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First six weeks….
I got out of bed and headed toward the kitchen to plug in the electric teakettle to get the water going. Upon turning on the lights, as my eyes adjusted, I noticed that something was amiss. The yellow teakettle was only partially yellow; in fact it was more brown than yellow. The white stovetop was also speckled with large brown spots, as was the pink towel, which covers the top of the small refrigerator. The large yellow plastic containers used to carry water were also primarily brown. Upon closer inspection it became clear that ants had in fact taken over the kitchen during the night. They were EVERYWHERE, and if I was to have that cup of coffee, they were going to have to be gone before I could begin preparing it. I slowly and methodically began to attempt to eradicate the kitchen of ants, all the while trying to continue to breathe evenly and not cry. My attempts were not welcomed and seemed to cause a great disturbance in their world and brought about a large deal of scurrying and dispersing on their part, not caring whether they scurried onto me and up and down my limbs and into my nightgown and onto my face and into my hair, and . . . well you get the picture. Before even having my first cup of coffee for the day I was crawling with ants.
Last Sunday was “Children’s Sunday” here in the diocese. Up until now my housemate Juliet and I have been going to a 7a.m. Sunday mass which is in English. This day we decided to go to the 9a.m. Swahili mass to see what “Children’s Sunday” would entail. It went on for three hours, it was about 108 degrees in the church, and of course, it was all in Swahili. The singing and dancing were colorful and moving. I knew just how far from home I really was, though, at the moment of the offertory procession, when not only were host, wine and financial contributions brought forth to the alter, but an array of potatoes, onions, fruits and laundry soap were also contributed. Then there was the day, recently, when it was announced in the diocesan offices that the next day, a Wednesday, we would not be working, but instead going to the beach for swimming and a picnic. Fine with me. It was a lovely, relaxing day and I look forward to the next such announcement in the office. I am indeed far from“home,” and reminders of this fact come often. It has been more than six weeks since my arrival in Dar es Salaam after a brief and enjoyable five-day layover and visit in N. Ireland with a friend there. In this time, I have had the luxury of ever so slowly settling into my new life at a truly African pace. It has been challenging to not be scheduled and producing and have any kind of externally enforced routine. Yet, when I’m able to let go of the expectations of having something to show for the time, of both my hosts and myself, I am able to appreciate the slow, natural pace at which this new chapter is unfolding. There has also been the matter of permits to deal with, and that has taken time. I have gotten both a resident permit, and a driving permit, and so I am officially here for the long haul. Then there has been the matter of language acquisition, and as of the 21st of October I will be a student in an intensive beginning Swahili course at a school in Arusha, a town on the mainland. I have begun, too, to get acquainted with my work in the WID (Women in Development) office and my coworker, Sr. Jennifer. The office and its programs are in their second year of existence in the Zanzibar Diocese. WID is a national level program, of which we are a local office. Sr. Jennifer has been working in this office for about a year and a half. I am still figuring out what exactly the program is all about, and with each thing I learn, I become increasingly more confused. What I do know is that education is a part of WID; providing seminars and workshops to women on topics such as self-confidence, leadership, conflict management, gender, economic development, small business management, etc. Another aspect is a very small scale revolving loan scheme wherein groups can apply for loans for economic project initiation. I have been around a little with Sr. Jennifer to see some of the projects, including a group which has a tailoring shop, another group which has something to do with selling fabric on the mainland (I didn’t completely understand just what they were doing,) and another one which is mixing, grinding and selling a kind of highly nutritious flour for porridge. It is all VERY small scale, but it’s something. Then there was the group who is trying to sell vitenge, a kind of fabric here, but they reported that they are not making a profit, and are in fact losing money, because, (as columnist Dave Barry would say, “I am NOT making this up.”) “An evil spirit is taking the money.”
I mentioned earlier my housemate Juliet. She is another lay missionary/volunteer, from Canada. She came in January and had a two-year commitment, however she has decided to return to Canada as of December and so I will be on my own. This is news that has just been announced and so what it will mean for me, especially in terms of my living situation, is yet to be determined. It has been nice to be together with someone, and I have learned much from her experience. The home we are currently staying at is simple, but adequate; with electricity and running water the majority of the time. We are fortunate to have a small refrigerator and electric stove. It is actually more of a “compound,” wherein we occupy a portion of the building; the family of the diocesan architect lives in another portion, and some of the diocesan laborers inhabit another part. There is a large area of “yard”, rather rough and unfinished, in which we have many palm, banana, papaya, lime and passion fruit trees. This array of fruits accounts for the great amount of activity heard at night on our roof. It’s the “bush babies” (a combination rat/squirrel/monkey, I’m told) running around attempting to reach the various fruit trees from which they like to eat. Then there are the sounds during the day emanating from between the iron sheet roof and the ceiling; I’m not sure if that’s bats or mice or what. I hope I never find out first hand.
Shortly after my arrival here, while the work of getting my permits arranged was being done, it was suggested that I take some time to visit Arusha, and see the Franciscan Sisters from Minnesota staying there, and get to know the contrast between Z’bar and the mainland. Arusha is quickly becoming one of the main cities of East Africa, where the UN War Crimes Tribunal for Rwanda is currently taking place. While there I had the opportunity to attend the tribunal for a ½ day and observe proceedings. It was quite fascinating. I also spent a quick overnight with Sr. Tonie at the parish and school where she is working with the Masai people, about a 45 minute drive from Arusha. The place was one of the driest, dustiest places I have ever seen and it amazes me that anything survives there. It is a real testimony to the hardiness of the Masai that they can exist in such conditions. And that, friends, gives you a beginning snapshot of this latest and greatest adventure of mine. The good news is I am happy, healthy most of the time, and continue to believe that I am where I am meant to be. Thank you all for your continued thoughts, prayers and support via letters and email. Do keep in touch, as time allows. I remember and think of you all often and lovingly. Love, Chris
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I never did cry, although I was close. In just under an hour I did have a cup of coffee, and I had a moment of extreme clarity. I have moved a very far way from south Minneapolis. This is not a vacation. Is it merely ironic, or “karma,” that only two days previous I had received a package from a friend in the US that contained “Terro” ant killer?
Yes, I am a far way from Edina Public Schools and we have our work cut out for us. Something that should be extremely helpful in helping me understand the breadth and scope of the program will be attending a national level conference in Dar es Salaam the week immediately following my language course in Arusha. It is intended to be a time of WID coordinators from throughout the country coming together to share progress reports and future planning. I expect it will be educational both professionally and personally.