Programming Part I: English and Computer Class

The Program

Twice a week for two hours, vulnerable and unemployed youth are offered free English and Computer classes. Currently we have two classes. The first has already had a 13-course session to learn basic computer functions and the second is a brand new class, many of whom have never had the chance to even touch a computer. Each class gets one hour for English and one hour for Computers

My Job

Along with Nicole, I am responsible for teaching the computers section of this class. We have used the previous volunteers’ reports to prepare curriculum and we have a translator (Gasto) to help us when language becomes a difficulty. Our main goal has been to have our students become familiar with computers and for them to learn a few things that they can do with them.

Challenges and Successes

The biggest challenge we face is that the students have next to no knowledge about computers. Some have had a little experience, but most are starting from scratch. We wanted to be able to teach the students many different things about computers and have the practice as much as they can. We are finding, however, that due to lack of familiarity with computers, it takes a long time to do simple tasks. Typing speed is the biggest issue and that is compounded by language difficulties (i.e. they need to look at every letter on the board or a handout and then find each letter on the keyboard). We have taken a few steps to help our students become more familiar with the keyboard (we have copies of the keyboard on paper and have had them “type” with them) and we have seen some improvement. Despite the slowness, just the opportunity to even try to type is a huge step for many of these people.

Another challenge (and you, the reader, COULD do something about this) is that we do not have many computers. The most we’ve had in one session was four, but we usually have at least 10-15 students per class. At times, because of battery depletion, we have had one operating computer in the classroom. If you know of anyone who can donate laptops, please contact YCI and they will gladly help you. Even if it were a gift of money to help buy one used computer, it would still do more benefit to the people here than you could imagine. We are also looking to get a projector for the future which would make teaching computers much, much easier since we would be able to show everyone in the class without having to have the huddle around one small screen.

All in all, though we are facing challenges, we have definitely seen an improvement in several of our students. They are more confident using the computers and are able to complete the tasks we give them more quickly than before. I was told that two previous students in these classes have found jobs. Since that is the goal of this project (to help people develop employable skills), I hope that this type of success can continue.

Meet the YCI Staff

Working with YCI in Morogoro, there are three main people that Melissa, Nicole and I work alongside. Two staff members and one volunteer.

Makho has been with YCI the longest of anyone here. Though there is no hierarchy, if there was a boss for Morogoro, he would be it. He does a lot of the behind-the-scenes work for all of our projects and communicates with the YCI country manager (in Zanzibar) who in turn communicates with the Toronto head office. Makho is also involved directly in a few of our programs, mostly the HIV/AIDS outreach (he has twice been an MC). He also takes care of many other volunteer issues, such as making sure our families are feeding us properly and not having us make wallets that need to be on the streets of Beijing by 10 am next Tuesday.


Godfrey deals with us volunteers more often and helps us coordinate with our local contacts when doing programs. He is directly involved in several of our programs and often acts as a translator. He also deals extensively with our homestay families and in particular has been very active in dealing with the police and helping me find information about my case. Godfrey is relatively new to YCI but plays a big role in working with the volunteers.


Gasto is a fellow volunteer but is from Morogoro. He is involved in many of our programs, often in very important roles. He teaches an English Class that Nicole and I assist with. He helps us teach our computer class (by translating and offering help to our students who are always asking questions). Gasto is also a key member of the drama group whose practices we attend once a week and who are a big part of all of our outreach presentations.


With the help of these three (and many others who help us out from time to time), we are able to complete the tasks we are asked to do. Without their help we’d be fish out of water. Beyond what I described, they help with any number of issues that we may have living and working in Morogoro.

