Would you like to Teach in Suji Malindi Secondary School, Tanzania for a year?

By Maureen Mescall

The five graduates of NUI Galway who have been teaching in Suji Malindi Secondary School, Tanzania for the past twelve months have just returned home after a very successful time in the school   They enjoyed their time in the school and have made a great difference to the standard of education.   The school had four hundred and fifty pupils and just two teachers prior to the Irish teachers arrival.  The Irishs taught a variey of subjects as well as teaching English to the pupils in the local Primary School and to the people of the village.  They also made many trips to Kenya, Uganda and zanzibar as well as visiting the Safari Parks in Tanzania.

                                                              A view from the village


Tanzanian Village Renewal are currently looking for three graduates ( with a Degree, Masters or Phd) or qualified teachers who would be willing to spend one year starting in Mid January 2012 at Suji Malindi Secondary School.  We would like people who can teach a variety of subjects but particularly Mathematics and the Science Subjects.   There is a house on site available free of charge to the teachers, food is local and very reasonable, the scenery is wonderful and is particularly great for people who like the outdoor life and hill walking.   Tanzanian Village Renewal will pay 450 Euro per month to each teacher and this amount is more than adequate to have a very good lifestyle in Tanzania.

If you are interested please email me Maureen Mescall at either maureen.mescall@nuigalway.ie or mpmescall@gmail.com

Goodbye Suji Until Next Time.

Goodbye Suji Until Next Time.

 By Maureen Mescall

Do I need to repeat again that I enjoyed my ten days in Suji?  Well just to imprint on your mind I will say it again – I love being in Suji, the people, the children, the food, the air, the unhurried way of life and the marvellous scenery. 

You may remember that we – Tanzanian Village Renewal sent four pallets of used school books from Ireland to Suji Malindi Secondary School at the end of July.  They finally arrived at the port in Dar es Salaam at the end of September and they arrived here in Suji by truck on Sunday October 16^th.    I had asked some of the students to come in early to help to unload the truck and George and Abuhudi were at the school at 6a.m.   The other students began to arrive soon afterwards.   The truck arrived around 7.30a.m and was unloaded in less than an hour.

Dinah, Charlie, Mr. Nyanga, Peadar, Aaron were all working at speed and when the book on family planning appeared it caused great hilarity.  I’m not quite sure how that particular book found its way in with the school books!   By 1 p.m. following a break for breakfast on those lovely mandazis that Eneza made, all the books were in place on the shelves.  I hope the school makes good use of them and that a capable person is put in charge so that the books will be available for many years to come for the students.

My work in Suji was now finished and it was time to return to Dar as I would fly home on October 19^th.  Peadar decided to come as far as Same with me as he wanted to make a film of the mini bus journey down the mountain and also get some footage of Same.  We boarded the mini bus at 5a.m. it was dark and a little cold.  We then started on our journey to collect the other passengers so we headed for the next village, Gonjanza.  There were more people than usual on the bus this morning as it was the start of the new week and we were lucky that we were among the first to board so we had seats. 

First things first in Same so we went to the Parrot Hotel for breakfast.  I was looking forward to the hard boiled eggs, wrapped in mince meat and coated in a batter but alas they did not have them that day so we had the Samos’s instead.   We were the only two white people in Same that morning so as we stood waiting for the Dar Express a man approached us and asked were we were bound for.  Next thing I had my ticket (TZS 25,000 about €12.50)  in my hand and was on a bus note “a bus” not the Dar Express which has a reasonable reputation  - meaning it might get you to Dar without breaking down!   There were several people trying to get on this bus but “my man of the tickets” pushed me forward before many of them and my bag had already disappeared inside.   I was highly embarrassed by this and felt sorry for the other people but now realise that I had paid more for the fare than people who had boarded two hours before me and were also going to Dar!  So money talks it seems!

Every seat was taken on the bus and we started off with great gusto and I thought to myself we will be there ahead of time.   But…..two hours on the road and we stopped!  It was boiling hot in the bus and the sweat was pouring off me.   Luckily I had a large bottle of water with me.  People began to get off and were very calm about the whole scenario while I was getting slightly irritated and voiced my opinion.  Typical European!  Another passenger said “This is Africa, this happens all the time”.  I got out to investigate and could see a log of water underneath the bus – the radiator was leaking and somebody had walked along the road with a big plastic drum in search of water.  The fact that there was a big drum on board made me realise that this was a regular occurrence!   The water eventually arrived and the radiator was topped up and we took off again at speed, only to stop again in the next village.   This time we had real mechanics who set to work and after three hours in the blazing sun we were on the road again.

Having left Same at 9a.m. we finally arrived in Dar at 6.15p.m - a journey that should take about five and a half hours.  When Prof rang me to say that he would meet me at the station it was music to my ears.  Normally I would get a taxi but the heat and exhaustion had finally overtaken me.   I spent a lovely evening with Prof and Susan at their lovely home and it is always a pleasure to share a Heineken and chat with them and I look forward to the next time.

A Day Trip to Same on the Mini Bus

A Day Trip to Same

By Maureen Mescall

Once again I am here in beautiful Suji.   The five Irish teachers are leaving this very scenic mountainous area following one year teaching in Suji  Malindi Secondary School.   Jim, Aaron, Aine, Aisling and Belinda return to Ireland on October 26^th and I came over from Ireland to meet with  them and with the headmaster and the members of the school board to ascertain the feelings of all parties following the end of the school year.  More of that at a later stage but now I want to tell you of a trip I took to Same on Tuesday.

