some toddlers for a walk to the market and then I went to the Sava Sava market with Jade who is a long term volunteer.  A good few days.  Looking forward to the safari this Friday - we get picked up early in the morning and are gone until Sunday night.  Hope everyone is well.

Thanks for reading...........

Another day..........

Yesterday and today I started work at 6:30 am when the big and little toddlers wake up.  They "play" and listen to music until 7:30 and then have breakfast.  It is mayhem with highchairs in a row and food everywhere.  Then they are changed and bathed and we go out to the garden to play.  I spent some time in the preschool and showed Rosemary the mama who teaches some of my songboards and matching games I made.  She was thrilled to have new ideas.  There was a staff meeting so the volunteers spent time watching the kids - most of them were sleeping except for the little tiny babies - we were feeding, burping - babies crying - think Jon and Kate plus 11.......

Forever Angels has a teenage program training girls and two boys so they will be able to find a job.  They are from another orphanage called Bethany.  They are so sweet - last night they came over and made dinner for the volunteers.  They were dancing and had so much fun.  I gave the boys CANADA t-shirts and hats.  They were so happy.

Today, I went into town by myself in a taxi to the Talapia Hotel and had a pedicure - it felt so great - you have no idea.  At the baby home, everyone must go barefoot, inside and out so you can imagine the feet.

That is all for now.  Tomorrow my new roomate from the UK arrives - hope she is nice..........

I am at the Baby Home for one week today

I can't believe I am here a week already.  I am getting the hang of the schedule - with 50 children, it is a tight and consistent routine.  Amy is the most organized and passionate person I have ever met. 

I went into town yesterday with Shelley and we met Mehboob who owns Musimuns Tours - he had contacted me in Canada as he knows people that I know from Tanzania.  He was told to "take very good care of me" - that felt good.    We are going on safari Feb. 19-21st in the Serengeti -hopefully more people will join us and it will be cheaper.  However, one could not go away for the weekend for what the safari costs.  It is tenting but very safe - only a few people get killed every month (just kidding).  That would not be good for tourism.

It was my day off but I went to the Teeny Tiny baby house to feed Amina, Anna and Charles and to cuddle Ashley and to do tummy time with him.  He was premature and has some special needs - he is constantly arching backwards so needs lots of tummy time.  I just love those babies - but I promise Jaye, I will not sneak one home.  I took a couple of babies out to the garden for blanket time with another Mama - I showed her some pictures of my family.  She was so pleased to hear a bit about my life.

Little Elizabeth has Hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and has had 3 shunt operations.  It is unlikely that she can endure another one.  She has had fevers for several days so they tested her for malaria.  Poor little thing, her head is so big, she can't even  hold it up.

People here are so poor, children play with sticks in the dirt - many people live in simple shacks.  I brought toys and balls for them but will wait as once they realize that "the white person" is giving things, they are all over you.  This is another world and not at all fair but it is reality for Africa - unlikely to change soon.

More later - thanks for reading.  I promise more pictures of beautiful children............soon!

My first weekend here.........

It has been a very interesting few days.  I went to the Masi Market on Friday and it started to pour rain so we ended up in the Masi grandmothers (Bibi) little hut with her and her two grandchildren.  She makes the most beautiful jewellry.  I was wonderful - with a little help in the translation we found out she is in Mwanza for the last year and will be going back to her village in Arusha soon.  What a lovely woman - taking care of her grandkids and working hard.

It has rained a bit on and off.  Tonight two of us took a taxi back from town after having dinner and the taxi driver got a bit lost but eventually we got home.  Everyone is very nice.  Of course you have to be careful and be sensible but I think most people are very kind. 

I spent more time in the Teeny Baby House - my favourite place - feeding bottles, burping babies, giving them "tummy time".  Jana, if you are reading, Freida wants to know when you are coming back........

All is well - another busy week ahead and more adventure I am sure.  Shelley (from Chicago) and I are going to try to organize a safari for the last weekend of Feb.

I will keep in touch.....

This is me in front of the baby home and a "Mama" drumming for the kids.....