More Pictures

Here are a few more pictures from my life in Morogoro. They are somewhat random and definitely not in any sort of order, chronological or otherwise. 1) Some strange mists coming off of the mountains (it rained shortly after I took this picture). 2) Peter, one of the little boys who lives at my homestay. He does not seem to like me very much. Usually when he sees me he cries or runs away as fast as he can. Notice that he is wearing a fleece. If the temperature drops below 25, it's apparently winter time here. 3) A lizard. 4) Gasto was mad at me because I didn't do his homework. Luckily, someone took the machete from him soon after they took this photo. 5) Some dark and ominous clouds slowly coming over the mountains. This was a few hours before the first rain of the season. 6) An inspirational t-shirt I saw someone wearing at one of our events. 7) Ants. 8) The mosquito net/bed in my homestay room. Notice how I am keeping many things nearby when I sleep.

Hope you enjoyed these pictures. More posts should be coming soon (loading pictures takes a long time, but I have a few posts ready to go).

Transportation in Tanzania

There are many ways of getting from point A to point B in Tanzania, though they are not all exactly the same as they would be in Canada or Korea (the two places I have the most experience with). Here’s a quick and short overview of all the options that you have in and around Tanzania. I should also note that Tanzania (being a former British colony) drives (and walks) on the left. This can be very confusing at times because I always think the cars are coming from the opposite direction that they really are. I’m slowly getting used to it and I haven’t been hit yet.

The Heel-Toe Express* (Kutembea)

This is the most popular form of transport in Tanzania. I use it as much as I can because it’s the cheapest and probably the best for my health. Many other Tanzanians choose this, but due to the slowness of this method of transport, it often gets replaced with one of the following in the event that someone is in a rush (which doesn’t really happen all that often here, but there are other reasons for avoiding this particular mode of transport). Not recommended to be used at night alone (even in a group it can be difficult to see)

Dalla-Dalla

Quite possibly the symbol of transport in this country. A dala-dala is pretty much a small passenger van set up as a bus. They are cramped, hot and falling apart (some of them, to be fair, many are in quite good condition). The rides are bumpy but the upside is they are a cheap form of transportation (only 250 TSh – about 20 cents Canadian or 250 won). They also go to pretty much every where I need to go. When I’m in a rush this is what I’ll take. Not a recommended form of transport after dark.

Taxi (Teksi – sounds like “Tex”)

Basically the same deal as back home, but you have to negotiate the price beforehand as there are no fare boxes or whatever they are called. More expensive than a Dala-Dala, but they are still very cheap (about 3000 shillings from town to my ‘hood, 2.50 Canadian, 3000 won). Also, they are a much safer way to travel at night.

Motorcycle Taxi (pikipiki)

Same idea as a regular taxi, except you ride on the back, usually without a helmet. Not recommended for the faint of heart.

Bicycle (Baisikeli)

Apparently you can rent bicycles here. I don’t think I’ve seen many cyclists with helmets here (as in Korea and other places I have visited outside North America). I have yet to try this and am a bit afraid because of the throngs of people and seeming lack of traffic rules. It seems a good enough way to get around if you can brave the streets.

Private Cars

Though there are way less here than in other places I’ve lived, there are still several privately owned cars, as well as many larger trucks (compared to Korea where the small blue truck with goods to sell on the back rules the neighbourhood roads). This is not really an option for the average Tanzanian, but it is a mode of transport so I added it here.

Long Range Bus

Nicer than a city bus back home, but not quite as nice as a Greyhound or Go Bus in Canada and definitely not as nice as the buses in Korea. Usually these go from city to city in Tanzania. They are cramped but the windows open for a nice breeze. The trip we did from Dar Es Salaam to Morogoro took about 4 hours with no bathroom breaks. I will be taking much longer bus rides in my post project travel so hopefully those ones do stop. Not too expensive. For a trip to Dar from here it is about 6000 TSh (approximately 200km).

Ferries

I have yet to ride the ferry to Zanzibar, but will after my volunteering. It’s either $35 or $50 US and takes about 2 hours. Apparently it can be choppy, but the arrival into Zanzibar is apparently absolutely gorgeous.