Suji is situated at an elevation of 8,000‘ in the Parẽ Mountains and is about a good hour’s journey from the main road which connects Arusha to Dar es Salaam.   The mini bus trip from Suji to Same takes Same, the nearest large town, takes about an hour and a half.    Mavura  the driver, leaves his on a home in Suji on a motor cycle  ( or Piki Piki as it is known here) around 4.50a.m to collect the bus, which is owned by Suji High School.   Johnnie the luggage organiser is on board by now.    At 5 a.m. he collects the first passengers, and then proceeds to Gonjanza where he picks up students for the High School, passengers for Makanya or Same and the bus conductor and Mr. Moneybags, Timo.   The final passengers are on board by 6.30a.m.and they may comprise of men with suits and briefcases, students in school uniform, women carrying babies on their backs, chickens, bananas, potatoes, mineral crates, oil drums  and small bags, big bags, suitcases and assortment of plastic bags which contain unknown hidden treasure.

Mavura shouts instructions to everybody while he answers his phone and blows the horn at the same time.  Johnnie and Timo hop on and off the bus to let people board, to greet people and to pick up those large plastic bags which are there on the side of the road but are destined for ??  - only Johnnie and Timo know the destination.  Everybody is chatting and laughing and it is one of those great sounds that stay in one’s memory.    Mavura is shouting back to Timo, Johnnie is pushing that man  further  in so that another  person can squeeze inside, but can we close the door though?   Even though I do not understand Swahili, I know some of the passengers are asking and wondering who the Mazungu (white person) is and why she is one the bus.   People are so friendly and want to make me feel comfortable and therefore endeavour to engage me in conversation which I truly appreciate.   The talk, the laughter and even some singing continues down the mountain. 

The road is un tarred, muddy, sharp stones protrude through the earth, and  extremely sharp bends with drains cut across the road in many places to take away the water.  At the moment the area looks barren and lacks water and the river beds are dry.  Even though it has rained each day for the past six days the area still looks as if it needs a very good watering.  The scenery is spectacular.  To our left we see a vast plane in the distance and to the right we see a very fertile valley.  There are many other hills in the distance and the galvanize roofs of the village houses may be seen in the early morning light.  As we look to the rear of the bus we can see that Suji village is shrouded in mist, which is drifting toward the villages situated to the west. 

The bus stops along the way to drop off a parcel, person or bag and to pick more people or goods.  The mini bus seems to be bulging at the seams as Mavura crunches the gears and slams on the brakes while all the time talking and shouting back to either Timo or Johnnie.   There beside me in the front seat sits Mamma Nardi, the woman who could easily run a country.  We have a great chat on the journey and I get to understand a little more of the culture of Tanzania under her tutelage.

We arrive at Makanya at 7.30 a.m., this is the first major stop on route so there is a lot of alighting from the bus, moving of material ( some goods taken off the bus and more put on),  and Timo has a chat with somebody while Mavura honks the horn at an alarming rate.  Finally we are ready to proceed on the final leg of the journey to Same.   Again we are treated to magnificent scenery.  Sisal fields at both sides of the road, lone hills standing proudly in the distance to the left of the bus while the Pare range continue on the right hand side.   A group of ten donkeys cross the road at leisure ignoring the lorries and coaches speeding toward either Dar or Arusha.   The coaches carry such names as “Glory to God”,  “Chelsea for Life”, “Be a good Person” etc.,  we see many herds of goats of goats with the goat herder sitting and watching as his stock graze.   Some sheep of unusual colours and size accompany some goat herds.   I think we only passed one herd of cows.  The cows here are very small and consequently the calves are miserable looking.

The lorry and coach drivers flash their lights at our mini bus and each vehicle we meet seems to know Mavura who in turn flashes his lights, honks the horn and puts his hand out the window and gives a sort of twist of the hands which is accompanied with a shout to the oncoming driver.  Of course if he sees a goat, cow or person who might even think of crossing the road in front of him they get the horn treatment with venom!    The tarred road finishes abruptly at each side and the embankment slopes off into a drain.   Periodically Mavura pulls off the tarred road to pick up or drop off a passenger.   On many of these occasions I had visions of the bus keeling over into the drain and I being on the left hand side would be underneath, the chickens, bags, potatoes and people, but somehow we all arrived safely and without incident.

As we approach Same, the roads became busier with many people walking, driving in cars and lorries and many, many  Piki Piki’s.   We pass the Elephant Hotel on our right hand side which is the scene of many Heineken with my friend Professor Kilonzo.    We arrived at a large bus station which must have about fifty mini buses, coaches and jeeps either standing at bays, or coming in/going out to/ from either Dar or Arusha.   It is very busy and the sounds of traffic as well as the voices of sellers fill the area with air and sound pollution.   Mamma Nardi and I decide that breakfast is the first thing on the agenda so we head for the Parrot Hotel.   This is not really hotel at all.  It has an eating area at the front of the building with red plastic chairs and tables.  Just inside that is a shop which has a good selection of goods for the traveller and each item has a price tag which is unusual as most goods in the region are without this important detail.   The coffee is good and for a change very hot.  We get chapatti’s and  ????.   The ???? is a hardboiled egg covered in lightly spiced mince meat and then coated with mild bread crumbs and then fried.  Delicious!  We had two each!

We parted company and I carried out the business that took me to same.   The mini bus would not leave Same for Suji until 1p.m so I thought it would be good to watch life go by in this town.   I took up position at a large pub/restaurant and with Coke in hand watched the colours of Africa pass by, the lilting sounds of voices shouting and singing in Swahili, the aromas of coffee and spices, the flirting of the women with the well upholstered bottoms with the men on the nearby building site and the constant ringing of the multi tonal mobile phones.   Everybody has a mobile!   There goes a man, woman and a little girl dressed in the robes of the Masaai.  The little girl spots the Mazungo and stares for a second and when I smile at her, her face lights up in a broad grin.  Her father then returns and waves to me.   What a lovely gesture?

