Things I Could Buy Out of the Car/Bus/Dala Dala Window...

This is by no stretch of the imagination a complete list. It is the things that I observed and remembered to write down. There were always new things to see every time I went out.

Welcome Mats
Bras
Kites
Jewelry
Cow Boy Hats
Underwear
Coat Racks
Radio/TV Antennas
Jack Fruit
Chickens
Coconut Grinders
Peanuts
Cashews
Shoes
Knives
Spears
Fruits & Vegetables*
Spices
Newspapers
Hangers (Plastic & Wooden)
Pillows
Electrified Bug Zappers
Mirrors
Artwork
Chewing Gum
Biscuits
Samosas
Toothpaste
Puppies
Flashlights
Fabric
Tape Measure
Baskets
Levels
Whole Pineapples
Belts
Candies
Caution Triangles
Jump Ropes
Balls
Purses
CD Cases
Cassette Cleaners
Exercise Springs
Steering Wheel Covers
Soccer Balls
Photo Frames
Socks
Towels Maps
Dictionaries
Car Decals
Seat Covers
Stools
Spoons
Hard Boiled Eggs
Cane Knives
Sugar Cane
Candle Sticks
Plums
A Small Child**

Notes:
* This includes a varieties of veggie and fruits, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, bags of oranges, bunches of bananas. The fruits or vegetables that are listed separately are of special note.

** The Small child was really the opportunity to take a photo of the child. The Maasai Mammas would hold the babies and pose for a picture if you would give them money.

At Home!

I made it home. It was a long interesting flight. The second half was rather lonley as I flew alone because teh rest of the group headed home to Minnesota or Washington. I slept really well my first night at home. I was so tired. I think i may be able to beat the jetlag. We'll see how today goes. Dad wants to make today a marathon shopping day. YIKES! He wants to go to Wal-Mart and the Mall. I told him we would see how I'm feeling about the whole thing. My first meal home was Mexican food with real sour cream and it was glorious. I didn't get sick either. Thank you Lactaid. Anyway, I still have half of it in the refirgerator. Lunch!

I hope all of you will keep reading for a bit. I plan on making updates and commentary about readjustment. My aim is to keep it focused on my re-entry process. Look for an offshooot blog comming in later months about life in general and the beginning of nurisng school and fundraising for Nkoanrua.

Check the photo page over the next week as I will be uploading lots of pictures now that I have a reliable internet connection that is fast. I forgot how nice it is.

Have a great day!

The First Step

On my trip back to Arusha, I made a point to meet with Steven Ndosi again. We have been communicating via e-mail regarding our joint project proposal. We met to discuss the logistics of getting the Maternal Child Health Clinic running again. The building is in serious disrepair and needs to be torn down. To make it usable again, it needs to be completely renovated from the foundation up. From what I’ve been told, once the structure is repaired, the government will send more staff. The ward only has one government sponsored midwife at this point and she is very overworked and undersupplied because the government will not send anymore staff as well as minimal supplies because they consider the facility inadequate. The ward is responsible for rebuilding the structure if they want the government to send the supplies and staff.

This is something I have been thinking about for a long time...since my first visit to Nkoanrua. This “wild idea” as Steven has taken to calling it has only grown in me as I have been working on my research paper. I am excited to get home and start the actual foot work for this project. Since I’ve been to the site and talked with some of the players, I saw first hand the need for these services. I’ve discovered the passion for making a difference in women’s lives. Doing something for them makes a difference in the quality of life for the entire community.

I am so wary of disappointing these people, but I know that I can do something to make a difference. The things I’ve learned this semester in my classes have provided valuable insight into the cultural basis for healthcare and some of the obstacles to making quality care a reality. My aim is to not be seen as an outside donor but a partner. From what Steven said, the village and ward are prepared to contribute to the building effort with supplies and labor.

It is encouraging to see these people rally together to better themselves. They have already invested in so much. I am eager to see them continue to invest in their advancement for the betterment of them all.

In this little community, the village council plays an important part in decisions that are made about the community. It’s comparable to neighborhood organizations at home though this one is far more connected to the government.

There is much planning and prep work to be done. This meeting was the first step. I now am charged to go home and start the process of building my team and making all of the things Steven and I talked about a reality. Because of this project, I may be back in Tanzania sooner than later.

Almost Home

I find my self looking at the calendar seeing how close I am to boarding a plane. It seems too surreal. I’ve been here as long as I have though it feels like I should have months to go. There has been so much I have absorbed from this environment and other things in me I’ve had to weed out. So much of this trip has been a personal journey, something that can’t be quantified and summed up in less than a thousand words. There are times that I have not even had words for what my heart would feel towards Tanzania and the people here. I can physically see the needs of people and intellectually process some of the factors that contribute to it yet there is so much that I do not understand as an outsider with such a limited cultural perspective. None the less, I am still moved to do something about it. I’m not entirely sure what form that will take or what that means. I do know the measure of Tanzania I take with me home - not just in my suitcase either. Interactions with individuals, families, and communities have left indelible marks on my personal and career aspirations. I’ve had a clear picture for awhile about the types of things I want to see happen in my lifetime within my career and personal involvement. I think I have found the place for that to happen.

Being in an environment where I am frequently faced with situations and conversations that challenge my personal boundaries and beliefs, I have had to do a lot of introspection and evaluation. I have had to choose to change and grow based on the information I have been presented with and what I have seen for my self. This has been a deeply personal journey. Combining what I’ve learned and experienced here coupled with the things that I had to deal with at home and in myself, it is challenging to sum it up in a pretty paragraph or two.

I know going home is not going to be as rosy as I like to imagine it. I will have plenty of things to continue thinking about. With the MCHC project for Nkoanrua, Tanzania will never be far from my thoughts and heart. After meeting with the Director of Nursing at Muhimbili National Hospital, I know I have an internship waiting if I want it and I have friends that I can always visit.

I’ve met amazing people here who have significantly contributed to my learning journey. Other students have challenged my thoughts as I have theirs. There have been many lively discussions over a plate of beans and rice. For some of us we rarely agree. Others we share a few points. Mostly I take a lot of flack for being an American, voting for McCain, and refusing to talk bad about the government. All the way around though my interactions with other international students have been growing ones. I haven’t had as many Tanzanian friendships as I would have liked. With classes starting late, lack of a roommate for such a long time and then early campus closure, I had limited interaction with the women on campus.
I look forward to carrying home my more global perspective that comes not only from living abroad brut also from interacting with other member of the international community in my little Petri dish here.

Counting down!

My time here is almost up. I have two nights and two and a half days left in Tanzania. I am taking my last final exam tomorrow. I have one textile design to finish and then I am officially done. I have one journal entry to write and then I am finally done with LCCT stuff too. The last thing I have to do is my research paper which I got an extension on. I hope to have it done by he end of the year so it doesn't carry over into my J_term classes.

I'm excited to come home. I'll still have plenty to write about though so keep checking back here every few days as I will continue writing about my re-introduction to so many things I have lived without for a while as well as cultural observations I'll be making.

I miss all of you terribly and I can't wait to see you!