Recycling/Upcycling African style

Making the most out of a little.

Tanzania is such a contrasting and a varied place. This post is about the amazing ways people create and invent things hear, whether it be for fun, practicality, emergencies, it happens in Africa!

The handmade bike.

Hand crafted bicycle
Made from cardboard, rope, wood and a lot of vision. 

When I witnessed this I was so impressed, gob smacked and humbled and heart melty all at once.

The wheel theme continued...

Good old fashioned fun

Local Boy

Quinn got the bug and made a pretty successful baseball bat

Surgical implements

At first glance you will not know what this stick, my limbs and a few pairs of hands has to do with inventivity. Well fear not, another post will show you the delightful medical procedure that took place in my foot using this twig.  

The boys weekend project

The final product

NB. The antenna is a monkey head, formally on a skipping rope given by me. :/ I was pleased to see it being recycled however!

What I often witnessed and felt saddened by was how quickly this could change, the scenes above can, could and would be heavily contrasted to alternative aspects to this country. The inequality I encountered at different levels and institutions in Tanzania is staggering. The most visible illustration of this to the passing eye, being the huge dominance of  4x4 guzzling safari jeep and toyotas that speed the roads of Tanzania, or the huge commercial developments that are dotted all over Arusha and even in some rural areas. Yes, both of these examples are for the purpose of tourism (don't get me wrong, I do believe tourism has it's positives and should happen, it's just the way it goes about I have the issue with!) and the argument, I know, is that this boosts the economy. The tourism in Tanzania and in Africa in general is BIG big business, but as history and consumerism illustrates and prevails there's only a few who actually feel any of these benefits. 

I know this isn't the best articulation of such issues, this could be a fifth of a badly written blurb on the topic! However I wanted to highlight the contrasts there are in the society here and offer a realistic viewpoint of this. 

These photos alone could suggest something of a stereotyped, media driven view of Africa... of people being poor, having nothing... which to an extent is the case for these kids BUT my point is what they're doing is much better than what their money obsessed seniors are doing to the country! They may be poor because they don't have money but they are happy and rich in life's ingenuity and offerings!

The point is, Tanzania is a beautiful land, blessed with wonderful wildlife and natural resources and the people themselves are clever, inventive and these cases above give us in the western world a lesson to take home, yet sadly all to often, the glamour and bright lights of 'our' western world dominates, creates further divisions and what I am afraid will happen in Tanzania is the gradual erosion of the very aspects of humanity that have been lost in other parts of the world, due to the mass onslaught of so called 'development' and, technology..all things which have created stressed, depressed, money obsessed corrupt nations.

Please Tanzania, don't loose your humanity and fight corruption! 

Calvin & Quinn Adventures

Calvin and Quinn

From March till June Quinn and I shared experiences together in Tanzania. He is from Canada (sadly I have no contact for him since no longer being on facebook...hopefully someone I know will forward this on to him.) and this pictorial account shows our day spent with a boy named Calvin whom we took to visit his family and mother who lives away from where he stays in Kimundo.

Tree, Calvin, Quinn

Calvin lives with his elderly grandmother and his sister/dada/relative Sarafina and a cute little baby toddler. He stays with them so he can attend Peace Matunda school.

He rarely sees his mother as she lives close to her place of work in a flower plantation. 

We all travelled by dala dala: me, Quinn, Calvin Sarafina and Bibi/Grandma and of course it goes without saying: chilckens, sacks of maize, rice and 26+ other people in a 12 seater mini bus! It took about an hour and a half each way but is probably only about 10 miles away.  

The family: reunited

Left: Calvin, From right: Mumma Calvin, Bibi Calvin 

Me (excuse the hair) and Quinn drinking the sweetest chai and eating bread

After we were given the loveliest, hospitable welcome, the family caught up with one another and we said our goodbyes...

Wasn't quite sure who this little tacker was but he was very cute!

....and then the youngsters decided to take us on a "scenic route" back to the main roadside where we needed to get the dala dala. The initial walk was already pushing on a 30-40 minute trek during the rainy season's humidity. This 'scenic route' became more of a jungle/river trek....it was a pretty awesome and memorable day.  These photos don't actually do it justice, Calvin and his pals took us on a wild goose chase at day!

  

          Me and Calvin pushing on through!

                  

Hiding in the maize

Picture perfect! 

Back at base:

Calvin stays very close to the school and orphanage compound so we saw him often: i went to his house quite regularly but even if I nipped to the little duka (shop) I'd usually bump into him or his bibi and sometimes I'd see him down by the river. 

                                         

The little one who he stays with

Fetching water

I miss you

many a night 'on fire pit'

xxx

School Days

PEACE, LOVE, FUN: SCHOOL?!

Yes, that's right. These photos depict the daily peace, love, fun, friendship and that these children of the Mount Meru region experience on a daily basis at school.

Please enjoy these pictures, which I have complied...with fondness and poorly attempted selectivity as there are just so many!

Dressing up: looking pretty bad ass for a school show

Water at the ready

Students dressed for a performance

Peace bro

Smiles in face of the rain

Boys'll be boys!

Natural flower picked for the clay pots

Just adorable

Serious thumbs up business

Rough and tumbles

Ndizi (banana) time! 

              

Teaching methods

My personal favourite: art and design.
Clay mobile phones and flower pots!

Typical classroom

Typical clasroom take 2! Exploring nature

Games: Three legged race!