I returned to the bus to find people loading up their goods.  A man arrived with a box of chickens and a hen.    Periodically the hen stuck her head up through the hole in the top of the box and had a good look around.   The owner of this consignment of fowl proceeded to check the chicks at intervals and then gave them a good feed of meal.   The interior of the bus was getting hot and an overpowering stink began to ascend from the box.   Luckily I had a few facial wipes with a nice perfume which I stuffed under my nose.  Then I thought to myself “you are reneging on your rural background girl” so I threw away the wipes and suffered the consequences!   The bus gradually filled up with bags of maize, rice, wheat, potatoes, bags and people.    The laughing and talking continued all the way back to Suji while Mavura laughed, honked the horn and flashed the lights.   Of course it is all up hill this time so the mini bus creaked, groaned and at times objected to the load of people and goods but finally Suji was in sight.  Goodbyes, handshakes and see you again from everybody for the Mazungo and a little hug from Timo.   Great trip but tiring.  How do the staff do this every day of the week?

Coming Back to Suji Malindi

Coming Back to Suji Malindi

By Maureen Mescall

The five graduates from NUI Galway who have been teaching in Malindi Secondary School for the past twelve months are due to return to Ireland on October 26^th so I felt it was an opportune time to visit, meet with them and with the headmaster and the school board.   I arrived at Dar es Salaam airport on Sunday Oct 2^nd where my friend Margaret was waiting for me.  I stayed with her for three days and we had many things to talk about as Margaret has been living in Dar for over twenty five years.  I have known her family back in Ireland all my life so we had lots of stories and lots of “tracing” to use an Irish expression.   I find Dar very hot and humid and hate when the mossies begin to attack the ankle!  My destination was Suji so I decided to go there on Thursday as Margaret was travelling to Arusha so it was great that we could have a few more hours together to really get to grips with all the Irish news. 

Moody the taxi driver arrived for us at 5 am and we went to the coach station on the Morogoro road.  Even at this hour there were many people on the road and as we drew nearer to the station everything was in full swing.  Hundreds of people were going about their business; some with hand carts, some with goods on their heads, cars and motor cycles in abundance.  The system for getting a ticket is slightly different to ours in that a person sits there at the side of the road and sells the tickets to Nairobi, Arusha, and Kampala or to any required destination.  The coaches for the different cities reverse in to the parking spots and there is a scramble to get the bags, boxes and assorted items in the luggage compartments.   One is allotted a seat number and mine was by the window by instruction of the conductor while Margaret had the front seat.   I settled myself in and organised my glasses, book and bottle of water and then a girl arrived and said “that is my seat”.  I asked her to show me the number on the seat but she just said it was hers and that seemed to be the end of the discussion so rather than cause any upset I moved to the aisle seat.    It was most uncomfortable so I asked the conductor if I could move at the earliest opportunity so I ended up with two seats to myself.  Great, now I could view the country side.   We left the station at 6 a.m.

This coach is known as the “Dar Express” but I am afraid there is little of the “Express” about it.  On the outskirts of Dar we stopped to take on people who dropped off about one hundred metres down the road.  This continued for at least five miles and I thought to myself that at this rate we would never reach Suji but once we left the outskirt we moved quite quickly.   The coach struggled on the hills but went quite quickly on the flat smooth roads.    By 11.30a.m I began to worry if we were ever going to stop for a refreshment or toilet but ten minutes later the coach pulled off onto an un tarred side road and we arrived in a nice courtyard which had food, shops and toilets.   Many coaches were either  leaving or arriving at the place and there were lots of people taking a break, eating or just taking a breath of fresh air.

 On the road again and the conductor asked my destination and when I told him Suji he said I must get off the bus at Makanya and when I told him I was meeting some people in Same he said “no you must get off at Makanya for Suji”.  He was correct but my arrangement with my friends was for Same.    He was extremely helpful and insisted that he must put the “Wazungo” on the right track!  Anyway we finally settle on Same but when we arrived in Makanya there was the Suji mini bus so I hopped off.  What are these Wazungos like?   They don’t know what they want.   I was greeted by Timo (the conductor) with a great hug and a “Karibu Tena” – Welcome Back!  So we sat there and waited while some people loaded up their goods and themselves.    Then a coach arrived from the same direction and who alights but Aisling, Aine, Sabrina and Peadar, the people I was due to meet in Same.  Would this happen in Ireland?  The mini bus would depart on schedule in Ireland and it would not matter how many people needed to get on it.   Aine and Aisling were two of the Irish teachers who had been in Suji for the past year, Peadar is a film maker and had started a film about the Irish teachers and life in Suji in 2010 and was now here to finish the story.    I was really delighted to meet them all again and we had a great chat on the way up the mountain.   The girls looked great and had a wonderful colour.  Aaron and Belinda were back at the house in Malindi and Jim was away for a game of golf in Moshi.

Arriving in the village after a year away was really exciting and it was great to see the building that we had constructed the previous year.  The inside was now plastered and the floor was finished and both pieces of work were of a very high standard.  The window frames were in place and the next job was to fit the glass and the doors.  The Irish men who worked on the project will be delighted to see the pictures.  

 Rahema was there to greet me (the cook for the men and the teachers).  She has looked after the teachers for the past twelve months and they all loved her and appreciated her very much.    Some of the boys from the school were around the sitting room watching videos, chatting with the teachers and chatting among themselves.  It was lovely to see such a relaxed relationship between the teachers and the pupils.   George, Antonio, Eneza, Godfrey, Abihudi, Richard were all there and as the evening progressed more boys arrived.   There were very few girls about and I wondered if the attraction for the boys was the girls, the TV or the computer. 

The new arrivals; Peadar and Sabrina were installed in the available beds in the teacher’s house so I asked the former chairman of the school board Mr Nyange if he had a bed for me.    I moved into his house and have been there for the past week; treated like a queen, hot water for my morning ablutions, boiled eggs and coffee for breakfast and yesterday the best pancakes I ever had.   More about Mr. Nyange later.  

