Anyways, I left you all hanging, I'm sure you're dying to find out what happened with my day on friday. So on Friday, my teacher met me and the other guy at my placement (Nick) and we were going to do our weekly home visits. Every friday the kids don't have school but the teachers go to visit the students and meet with their parents and find out how they are doing at home, and hear about any concerns the parents may have. So this week we were going to visit Laurenti (a boy) and his brother Prosper. Prosper has never come to school, but he has a intellectual disability and is registered, but he has no shoes so he doesn't come. Sad. So we started walking to his house. Everyday when we walk partway home with 5 or 6 of our students Laurenti always is the slowest and now I understand why. We walked about 5 or 6 km to get to his house. He lives way at the top of a hill- and his family is very poor.

When we got onto the road to his house we met his mother and brother, Prosper. They were walking into Moshi (a LONG way) to go the hospital and police station to file a report since Prosper had been badly beaten up by a neighbour -I'm not sure of the real reason, but it was something about a chicken. Mkunde, our teacher, talked to them in swahili and gave her some "posion" - it was something to treat a parasite their whole family had because it is so dusty, and their house is all dirt floors. Their feet look infected and very painful. Prosper was borrowing a neighbor's shoes to go into town. Sigh.

We kept walking up to their house because Mkunde wanted us to see it. It was tiny, smaller than most bedrooms, and it had two rooms. One was for cooking and it had a broken cupboard and a few simple low benches for sitting, and a fire, it had one small wiondow for ventilation (which wouldn't actually do much) and a wooden slated door to the ourside. The other room had another tiny window and two very small beds, plus all their clothing, which is less than I brought to africa by a long shot. 7 people live in this house. 5 kids and 2 parents. The only people home were the two girls, they were 6 and 9. They were very sweet and brought out benches for us to sit on. Mkunde gave them 500 tish, the equivilant of 50cents to buy soap. I had some stickers in my bag so I gave them to them, and they were so grateful. It was sad, but yet the kids were so happy. I can't write exactly how I felt, but I just didn't want to say anything -I felt like such a westerner, some kind of intruder coming to gawk. I didn't like feeling like that at all. We took pics of the kids and I showed them, and then we took pictures of hte house inside. I felt so strange doing it, but I need to show them to people at home. We saw Laurenti watching the neighbours cows in order to get some milk in return, but he just looked away -the teacher said he was likely ashamed of us seeing how he lived. Breaks my heart just typing this.

Then we had to leave, I asked Mkunde if when I leave I could give some of my clothes and soap and stuff to them, and she said of course, and that we would make a special trip. It's sad to think that Laurenti walks to school every day just to have his uji, a porridge made of flour and water. We also put peanuts in it so there is some protein, but it's not enough. He's skinny and hungry- how do you ever learn when you are always hungry???
We stopped for sodas on the way home- so stupid I thought since I would have rather given the money to somewhere useful seeing as I don't even like pop, but my teacher offered and it's disrespectful to refuse, even politely.

It was a day that really cause me to rethink things- I know that giving up all I have won't change their life, but it was such a reality check. I knew people lived like this, and I know people at home live like this, but things are really sinking in, and I know it will take a while to process. That was the bad part of the dream.

The good part came on Saturday when 3 of us went on our safari in Arusha national park. It was so nice just to get away from the home base, AND see more animals. We did a hike, we saw some water buffalo and a really nice waterfall. Joseph, our guide, knew we wanted to see giraffes and we sure did!!! We drove a ways, and saw baboons, giraffes, zebra, bush bucks, buffalo, warthogs, monkeys, birds. Very cool. We went canoeing, and saw hippos, but didn't get too close, good thing!! Though we did canoe through what our guide called hippo country! The water is very shallow, since hippos can't actually swim, and when our paddles hit ground we panicked slightly and wondered whether it was acutally a hippo or just the bottom of the lake. The park contains Mt. Meru, and the lakes were formed when it was still an active volcano, it's only dormant now. Canoeing was so peacful, we couldn't see anyone else, it was great to be so quiet and alone after 5 weeks of togetherness. I also managed to get very brown- Joseph said I am becoming a real african, no longer a mzungu! I like him. Then we did a bit more driving and saw more giraffes, it was good but I was dying to see them upclose. We did pay $200 after all. Then as we headed to the park gate, 8 of them came out of nowhere to cross the road, they were so close!! They are extremely elegant, and I want to be a giraffe one day. We could see their eyelashes, they were beautiful. Joseph said they were coming to say goodbye to us. It was the perfect ending to teh perfect day!