Riffling through the library books

Little un's

Music and Religion class

Sustainable Staff

Peace Matunda started out with humble beginnings: a single room, one teacher and some international volunteers... now I am pleased to report that it is relatively self sufficient. There is a huge local work force at the school and orphanage, below are just a few of the people who make it happen.

Teacher Raphael: Maasai maths genius!

Mumma Onesmo: 'Dinner Lady' aka makes mackande

Teacher Margaret

Teacher William: couldn't stop laughing for pictures! 

Best smile :) dinner lady/caretaker

Stoic Head Teacher Chris

Farewell and a final little note

This photo was taken in the last month of my placement.

With the 'baby class', one of Adam and I's final lunchtime classes 

At times I felt that I wasn't needed at the school: initially, in all honesty I felt this affecting me on a personal level but quickly I began to feel content with this situation knowing that the goal had been achieved, this wasn't about me but about the hundreds of kids who attended the school and will continue to in the future and the people who it employs in the local area. The opportunities that Peace Matunda is and will create for those in this area are incredible.

What all NGO's, schools, projects and the like intend to set out to do in Tanzania has in part, been achieved by Peace Matunda. There are classrooms for each standard of class, there is a teacher for each of them, there is food set out for lunch and break times and the children are receiving a much better standard of education than their government school counterpart.

Of course there's always room for improvement!? This comes at a grassroots, regional, national and global level and is a topic too vast and contentious to start a conversation about here. 

How to help?

There are two classrooms that need help and attention. When I left at the end of September 2012 they needed some superficial attention, decorating etc...and furniture and equipment. At the time I left the children were yet to move up to the next standard of education, by now they'll be well on there way. 

Paper, pens and pencils are always needed for the classroom and monthly tests.

If you want to help you can find details of what they want and need by emailing coordinator@peacematunda.org and explaining your interest and info on how to help. Here you can be put onto the newsletter mailing list and keep up to date with it's progress.

www.peacematunda.org  

xxx

Peace Matunda: school and orphanage

The majority of my stay in Tanzania was spent living within the compound of the school and orphanage called Peace Matunda situated near a village called Kimundo, near a larger village/town called Tengeru which can be found about thirty minutes from the city Arusha. 

I made bonds of a lifetime here: 

The children who attend Peace Matunda school and live in the Amani House orphanage: 

Two beautiful little ladies sitting in the evening sun: Naomi and Dorah 

Baby Aaron(y) (son of the director) and Itchy the dog in the background!

 I write 'Aaron(y)' as indeed it is spelt as Aaron but when pronounced is an altogether different ball game. Many Tanzanians are named with very traditionally Western names but the resulting sound is often quite unique: a hybrid of cultures I like to think. 

'Trip out' for a soda.

The children would love to go on little trips like this...living in the orphanage can sometimes be quite enclosed for them. Occasions like this allow them to interact with the local people and see their school friends, it's not just about them getting a hit of some sweet glup (yes that's you Coca Cola). Something so simple has huge effects on these young minds: making them feel part of something bigger and involved in their community.

Gladdy and Editha. Cute as pie. 

The people from the surrounding areas of Kimundo: 

Rose and I 

Rose went to the local secondary school but her brother Issac attended the oldest class in Peace Matunda which was STD V when I was there. Rose was a really sweet girl, I visited her home a few times, would always be warmly welcomed by her grandmother who looked after her and her siblings. I think of her often. 

     

The staff at the compound

Afande (guardsman) and I

    During my stay their were two 'afande's' which is swahili for guardsman/police. I got on extremely well with both of them despite the language barrier. The guy in the picture above had the most infectious laugh and smile....the other afande called Motika also really struck a chord with me. He had a passion to learn and also tried to teach me the Maasai language (hopefully more on that in another post). Both of these men came from a Maasai village far away from this community. The two of them did kind of 'terms' where each one would come for a time to work for their communities, some 5+ hour journey away.

These men would spend all hours of the night and day at the metal gate, letting people pass back and forth...they lived at the gate for their 'term'...needless to say I enjoyed to do what I could for them, making coffee, bringing them food, sitting and chatting. 

...and last but not least the other international volunteers who passed through in my time. 

Sorry guys :p prom pic gone bad...

                                  

This is just a picture I love, with 4 out of 5 of the 'older girls' who live in the orphanage.

Margareth, Mery, Me, Doris, Shelagh (Jeska there in spirit).
AKA The Big 5!


Hopefully when these kids are a bit older and start using the internet (which will inevitably happen!) they can see this too. 

I've enjoyed writing this, I hope others can get some kind of enjoyment too...even if not, I'm pleased I'm finally creating some kind of record of this unforgettable time.

                               

Breaking the silence

It has been more than I year since I last posted anything...I wasn't all that good at keeping a blog was I?!

I'm not going to give a long list of excuses, but living in Tanzania for 8 months definitely aided my lack of internet activity (complete cultural submersion/bad internet connection!). 

A year and 4 months down the line I have decided to create an account of my time spent in Tanzania...there are too many to details, too many photos to upload and too many emotions attached to make the account entirely all encompassing however I want to give a brief largely visual overview of my time.

Grinning profusely on a canoe in Lake Dulutti, Tanzania. Approx May 2012

I intend to continue my blog with the next chapter of my life. But for now expect a flurry of posts on last year! 

:)