Run for the World Tanzania

Kilimanjaro Marathon

Tomorrow morning along with 20 of my fellow VSO volunteers and staff, I’m heading for Moshi at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro to take part in a 5km run on Sunday as part of the Kilimanjaro Marathon.  A few of my intrepid colleagues are doing the full or half marathon. This is to raise money for VSO’s education programmes, where a little can go a long way.  Please help to make a difference by sponsoring me.

If you wonder what difference you can make then please read my colleagues Peter & Debra Martyn’s description of one of the schools they’re involved with from their own blog (which makes great reading) - http://debra-peter-martyn.blogspot.com/2012/02/after-thirty-minute-walk-from-our-house.html.  I’m sure it will make you appreciate your own education…

 

Dancing under the Stars

The beach bar made of old dhows

After spending such a fun Christmas in the village, I decided to go back for New Year.  My brother and I set off in the afternoon and took a detour onto the coast road as the main road was rather busy.  This coast road was partly tarmac but most a dirt track (or rather sandy as we were so close to the sea) and pretty potholed so it was slow going.

We stopped for a drink and for Phil to catch up with an old friend.  Msumi is a Tanzanian rasta guy that Phil has known since he first came out here 14 years ago and it had been a while since they last saw each other.

Phil with his pal Msumi

Msumi and his German wife run a small beach resort consisting of a few chalets and rooms back from the beach and then a bar plus seating areas right on the beach.  The bar is made of former fishing boats (or dhows) and all looked very atmospheric.  Msumi was delighted to see Phil and made us very welcome.

When we arrived at Shadya’s, the cooking was in full flow and everyone was chilling out inside.  We went for a little walk down to the lakes before the sun disappeared and then started to watch a couple of DVDs but no one was really concentrating – they were all counting down to midnight.

Edward larking around

There were a lot fewer of us this time.  Shadya’s sister and nephews were there, along with lovely little Edward (who I have a real soft spot for), the guys that live on the farm full-time (there’s five of them) plus a couple of friends and three others from the village.  It was great to see the kittens too.  They were charging around and thriving.

Dinner was ready about 10:30.  We had chicken pieces coated in spices and deep fried together with chips and salad plus more delicious mangoes.  Then we got the sound system hooked up to the generator and started dancing on the dirt patch outside the front of the house.

Edward showed off his moves and everyone joined in.  I was getting more familiar with the Tanzanian and other African tunes by now and recognised several from our get together at Christmas.  As midnight approached we charged our glasses/plastic cups with sparkling South African wine and toasted the New Year.  Then we carried on dancing.  Phil was the first to head off to bed about 12:30.

Cheers!

At around 2am my sister called and I wandered away from the house so that I could hear her.  The bullfrogs started up and provided some musical accompaniment to our conversation and I became really aware of the multitude of stars above me.  Out in the country the lack of light pollution meant the sky was really clear.  It was a magical moment, being out in the bush whilst talking to my sister back in the UK.

Shadya and Maria show how it's done

We all lasted until about 3am when one by one everyone crashed.  Some in the other bedroom, some on mattresses outside, others on the chairs and sofa.  I shared a bed with my brother for the first time in many years!

The following morning everyone was a little jaded and took a while to get going.  However we needed to get ourselves organised as Shadya’s uncle, aunt and cousin were coming to visit for the first time.  She had only recently got in touch with them as they were related on her mother’s side and she’d lost track of that part of the family when her mother died.

We got a big feast together with more delicious pilau, rice and salad and barbecued beef fillet in cajun spices that was really tender and spicy.  Mmmmm…

A family gathering

It was very relaxing sitting under the shade of the trees eating, drinking and for Shadya and Maria getting to know their family.

We chilled out for the rest of the afternoon whilst the goats, chickens and ducks wandered around near the house and eventually headed back into town (with another stop off at Msumi’s beach bar on the way back) around 7.

Not everyone was partying at midnight...

All in all a rather fun way to start 2012!

 

Challenging perceptions about Africa

Is this your image of Africa?

My New Year has started in a social whirl of impromtu ‘hanging out’ with other volunteers in the evenings and weekends, so I’ve been a little neglectful of my blog.  Whilst I gather my stories and photos together, I wanted to share an article by Jonathan Kalan in the Huffington Post that one of my VSO colleagues based in Kenya shared with me (thanks Andrea): 

Africa Not Fit For Print; The ‘Light’ Side Of The ‘Dark’ Continent

In the West, Africa is often portrayed as a victim.  Images of children with bloated bellies and flies around their eyes waiting for food in refugee camps abound as do the stories of rape, conflict, corruption and poverty. Read this thought provoking and well written piece and reflect on how you picture Africa.

