It's the circle of life!

Angora Gora crater, before descending

Last week, while walking down the street in Ngaramtoni, a little girl wearing a green chequered dress, no older than three and no taller than three feet came up to me and in English said,

“Good morning, how are you?”

Surprised by how good her English was for her age, I did not attempt to respond in Swahili as I normally would have, but instead answered,

“Fine, how are you?” to which she responded,

“Pleasant, thank you very much,” and skipped off.

It took all the restraint I could muster, not to take off after her and scoop her up into a huge hug. One thing I have discovered living in Africa, is that no matter how rough of a day it has been, or if things do not go entirely as planned with the project, the people here, especially the children always manage to put a smile on my face and make everything worthwhile.

As far as the project goes, nearly everything is in place. We have a perfect location, near the market and beside government offices for only 100 000 shillings per month, the equivalent of about only $85, and the owner has agreed to clean out the location, paint and provide fix-ups upon receiving first months rent. In addition, all of our equipment is on hold ready to be purchased and last week we had a particularly productive and encouraging meeting with the Mamas in Ngaramtoni. They showed up on time, prepared and enthusiastic to start the project. They even came up with a name for their women’s group; Nasarin, meaning blessed ones.

Unfortunately, just as everything seemed to be coming along exactly according to plan, we encountered a major roadblock. The funding we had been promised from a local foundation which is approximately $16 000 to cover start up costs and a year’s worth of monthly costs may not come through. It is frustrating that the yearly costs of opening a business can be so low in comparison to costs in North America, yet so difficult to come by. Emily and I have spent the last week trying to revise the budget, and come up with a revenue analysis to prove the project is in fact profitable and deserves the start-up funding. Until we find out if the full funding in fact comes through however, there is not much else we can do. Still, it is difficult to stand by and wait to hear about funding while we are in danger of losing our location unless we pay first month’s rent soon.

On a lighter note, last weekend Emily and I had the opportunity to go on a safari to the Serengeti and Angora Gora crater. We got paired with a lovely young couple from Sweden, and lucked out with a fantastic guide, who, upon every encounter we had with an animal, proudly stated its lifespan and gestation period. When a pack of elephants crossed the road right in front of our car, he informed us that,

“Elephants have the longest lifespan of any animal in the Serengeti; forty-five to sixty years, the exact same as a human’s.”

I was slightly saddened by his comment, as it is indicative of the significantly lower life expectancy here in Tanzania. Still, the trip was incredible, with major highlights being watching the sunrise in the Serengeti and later at breakfast having baboons dart through our campsite, having an elephant approach our site in Angora Gora crater, and seeing a pack for five lions about two feet from our car. While the animals in the Serengeti were incredible, the view of the Angora Gora crater was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Before we descended we were practically in the clouds, and once we got to the bottom of the crater it was lush and filled with animals. Although the crater was freezing, and camping that night was even colder, for me, it was the highlight of the safari trip.

So, as our first month in Arusha is coming to an end, Emily and I are preparing to move out of our homestay in Darajab Mbili and into a modest one bedroom apartment on the other side of town. Although the experience of living with a family in a small village has been incredible, it will be nice to live somewhere with full security, and privacy when we need it. Our new place is slightly farther from town, about a half hour walk in the opposite direction, however it is fully furnished with a small kitchen and washroom. It is part of a complex of apartments that hosts mostly international students and volunteers, which this summer, happen to be mostly from Duke and Harvard. Emily and I have been very fortunate to have already developed a great network of both local and international friends. It makes such a difference to have a support system who can relate to many of the challenges that come with volunteering, working or studying abroad in a developing country. It is funny though, we have only lived in Darajab Mbili a month, but it is kind of sad to be leaving this village. We have grown accustomed to the dirt roads and tiny shops and fruitstands.

It has definately been an incredible experience so far.

Now for some pictures from safari!

Emily and I outside of our tent in the Serengeti







The sunrise
Our Swedish friends, Oscar and Lina standing with us in front of a hippo pool

Look closely and you'll spot an elephant in the backgroud!