                                                       Mr. Nyane Relaxing

  Aine, Belinda and I walked through the village to the vegetable shop to purchase the potatoes and veg for the dinner.  I have to admit I felt a bit breathless going up the slight hill as we were at 8000’.   Girls are now well able to make their purchases through the medium of Swahili and were greeting and were greeted by people all along the route.  During the evening I had several chats with the girls who gave me the low down on the school year – the ups and the downs of things.  There were many stories both good and bad.   

Throughout the last week I renewed many acquaintances including Mamma Nardi, Namchani and her parents, Benjamin, Richard, Amos and many more.   I walked on the lovely hills, ate natural food, and walked for a mile to get coverage to call home.   So a slight inconvenience for me – so poor me but what about the people who live here permanently?   They may have electricity for four days and they may not have electricity for two days; they may have water for six days and they may not have water for two days so how do they cope?   They manage and are organised.  On the days they have water they fill buckets for the days of shortage.  They do not waste a drop and re use water for toilets and for watering gardens and plants.   When the electricity is off they use candles and some have gas lamps.   One of the great sights here is to look over the valley to the next hill and see the lights of the houses.  Last night the full moon came slowly up over the hill and was a sight to behold.

The sounds of the night are wonderful.  Here there are no cars or lorries, no street lighting so one can actually hear the flapping of the wings of the horn bill as he flies to the Guava tree for more fruits or the squeal of the bush baby.   The baboons stay in the distance but when there is plenty food about they can be heard and seen but unlike other countries the baboons here are shy.   The sound of singing is a constant both day and night and everybody seems to be able to sing.  Esther, our little neighbour aged five has a beautiful singing voice and her sister Nati has a voice that brings emotion to the surface.  

The day starts here in Malindi when the cocks begin to crow about 4.30 a.m.   The first motor cycles may be heard around 5 am followed quite quickly by the mini bus and the lorry on their way to Same.    Just before 6 a.m. we here the gentle singing of the people as they make their way to their places of work and their gardens.  The children begin to walk by around 6.45 on their way to school carrying their bags and a stick for the fire at school in order to cook dinner.   (Most of the cooking is carried out by sticks or charcoal).  Classes start at 8 am but some children have long distances to walk to reach their school.   The local shops close at 8 p.m. by which time the village is in darkness.   The shops are small and carry the essentials and if they do not have something in stock it will be ordered from Same and be in the shop the next day.   A cow is slaughtered in the Halal method ( meaning lawful in Arabic and the animal is killed by slitting the throat with a sharp knife and draining the blood) at 6 a.m. each Sunday and the people from the village go there quite early to purchase their meat.  Aaron is a dab hand at the Irish stew now!   There is an unhurried gentleness about this village which greatly pleases me.

I am getting a little side tracked so back to the teachers.   The three girls and Aaron are in their early twenties and have grown up in an Ireland of the Celtic Tiger; electric cookers, fridge freezers, washing machines and dryers, liquidizers, electric kettles, washed and prepared vegetables and potatoes in the supermarket, pizzerias, chip shops and restaurants of all descriptions.   Now here in Malindi vegetables were available if in season and were organic and much cheaper.  Cooking was done in the open over a fire made of wood.  Clothes were washed out of door in a bucket and dried on the old fashioned clothes line.   No hot water in the tap for bathing so they had to boil some water over the open fire and wash from a bucket.   There was one toilet bowl and one Asian toilet (hole in the ground) in the house.   Now meeting the four teachers it looked as if they had been used to these particular circumstances all their lives.   They were even getting their shoes repaired with the local shoemaker.   Do we still have such people in Ireland or have we become too posh to repair our shoes?

It was also obvious that they had carried out great work in the school and that they were extremely popular with all the students whose standard of spoken English had improved enormously.   The exams for the fourth form students have just ended and we look forward to hearing their results next February and hope that many students will go forward to fifth and sixth form.    In Malindi Secondary School students are educated up to Form Four which means four years in the school.   If students get good marks in Form Four the Government may choose them to go forward to Form five and six and will pay both their tuition and accommodation fees for them.  Only the best students are afforded this opportunity.   Some students if they are lucky may get private sponsorship or their families may be in a position to send them for further education.   For those who do not manage to go forward the outlook can be bleak up here on the mountain with subsistence farming being the main option.  Some will leave and go to Moshi, Arusha or Dar to seek employment.   The girls will probably marry somebody locally and become pregnant quite early in life.

There is a private missionary school here in the village also called Suji High School.  This school is both a day and boarding school and caters for pupils from all over Tanzania.  There are over eight hundred pupils attending and around five hundred of these are boarders.  My good friend Benjamin who helped us with the building last year is a pupil there and I look forward to following this bright boy’s progress over the years.   This school is extremely well organised and run by a very efficient headmaster; Nicodameous Mashauri who has a teaching staff of twenty four.  A big difference between this private school and the government run Malindi Secondary where there are only two native teachers.   All pupils in both primary and secondary schools in Tanzania receive lunch which is prepared on site each day. 

Professor Kilonzo and his wife Susan arrived in the village on Saturday evening following their long drive from Dar es Salaam.   It was really exciting to see them here in the village as neither the building or the teachers would have occurred without them.  They were the catalysts which inspired our charity to come here.   On Sunday afternoon the village people held a party to say fare well to the teachers and as is the custom in Tanzania we had wonderful food followed by many speeches and presentations to the teachers.   Peadar showed his film of the building of the extension, local farming practices and the teachers arriving in Suji to the locals and they all gave their opinion and offered much valued comments on the production.     Peadar is now finishing off the film by adding footage one year later.

The three girls decided to take a few days break in Zanzibar prior to flying home so they invited Rahema and her family as well as Eneza’s family to dinner on the previous evening.   Purchasing, preparing and cooking dinner took five hours.   We had a most wonderful evening with the children translating for all of us.    The Tanzanians sang their songs and the Irish sang theirs.  This is what life is all about – sharing food, song and laughter.   Many tears were shed by all and we were treated to the great warmth of Africa by each of us receiving a much treasured gift. 

