Sunday, April 17, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
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
Due to sheer exhaustion and jetlag, we stopped in a town called Moshi on the outskirts of Kilimanjaro Airport
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
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
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.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
A piece from Jim on the way to Dar
The Pare Mountains
The Pare Mountains are located within Tanga Province, which is the smallest province in Tanzania its total area being only around 14,000 square miles. This makes it a little less than half the area of Ireland. The province is situated in the north-east corner of Tanzania and is bordered on the north by Kenya, on the east lies the Indian Ocean with the islands that make up the Zanzibar archipelago. To the west lie the mountains; Meru and Kilimanjaro and the Masai lands. Within the province are to be found the ranges of the Usambara – 7,500 feet – and the North and South Pare ranges – at 8,000 feet lies Shengena Peak – filled with thick evergreen rain forests, lush vegetation, a land of mist and fog running with crystal clear streams. From all of this it is easy to see that the rainfall is high, when the main rain period, March – May can result in as much as 100 inches of precipitation. This area is considered to contain, both agriculturally and panoramically, the finest landscape in the country.
The people of the Pare’s live for the most part at heights of between 4,500 and 6,500 feet, thus there are no mosquitoes, which add to the attraction. The Pare Mountains covering an area of 3,000 square miles, form part of the Eastern Arc mountain range and are inhabited by the Pare people. The population is around 1,000,000.
The Pare people of today would appear to be the result of three migratory invasions going back some 300 hundred years, all emanating from tribes which lived on the Kenyan side of the present border. The first two waves are known as the Bwambo and the Pare; the final invasion came from the Taita hills in Kenya where the tribe were known as the Wemjema. They would appear to have established some leadership over the earlier tribes as a result of their skills in ironwork, rain making and in their use of herbal medicine. They bartered these skills with the neighbouring tribes, and gained both respect and the essentials for daily living – meat, salt, etc - especially from the Masai and the Chagga. In fact there appears to be a strong Chagga strain within the Pare today.
When the Germans were forced out The English appointed Pare chiefs throughout the area, these chiefs acted with a council of elders, this syzygy of chiefs and elders can still be seen in the politics of the mountains today. A single case will suffice to illustrate this – later, stay tuned.
The Pare Mountains are located within Tanga Province, which is the smallest province in Tanzania its total area being only around 14,000 square miles. This makes it a little less than half the area of Ireland. The province is situated in the north-east corner of Tanzania and is bordered on the north by Kenya, on the east lies the Indian Ocean with the islands that make up the Zanzibar archipelago. To the west lie the mountains; Meru and Kilimanjaro and the Masai lands. Within the province are to be found the ranges of the Usambara – 7,500 feet – and the North and South Pare ranges – at 8,000 feet lies Shengena Peak – filled with thick evergreen rain forests, lush vegetation, a land of mist and fog running with crystal clear streams. From all of this it is easy to see that the rainfall is high, when the main rain period, March – May can result in as much as 100 inches of precipitation. This area is considered to contain, both agriculturally and panoramically, the finest landscape in the country.
The people of the Pare’s live for the most part at heights of between 4,500 and 6,500 feet, thus there are no mosquitoes, which add to the attraction. The Pare Mountains covering an area of 3,000 square miles, form part of the Eastern Arc mountain range and are inhabited by the Pare people. The population is around 1,000,000.
The Pare people of today would appear to be the result of three migratory invasions going back some 300 hundred years, all emanating from tribes which lived on the Kenyan side of the present border. The first two waves are known as the Bwambo and the Pare; the final invasion came from the Taita hills in Kenya where the tribe were known as the Wemjema. They would appear to have established some leadership over the earlier tribes as a result of their skills in ironwork, rain making and in their use of herbal medicine. They bartered these skills with the neighbouring tribes, and gained both respect and the essentials for daily living – meat, salt, etc - especially from the Masai and the Chagga. In fact there appears to be a strong Chagga strain within the Pare today.
When the Germans were forced out The English appointed Pare chiefs throughout the area, these chiefs acted with a council of elders, this syzygy of chiefs and elders can still be seen in the politics of the mountains today. A single case will suffice to illustrate this – later, stay tuned.