Already here in Africa for a week

I arrived last Saturday night and can't believe this week went by so quickly.  At times, I have really missed my family, Lonny, Maggie and Petrie - my bed, my kitchen and all the things one takes for granted - like hot water, electricity - which all go off at some point daily.  Life here is very simple.  You go to the local market for vegatables and some fruit and even to get a skirt made.  Most people don't speak English - only Swahli but you quickly learn a few words.  Karibu is welcome, Assante is thank you, Polya is sorry (when people and kids are begging for money) and Jambo or Mambo for hello....they really appreciate it when you try to speak a little. 

We are very safe here and have guards and dogs day and night both at the volunteer house and baby home.  So don't worry about me.................

There is a volunteer from Spain, one from Germany, one from the UK, one from New York state, one from Chicago and another coming next week.  I have been lucky to have my own room and bathroom for now but have to Ishare starting this coming Thursday.  The house is very busy, the fridge very tiny, it was dirty but I cleaned it.  There are a few cockroaches - ooh - but you get used to it they tell me.

Last night the volunteers went to Talapia Hotel for dinner with Amy and Meghan.  It is a beautiful hotel on Lake Victoria.  That is where they go on their days off to relax.  I am off today but am going into town with another volunteer (Amy from the States) and her mother and then working with the teeny tiny babies.  I also want to work with several children with CP and other special needs in the Snozellen Room (Sensory room) - just like the one at our office.  Someone in the UK donated all the items for the Sensory Room - there is not another one in the whole of Tanzania.

I want to work as much as possible and get the most out of this experience.  I also want to get to know all the Mama's better (staff).  I am a Mama too except no one can say Dorothy so I am finally, Mama Darcy.

Talk to you soon.......

P.S.  Jana, if you are reading, they remember you - thank you for the pictures and everyone has this big smile when your name is mentioned...............

Working at the Baby Home

This is my second day of working at the Baby Home - yesterday from 2:00 - 7:30 pm doing training.  In the morning we went into down on a small bus called "Dala Dalas" - crowded with people.  We went to the hectic market, grocery store, saw where the bank was and had lunch.  When you think town, think basic...
The kids are really wonderful - the older ones really attention seek.  They see many different volunteers come through so they know the new ones - they try to get away with everything.  There are tiny babies, older babies, little toddlers and big toddlers and a preschool.  We get to experience everything while we are here and can work as much as we want.

Today, Amy and Meghan asked two of us to go into Mwanza with them to the hospital to pick up two new little babies - we arrived and Social Welfare did not have the paperwork ready so we could not take them.  Amy will get them later today.  One is 2 months old and the other is 6 months.  Not much is known about either baby.  I did get to hold and cuddle the little one who looks more like a new born.

Back to the Baby Home to do lunch, play in the pre-school and feed Charles his bottle.

This afternoon, a rest (I started work at 6:15 am) and then going to dinner with another long term volunteer and her mother who are from the States.

Bye for now..................

In Tanzania

I have not had internet for some days so I will catch up.  I left Toronto on Friday, Jan 29th.  My wonderful friend Jana drove me to the airport and helped me sort through some luggage issues.  Thanks to her and Air Canada's Fabien, I only had to pay ?????for my overweight bags.  Not that much really.  My friend Susan came and joined us for a glass of wine and then I was off.  I had really mixed feelings for sure.  Finally on the plane to Zurich and then to Dar Es Salaam.  I was met by relatives of a friend of mine in Richmond Hill.  They were so wonderful to me for the weekend.  They sorted out my phone SIM card and got an internet stick for the computer as well as took me to exchange US for Tanzanian Shillings.  They took me to dinner, I had lunch with Zanat at the UN.  She showed me around and told me about her projects all over Tanzania, mostly in remote villages.

This morning I was off again to Mwanza.  I got to the airport and again had some anxiety over the luggage.  But, I showed the kind man my letter to Forever Angels and he did not charge me anything...........I was very grateful.  Most of the items are for the kids.

Amy picked me up from the airport.  All this time, reading her web site and e-mailing her...it was so great to meet her.  She dropped my things off at the Volunteer House where I met my "roomates" - all young 20 year olds.  Another woman comes Thursday and she is a bit older - but they are very nice and made me lunch.

I had a tour of the baby home and got to cuddle some of the babies that I have been reading about.  It was surreal.  I get to kind of orient myself today and tomorrow and then I begin.  They will show me the town tomorrow - I will get some food, water etc.  So at the moment, I have unpacked and am sitting on my single bed under a mosquito net - doing my blog.  Thanks for reading.....