Oh I forgot to mention Aaron is now in the poultry business!   Five hens and rooster and joy of joys five chicks.

       There are chicks there under mother!                                 

                                                                                  Cockeral and other hens

Goats and a cow next year?

More Later describing a trip to Same and return to Dar

The "Mocks" and Safari by Jim Lovett.

                                                      Here we are atop our mountain.!

                                                   Aisling, Belinda, Aaron, Jim and Aine!

All right folks, back with some sort of report from Tanzania. We have started teaching again, a few weeks now, at the beginning it was hard to find anything like a full class since the students are required to

provide 5 kilos of beans, 10 kilos of maize and 5,000 shillings toward their upkeep and payment for their teachers. This is supposed to be illegal in the new corruption free state!

The results of the fourth year 'mocks' came back, and while there was a great improvement across the board - the girls were very happy with their student’s results; for instance 30 of  Belinda’s students from a cohort of  35 passed Geography.   The first and second year students are showing a marked improvement in all subjects as these students are into our way of teaching and we have instilled a work ethic in them.   I, on the other hand received a shock from the fourth formers as only one boy passed - a pass is 21% - he got 54%, the next nearest was 19% and then 6% and there were around 15 students that got 0% and almost as many with just 1%. I knew that ‘my lot’ were not going to do very well but this was a shock.

Then I got to see the exam papers and a chance to judge the marking. I thought that I would start with the 6% paper, on the first question alone - there are 14 questions to be attempted - she would have got 5% from me and an overall 35%, not great but a far cry from the dispiriting/deflating mark she received.  All the questions were marked by a different examiner, they were judged only on whether the answer was correct; thus the mathematical ability of the student played no part in their result. I am nearly certain that the examiners have no mathematical training whatsoever but how to combat this kind of farce??

On a lighter note:  A bunch of us went on safari - a Swahili word meaning journey - where we visited three parks - Manyara, Ngorongoro and Tarangire were the parks we picked and we filled up 8/10 big tents or 3 large safari jeeps to give you some idea of our numbers. A great time was had by all, the guides fabulous and the cook sublime: cooking in the most primitive conditions he knocked up some wonders. We saw all the animals we could want including the big five; elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion and leopard. This was done at a very competitive price with the aid of Andrew Lebabu from 'Lebabu Africa Tours LTD' ph:+25578445210, more on Andrew later. Also we must mention here a guide and tour operator on Zanzibar, her name is Salma and has proved to be a godsend in many ways; houses to rent, safaris on Zanzibar and on the mainland, one day treks, and is in general an all round 'good guy', she can be reached at Ph: +255777431665 and can be found in the Kiponda Hotel where she works, it is a grand hotel at a reasonable price.

Flies in the ointment which cannot be ignored - it would be irresponsible not to mention them - must start with the dangers of Arusha. Here two of our members were mugged in broad daylight and robbed of quite a substantial sum. There were 20 or so people involved in the robbery - quite common we now hear in Arusha - and the police were totally disinterested in the question - which makes one think!  Again Andrew Lebabu was very helpful and went way beyond the call of duty to alleviate the situation. Also there were a couple of bag snatchings in Zanzibar, so being careful is part of the equation here;  still for all that we had a great summer.

Or something like that ... Jim

A piece in the Clare Champion August 18th. 2011

Teachers Sought for Tanzania

KILMIHIL couple, Michael and Maureen Mescall are looking for four teachers to help with their charitable work in Tanzania from next January. The couple run a registered charity, Tanzania Village Renewal, which carries out small jobs in villages in Tanzania, mainly in regard to educational matters. In November 2010, 16 builders travelled to Tanzania for two weeks and built an extension to a school in a village called Suji, which is situated in the Paré Mountains. It is about an hour from the airport at Kilimanjaro and near to the Serengeti and Ngorogoro game parks. The team of builders was led by John Clancy from Corofin and they were assisted by locals from Suji. “Five graduates of NUI Galway also accompanied us and have been teaching in Suji Malindi secondary school and will remain there until December 2011,” Maureen Mescall told The Clare Champion. “Prior to their arrival, the school had two teachers for the 450 pupils. These teachers have been a wonderful addition to the school, where they taught science, mathematics, English, geography and history, as well as teaching English to the villagers. “All subjects are taught through the medium of English in Tanzania. Many former students who had left education returned to the school as a direct result of these teachers from Ireland,” Maureen added. Áine Staunton, who is one of the teachers currently in Tanzania with the charity, says she has enjoyed her sojourn there. “We are enjoying a wonderful year here in Suji. Our surroundings here in the Paré Mountains are beautiful, the people and pupils appreciate our work and we have gained teaching experience as well as a life experience, which we will never forget,” she said. Maureen explained, “We are now looking for four more teachers to replace the four who are returning to Ireland in December. The school year has two terms, January to May and July to December so our requirements are for January 2012. “Tanzanian Village Renewal will support the teachers with a stipend each month, which is more than adequate for living expenses. The people of the village supply free accommodation in a house located on the school grounds and the food is locally grown and wonderful.” The Mescalls first travelled to Tanzania in 1999 on holiday and at the end of the trip stayed for a few days with Dr Margaret Hogan from Killimer, who has worked as a clinical psychologist in Dar es Salaam for over 35 years. Margaret is also a member of the Medical Missionaries of Mary. The Mescalls were very impressed by the work being carried out by Margaret and her colleagues. Maureen returned to Dar es Salaam as a volunteer for the next four summers and taught the staff of the main hospital, Muhimbili, how to use computers. This resulted in the hospital becoming computerised. While volunteering there Maureen was asked if she would be in a position to find funding and men to carry out some work in Vikrouti, which is a psychiatric village/farm outside Dar es Salaam, where patients from Muhimbili go to recuperate and integrate into society following their treatment. Michael and Maureen set about sourcing funds in Ireland and set up Tanzanian Village Renewal, which is registered with the Revenue Commissioners. Following a lot of hard work, monies were raised and 15 plumbers and electricians were sourced who were prepared to travel to Tanzania, which they did in March 2008. They wired houses, offices, outbuildings and workshops in Vikrouti, sank a well and repaired the existing well, which was not working. This work has resulted in the patients having light in their houses, toilet and shower facilities, access to television and radio as well as being able to grow their own vegetables once they had a good supply of water. The charity also purchased 1,500 chickens for the farm, so they have eggs and chicken for the patients and they are in a position to sell the surplus to the hospital in Muhimbili. The men wired a primary school in a village called Rombo, as well as supplying the children with a computer and printer, copy books and pens. All the wiring and plumbing material was sourced in Tanzania, while local men were trained to carry out repairs following the departure of the Irish men. For more information about the teachers in Tanzania, go to nuigalwaysujiteachers.blogspot.com. Anyone interested should contact Maureen Mescall at mpmescall@gmail.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Would you like to teach in Suji?