Writing this now, I feel like such a westerner, coming in with my money to go on safari after seeing how people live, and knowing that most of my students have never had the oppurtunity to see these animals. But I know feeling bad won't help, so I guess I have to accept the fact that I can never truly understand someone else's life, all I can do is try, and tell you guys, so maybe we can reconsider some small part of our actions or words.

Anyways, this is a long post, but I feel like I'll be busy this week and the computer will be in high demand, so I'll leave off here. I can't capture everything I see and feel in words, but I hope this gives you a sense of my life here. Love you all, Salama.

-Laura xoxo

Here's a photo (it took forever to get up here). Jill, another volunteer took this and emailed it to me. It's me and baby george at Neema Orphange. He was the sweetest baby, but he won't fit in my backpack so he's still there with no one to cuddle him.

written by  Laura Collins on October 26, 2008 from Moshi, Tanzania
from the travel blog: My Adventure in Tanzania
Send a Compliment

---

to start off with a lighter note before the rest of my comments--when you come bakc home u'll have to take picture with me in front of that white wall in my house again and we'll compare ;)

your description of Laurenti and Prosper's home broke my heart too...
i visited a friend over the weekend and she had pictures of her in Africa helping out with a program. i told her that i had a close friend in Tanzania for a few months volunteering as well and asked her what she thought of her trip (i can't remember what country she said she went to). she told me that it was truly an eye-opening trip...that when she went she had so many plans and ideas that she thought would help. but when she got there, she realized that all the plans she brought with her would never be enough...she was just one person.

i'm so glad that you wrote this post and that others are reading it. it lets us look through a small window to a completely different world...and maybe one step at a time we can help out too.

so laura, thank you...for opening our eyes...
and thank you for being there, because you do make a difference, even if it may not be that evident.

written by  shannon on October 26, 2008

---

Hi Laura,
Dad and I are home safely from Whistler. It was a nice get-away and Dad enjoyed the conference. It was all about inspiration about making a difference. So even though it was a decadent setting, it was worth while. And taking the time to do some hiking and relaxing was good for both of us. Thanks for your
good blogs -- it makes us feel connected to hear what you are doing and feeling. Glad you are taking some time to rest as well. And still having adventures and being socially conscious -- I never worry about that part of you! I will tell Nelly that you enjoyed your time with her friend. Take care, Love Mom & Dad

written by  Linda Collins on October 26, 2008

---

Hi
Our conference theme was about "taking inspiration to action". I talked with Boonie Kent whose school, Queen Victoria Annex, is raising money to build a well for a village near Moshi. She was excited to hear about your trip and will be reading the blog. She is hoping you might share some of your pictures with her students. So although you feel like a "Western outsider" your shared experiences may still be able to make a difference when you are back home. Amy filled us in on your telephone call, so won't try to call until later in the week. Keep having a great time. We are proud of what you are doing.

Love, Dad

written by  Russell Collins on October 26, 2008

---

Thanks Laura. I appreciate all your updates, but I esspecially appreciate this last one.

Would it be rude at all for you to maybe give out shoes to Prosper before you leave? It broke my heart when I read about his immobility due to the lack of something as seemingly "simple" as shoes -- I seem to have lost sight of what it was like when I went on these home visits in Monduli. It makes me realize how easy it is to get back into the routine of taking everything you have for granted. It's time for another trip to Tanzania, methinks!!

I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the safari and didn't get run over by a bunch of angry hippos. I think most people who participate in volunteer projects in Tanzania and also get to take part in exploring its stunning surroundings and animal world have trouble reconciling their desire to help the local people (and the lack of ability to do so) with their feelings of guilt resulting from their ability to just go and enjoy such fun leisure activities (and, of course, the knowledge of a luxurious lifestyle in their home country). I know I definitely grappled with that, and still haven't been able to make peace with it...

Just by showing that you care can make a huge difference though. I send you lots and lots of (virtual) hugs from Vancouver! Love, Sandra

P.S.: Thanks for posting the photo - absolutely wonderful!!

written by  Sandra B on October 26, 2008

---

If you find a way to fit baby George in your backpack I would cuddle him here!

written by  Amy on October 28, 2008

---

I spent some time thinking exactly how to respond to this, but couldn't quite come up with anything in particular. You definitely put things in perspective. What I'm worrying about seem rather petty and shallow in comparison. I think I kinda needed to read something like this. Thank you. An email to follow in a couple days.

Take care,

Geoff

written by  Geoff Martin on October 29, 2008

comment on this...