Airplanes (Ndege)

I will give more info on this when I actually take one within Tanzania, but there are several small airlines that go between cities. I have a feeling they are small propeller planes. Lucky me.

That’s about all I can think to talk about when it comes to transport. I hope this was educational.

* For those who don’t understand this reference, it means walking (and Kutembea means to walk)

Pictures!

I finally found a replacement for my USB cable for my camera and am now able to share some pictures that I have taken. Most of these are from my homestay family. 1) Maka in the sitting room (I'm not sure who that is beside him), 2) Looking from the back of the house to the front, from just outside my room, 3) Looking towards town (and the mountains) from the yard where I brush my teeth, 4) A stampede through a street near my house, 5) the view down the street in from of my house - usually it is not this desserted, but full of children, adults chickens, bicycles, motorcycles and cars, 6) James and I, 7) A friend I had in my room for a day or two, 8) The outside window of my room (if you look close enough you can see the brick sized rectangle they cut out on the bottom of the right hand side).

Food in Tanzania. Chakula.

Breakfast
Since I’ve been here, my breakfasts have been pretty much standard fare, with some small variations. Every day we have tea. I’m not sure exactly what kind of tea it is, but it’s not bad. I don’t have sugar in it, but I think everyone else here does. With the tea I usually get some sort of bread product. Among the various things are: plain bread and butter, chapati bread, and mandazi (dense like a bagel, but sweet like a donut, and in the shape of a ball or square). Lately, I have started topping my breakfast up with some peanuts bough from local stands.

Lunch and Dinner
The second and third meals of the day vary a bit more than the first, though often they are the same on any given day. Generally, there is some sort of starch. The two main ones are rice and ugali. Ugali is described as “dense porridge” but looks like mashed potatoes (or rice cakes) and doesn’t really taste like much. It can be filling and good if it is accompanied with something tasty. It is definitely not my favourite but it is sufficient when you’re hungry. I know my colleagues on Zanzibar have not had the pleasure of having this day in and day out (I can’t believe they’d complain about having rice every day) but I know Melissa and Nicole are not fond of it.

Usually with the ugali or rice there is some sort of vegetable. Often it is beans and spinach (or some other green, leafy thing). Cabbage and carrots or tomatoes sometimes make an appearance as well. Occasionally I get some sort of meat. Most often it is fish or beef, though I think I had chicken once.

Every now and then, I will get something without rice or ugali. I got potatoes in a tomato sauce once and then got cooked bananas another day.

Usually the later meals come with fruit. Usually this is bananas (if you’re wondering, the day I had cooked bananas, uncooked bananas were the side – I won’t be potassium deficient for a while), but I have also had oranges and watermelon, and Nicole and Melissa have had papaya.

Eating Out
Often I cannot make it back to my homestay for lunch, so we eat at a local restaurant. The options are a bit more varied than home. We can get chips (which are basically potato wedges) on their own or cooking in an egg. We can also get some meat on a skewer (not quite the same as the street meat in Seoul, and a lot of it is really just fat), as well as the same foods we have at home, with a bit more variety in the vegetables (and sometimes the meat is cooked in a tomato sauce/salsa).

There are a few places to get more gourmet food, but that is mostly Indian or Chinese and we haven’t had a lot of that.

Drinks
Though I can’t remember the last time I actually bought and drank a whole pop back home, I have had quite a few here. I have become somewhat addicted to Mirinda (made by Pepsi). It’s basically fruit flavoured pop (called soda here). My favourite is Pineapple, which incidentally I had for the first time my second last night in Korea. Other than that, I basically stick to water, which – if you buy it in the 12L jugs - is super cheap, though a bit heavy to carry.

Snacks
I had originally brought several clif bars and other snack foods, but alas, they were stolen so I have had to improvise. I can get small crackers and the above mentioned peanuts for really cheap and am currently looking for other snack foods to help supplement my diet (hopefully nutritious ones).

