We Went To a Soccer Game. Oh… you mean a Football Match.

In my first four weeks in Morogoro I have twice been to a football match (I once asked about any soccer games and people were very very confused). The first was a local game. There was a local under-17 team playing a team made up of some policemen. There were hundreds of fans at the game, lining the sidelines (which were not really defined). The U17 team was very skilled and was doing well considering the police had a size and age advantage. Whenever the U17 team scored, the fans went crazy, running onto the field to celebrate and dancing on the sidelines. Near the end, the police team thought they tied the game but the ref called back the goal. Some pushing of the ref ensued and the crowd rushed onto the field. The game was called and we left very quickly so as to not be involved in the growing soccer riot (sorry, football riot).

The second game was at Jamhuri Stadium and was less well attended – probably because admission was charged. The game was more formal with sidelines and three refs (the first did not have linesmen). The game was interesting, but lacked the appeal of the crowds going crazy for every goal. I got to try some sugar cane at the game (see the picture). You chew on it to get the liquid out and then you spit out the solid bits when it doesn’t taste so sweet. I didn’t see if this game ended in a brawl as we left before it ended.

Obviously soccer is a big sport here in Tanzania, but that’s another post for another day. Here are some pictures of the two games: 1) The first game. The police team is in yellow. Notice the crowds. 2) Some children sitting near me at the game. 3) Fans running onto the field after a goal. 4) Sugar cane. 5) The second game (notice the lack of crowds). 6) The view of the mountains from the stadium.

Programming Part III: Street Side School English Class

The Program

Four days a week, Gasto teaches English at a school to help students catch up to their peers. It allows them to condense four years into two. Gasto teaches with very little resources, often just a chalkboard and chalk. The students range in age from about 10 to 16 or 17. Many are poor and often miss class because their parents need them to work to make money. Of about 45 students enrolled in the class, only 15-20 show up on a regular basis.

My Job

Since this is a long term project, my job (along with Nicole) is to assist Gasto in any way we can. We observe him in class twice a week and offer suggestions as to how to be a more effective teacher. We also spend some time talking to Gasto about his plans for teaching as well as help him make tests to give to the students. We are also going to be helping Gasto write a report for this project, which is essentially his and not ours.

Challenges and Successes

There have been many challenges facing Gasto and the class, besides the ones mentioned above. Gasto, though a very willing and enthusiastic volunteer has never been given the chance to learn from any teachers, thus he has a lot he can improve upon. He has, however, taken many of my suggestions and has even said that he feels like he is improving. Gasto has the right attitude and the patience to be a very good teacher. I hope that I am able to give

him a little push in the right direction.

A wide range of abilities of the students is also a big issue. Some students are able to read well, while others cannot read at all. Gasto has been working very hard with the whole class to improve these abilities.

We have noticed a large change in the classroom from day one, though there are still many ways in which things can go smoother. I hope that I am able to share with Gasto some of the things I have learned in my few short years of teaching. I also hope to learn from him, since I am a firm believer that everyone has something to offer (at least in the field of teaching) and that even the students often teach the teachers.

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.

Poetry Inspired By My Food

Ugali - A Haiku

ugali

white tasteless mush

given to me every single day

I hate it

Ugali, Ugali

Ugali, ugali

Why must you torment me?

What have I done to thee?

I only came to this place,

To help the human race.

But here is where I met you,

Now, whatever will I do?

Ugali, ugali.

Every day I hope to find,

Something that will put my mind,

At ease when it’s time to eat,

Maybe some rice, maybe some meat.

But here is where I met you.

Now, whatever will I do?

Ugali, ugali.

Every time I see my food,

I hope and hope and then I brood.

I hope that when the lid comes off,

There might be some stroganoff.

Or even plain rice would be fine.

But, no, those foods won’t be mine.

Ugali, ugali.

When I see your lumpy white mush,

I get the urge to stand up and rush

Right out the door and run away.

I hope that soon will come the day,

When I can eat real food again.

That doesn’t make me go insane.

Ugali, ugali.

You will be the end of me.

You don’t believe? We shall see.

Nutrients, where have you gone?

There are more of you in my lawn,

Than in this awful, awful dish.

Not eating ugali is my one big wish.

Ugali, ugali.

Why do you torment me all the time?

So much that I write so many lines.

One day I will be far from here

And my dinner plate will be all clear

Of you and all your kind,

And that will give me peace of mind.

Communication in Morogoro

There are many ways that people communicate using technology in Morogoro, though they aren’t exactly the same as back in Canada or Korea.

Cell Phones

Despite the fact that other basic services are not always present (electricity often cuts out, water shuts off every day at a certain time, washrooms are more basic than other places), cell phones are almost as ubiquitous as in Seoul (ok, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but most people have them). I have yet to see a land line (though they probably do exist somewhere). Most people buy a SIM card and then have to buy vouchers to put on their phone (I don’t think anyone has a monthly plan or a contract, but then again, I’ve only been here 5 weeks). The cost of a text is about 60 shillings (5 cents), though talking is a bit more expensive. I don’t really have many people to call, so I don’t know much more about them.

Internet Cafes

If you want to use the Internet here, odds are it will be in an Internet café. I don’t think there are many home connections, though the YCI office has one and many offices probably do as well. It’s not hard to find a café and the typical price is 500 shillings for a half hour or 800-1000 shillings for an hour – pretty cheap when you think about it. There are many viruses on the computer that like to jump to memory cards and flash drives, but generally the Cafés are pretty good. Sometimes they are slow, but if you look hard enough you can get a good connection. It was rumoured that you could also connect with your own computer, but since I don’t have mine at the moment, I cannot check that part out.