Maize is the staple food, and the late arrival of the rains – they are here now, let me tell you. I had a shower last night with buckets of rain roaring down the corrugated roof, thunder the music and forked lightening to help find the soap when it slipped out of my hand. Beans of many varieties abound. Rice, fruit – in abundance - and the various European vegetables; potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onions etc are not in short supply. The biggest problem is a population explosion, there is just not enough land available, and now what land there is, is being eroded through the felling of trees both for building and fuel. An American group called ‘Floresta’ appear to be doing something in this direction; I don’t know the details - yet.
or something like that... jim, on the way to Dar es salaam for a well earned break.
St.Patricks Day / Tanzania....
We all went to meet the Irish Ambassador to Tanzania followed by an evening at the Ball. Here we are with left to Right AnnaBella Fulham (Ambassador's Wife), Aine Staunton, Lorcan Fulham (Irish Ambassador) Aisling Mitchell, Aaron Cunningham and Belinda Crossan.
Monday, March 14, 2011
More on the Pare Mountains from Jim Lovett
Eastern Arc Mountains Forests and Fauna
(Endemic = native to an area, and to be found in just/only that area,
or something like that.)
In the Eastern Arc Mountains, a great percentage – maybe 50% - of the
plant species and a much lesser percentage of the fauna are considered
to be endemic. In particular the African violet is considered to be
indigenous to just this area. Endemics are to be found in all of the
habitats; rocks, heathland, grasslands, forests and the wetlands.
The endemism includes mammals, birds, amphibians, butterflies and
reptiles. Some of these species have very small distributions, i.e.
are confined to extremely localised areas. Most of the endangered
species are not only forest dependent; they are dependent on the
primary forest which itself is under great pressure, having suffered
extensive clearance for agriculture, cooking and house building – the
building bricks in the Pare mountains are fired on site, ingenious.
These species would appear to be connected to both Madagascar and West
Africa, the biodiversity having developed with their long period of
isolation. Rather in the same way that has been observed in the
Galapagos islands.
Now… in the same way that the vast number of water bodies in Ireland
led to considerable flooding since there was no overall control and
subsequently no one to actually dig a ditch. The same problem is
occurring here with regard to forest management, or should I say
multiple management. There’s the national park department, the
national monument department, the forest department and many more...
and then there’s a local dimension to all this also with county
councils and the local council all firing up new policies and pulling
at each other, the very same as we find at home in Ireland. Meanwhile
the burning continues and the forests diminish. Same as it ever was.
(Endemic = native to an area, and to be found in just/only that area,
or something like that.)
In the Eastern Arc Mountains, a great percentage – maybe 50% - of the
plant species and a much lesser percentage of the fauna are considered
to be endemic. In particular the African violet is considered to be
indigenous to just this area. Endemics are to be found in all of the
habitats; rocks, heathland, grasslands, forests and the wetlands.
The endemism includes mammals, birds, amphibians, butterflies and
reptiles. Some of these species have very small distributions, i.e.
are confined to extremely localised areas. Most of the endangered
species are not only forest dependent; they are dependent on the
primary forest which itself is under great pressure, having suffered
extensive clearance for agriculture, cooking and house building – the
building bricks in the Pare mountains are fired on site, ingenious.
These species would appear to be connected to both Madagascar and West
Africa, the biodiversity having developed with their long period of
isolation. Rather in the same way that has been observed in the
Galapagos islands.
Now… in the same way that the vast number of water bodies in Ireland
led to considerable flooding since there was no overall control and
subsequently no one to actually dig a ditch. The same problem is
occurring here with regard to forest management, or should I say
multiple management. There’s the national park department, the
national monument department, the forest department and many more...
and then there’s a local dimension to all this also with county
councils and the local council all firing up new policies and pulling
at each other, the very same as we find at home in Ireland. Meanwhile
the burning continues and the forests diminish. Same as it ever was.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The dress/ the bus/ and the football !
Just a quick update on what is happening in the Pare Mountains !