All in all, the food here is decent and I’m getting by. I definitely have to remember to take my multivitamins (I actually just replaced the ones that were stolen from me – and I got ones with ginseng from Korea – 18 months there without trying it and it takes me going to Tanzania to do so). I’m not starving by any means, though a bit more variety would be nice. I shouldn’t complain though. I feel healthy (surprisingly I haven’t really gotten sick in the almost three weeks I’ve been gone) and this is only temporary. Some of the food is even very enjoyable.

My Homestay

Since I’ve been in Morogoro, I’ve been staying in a homestay with a family and eating most of my meals at the home. The place here is very different from something that you would find in Canada. For starters, the number of people living here is much larger. Though I have not counted, my estimate would be about 15 to 20 people in this house.

The main people that I live with are Maka (He is the English speaker of the house, though he is still learning and communication can at times be difficult. I’m also pretty sure that he doesn’t really live here), his mother a.k.a. Mama Maka, and Eva (not really a sister, but that’s what they call her). There are also several people who rent rooms, but I don’t know their names (remembering names has been a problem for me here, since I have met so many people and don’t interact with them frequently or in situations where I need to know their names). There are three little boys in the house: James (the oldest at about 3), who smiles at me and will answer me if I ask him questions in Swahili, Peter and Abdul (the last two are pretty much terrified of me). Generally everyone here is nice and when my stuff was stolen, they were very supportive.

The house itself is large, but very basic. There is a wide hallway down the middle from the front to the back. At the front of the house there is a sitting room where I usually eat my meals. Along each side of the hallway are the rooms. Mine is at the back of the hallway. As I was told before I saw the room, I have a roof, but not a ceiling. In theory, I could throw a ball all the way to the front room of the house, since the walls do not go all the way up to the ceiling. I have a lock on my door and since the robbery I have think wooden boards on the windows (which were previously just mesh and cardboard).

I have a soft bed and a fan, table and chair in my room. The floors and walls are just concrete, but not too dirty. I have a light and a power outlet, though we get frequent outages (which often come at night and are annoying since I don’t get a breeze in from the window anymore).

Across the hall from my room is where we store the buckets of water (the water shuts off around 2 or 3 I think) and the washroom and bathing room. The washroom is not what one would expect back home, but it’s passable. The bathing room is really just a room with a tap and a drain (not even a shower). It’s been bucket baths (actually not that bad, and it saves a lot of water) since I’ve been here.

Beside the bathroom and bathing room is a side door to an outdoor area where all the dishes and clothes get washed (hand washing will be a whole other post) and hung. It’s also where I go to brush my teeth (“at least you have a bathroom sink!” – there’s a good inside joke for some of you). All in all, I’m dealing with the conditions here, and am able to feel clean and rested.

I wish I could add some pictures but so far I have not solved the mystery of the missing camera cord, so that will have to wait.

Sigh...

I haven't updated my blog in a week, and I'm sure many people are wondering how things are going. The truth is there is a really good reason for me not writing as often as I would have liked. I actually was even in the process of working on some interesting updates about my host family, food in Tanzania, transportation in Tanzania, but all of that was cut short sometime between 11pm on Wednesday and 6 am on Thursday last week.

To put it simply: I was robbed. As I slept no less. What happened was the mesh that served as a window to my room, was cut from the outside and everything within arms reach of that hole was taken. The unfortunate part was that there was a table right beside the window and on that table was a lot of stuff. I lost my laptop, almost all of the books I brought - including guidebooks, a dictionary and several books I was going to read to keep my sanity, all of my medicine in case I get sick (though I thankfully was spared losing my malaria pills), my multivitamins, my sunglasses, my camera cord (so I can't upload any pictures at the moment), most of my energy bars, and many of my toiletries (though I have my soap, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrush).

Luckily, I still have my passport, my money for traveling and all of my clothes. So it could be worse.