If you have been following this Blog you will know that five teachers from Ireland have been teaching in Suji since last January.  All the teachers will return home at the end of the second semester and will be back in Ireland for Christmas 2011.  You will also know from reading the Blog that they are really enjoying their time in Suji.   At this time, July 2011 some of their friends and family are visiting with them and all of them go on Safari today to Lake Manyara and nGororo Crater, having just returned from a few days in Zanzibar.

In 2012 some of the teachers wish to return to University to start work on PhD programmes and we wish them the best of luck in their endeavours and thank them most sincerely for their on-going work in Suji.  (More of that later)  So if you would like to go to Tanzania and commit to teaching in Suji Malindi Secondary School for a year we would be delighted to hear from you and give you any information you require.   Please contact Maureen Mescall mpmescall@gmail.com.

Books, Pens, Calculators, Printers, Football Boots & Jerseys and biscuits for Belinda on their way

As you probably know by now, especially if you have been following this Blog: Tanzanian Village Renewal, the charity run by my husband Michael and I are supporting five teachers in Suji Malindi Secondary School in Tanzania, for the past eight months and hope to be in a position to do so for a few more years.  The teachers collected old school books before they left for Tanzania in October 2010 and their families continued to collect more books, football boots and jerseys since then.  Aine's  sister Niamh who is also a teacher collected pens and pencils in her school and also did a sponsored Sky Dive and from the proceeds is purchasing a photo copier for the school.  Niamh is currently on a visit to Suji and we hope she will enjoy the experience and we might even get her to stay on a teach for a bit!!   Aaron's sister  and Jim's nephew are currently visiting also.   Maybe two more teachers???    Noel Murphy, one of the men who went to Suji last year to help build the extension to the school did trojan work up around Ballymacward in Galway in collecting books.   Here in Kilmihil the pupils of both the Secondary and Primary Schools also collected books and donated track suits.   So after all the collecting we ended up with 4 pallets and they are currently winging their way to Tanzania.

Just to prove that they are on their way we took a few pics!

                                          Danny guiding in the pallet with Pat at the wheel.

                                           Michael having a spin on the last pallet

                                           Michael Mescall, Pat McDermott & Danny Breen


Pat McDermott, our neighbour arrived with his Teleporter and loaded onto the truck owned by Eoin Gavin Transport http://www.eoingavintransport.com/  and driven by Danny Breen.   It is great to have pleasant, efficient people like Pat and Danny around.    Michael directed the traffic and made sure everyone was safe and I took the pics! 

We had never sent goods to Africa prior to this so the whole business was a bit of a worry.  What kind of pallets, how would we wrap them, where would we get pallet wrap, who would do the shipping, how much would it cost and a million more niggly worries.   We were very lucky in that we struck oil when we contacted Paul Bergin of AB Logistics  http://ab-logistics.com/ .  Paul was extremely helpful on all aspects of the job, returned emails and telephone calls immediately and was even pleasant when I asked stupid questions.

It will take 40 to 50 days for the goods to arrive in Dar and Prof Kilonzo will get them cleared through customs and will then get a lorry to carry the goods up to Suji which is about 6 hours away.   Let us hope everything works out well and that the consignment will arrived at Suji Malindi Secondary School.   It would never do if Belinda's biscuits were lost on the way!

Jim on a High (Thanks to Tanga) and a Low ( Thanks to T.S.B.)

News: Mr’s Kiange, the mother of the man who had taken us on our mountain jaunt died, she was 98. The forth form mock’s are going on at the moment. The bank at home – T.S.B – has screwed up, again.

Leaving the Mountain is an adventure in itself.   The only way down is through the good graces of the Seventh Day Adventists, we either use their bus or their open backed truck. The fare is now 4,500 schillings - a rise of some 12% recently, inflation here is astronomical.   Anyway everyone get’s up at around five thirty as the bus leaves at six, ostensibly. There are a couple of gathering places, any one of which could be a trap vis-à-vis getting a seat, of which there are about 25.   The bus has been known to hold up to 55 and it’s a tight squeeze.   Why I was sqez in there last week like paint on the ceiling.   The ride down the mountain in the early dawn is highly invigorating and can be hair-raising also, during the rains; there is a tendency to slide all over the very narrow road.   The trip brings us to Mechana, then along the ‘highway’ ( bara-bara ) on into Same the district capital.   All taking about two hours; God and the S.D.A willing.   It’s from here that we explore Tanzania.