Well today I just returned from the dress makers with a fantastic dress. We are off to a St. Patricks day ball on the 19th of this Month so there was a call for a new dress. Its not to often we get to dress up anymore so we are all extremely excited about our adventure to Dar es Salaam next week and to throw on the gladrags. Getting a dress in Africa is not like getting a dress in Ireland. You do go shopping but it is shopping for material. It is a long process, firstly we have to get up at 6 am to catch the only bus out of Suji to the small town Same to get the material. The bus journey is always an interesting one, anything can happen. We have had people been thrown off for refusing to pay, there is always room for one more person..... the bus can accommodate 25 but often carries nearly 100 people standing ( I may be exaggerating a little bit) , but it is always a tight squeeze ! I reckon there will be people on the roof before the year is out ! The music is another interesting part of the journey, the African music is always blaring and we wonder how the driver does not loose concentrating or how anybody has not gone deaf yet! I make sure to always have the ipod on hand , although their music always wins out in the end and I do find myself at times singing along ! So you get the material back up the mountain ( Belinda and Aisling just about got theirs up, the bus got stuck in mud half way up and had to walk the rest of the way in their bare feet) and you bring the material to the lovely dressmaker Ruth just below our house. I spent a while on the Internet picking a design out and made some attempt to draw it out.She has a measuring tape and an ancient sewing machine ( not electrical). She is a very talented young woman and 4 days later I have a gorgeous dress , which would have cost about 200-300 euro at home, I paid 12 euro for material and the dressmaking skills (that included a tip !) I will be making more trips to Same for material.
Photos to be uploaded after the event !
Teaching is coming along nicely although we are all starting to get a bit nervous about the mocks coming up in May. The students in form 4 are now coming in at 7 pm and studying until about 11. So we are always on standby and check in with them a few times every evening.I also have my form 2 students talking with my sisters friends students in a school in Dublin. Here the students are learning a little bit about Irish schooling our culture along with learning how to type and use the Internet. It gets a little crowded when there are 60 students trying to sit around a laptop though, so hopefully we will have set up some kind of a computer lab by the end of the year.
Latest football updates
Suji high school ( the private school in the village ) 7-0 Malindi ( A bit of a disaster)
Malindi 4-0 Gonjanza. A great victory and some great football.
Malindi 2-2 Tae ,(some terrible Ref decisions)
So the football team is coming along nicely and the players are great.
I even have one of them in a Mayo jersey ! One of my form 4 students goes by the name Anthony Mayo, so i thought he deserved to wear the great colours of Co.Mayo ! A Ciaron Mac Donald in the making for sure.
Well today I just returned from the dress makers with a fantastic dress. We are off to a St. Patricks day ball on the 19th of this Month so there was a call for a new dress. Its not to often we get to dress up anymore so we are all extremely excited about our adventure to Dar es Salaam next week and to throw on the gladrags. Getting a dress in Africa is not like getting a dress in Ireland. You do go shopping but it is shopping for material. It is a long process, firstly we have to get up at 6 am to catch the only bus out of Suji to the small town Same to get the material. The bus journey is always an interesting one, anything can happen. We have had people been thrown off for refusing to pay, there is always room for one more person..... the bus can accommodate 25 but often carries nearly 100 people standing ( I may be exaggerating a little bit) , but it is always a tight squeeze ! I reckon there will be people on the roof before the year is out ! The music is another interesting part of the journey, the African music is always blaring and we wonder how the driver does not loose concentrating or how anybody has not gone deaf yet! I make sure to always have the ipod on hand , although their music always wins out in the end and I do find myself at times singing along ! So you get the material back up the mountain ( Belinda and Aisling just about got theirs up, the bus got stuck in mud half way up and had to walk the rest of the way in their bare feet) and you bring the material to the lovely dressmaker Ruth just below our house. I spent a while on the Internet picking a design out and made some attempt to draw it out.She has a measuring tape and an ancient sewing machine ( not electrical). She is a very talented young woman and 4 days later I have a gorgeous dress , which would have cost about 200-300 euro at home, I paid 12 euro for material and the dressmaking skills (that included a tip !) I will be making more trips to Same for material.
Photos to be uploaded after the event !
Teaching is coming along nicely although we are all starting to get a bit nervous about the mocks coming up in May. The students in form 4 are now coming in at 7 pm and studying until about 11. So we are always on standby and check in with them a few times every evening.I also have my form 2 students talking with my sisters friends students in a school in Dublin. Here the students are learning a little bit about Irish schooling our culture along with learning how to type and use the Internet. It gets a little crowded when there are 60 students trying to sit around a laptop though, so hopefully we will have set up some kind of a computer lab by the end of the year.
Latest football updates
Suji high school ( the private school in the village ) 7-0 Malindi ( A bit of a disaster)
Malindi 4-0 Gonjanza. A great victory and some great football.
Malindi 2-2 Tae ,(some terrible Ref decisions)
So the football team is coming along nicely and the players are great.
I even have one of them in a Mayo jersey ! One of my form 4 students goes by the name Anthony Mayo, so i thought he deserved to wear the great colours of Co.Mayo ! A Ciaron Mac Donald in the making for sure.
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