Fires & Rain

We’ve had a few fires at night time which is relaxing and enjoyable, one on evening all the children came up after dinner to play with us as some ladies who were here for a night before they climbed Kilimanjaro brought marshmellows, so we toasted them!

These previous posts are all delayed, since writing them a couple days ago, even more stuff has happened....

The rain has finally come, and it is surprisingly chilly, I mean not by English standards but it’s definitely not hot. I did my first load of washing today, by hand, need to perfect that skill. The rain has now messed up any chance of laundry completion.

Bye for now.

Children!

Another day we painted with the children, Quinn had brought some poster paints and paper with him, the children really really loved it, they would’ve gone on painting all night if they were allowed! I collected up the pictures and they’re currently in my room. I’d like them to go on display, I know when I was little my work would be displayed at home or at school but these kids don’t really seem to have that option. For starters there isn’t really the space in their rooms and nothing is really individually theirs. I think maybe a pin board would be a good idea and drawers where they could keep their own things but right now I don’t know enough about the logistics of the house and the classrooms, the space available, money etc...

Here is Dorcas showing her painting, acting coy. 

It was Kayleigh (the volunteer co-ordinater’s birthday) and I bought some flowers/maua from Arusha, the children loved this. They couldn’t keep their hands off them!

Mary.

Cultural Tours

The first couple of days involved getting a flavour of Tanzanian culture. I visited the Arusha museum which was interesting. Composed of a few buildings ranging from human development, the environment and the history of colonialism in this area. It was informative and taught my much about the wildlife, they had an elephant’s skull, so big!

Another day, Quinn (a volunteer who arrived a few days before me), Bella (a cultural tour guide and kili/meru guide who lives and works at peace Matunda) and I visited a pottery production workshop. The friendliest man greeted us and talked us through his clay pottery method; from the sourcing of the clay, the meticulous feeling for lumps in the clay done in a way which resembles kneading bread to spinning the clay on a pottery wheel which was powered by the man’s leg, it was amazing. He not only seemed relatively old he hoofed himself up on to this contraption and manoeuvered this machine with immaculate precision to form a large terracotta jug in barely no time. He showed us his kiln which he’d built himself, it’s incredible how the people here work purely with what their land has provided them. 

Pole Pole/Slowly Slowly

Since arriving in Tanzania I have done quite a lot but also feel as if I've been relaxing a lot! The pace of life here is so relaxed or as they say in Swahili "pole pole" meaning slowly slowly, this perfectly sums up the Tanzanians’ attitude and way of life. So here is a glimpse of the Peace Matunda School and Orphange compound and surrounding areas where I will be living and working for the next six months and have slowly been getting to know.

A chicken outside my bedroom window!

pretty maua (flower)

Flight!

Before I talk about my first week in Tanzania, just look at this, being a novice to this long distance flying lark I was transfixed to the window and flight info screen!

I did each post a few days ago and I've written a few posts but going to gradually upload them due to temperamental internet connection!