Thank you for all who have been following my Tanzania blog and I apologize for not blogging more but my internet access was limited! I'm back safely in the states and feel as if I could write a whole book about my experiences but I'll just simply update you on the past week or so!
So Samaritans Village Orphanage was on two Saturdays ago. It was quite different from Rehama's...actually quite depressing and hard to be there. 27 kids live at the orphanage and it was apparent they do not get the attention they need/deserve. They were fighting for time with each of us and acting out because of it. They were mean to one another, always making each other cry. We brought them huge bags of gifts which slowly seemed to disappear because kids were hiding them places in their rooms - survival mode for them. Some of the younger kids were even peeing themselves wherever and whenever and no one noticed...this was one of the most emotional days for me because it was so difficult to see the kids lacking they love and affection they need; and then seeing how their behavior has been affected. I fell in love with John, a boy who could not speak but could understand everything I said. I spent most of the day with him which was more of a blessing then I could ask for. We slept at the village in the visitors house and then attended a 3 hour church service the next morning that was all in Kiswahili...hard to understand!
I got a new roommate and new homestay. It was so hard to say goodbye to my first homestay but I knew I would see them again. My second homestay was very different from the first. I grew to liking them more as the week went on but never felt quite at home like I did with the first one. At one point I felt homesick from my homestay :) The second family was extremely patriarchal so it was interesting to observe this difference. I did get my bucket showers which was nice! I was able to go to my first families house after school one day and spend the afternoon/evening with them! They were so excited to have 4 daughters that night :)
The last week of school was so fun and much better than the first. We finally felt as if we understood our roles in the classroom and the teachers did not just leave whenever; instead they provided more direction as to what we were supposed to be teaching (instead of just saying, teacher whatever you want). All 75 students I had were in one classroom all week so it was pretty chaotic but I got many laughs out of it. The last day of school was Friday and different grades put on performances for us all. The show was like over an hour long and the dancing and singing was the most amazing and beautiful thing ever. All of us were in tears that whole day. We are the first group to EVER spend an extended amount of time at their school. I think it is safe to say that we made an impact at St. Margret's.
Friday night we became tourists which is always a weird transition but we were ready for a break from the craziness. Saturday we went on a walking safari in Arusha National Park which has the most beautiful scenery. We walked with warthogs, giraffes and cape buffalo (our guide had to load his gun because they were becoming angry!). We walked to a waterfall and all jumped in together too. Saturday we shopped at a market then went to Moses's house for a bbq which was so much fun!
Sunday we left for safari to the national park I had been to before! We stayed at the same tented camps so it was neat to be back there again. We safaried Sunday night, Monday morning/early afternoon and Monday evening. The group bonded even more, we saw all kinds of animals including lions and a cheetah kill! Our driver let us enjoy beer the last night on the safari so it got a little wild including getting out of the cruiser and being able to pick up a huge turtle :)
Our last day in Tanzania we got taken out to a rural Masai Village and welcomed by the elder. We sat in their traditional mud (cow dung) hut and introduced ourselves to about 15 Masai, and then they introduced themselves to us. They were dressed in their beautiful attire and had the most breathtaking faces. They prepared an activity for us which included milking goats! So we went outside with the Masai and they helped us milk goats...following, we got to drink the goat milk (please God I hope I don't get sick)! It was one of the most AMAZING experiences I have ever had and felt so welcomed by the people. Two of them spoke English and one of them even asked for my phone number...so funny! We said our goodbyes and went on our way!
Leaving Tanzania was very hard. Our group of 10 bonded so well and I am so grateful for all the new friendships that came out of this trip. Traveling and working beside 9 others who share my same passion for teaching was so special. The experiences I had were rich and moving and simply reinforced my love and desire to someday live or work in Tanzania. I'm overwhelmed by the joyfulness I had while I was there and will soon be planning my next visit there which will be more long term :) Thank you for supporting me in this journey and I look forward to sharing more with you all...
Love you,
Analisa