During my time in Tanzania which is just one country in a diverse continent of 54 independent countries, I will do my best to portray all of its facets.

Finally to challenge your perceptions, read this posting on the Top 10 Myths about Africa .  Please comment too!

 

Underneath the mango tree(s)

'Birthday Boy' Edward and I

My first Christmas in Tanzania was spent in true local style.  My brother and I set off late on Christmas morning heading up the coast towards Bagamoyo (45 miles north of Dar es Salaam).  We stopped off at the supermarket, which apart from the cheesy Christmas music; check out girls with flashing Santa hats and the tall, slim young man dressed up as Santa Claus felt just like any other day.  We got a few extra provisions including a birthday cake as one of the boys was celebrating his birthday on Christmas Day.

The roads were pretty quiet as we headed out of the city.  There were signs of the flooding that was so bad only the week before.  Most of the river beds were dry again but there was evidence of where the water had cascaded down leaving debris in its wake.  Then a bit further north there were houses near to the road still under several feet of water.  We got held up for a while at the town of Mekete, which had a bustling market of fruit, vegetables, second hand clothes and lots more plus plenty of daladalas picking up and dropping people off.

Shadya's 'White House'

After Mekete, the roads were pretty quiet and at a little village beside the main road we turned off onto a narrow sandy track.  We twisted and turned for a couple of miles into and out of big hollows full of water past a few dwellings and a couple of grand houses, then got our first view of Shadya’s (my brother’s girlfriend) house.  She bought the land a while ago and has spent the last year having the house built to the complete surprise of my brother.

The house is on a plot of 17 acres, some of it planted with fruit and vegetables, some of it still grass land.  There are lakes and swampy land at one side of the plot and mango trees everywhere.  We arrived to find Shadya stirring a big cooking pot on a charcoal fire outside.  This was to be our pilau for lunch.  She’d just added rice to tomatoes and spices.  We sat down and immediately sampled a mango that had fallen off one of the trees that morning.  Sweet and delicious, the juice dripped off our chins.

Juicy mangoes

Then some introductions as there seemed to be plenty of people around.  Shadya’s sister Maria who lives at the house full-time, her two sons Elias (16) and Enock (12) who were back from school for the long holidays, four young men (around 17/18) who help out on the farm, a few family friends, neighbours from the village and three orphan boys who joined us for the celebrations.  I didn’t meet everyone but at one stage did a head count and we were about 40 people!

The 'kitchen'

I got the grand tour of the house, which is very impressive.  There is one main living room with kitchen area, two bedrooms, a shower room and a loo.  Everything has been beautifully done (coving, recessed spotlights, granite work surface, and lovely tiles on the floor) but it’s still a work in progress.  There is plumbing and wiring but no electricity or running water yet – that’s a future project.  However there is a borehole with water pump a short walk away and a small generator that was used to power the fridge and in the evenings.

Outside the house is another block with a toilet and shower and a small banda for the chickens.  All the food preparation, cooking and washing up is done outside around the chicken house.

The mango grove

About 50 yards from the house is a grove of mango trees, all about 100 years old.  They have been a important part of the village and according to Shadya were where the young girls came to learn how to be women – a kind of initiation I guess.

Lunch is served

We set up tables, chairs and mats under the shade of the trees and then the food was ready.  For those sitting on the mats (segregated male and female and a mix of adults and children) they got a big tray of pilau and sauce and all dug in with their hands (the right only as the left is considered unclean) rolled and kneaded the mixture into balls to eat it.

Our Christmas lunch

The rest of us helped ourselves from the bowls on the table.  There was pilau with goat (two goats were slaughtered the day before especially for the feast), a tomato based casserole with goat, potato and chillies; a pea, tomato and onion casserole, plain rice and kachumbari (a salad with onion, tomato, chilli and lime juice – very refreshing).  We also had slices of fresh mango and pineapple.

Edward - 10 today

Then it was time for the birthday celebrations.  Phil surreptitiously brought out the cake.  Shadya had fun trying to keep the candles lit in the breeze long enough to bring over Edward, the birthday boy who was 10 to blow them out.  We all sang Happy Birthday and everyone got a slice of the rather tasty chocolate cake.

