The students of the Umoja Centre

While the work we are doing here in Arusha consists of a variety of different projects, they all centre around the students at the Umoja Centre.  We spend every week day with these students - acting as both teachers and partners.  For 10 hours each week (split between intermediate and beginner students), we teach a course entitled "Key Skills".  This is a full year course in the Umoja Curriculum which includes units on citizenship, African History, Careers and Health.  Our focus during this phase is on Personal Development.  Our classes focus on goal setting, overcoming challenges, self-esteem, values and confidence.  We spend a lot of time discussing our subject matter as a group and students are encouraged to support each other with advice and input for all assignments - and do they ever!  It is obvious that genuinely want each other to succeed.  Their feedback and questions for each other are well thought out and often provoke their own discussion time.
There are 43 students in total - 19 boys and 24 girls.  They are between 14 and 24 years old with a range of education, from some secondary school to only primary.  They are all incredibly motivated, and it is understandable why - hundreds of youth applied to the Centre.  I wouldn't call these students lucky - they have worked hard to get where they are, and continue to do so.  The curriculum is intense and many travel an hour or more to get to and from school every day.
Most speak of their challenges openly and with no desire for pity.  Many students have overcome things I could not even imagine experiencing.  What is most inspiring is that students choose to look at these challenges as experiences that have made them stronger.  All of them are eager to finish school and go on to find jobs so that they may support their families and communities in ways they have never experienced themselves.
I think we, as Arusha volunteers, are some of the most fortunate for getting to work with these amazing young women and men.  We get to spend time with 43 youth who have a genuine desire to become leaders in their communities every single day.  Given the growth I have seen in these students in only three weeks, I cannot wait to see where the rest of their school year and beyond will take them.

Students during an introduction presentation to the Millenium Development Goals.

Students preparing posters to present MDG to their classmates.

Karibu sana

One of the things that has struck me most since arriving in Tanzania is the sheer hospitality of the people as a whole.  Granted, living in Arusha particularly, there are some who are only interested in selling souveniers or scam safaris, but these are significantly overpowered by genuine kindness and generosity of dozens of others who truly want to welcome visitors.  Since our arrival a little over two weeks ago, we've been invited into people's homes, introduced to families, shared meals and shared our stories with strangers on the street.  It is such a different feeling from home, where we are often taught to mind our own business, that strangers mean trouble and invitations are often empty with little expectation of follow through.
This weekend, we spent an afternoon exploring the village of Innocent's (our newest local volunteer and recent graduate of the Umoja Centre) mother.  We were shown around the forest by a man we encountered on the road.  He asked nothing of us, but chose to spend hours of his day pointing out the oldest trees he knew of.  When we returned to the family home, we were given a full meal and invited back again, as soon as we had time.
Then there is our homestay.  From the moment we arrived on the 19th, we have been part of the family.  Nisha and I are their Canadian daughters, and they are our Tanzanian parents.  I find myself suddenly having three siblings - very different from life as an only child, but enjoyable just the same. 
In the community, a day doesn't go by when I am not greeted by a stranger.  Many "hellos" or "mambos" are followed by questions about where we are from, what we are doing, and where we are going.  It seemed a bit intrusive at first, but now it is a highlight of the day.  These conversations almost always end with "karibu sana" which means simply: you are most welcome. 

Bus from Dar to Arusha (Not for the small bladdered)

We arrived in Arusha last night after a twelve hour bus ride.  Tanzanian buses seem to be designed for the iron bladdered.  We only made one scheduled stop (and one unscheduled one - more on that in a second).  Apparently the bus will stop on the side of the road for bathroom breaks when necessary - it just means that you end up going in a field.  No one exercised that particular right on our voyage.  The bus we rode was fairly comfortable, similar lay out to a Greyhound back home.  There is no air conditioning, but the windows are open for the whole trip, allowing for a decent breeze when the bus is moving.  When it's not moving, it is pretty uncomfortable, but that was only really noticeable when we were waiting at the station to leave.  Everyone on the bus gets a water and a bottle of pop to drink and a small candy.  The bus stops about halfway along the way at a rest stop (of sorts) where you can go to the bathroom (in a washroom, not a field) and get lunch.  That was our scheduled stop.  Our unscheduled stop came about thirty minutes before lunch.  Well it would have been 30 minutes if we'd been able to keep driving.  Our bus driver apparently cut off the Tanzanian minister of finance, so he called the police and had them pull us over.  It took almost an hour to negotiate getting our driver back on the bus (with the assistance from all the other Dar Express bus staff that passed us - they pulled their buses over and immediately jumped out to join the discussion.).  We were able to get out and stretch and knock on the door or a local family for use of their washroom.  Then it was back on the trip.  While I'm not sure I would recommend twelve hours on a bus to anyone, it was a pretty amazing way to see some of the Tanzanian country-side and get a closer look at life outside the major cities.  I will certainly count it as one of the more memorable periods of my trip so far.  I think the trip back in seven weeks is far enough away that I will still be able to see the value in it.  Just don't ask me to get back on the bus before then.