A few weeks ago – Easter actually – we hit out for Tanga, a large and, as it happens, very beautiful town on the coast.   From Same it took about six hours. We were making good time when we changed busses in a small town called Kirogway, the bus from there to Tanga – 30 km – could reasonably have taken half an hour as the road is not bad … for Tanzania. We actually took something closer to two hours on what appeared to be the whim of the driver. God and the S.D.A give me patience.

On arrival at Tanga we went straight to a hotel on Independence Avenue – the Sea View, fronting onto the sea - it has a wonderful view of the bay and Toten – dead man’s – Island.  The cook here, a man of Indian extraction proved to be fantastic and an all around good egg to boot may I say.  The boy’s at the hotel, and girl, were wonderful and made our stay very enjoyable, providing us with bikes and generally chauffeuring us around.   They also helped arranged trips to Pangani village with its attendant river and out to a sandbank and coral reef about five miles from the coast.    But am I getting ahead of myself.

It was latish as we booked in, but we decided to go for a swim and dropped down to the sea just below.   The fishermen were - in nautical terms - just ‘pulling in’.   An active fishing spot it was a little too dirty for swimming.   Then one of our crew – Aisling - had the brainwave to hire a small Dhow and sail over to the island, it was a grand trip followed by a grand swim.  We had fish for supper that evening.

The Pangani River is bursting with crocodiles of which we spotted two. In fact we spotted just four crocodile eyes and one snout.   Another interesting sighting will be reported by Aine Staunton in an article coming soon.   A very wide river at its mouth – 400 meters – it is banked on both sides by mangrove swamps and has a real ‘Heart of Africa’ feel. The trip lasted about three hours and was very enjoyable and provided an extra frisson of excitement when one of  ‘our gang’ tried to decapitate herself when she jumped into the crocodile infested waters on the way back – it’s o.k., I saved her … ha-ha.

Getting back to the ‘Indian cook’ – Muresh – the sauces were incredible and his ‘wali qua samaki’ is ta die for.   The sand bank deserves a longer mention but I will leave that to someone else.  It’s time for bed.

Now, on a lighter note, the bank at home: a few years ago these guys left me high and very dry up in Nepal, when for reasons that have never been explained they decided to render my card inoperative – on a whim I believe.   I went to great lengths in my home branch - Galway - to ensure that the same would not happen again.  Great promises and assurances were made – in Galway, mister L. don’t worry everything will run smoothly this time – and do you know what; they have done it again! More fool me. What’s the saying ‘fool me once shame on you, fool me twice…  

Anyways this is Jimmy the beguiled signing off, stranded by the T.S.B once again, this time in Africa.

Or something like that…

Reflection on the Semester by Aine Staunton

I sit here on a Sunday afternoon in Suji and I think to myself, what has changed in Malindi Secondary School since we arrived here on that glorious Sunday afternoon the 1st of November 2010?  A change is a process of becoming different, seeing something within somebody or within the environment around you.   Change is not something that is brought about very easily, it must be carefully manipulated and encouraged.  I have learnt that change is not something that happens very quickly in Suji!

Underneath are a few of the things that have popped into my head when writing this short piece and the positive changes which have occurred in this school.  Although these changes may be small or slight, any change here is a positive one in my opinion.

Surface changes within the school

To begin with there are now more teachers in the school with qualifications.   The teachers that were here prior to our coming and who are currently teaching alongside us, had and have just finished their form six schooling which is equivalent to our leaving certificate.  Before we arrived the students were lucky to see a teacher for a single class on any given day.  Now we have a great timetable and the students have a teacher for the majority of the day even if this is very tiring and exhausting for us teachers.

We have successfully set up soccer, volleyball and netball teams.  It was obvious that these children had never really competed against other schools or enjoyed school sports before.  It is difficult to fit in training sessions and to get all of a team together as they have chores to do at home.  We train every week and have a great set of new jerseys which were sponsored by Aaron’s father and his co-workers.   We have not done fantastically in the school competition this semester but the children have thoroughly enjoyed it and one of our players even had the chance to do some trials for a regional team.  The change here that is most apparent is that someone got a chance and these children are getting a greater chance to succeed in life.  If we had not selected that student to go for the trials he would never have known any different and would never have got such an opportunity.

Corporal punishment …. Disappearing slowly

This is a slow process; we have had countless conversations with the school head master and other teachers explaining to them that this is not the way to deal with students who misbehave.   At the moment we do not see any of the teachers using the cane to administer punishment but this does not mean that it is not still happening.   At our last meeting we discussed punishment of students and decided to have Sunday detention class for any misbehaving students.  The students here are not what you would class as out of control or anything like it.  One of the male African teachers said to me one day when we were “discussing corporal punishment”  that the students to not respect him if he does not use the cane….my argument was why do my students, the same students you teach respect me and I am able to control them without using a long wooden stick.   The teachers have now agreed to only use the cane as a last resort in future.  They believe that this is the African way of life and is needed within this culture.   I am certain that this “way of life” will disappear completely within the next few years especially if this issue is under constant review and education given to the people here on a continuous basis.  

For the first few months teaching in these classrooms was very quiet.

The students in the class would not make a sound; they would not answer questions and would not participate what so ever in a class.  At first I put it down to them not understanding my lovely Mayo accent, but of course this was not the case.  It all connected back to corporal punishment and them getting hit if they answered a question incorrectly.   How can anyone learn if they do not make mistakes?   Six months in and we have now some kind of class participation, not anywhere near what I would like it to be but it’s a start.

Use of the English language in the Village

All pupils in Tanzania are taught through the medium of English.  The level of English within the village has improved greatly.  Students are teaching their parents, we are teaching the younger children and hope to set up some evening classes again in June.  We had evening classes running for a few months but it got way to much with school and sports and everything so we hope to set them up again in June for everyone when school finishes for the summer.

Changes we have seen and hope for the future

We see the changes that have taken place as positive and we hope the people in the village view them in that light.   We hope to give the pupils a sense of self worth and that they will view the education they receive from us as a positive experience and that it will inspire them to further that education.  We are aware of the value that the people of Tanzania place on education and we are glad to be here to help in the process.