With full bellies some of the group slept, others cleared and washed up, some of the boys kicked a ball around and then we had a little dance competition.

DJs galore

Also under the trees was a small generator, connected up to some speakers and a laptop with Elias, Enock and several of the boys taking turns playing DJ.  Just shows how technology can work in the most rural of settings.  The boys popped, gyrated and impressed us with their dance moves and the winner got Tsh. 2,000 (about 80p).  Shadya even joined in at one stage.

The party carried on into the evening with motorbikes coming and going with both people and provisions (mostly crates of sodas and beers).  When anyone new arrived they were fed and watered and joined one of the groups.  Eventually we were just a couple of groups, some chatting, some dancing.

Lala salaama (sleep peacefully)

Quite a lot of the group had already stayed up all night drinking and dancing.  So one by one they crashed out – some on the little verandah outside the house, others on mattresses, some in cars, or on the sofas and chairs in the house. Shadya very kindly gave up her bed for me and slept on the floor alongside all covered up like an Egyptian mummy.

At about 1:30am I chatted to my sister, brother-in-law and mum back in England.  We’d tried to set up a Skype call but couldn’t get a signal on the modem.  However there was enough of one for them to call me on my mobile.  It was kind of surreal talking to them and visualising them at their house in London whilst I was tucked up in bed in the middle of the bush!

Shadya and Abdallah

One thing I was really aware of was the difference in humidity.  In the village it was much fresher, cooler at night and far less sticky than Dar.  Also being out in the middle of nowhere it was really quiet (once the generator went off). With no light pollution as well the stars were fantastic.  I spent ages just staring into the sky.  As most of the conversations were going on in Swahili, too fast and complex for me to follow, the stars were a lovely distraction.

Elias & Phil on BBQ duty

The following morning started slowly with breakfast outside.  Tea and coffee with milk fresh from a neighbour’s cow, some of the mangoes that had dropped from the trees overnight and delicious mandazis (little deep fried cakes – sometimes they’re more like doughnuts) flavoured with ginger and other Zanzibari spices.

Boxing Day was BBQ day with Phil and nephew Elias on duty.  Phil marinated chicken wings, beef sausages and beautiful beef fillets, created a makeshift barbecue and we savoured the results with a glass of wine. I made a big salad as my contribution.

Edward grooving

Later birthday boy Edward entertained us.  He came out of the house dressed in a black suit, white shirt, pointed black shoes about four sizes too big and a massive pair of sunglasses and proceeded to dance like a professional.

Sun setting off the clouds over a peaceful landscape

Before we left in the early evening, nephew Elias took me on a tour of the plot.  Up beyond the water pump and the produce (cassava, tomatoes, chillies, ground nuts, watermelon and more) were cashew nut trees, more mangoes laden with fruit and then the lakes.  We watched the sun set behind a fantastic cloud formation and I realised just how relaxed I was feeling.

What a beautiful setting, great food and great company.  I’m very excited to be going back for New Year!

Happy asleep in the rice basket

PS Forgot to mention, there were a couple of tiny kittens at the farm, Jonsina and Happy.  Having left my cats behind in UK with new owners it was great to have a feline ‘fix’.

 

Volunteers, celebrations and doing development differently

Can you spot me amongst the volunteers?

It’s been a busy time of late, apologies for the blog silence.  The week before last was VSO’s annual volunteer conference.  A chance for all the volunteers based in Tanzania (about 80 of us) to meet up, share what we’re doing in our placements, discuss VSO’s strategy and priorities globally and more specifically in Tanzania and let our hair down a bit…

This year the conference took place at an Episcopal training centre close to the commercial docks in Dar es Salaam – rather basic accommodation and a bit remote from anywhere but we made the most of the opportunity.

The 'girls' on the dancefloor

It was fascinating finding out more about the health, education and secure livelihoods programmes (I’m in the latter which is all about opportunities for wealth creation) and some specific additional projects that volunteers have taken on in their communities.

On our second night we had a DJ after dinner so got sweaty on the dance floor to some great local tunes.

