So its Friday afternoon and I just finished work for the week. Its been a while since ive written since we havent made it to an internet cafe but ill sum up the highlights of the week and mostly talk about my new placement.
So first, I have started my new placement which I love. The NGO which i am placed at is called KIWODEA and stands for Killimanjaro Womens Development Association and was founded by a woman named Nancy Tesha. I am really sad that I was placed there with only 2 weeks left because there is so much I want to do but am trying to make the most of my time there. Basically, the association is not really what I thought it would be but instead is more of a community center that includes a nursery school, a store, a small library, an internet room, and a sewing room. When i met with Mama Nancy she explained to me that the center's original goal is was to raise money in order to provide women with loans to start their own businesses but has since then expanded. Now the center serves as a place where women can sell stuff in the store such as art and beaded crafts, as well as a place where they can seek theraputical help if they have been beaten by their husbands or something like that. So basically the center has a lot going on and Mama Nancy seems to have a lot of goals for KIWODEA but does not necessarily know how to carry out the plans. She also seems to be really low on money and worried about how she will be able to do everything she wants. For instance, within the first 30 minutes of talking with her she asked me questions such as how much she thinks she should be charging for her giving psychological advice to the women of the community. I guess until now she has been doing it for free because she does not want to turn people away but now is realizing that she also has to make a living and cannot continue to offer free help. I was a little taken back that she would take advice about her income from a 20 year mzungu on her first day and I sure as hell didnt have an answer on the spot but I talked with her about the pros and cons about charging a lot or a little so hopefully that helped.
Anyway, KIWODEA is made sustainable by the money earned from the children's tuition at the school, charging for the internet, the profit made at the store, donations, and a few other small ways. She uses most of the money she makes and puts in towards the center and also for the loans and to fund programs such as ones where women can come learn basic business skills through a 5 day orientation. Oh and she is also working on adding a program which helps handicapped and disabled people, because it was her husbands dying wish after struggling with parkinsons for some time to have such a program started.
So after she explained everything to me, I was a little overwhelmed and did not know what she wanted me to do while I was there. So after talking to her for some time, we came up with the idea that i would help teach computer classes next week for women in the community who just want to learn basic computer skills and are unable to afford to do so because of the expense of using the internet. Because the center itself is really low on money too, I have offered to pay for the time which i teach, which i am more than happy to do. I definitely think that this is the way that I will be able to be most helpful and can leave a sustaining impact on at least a few women during the such a s hort time I am here.
So that is basically the project I will be working on all next week as well as I think I will be helping strategize ways to fundraise for the center. Sadly, I couldnt start with the classes this week because the internet had to be fixed in the center so instead spent my time making flyers for the computer classes and helping out in the classroom. My hope is to be able to maybe make enough money during the rest of my time here through fundraising to purchase a printer for the center. I guess they used to have one which was helpful because women in the community were able to print out things such as price lists for their shops and stuff like that but are no longer able to do so. So, as of now, thats my goal expect im not sure how to do that exactly.
I have also been working with a past CCS volunteer at KIWODEA named Caitlin who is kind of helping me and instructing me, which is really nice to have. She is starting her own NGO here and is really inspiring to talk to. She is definitely making me think that I would love to do a similar thing one day and start an organization here to help the local community. It seems like CCS volunteers so often come back to live and volunteer here, which is really inspiring to hear. Oh and she also went to northwestern so we have the Evanston connection too and its just fun to be able to talk to someone at work. Her and I also might organize an alternative school for next week because all the schools officially ended today but we thought we could teach the children who normally cant afford school and give them the option to come have a week of learning. We already got the support from Mama Nancy and my program is willing to donate porridge as a snack for the children so I think it will all come into place. Hopefully, other volunteers from CCS will be placed at KIWODEA after I leave so they can continue with the computer classes and the alternative school. But yeah so thats what ill be up to during the rest of my time here.
Other than my placement my week itself was also a lot of fun. Since there are so many volunteers at the house now it always seems too crowded so we have been going into town a lot more to escape from the hecticness. On Tuesday we went out to dinner at a restaurant called Taj Mahal, which is a local favorite and we took our friends Aubrey and Graham as repayment for cooking us dinner at their house a few nights before. The restaurant was a really fun experience, especially since all of the food was cooked on the street and brought in. We definitely thought we might all get sick because the place was semi sketchy but luckily didnt. While there we had meat and veggie skewers, chicken on a stick, and zanzibar pizzas which are grilled pockets with veggies and egg and spices inside. Everything was delicious and also we all got huge glasses of mango juice for 70 cents and was the freshest and most delicious thing ever.
After dinner we went to the hotel rooftop bar next door where we were suprised by our 2 canadian friends who had left from CCS last weekend. They had been on a safari and were supposed to just sleep at a hotel by the airport for their flight wednesday so we thought we had already said all of our goodbyes but instead they managed to find a ride back after their safari nd stay in Moshi that night. We even got to see them the next day, which was amazing. All we had been doing since they had left was talk about them so it was such a great suprise.
And then last night we went out for pizza with our local friends and then came home and watched movies until bed. The four of us in our room also decided this week to push our bunkbeds together so now its one big bed where we can all watch movies and nap together :). I am sure the housekeepers think we are crazy but it is maybe the best idea weve had.
So this weekend is my last full weekend so we have lots planned. My 3 friends and i got a hotel room for the weekend so we can have the freedom of experiencing the town without having to be back at a certain time and also just plan on exploring a lot. We are staying at a place called Buffalo Hotel, which is costing us a grand total of 15 dollars each for both nights. Tomorrow we are also doing the coffee tour with a bunch of our group members and our friend is the guide so I am very excited for that. First we are going to a coffee plantation to learn how they make the coffee and have "some of the best coffee we'll ever try" (according to the people who have already done it and then we are going to a waterfall to swim and enjoy the scenery. Then tomorrow night, at one of the local clubs there is a miss kilimanjaro pagaent taking place which i guess happens every year and is really fun to be a part of. And then our last plan is to go to a church service on sunday morning with our Baba. Oh and then sunday I am getting my whole head braided for about 10 dollars. Supposedly, it takes 4 hours because our friend Aubrey did it but hopefully it will be worth it.
Hope I can write again sooner than last time!
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