I have had a lot of help and support from my family and YCI in contacting the police in an effort to track the thieves (I'm told there is a chance I will get some or all of it back - though to be honest, hoping I will get it back might be harder on me than losing it all). In the grand scheme of things it is just stuff which can be replaced. However, it will be difficult to replace the things here, which has been the toughest part since pretty much everything I brought with me was for a purpose and now I am without some vital things (let's hope I don't need a lot of that medication).

So that's why I've been a bit MIA lately. The police are kind of slow here (and I'm told sometimes they need money to actually do their job - fun times, let me tell you), but everyone is telling me to be patient and they will get my stuff back.

As for my blog, I will still try to post every now and then, but don't expect pictures (which is a shame since there are some good ones). I will try to find a cord here to upload them, but if not, when I return to Canada I will share what I have.

Until next time...

Remember that time we climbed a moutain in Tanzania? (no, not Kilimanjaro)

Written October 4th, 2009

Yesterday, Godfrey (one of the two YCI program managers) took Nicole, Melissa and I hiking. We were accompianied by Gasto (a Tanzanian volunteer that we will be working with), Maka (the English-speaker in my homestay), Paolo (the English speaker in Melissa and Nicole's homestay), and another friend of theirs.

It was not a very long hike, but because I have not been as active as I usually am (over the last few months), it was a moderate challenge. It was also very nice. We had decent weather (mostly cool with clouds in the morning, and then more sun as the day went on).

This is a pretty common hike for YCI volunteers in Morogoro (as I had seen by reading the blog posts of many of those volunteers). We didn't go all the way to a peak, but we did stop at a spot called morningside. It is pretty much just a flat grassy area with a good view of Morogoro. There is also an old German hotel, built in 1911. It was pretty interesting. We signed a guestbook and someone there gave us a short tour of the building. Not bad for 1911.

Anyway, it was a long day and even now my legs are still a bit sore. Here are some pictures from the day. 1) The red earth that is common around here, 2) A waterfall, 3) The view from Morningside Peak, 4) Part of the hotel, 5) The group of us (L to R: Me, Melissa, Maka, Nicole, Godfrey, Paolo, I'm not sure (I have a bad memory for names), and Gasto; notice how everyone but me is doing the tough pose and I'm doing something different... )

Karibu Morogoro!

Written: October 3rd, 2009

Before I begin, I should note that free time is at a premium here, and often I have other things I need to do to stay sane, so I am sorry in advance if I miss some time. I will do my best to keep people up to date, but if my schedule this first week is indicative of my future schedule, the entries may be less than stellar. I will try my best though.

I guess it has been a while since I last wrote (not including the previous entry which I probably posted at the same time as this one. A lot has happened since then. To keep things interesting, I will use this post as an overview and then go through one by one the major things about my life here.

We (assume I mean Nicole, Melissa and I, the three YCI volunteers here) arrived in Morogoro on Wednesday night and were brought to our homestays. I will be as honest as I can. My first impression was not one of being happy about my situation. I'd be lying if I said this was the worst place I've stayed, but it is definitely the worst place I've stayed more than a few days. The house is basic, though we do have electricity (when there is not an outage), running water (sometimes, I think only in the mornings, but I have not asked). I have a bed and a lock on my door. I also have a fan (not the first night) to keep me cool while I sleep. The Hilton it is not, but I should be able to survive here for the next 7 weeks (me having already completed my first week... well almost). The facilities (i.e. the washroom) are not what one would hope for, but I will say that it's suprising what can seem normal when you don't really have a choice.

The family I am staying with is very nice, though basic English is a bit of stretch. Still, I am learning a bit of Swahili and we understand each other mostly (my Swahili-English dictionary comes in handy often). The food they make me is edible and tastes good. I probably won't be seeking it out often when I return, but I am pleased. There is a strong emphasis on white bread and white rice, but surprisingly I am feeling mostly healthy and energetic (this might be the multivitamins at work).