Also, alongside the Tanzanian mainland celebrating 50 years of Independence (it then officially joined with Zanzibar in 1964 to become Tanzania); VSO was also celebrating working there for 50 years.  Quite an achievement and I pay tribute to the more than 2000 volunteers many of whom worked on the front line – teaching in schools and working in hospitals.  One of my colleagues fondly remembered being taught by VSO volunteers when she was young!

Aboard our very own volunteers' daladala

As part of those celebrations, we were invited to an evening reception at the residence of the Canadian High Commissioner.  He lives in a very modern house on the posh ‘Peninsula’ and made sure our glasses were refilled often.  However, getting there was rather an adventure.  We’d hired two buses that got stuck in heavy traffic so one overheated and broke down.  We were left standing by the side of the road waiting for the other one to come and collect us.  Two buses crammed into one - my morning’s travel to work isn’t that crowded!  There was relief all round when we eventually arrived and the first glass of chilled white wine was very welcome.  That evening was also the official unveiling of a DVD done by one of the Canadian volunteers (who is a TV Producer).  Great job Robert.

VSO volunteers near and far (Kenya, Uganda and the Philippines)

The following morning, VSO had organised a seminar, entitled ‘Doing Development Differently’ which was looking back at how development has been done over the past 50 years and ideas for the future.

There were government ministers (Tanzania, UK and Canada), High Commissioners and invited people from civil society all present.  One of the most radical comments came from the Country Director of UNICEF who said she wanted Tanzania to be like South Korea and make the shift from being a major recipient of aid to becoming a donor to other countries – very interesting as a recent piece in the Citizen highlighted just how much aid Tanzania receives (they call it a ‘beggar’ and say it’s just behind Iraq and Afghanistan…) Our Tanzanian facilitator said that his fellow countrymen needed to stop expecting someone else to sort out their lives.  Tanzania was a very resource rich country and could sustain its self. The event got a lot of press coverage which is great for VSO’s profile.  Here’s what the Guardian said (the Tanzanian version).

Lunch at the British High Commission

Then it was on for lunch at the British High Commission – a few speeches and some very English lasagne followed by tiramisu and fruit salad!

I could get used to being wined and dined…

 

Fancy Do’s and Impromptu Barbecues

The buzzing marquee

This week brought home some of the contrasts of life in Dar.  On Wednesday night, courtesy of my brother (as a ticket cost nearly three days allowance), I went to the five star Movenpick Hotel in downtown Dar es Salaam for Beaujolais Nouveau night.  It was easy to tell that this was a major event from the queues of fancy 4X4s and slick saloons queuing up to get into the car park.

Walking past the swimming pool we were greeted by the sight of a large marquee in the grounds with tables & chairs set out around it.  Sponsored by a number of local firms and organised by the Alliance Francais this is a big social event.  With around 500 people (mostly ex-pats and upwardly mobile Tanzanians) the party was soon buzzing.  We found a table inside the marquee and enjoyed our first glass of ‘Nouveau’ – a good vintage I’m reliably informed.

Queues started forming pretty quickly for the several food stations and as there was a large fan at the end of one, we joined it.  It’s just starting to get into the hot season here, so it doesn’t cool down much in the evenings. The high humidity means that it’s easy to spend the whole day in various stages of stickiness to downright pouring with sweat.  Not very pleasant but cheaper than paying to use a steam bath!

Heaven on a plate...

Once we got to the food I got very excited.  There were numerous wooden platters full of French cheeses of every variety.  Soft, blue, goat, pungent, oozing.  I’m sure I started to drool.  It is possible to buy cheese here but most is imported and it’s pretty expensive, so not within my normal budget.  In fact, the only cheese I’ve had here has been on a couple of pizzas.  So this array of fromage was very exciting.  Throw in some French bread, wholemeal rolls, parma ham and salami and I was in heaven!

Sam & Steph sampling the 'vintage'

The wine kept flowing and in between the formal speeches we had entertainment in the form of acrobats that formed human towers (except for the one who walked straight through a plate glass window when making his entrance and spent the rest of the evening in the hotel clinic having the nasty cuts to his leg bandaged up).  They were followed by two rather androgynous looking guys in skin tight leopard skin body suits.  They were contortionists and wove themselves into all kinds of weird and wonderful shapes including when one wrapped himself completely around the other’s waist like a belt.  Quite something…

I eventually got home around 11:30 which is very late for here.

