Robbery Update

It’s been more than four weeks since I was robbed in the middle of the night and I thought I’d share what’s happened since. There was a period where it seemed like the police were doing nothing, but about two weeks ago, we started to get promising information. Several times, we were informed about people being arrested who were involved in the crime. Hope that my things would be returned started to increase. However, as time went on, the police stories started sounding more and more alike: “We’ve caught someone. They know where your computer is. We just need two days to go get them.” Then two days later we would go back and the story would be the same, except it would be a different person that they caught. Some of my friends here say that the police are very corrupt and will not do anything about it unless I bribe them. Others say they are working very hard. I’m not sure what to believe. I have contacted the Canadian High Commission and I think I will get them to make an inquiry on my behalf next week – if I can get the police officer’s name and number that is.

As for how I’m doing without my things, the answer is quite well. Yes, I miss being able to read my own books, or use my own computer, but for the moment I have found alternatives (YCI has many books I can borrow, and I have use of their computer with which to type emails and blog entries, etc.) I’m not sure what I will do about that once my volunteering is over and my traveling begins. I have replaced what I need to replace so far and am going to replace other things when they are needed (for example, my travel books which were to help guide me on my trip).

I have also had some good news from home. Many of my items are covered under my insurance with Mastercard. Since many of the things were stolen recently, I will likely be able to be compensated (at least financially) for the things I lost. Luckily for me, this also includes my computer.

I hope to be able to dedicate a third post to this topic (if/when the police are successful), but I am not holding my breath. This was a difficult thing to deal with (especially so early into my trip and not having even read many of the books that were taken), but I have survived and when I go home, everything will be replaceable. That’s the important thing – though I definitely would be happy to get a call from the police saying they need me to come in and identify my things.

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...