Televisions

Televisions are not as common as back home, but they are around and not that hard to find. Most houses use antennas to watch television, though some other establishments (like bars, restaurants) have much clearer reception. VHS videos are also popular here and some places sell bootlegged DVD’s (15-30 movies per disc) that can be played on laptops or DVD players.

Radios

The radio is big here. It’s probably one of the most popular forms of mass information. Many people have radios and listen to them for music, news, sports and many other things. Often, music can be heard (at least in my house) blaring very loudly throughout the day (often more than two or three tunes can be heard at the same time).

Newspapers

There are many papers in Morogoro and even some English ones. However, I have not been paying much attention to these and am not sure if they are read a lot (I don’t see many in my neighbourhood).

I’m sure there are other ways of communication, but these are the ones that stand out most to me and my experience here. If I left out anything major (for the other volunteers reading this, or perhaps the YCI staff) let me know and I will revise my information.

Programming Part II: Play Day

The Program
Once a month, Faraja Trust Fund runs a play day at their Home Based Care Center for youth living with HIV. About 50-60 children come for a stigma-free play environment as well as a cooked meal and some supplies to bring home. Older children are also given a chance to discuss HIV and learn about their disease. One goal of the program is to help inform the young adults and to help their confidence. We also took them swimming in a mountain river to give them a chance for a social outing.

My Job
For our time here, October 31st was the only Play Day that would be happening. Since we do not plan the day, our job is basically to act as support for the kids. YCI provides some toys to play with and people to play with the children. We also went to the river (The Rock Garden) with the older children and swam with them for a bit.

Challenges and Successes
By far the biggest challenge is playing with children who, according to my assumptions, have done nothing to deserve living with HIV/AIDS. Even just thinking about children with serious diseases makes me angry and upset so I was a bit worried about my emotions during the day. Most of the time I was able to just absorb myself in the games and to play with the children. When I wasn’t playing, however, I often thought about the challenges facing these children and it made me sad. I’m glad though, that I got a chance to make their lives a little more enjoyable. It’s easier for me to deal with it by thinking that it’s about quality of life, not quantity.

I had also been worried that I might be afraid to play with the children or that a freak accident would end up with me getting infected. I don’t feel happy that I felt that, but I am being honest (maybe something I shouldn’t be doing in a blog). Those worries quickly disappeared when it came time to play though. I took several pictures of the children (though not so many of them swimming since, being poor, many were not wearing more than their birthday suits) playing which are here below.

Pictures: 1) Micah (YCI Country Manager) helping some children skip rope. 2) Me and some children relaxing for a bit. 3) Gasto and Godfrey leading the older children in a team-building activity (I think it was the human knot). 4) Several children colouring and playing on the mat. You can see some of the caregivers in the back. 5) Some children I was throwing a ball with. They really like the camera. 6) Godfrey talking to the older children. 7) Some of the children with the sodas we provided. 8) The pools where some of the children swam and played.

Washing Clothes By Hand

Since electricity is so expensive (and similarly, so are washing machines), pretty much everyone here washes their own clothes by hand. I’ve brought enough clothes so that I only have to do mine once a week (I could probably get by with twice every three weeks, but it’s easier to have a day to do it). I’ve done it five times so far, and I’d like to think I’m getting better at it.

Normally, I take about two hours to go through the clothes I wore in a week (plus any sheets or towels). Some of my friends here say it takes them only 30 minutes to an hour to do theirs. They laugh at me when we talk about how long it takes. I have, however, been getting better and sometimes I finished within an hour and a half. I was pretty proud that week.

Anyway, it’s a pretty simple process, involving three bins or buckets. The first two with soapy water (using the laundry soap I brought from home) and the last filled with just water.

No one really showed me how to do this, though Maka helped a bit the first time and I have had many offers of help from the ladies of the house (which I have politely declined, since I want to do the work myself). My first step is to put about 5-6 items in the first bucket and the soak them and wring the out several times. This gets all the dust out (the water is very brown by the end of all my clothes) as well as any other sweat or other non-stuck-in-there dirt. When one piece of clothing is finished, I transfer it to the next bucket. For socks, I put one on each hand and scrub them with each other. They are often very dirty and I made the mistake of only bringing white socks.

The second bucket is for spot cleaning. I do all the trouble spots (the waist, the collar, any places where I spilled food, etc.) by taking a part of the clothes in each hand and rubbing fast. Once finished here, I wring out the dirty water and put the clothes in the third bucket to rinse them. I do the same thing with the socks as I did before. I usually have an assembly line going for all of my clothes, transferring one set of clothes to the next bucket as they are finished. When they clothes have been in the third bucket for some time, I wring them out and hang them up.

Since it is so hot here and not very humid, the clothes generally dry within a few hours (a bit less for the thin material and a bit long for thicker things).

I also scrub my shoes (they get very dusty here) at the same time.

I’ve found that washing clothes can be very time consuming (there are clothes hung out almost every day at my house), but the work is somewhat rewarding. That being said, I probably won’t be doing this a lot at home, but maybe if I am bored and need to fill a day (and want to save a bit on the electricity bill).