Last night was a much more low key and informal event.  During the frequent power cuts we had a couple of weeks ago, I got to meet my neighbours properly.  Next door to me is Clarifel, another VSO volunteer from thePhilippines.  A couple of doors down from her lives Thomas, a Canadian long-term volunteer and a couple of doors from him is Carl, who is working for the NGO Solar Aid for six months and is living in the house of a former VSO volunteer.  We all got chatting and sat outside as it was much cooler than being in our respective houses with no fans.  We said that we must do a barbecue one night, so last night it happened.

One of the guys Carl works with went to buy the barbecue so he got charged local rather than ‘Musungu’ – foreigner prices. They sell these barbecues in various sizes by the side of the road just down from the US Embassy (about a mile and a half from where I live).

BBQ Tanzania style

I went down to my favourite fruit and veg man in the morning to buy the salad ingredients.  He has most of his produce hanging up in his little shop in clear plastic bags, then a few shelves with fruit, spices and onions/potatoes plus a counter with bowls of loose rice, kidney like beans and sometimes peas. I came away with two bags of tomatoes (nyanya – about 18 altogether), three thick stumpy cucumbers (tango), a bag of four green peppers (pili pili hoho), a few onions (kitunguu), a bag of eight or nine carrots (caroti) and a large mango (embe) all for less than £3!

Later in the afternoon (once it got cooler – Saturday was particularly hot and humid), Carl and I went with my colleague Mary (who lives nearby and speaks good Kiswahili as she’s Kenyan) to buy meat.

At the end of my road is a shopping area called Namanga.  It’s about a 10 minute walk. There are a variety of shops on the main road and plenty more bars, stalls and shops in a little maze of back streets.  These are narrow, winding, dirt tracks where it would be easy to get lost.  Mary’s butcher was a small shop in one of these lanes, consisting of three chest freezers, a small booth in one corner and a wooden table with a calculator on it.  Mary did the introductions and the guys opened the freezers/chiller cabinets to show their wares.

First on the list was beef, fresh in that morning.  We asked about the best cuts for the BBQ and they recommended the fillet.  So they took out a kilo which they trimmed the fat off and cut into reasonable sized chunks with a large scythe like knife.  All for less than a fiver!  We also came away with beautifully fresh red snapper (changu – cut into fillets) for the same price as the beef and two whole chickens all cut up.  Now I know where to go for my meat…

Carl in action

We ventured a little further and found a guy selling freshly made popcorn – an enormous bag for 40p – so we had one of those.

A little further up the alleyway was a doorway with a big open yard behind full of charcoal.  We had to buy the bags to put it in separately which the guy then filled up for us and the three of us trudged back up the street laden down with all our goodies.

Carl fired up the barbecue, I made the salad and pretty quickly we were ready to go.  Clarifel came back from work, Mary got changed and came over, Carl’s colleague Katie who is over from theUK joined us as did Thomas.  We set up a table in the little courtyard of our compound for the food and drinks, had a couple of chairs but mostly we sat on the ground.  A great way to get to know everyone.

The beef fillet was delicious.  Flavoursome and tender, it melted in the mouth.  The red snapper was fresh, delicate and flaky and the chicken was succulent.  But we bought way too much meat so we’ll need another BBQ tomorrow to use it up…

 

Escape to Bongoyo

On the pier at the Doubletree

Just off the coast of Dar are four islands that make up the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve.  Of these Bongoyo and Mbudya are popular destinations at the weekends because they are great locations for snorkelling and sunbathing.

Last weekend fellow volunteer Sam, plus two friends Mette and James headed off to Bongoyo for the day.

We started off at Slipway which is where ex-pats and tourist hang out as it has little stalls selling things like jewellery, wood carvings and paintings, together with several shops and restaurants (including the Waterfront, which is a great place from which to watch the sun set).

Local fishermen sorting their nets

The ferry goes from the end of the pier and we were early so we watched the fisherman for a while cleaning their nets and descaling their fish.

After shopping for snacks in the local supermarket we went to the next door hotel, the posh Doubletree and sat in the banda at the end of their pier for a while.  It was interesting seeing the coast nearest to my house from a different perspective.

The ferry itself takes about half an hour but because it was low tide, we first had to wade out to a little motor boat and then transfer onto a bigger one.  The other passengers were mostly tourists, including a big Indian extended family who chattered excitedly, then became rather quiet as we hit open water and the swell increased.