Packing Tips from a Rehabilitated Pack Rat

Those of you who know me well should recognize the irony in me, the world's worst over-packer, writing a post about packing tips.  I tend to be a "what if?" packer - "What if it rains?  What if I lose the first pair of sunglasses?  What if the world is invaded by aliens and I need to single-handedly defend it?", that kind of thing.  But something bordering on miraculous happened while I was getting ready for Tanzania: I learned to pack efficiently.  I know, right?  So bear with me.  If you're looking for a Rick Steve's style approach to packing (one 30L day pack to last you for anywhere from three months to five years, for all you non-PBS viewers), you're in the wrong place.  These tips are based on a desire to fit all the essentials and some comfort items into a larger pack (mine is 60L) and a carry-on day pack with room for souvenirs and maybe a few of those "what if?" items in case of alien attack.

1. Research.  Having never been to Tanzania before, I didn't know what to expect in terms of appropriate clothing (both weather-wise and culturally).  YCI gives its volunteers awesome packing suggestions and information on weather and culture, but I found it helpful to use these as only a starting point.  I Google'd, read past volunteer blogs, looked at weather trends (which may be overkill, but helped in my decision of umbrella vs. raincoat and rubber boots and how many sweaters (one) I should bring), and read numerous message boards.  It can feel like information overload, but it helped me get a much better grasp on what to wear and what is available to buy there.

2. Make lists. I am a compulsive list maker, because I am paranoid of forgetting things and I find it helps to see things on paper.  After I finished researching, I wrote down everything in the world I could possibly want or need for my time away.  When you do this, be completely uncensored with yourself - if you think you may want/need it, write it down.  Now go through the list and scratch of anything that you know without a doubt is unnecessary, put a question mark next to things you're not sure about and a star next to things you would need to buy.  Now go through the list again.  And again.

3. Shop/borrow early.  When my list was done, I wrote a list of things I would probably need to buy/borrow and kept it in my wallet.  I did this four months ago.  Why? Because I know what it's like to leave everything to the last minute and end up overpaying, not getting exactly what you need (or not finding something at all) or worse: finding yourself running around a Walmart the morning of your flight telling yourself its okay to shave your legs in the sink of the airplane washroom because you left no time to shower at home.  By having my list early, I was able to shop sales, order online (which saved me about $15 on a bug net), borrow, and add things to my Christmas list.  More importantly, it kept me from impulse buying (for the most part) because I had more time to think about what I REALLY needed, versus thought would be fun to have (self-purifying water bottle, I'm looking at you).

4. Practice pack.  I was made fun of for this, but it is really the most helpful thing I can tell you.  People tell you to lay everything out when you're packing and then cut that pile in half.  I don't operate that way.  I find little things comforting, so while I know that I can buy things like shampoo and conditioner anywhere, I like to bring my own (travel-sized... if you bring full bottles, you're just being silly).  Instead of doing such a brutal reduction of gear, I put everything in my pack to see how it fits and how comfortable it was to carry.  If it doesn't fit, or is too heavy (wear it for at least 10 minutes - anyone can be Superman for 30 seconds), I go back and start trimming (a pair of socks here, a shirt there), until it fits well.  Which brings me to my next point:

5. Leave room for souvenirs.  You're likely going to bring home more than you left with.  Deal with it.  Either leave some space in your pack (more than a side pocket) or do what I do: bring a small gym bag that rolls up small and shove that in.  That way you can fill it and check it on the way home.  Whatever you do, do not use it to pack on the way there.  It defeats the purpose of an extra bag, and just enables you to overpack.  Be sure to leave a little space for things you forget (or need) until the last minute.