Aaron's Management is Proving Successful

Aaron writes about his team.

This is a picture of Malindi Secondary School Football Team sporting the  new football jerseys which were sponsored by my dad and his co-workers at Donegal VEC.     They look fantastic and even though we didn't have the most desirable result for our first match our results have picked up with a very credible 2-2 draw with a private school named Alkachenje and just last Wednesday we played against the neighbouring village Gonjanza with a 2-1 win there. We played without our Form 4's (who normally make up 6 of the starting team) as their mocks begin next week so I was delighted that the younger guys were able to do the job.

The picture below is from our match against Makanya Secondary School. 100 students of Malindi made the journey down the mountain (some hardcore supporters even walked) to show their support for our boys in green.   There I am in the Pic - The White Fella at the end with the assistant trainer Aisling adding the glamour to the occasion!

Belinda's First Day in Tanzania

**Fare thee well Ireland**

If someone told me last February that I would at this present moment in time be experiencing Africa from within its core, I would not believe them.   As a student, I often yearned for adventure and the possibility of travelling and seeing the world.   On June 15th last year I discovered that dreams really can come true.   After receiving an email from Maureen Mescall, co-ordinator of the Higher Diploma in Business Studies (which I had just completed), at the National University of Ireland, Galway, I was presented with an opportunity which I believed was too good to turn down, and to date, is an opportunity  I definitely do not regret.   After what can only be described as a tearful and apprehensive farewell to the ‘Hills of Donegal’, I departed the Emerald Isle on October 31st last on what was to be thirteen months of fun-filled opportunities, tears, laughter but most of all a life-changing experience.

On KLM53102, sixteen Irish enthusiasts and what I most certainly call good-hearted individuals and I made our way to north-eastern quarters of the African Plains.  The group included volunteers to build an extension to Malindi Secondary School and four friends and I to teach in the school for one year.   Touching down in Tanzania at Kilimanjaro Airport , we were greeted by officials from Tanzania’s educational district board and what was to be our mode of transport for our excursion into the ‘real Africa’  … a fifteen seater dilapidated mini bus.   This was the first introduction to African Life!   To call our means of transport small would be giving it more justice than it deserves.   After vigorous unsuccessful attempts to load our luggage and the sixteen people into such a miniscule space, we finally succeeded and were on our way.  

Due to sheer exhaustion and jetlag, we stopped in a town called Moshi on the outskirts of Kilimanjaro Airport and stayed in a hostel for the night.   Even though, I was wrecked, my mind could not settle and sleep evaded me for many hours as I was too excited contemplating what the next day had in store for me.   After listening to the cricket song echoing through the bare walls of our hostel, I eventually fell into a deep sleep.

The following morning, we were awakened to the chirping of different species of Tanzanian birds and the roar of the resident rooster.   After breakfast, we zigzagged along the undulating roads of Northern Tanzania, our Chinese imported bus enveloped in red soil that rose from the earth of this dramatic country.   When we turned off the primary road onto a slip road, I thought we were nearing our final destination, little did I know that we had a one and half hour expedition uphill yet to face.  To this day, it’s beyond my belief how that mini-bus managed to successfully make it up this mountain.   It raved, stalled, juddered and struggled with the over-excessive weight of luggage and people.   I had to endure some wise cracks in regard to my contribution to the weight as my two bags were both bulky and heavy BUT I was moving to Africa for a year after all! 

As we approached our territory for the next year, the screams of enthusiastic students could be heard in the  distance.  Monday, November 1st 2010 @ 2.15, is a moment in my life that will live with me forever.  I was overwhelmed by the welcome the residents of Suji and more importantly the pupils of Malindi Secondary School gave us that day.  I was undecided whether I wanted to cry or laugh.  It was amazing and emotional all at the same time. The enthusiasm of the children as I left the bus was touching and I nearly fell to the red earth of Suji in what can only be described as an over-exciting and heart-felt reception.   The young and old of Suji came together on that fine day and embraced each one of us with the warmest of welcomes to African soil.    Following many introductions, we were seated on a stage and entertained and introduced to African culture.   An unforgettable display of Swahali Music with the version of “Lisiniseme” echoing throughout the Paré Mountains and sang with such harmonious tones while the  females students gave us  a rendition of “Kiduku”, a national favourite.  

After a few hours of immense enjoyment we prepared ourselves for what was to be our first real African meal.  Displayed in front of us were various African dishes; I had no clue what some pots contained, and to be honest, do not know to this day, and I don’t think I want to know ha ha.   One could only imagine how delighted I was seeing Ireland’s staple food before my eyes – the humble potato - but in saying that African potatoes top the poll.   

After our meal, we were escorted by the school headmaster to our accommodation.    It was at this moment, I realised that I was a long way away from home…from home comforts.    I took a total adverse reaction and in a confused state, started laughing…uncontrollably!!   This was a bit inappropriate as along side me tears were shed by others at the fact that our living conditions were lets just say,  less than basic.   Our house, adjacent to the school and on the school grounds, contained four plastered walls which were unpainted.    The interior of the house consisted of an unequipped kitchen and by unequipped I mean it had a sink…period. The bathrooms were a major shock to the system, comprising of cement foundations, one had a normal looking toilet bowl while the other consisted of a hole in the ground, with a flusher of course!!! Couldn’t forget the flusher, sure that’s five star facilities around these parts.   Our sitting area consisted of a desk from the school and included in our new “accommodating dwelling”, four beds, three single and one double.   It was at this point that the prospect of sharing beds as well as rooms came into perspective.   I agreed to share the double with a fine Mayo woman by the name of Aine Staunton.   A wise decision!

Log in next time where I will reveal all top stories from Suji including all minor mishaps and how life in Africa has changed my world immensely.