Bongoyo Island

Our first sight of the island was of trees with a couple of small beaches dotted along. Then we saw a much bigger beach which was our landing point. Again we had to transfer to a smaller boat to come ashore. Unfortunately a couple of the Indian women misjudged the tide getting onto the beach and ended up going for a swim fully clothed!

The entire island (apart from the beaches) is covered in dense forest and has a few walking trails, but only few people venture there.

The beach is dotted with little huts (called bandas) which provide good shelter from the midday sun.  Also, there is a local restaurant (well a hut where they did the cooking) selling fish and seafood with rice or chips, so Mette and James ordered octopus and calamari for later.

Sam enjoying her beer

As it had been raining for most of the previous day the water was rather cloudy, so it wasn’t great for snorkelling. We went for a refreshing swim instead.  There was quite a strong current so we kept drifting towards a small boat anchored just off the beach.

We had a little rest (pumzika) after lunch (I tried some of James’ octopus which was delicious). Then Sam and I had another swim, leaving Mette & James asleep under the banda. We watched these three Chinese guys daring each other to dive off the rocks on one side of the beach.  They took ages to leap off and performed rather spectacular belly flops (ouch!) but were soon back for more.

All too soon it was almost time for the last boat to depart.  We waited on the beach whilst the boat guys ferried us from the little motor boat back onto the bigger one to head to Dar.  The rain that had been threatening all day came just as we got close to Dar.

Back to Dar

I really enjoyed chilling out and escaping from the hustle and bustle of Dar.  Also, it was lovely being in the sea rather than a swimming pool.  However, it costs two days allowance just to get there, so I’ll have to save up for my next trip.

Once I got home I noticed that I was glowing.  With it being overcast for most of the day I hadn’t realised how strong the sun was.  Ouch!  My sunburn took a few days to calm down…

 

So what am I doing here?

Having now been at work for the past three weeks, you might be asking, “what am I doing here?”.

The organisation I work for, BEST-AC helps strengthen the private sector through enabling trade associations and membership organisations to lobby government for change on regulations, taxes and levies.

Tanzania's flag

In order to understand why this is necessary, here’s a little history lesson to set it into context. Tanganika gained independence in 1961 (so it’s celebrating its Golden Jubilee this year) and became Tanzania in 1964 when it formed a union with Zanzibar. Its first president, Julius Nyerere (affectionately known as Mwalimu or ‘teacher’, his previous profession) introduced a concept called Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah) which was the basis of all social and development policies.  Ujamaa is a Kiswahili word for extended family and essentially means that a person finds themselves through their community.

In practice Ujamaa meant nationalisation of the main industries; people working through co-operatives or collectives (such as farmers); the Government being the main employer; fostering self-reliance through the individual and community, plus the introduction of free and compulsory education. In effect it was African socialism.

In terms of bringing the country together as a cohesive unit, with a national language (Kiswahili), reducing infant mortality, raising life expectancy and the adult literacy rate, Ujamaa was a great success.  Tanzania is one of the most stable African countries, even now, with none of the horrific ethnic massacres of neighbouring Rwanda or Kenya.

Julius Nyerere on a 1000 Shilling note

However, economically Ujamaa did not work and due to high taxes and nationalisation, bribery and corruption became rife.  This was compounded by the oil crisis of the 1970s, a war with Uganda in the late 1970s and collapse of commodity prices (such as coffee and sisal).  In 1985, Nyerere stepped down as President.

Also, as a result of Ujamaa, there is not a culture of entrepreneurship and business, like in neighbouring Kenya.  So Tanzania is playing catch up and slowly trying to become more economically sustainable.  However, there are still plenty of barriers to doing business.

This is an annual survey on the ease of Doing Business across the world.  Tanzania comes 131 out of 158 (and has gone down over the last few years) http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/tanzania

Against a backdrop of multiple regulations, taxes and levies, BEST-AC, which is funded by the British, Dutch, Danish and Swedish governments, provides grants and funding to membership organisations, such as Chambers of Commerce and trade associations, such as the Agricultural Council of Tanzania.  These grants enable them to have effective dialogue with government to change policies, laws and regulations.

A couple of examples of where BEST-AC’s funding has made a difference:

JA Tesha, a coffee grower from Moshi near Kilimanjaro

The Association of Kilimanjaro Specialty Coffee Growers (KILICAFE) advocated for the removal of levies on farmer coffee produce and the deregulation of the coffee auction market. As a result, the government removed three percent of taxes and levies from coffee auction prices, increasing farmers’ revenues and allowing for more investment.