6. Make a list.  Another one!  I gave up on carrying a list of everything in my bag, but I did make a point to write down a description of my gadgets (camera, iPod, etc.) and their serial numbers.  I am keeping a copy of this with my travel documents and leaving a copy at home (with copies of my flight itinerary, passport, health insurance, contact numbers, etc. - a worried family member is a stressful family member: make sure they have copies of EVERYTHING).  This means if anything is lost or stolen, it can be reported easily.  I also took pictures of things - anything to give to the insurance company to speed up the process.

7. Pack your carry-on as if you'll never see your luggage again.  Well, maybe not again, but always plan for it to end up in another country for a few days.  This means packing a change of clothes, prescription medications, all your valuables and (in my case) your contacts case/solution/glasses.  I also suggest a toothbrush.  No one needs to share in your two-day old morning breath.

8. Finally: be reasonable, but know your own wants and needs.  Some people can bring one book on a trip, and be happy.  I can't.  That book will be finished before I get off the plane.  I need at least one book a week.  I now have a Kobo which, as something considered to be a "valuable", was on a few "do not pack" lists.  I am bringing it anyway. To me, it's a need.  The same goes for extra socks and underwear.  If it is a must have in order for you to have an easier time adjusting while you're away, it shouldn't matter if it's "unnecessary".  You know yourself better than that bitter guy on the Lonely Planet message board.

Tada!  I will post photos of my packing experience later today.  Lift off tomorrow!

So the adventure begins

I am currently sitting on a pillow in the living room of my (almost) empty apartment.  I brought the last load of stuff to my storage unit this afternoon, then rushed home just in time to join my last online meeting with YCI.  They organized a past Arusha volunteer to talk to Nisha and I about what to expect.  It was incredibly helpful.  He gave us lots advice about places to visit, things to pack (lots of reading material!) and working at the Umoja Centre.  I can really imagine what it's going to be like now, which is helping settle nerves and get me excited.

Today was also my last day at work.  JJ had the staff send in some well wishes and had them printed and bound into a little booklet for me.  I avoided reading them until I got home, because I knew I'd get a little emotional (and I did).  It was such a nice gesture and I plan on bringing them with me for those moments I feel homesick.  I am so grateful that I get to start back with Wanapitei when I come home.  As much as it amazes me that I have finished a full year, it amazes me more that a year ago I didn't know this amazing group of people and now they feel like family.

Ottawa tomorrow and two days, seventeen hours until take off.  Whoa.

13 days and counting...

Here we are - less than two weeks before I fly out.  I still cannot believe that this is happening at all, yet alone so soon.  I made this plan almost a full year ago and now it is almost time to go!  


I want to begin by thanking all of you who donated to make this trip a reality.  It is no stretch to say that this would not be happening without you.  The true scope of your generosity became apparent as I addressed the last of my thank-you notes and realized I had a stack of over fifty envelopes in front of me.  That list does not even include the many more who have given me valuable advice and emotional support as I get ready for this adventure.  I feel incredibly grateful and humbled by it all.  


I've had the last 10 days off for Christmas vacation, which was a huge relief in terms of preparation.  I arrived home to find an early Christmas gift in the form of a donation from my great aunt and uncle that put me right at my fundraising target.  Thanks, Aunt Cec and Uncle John!  On the 23rd, YCI hosted an online orientation session.  I got to "meet" with a few of the women also participating in T12-8A (our project code: Tanzania 2012, 8-week trip group A).  They will be placed in other communities (Zanzibar and Morogoro), but we will be together for the first few days in Dar.  The rest of the group, including Nisha, my Arusha partner, were unable to make the session because of other commitments, but our e-mail communication makes it apparent that everyone is really excited.  During the online session, we talked about our hopes and fears for our time there, tips for running workshops and heard from an alumnus about what to expect in terms of culture, day to day life, etc.  It was really helpful and settled my nerves quite a bit.


I think I have finalized my packing list completely.  I laid out everything I had on hand and put it in my pack to see how everything fit.  I was missing a bunch of stuff that I had left in Guelph, but there seems to be a lot of room left.  I may have finally learned how to pack properly (i.e. not excessively)!  Fingers crossed that it still works when I have everything.


Now I am back in Guelph, packing up my apartment to put in storage and finishing up at work.  It is going to be a hectic two weeks, with a lot to take care of and friends I want to visit.  I hope to write a least one more update before I go, but don't be surprised if that update is written in the airport!


Happy New Year, everyone!  Thank you for sharing in this experience with me.