Mosquitoes are numerous (I've killed 7 today... I really should have started with a tally), but they don't seem to bite me. One of the other volunteers (not sure who) has a theory that the malaria pills make me less enticing. Any medical professionals (or soon to be medical professionals – I know I should have both reading this) want to comment? I've been bitten a few times, but so far I have had no signs of malaria, yellow fever or Japanese encephalitis (or any other mosquite-borne bugs).

Morogoro is definitely very different from any other city I've lived in (since I get this question a lot, you'd think I'd have an easy time explaining things, but I don't, so specifics will have to come in bits and pieces over time). Some big things that are noticeable: 1) No traffic signs (rules?): for those of you who live(d) in Korea, this place makes Seoul look like a well ordered city when it comes to traffic. And they drive on the left, so I'm always forgetting which way to look for traffic. Hahaha. It's all ok though. 2) Buildings are very basic. This is hard to elaborate, but as I post pictures, you will see over time. 3) There is sand/dust everywhere. I have to clean my feet when I come home. 4) People talk to/greet each other much more often than those in any city I've lived in. Honestly, there are more differences to list and I could probably write a blog post on all of them (maybe I will if I have time, tough I think that is unlikely.

As for what I did the first few days in Morogoro. Orientation and tours of where we will do our projects was the first order of business. Things are coming into focus and I've actually been assigned some of the projects. The only ones I'm not doing (see the post about the projects) are the Secondary School HIV/AIDS club and working with the older PLHIV kids (though I probably will help with them). I will be busy planning I think, but it does look like I will have a good time and be able to use my skills to help people. There will likely be much more (perhaps I'll do a very in-depth post on each project I am working on) at a later date here.

We have met many people here (I have forgotten most of their names) but as time goes by, I'll probabl do formal introductions of all the important people in my life here.

As for now though, this post is getting way too long (congratulations if you managed to get this far). Sorry, but I don't have many pictures of Morogoro now (you'd understand why if you were here – more on that later), but I will try to get some shortly (the post after this will have some). Thanks for reading and keep on keeping on!

Tutaonana! (See you later – yes, I am a language snob, get used to it).

Two Days in Dar

Written: September 30th, 2009

I'm writing this on September 30^th, though it may be a few days later by the time I get it posted on the blog.

The first two days in Tanzania were spent going through a lot of information during Orientation. All six volunteers were present (three of us going to Morogoro and three others going to Zanzibar). We went over a lot of things, which was difficult for me because I was pretty tired from the long flight and I was unable to get a good sleep either of the two nights we were there. That being said, it was good information that we got, and hopefully I can remember some of it when it comes time to actually start working. It was also a good way to slowly get acclimatized to a new place and to get ready for an even bigger jump to Morogoro (more on that in a later post).

During the first two days I really didn't get to see too much of Dar Es Salaam. We arrived late at night and stayed in the hotel all day until dinner the first day. After dinner we got to go to a nearby Internet Cafe and write my first post. The second day was also orientation (with lunch at the same place we had dinner) and then we got ready to go to our respective communities.

Though I didn't see a lot of Dar, I did see some and saw some interesting things. 1) There are people everywhere – and many are sitting around, selling things. 2) Almost everyone was selling something. Fruit, water, snacks. The level of commerce is pretty high and it's nice not to see big name stores everywhere – though the guarantee of quality goods goes down without a reputation – but I will take my chances here. Well that's about it really. I didn't see much. I took some pictures to show at the end of this post. The pictures are 1) The six of us (L to R):Evan, me, Tyler, Stephanie, Nicole, Melissa. 2) A view of Dar from our Hotel's roof. 3) Streetview outside our hotel. 4) My breakfast this morning (those who know me well may be shocked that this is all I ate until about 1pm).

If you're wondering, yes, I did make it to Morogoro and I am in my homestay as I write this (but with no Internet connection, you'll have to wait to get it... or will you). I will write more about my homestay when I can. Really, I have only been here a few hours and have just got settled (and I have to get to bed soon anwyay).