RULU Arts Promoters advocated for a change in music copyright laws and enforcement processes to stimulate growth in the Tanzanian  music industry. As a result, the government restructured its enforcement activities and gave support to a draft amendment to a legislative bill. In  addition, more artists have registered their work with the government, whilst royalties collected and distributed have increased.

My role will involve coaching and mentoring of staff that BEST-AC are either fully or partly funds in advocacy and communication roles; helping organisations to more effectively communicate internally and market themselves to increase their membership and working with the University of Dar es Salaam Enterprise Centre, which runs training for membership organisations.  Well, that’s the theory anyway – we’ll see how it evolves in practice…

 

Celebrating Tanzanian ex-pat style

Kwang's - a fabulous party venue

It was my birthday last weekend (the third one I have celebrated in Tanzania – as the previous two times I visited also happened to be in October).  This year, my lovely brother Phil organised a party for me at his friend Kwang’s house.

Kwang lives on the Peninsula (the posh part of town where the embassies, swanky hotels and lots of ex-pats are) in a rather large house with a swimming pool (as you can see from the photos). Phil had bought beef fillet, lamb ribs and sausages that he marinated overnight in a variety of herbs and spices and stocked the fridge with beer and wine.  He and I arrived earlier to set up as Kwang had taken his kids away for the weekend.

Lounging by & in the pool

Most people (friends of Phil – many of whom I’d already met last year) arrived at about 4pm and pretty quickly several of us were in the pool.  Having had the sun on it all day it was beautifully warm and refreshing. I stayed in for a couple of hours and only got out because my fingers had turned seriously prune-like!  Having started the party up on the back balcony, everyone else finally joined us.

Steve with the chicken that lives in the loo

One of the girls, Jane, who works for Oxfam over here, went off to get changed in the outhouse and came rushing out screaming.  She’d closed the door and discovered a chicken behind it that sleeps there!  I shooed it out for her and it strutted around the garden for a while and then back to its hidey hole until Steve, Phil’s Australian friend decided to give it a cuddle.

After a team effort to get the BBQ’s lit which involved chopping of wood as well as loading of charcoal, much discussion and rumination (by the men of course – what is it about men and barbies!), we enjoyed succulent meat, salad and fresh bread after the sun went down.

The girls get into the groove

Then the speakers came outside (so that Kwang’s kids could sleep) and the dancing started.  Around the pool made a great dance floor. With work the following morning, I bailed out when Phil’s girlfriend Shadya left, but understand the party went on until the wee hours. These ex-pats sure know how to let their hair down…

The 'wild' gang

It’s great to have a taster of this lifestyle now and again.  However the normal life of a VSO volunteer is very different as you’ll get to see in future posts. Will write about what I’m doing work wise soon as I’m still in research and induction mode.

 

Hanging out near The Mucky Shop

My local shop...

Part of the deal of being a VSO volunteer is that you get your accommodation provided.  Depending on where you are in the country and the organisation you have your placement with, this can vary from the very basic to the luxurious.

Home Sweet Home - Dar style

Mine is in a little complex of eight small houses down an alleyway off a busy main street full of shops and businesses. It’s a main route for the buses (daladalas) from the rest of Dar es Salaam onto the Peninsula, which is where many of the foreign embassies or High Commissions are, together with a lot of ex-patriates.

My house has a sitting room, bedroom, bathroom and kitchenette.  It has been upgraded in comparison to the rest in my compound so I have tiles on the floor (rather than just painted concrete), air conditioning units, a fridge and a kettle (the last three are not provided routinely), along with ceiling fans, a bed, a sofa and chairs, built in wardrobes, a small electric hob with oven and windows plus mosquito nets (the other houses just have mosquito screens).

I’ve been slowly getting myself unpacked and settled in.  I had to postpone my first attempt to cook the other night as the power went out for an hour (this happens regularly in Tanzania – and elsewhere across Africa – not enough capacity for the demand they say).

I have a series of shops nearby selling everything from bread & milk to cleaning products and vegetables, plus a few clothing ones.  Then there are the street sellers with their charcoal fires and huge woks deep frying chips, samosas or doughnuts (not usually together).  This is my local one  where the ladies are very friendly – I’m sure Mucky doesn’t mean dirty over here…