Tumaini Center

Our Swahili teachers took us on a "field trip" to the Tumaini (Hope) Center, a refuge for pregnant teenagers with nowhere to go.  Here they find not only a place to live, but also some vocational training.  The girls learn to make various handcrafts--I've seen them for sale in town.  They also learn basic computer skills and other things to qualify them for getting jobs.  We really enjoyed our visit--everyone from the woman in charge to the students themselves were welcoming and happy to show us around.

Here a couple women (former students, I think) work on making dolls and animals out of brightly colored scraps of material.  (The scraps are the leftovers from tailors' shops in town.)

The girls had a break from class, thanks to our visit.  Both students and visitors introduced themselves, and their questions led to us teaching an impromptu foreign language class.  (We represtented Germany, Holland, Switzerland, and the USA--me.)  André started them off with an impossible-to-pronounce Dutch word--it actually means "terrible"--and that led to each of us sharing some oddball word or phrase from our own language.  (I showed how the Southern US has solved the problem of lacking a separate pronoun for you-plural by introducing "y'all".)

Here the weaving teacher demonstrates his craft.  But first he showed us the many steps necessary before the actual weaving can take place (spinning, etc.)... what a job!

The girls showed us their pottery workshop, also.

A big highlight of the visit was visiting Tumaini's little school, where former students (and others) can send their children.  We visited two classes and were serenaded by each.  Listening to all those shrill voices chant or sing in (almost) unison, I couldn't stop grinning.  They're so cute!  Here are some of the kindergarteners.  The short little girl in the center with her smiling mouth wide open really got into the performance, motions and everything.

The first grade class also showed us their math lesson.  They were doing simple addition using bottle caps as counters.  Here is one of the volunteers working a problem from the blackboard.

These girls were a little shy at first, but after they heard us commending the work they'd done in their notebooks, they started showing us every assignment they'd ever done.  From their expressions, I think they were either surprised that we were speaking to them in Swahili, or else they were clueless as to what we were trying to say!

My World: Iringa

I am studying Swahili at Riverside Camp, which is located just outside the town of Iringa.  Karibu! (welcome)

As the main town of this region of Tanzania, Iringa has a large market center.  Here is the big fresh produce market, filled with vendors' stalls and surrounded by roads lined with shops selling packaged groceries, baskets, shoes, you name it.

We generally stop at this little gerneral store for supplies.  "Mama" keeps her place well stocked, with jams, cereal, chips, juice mixes, toothpaste, batteries, diapers...

Here is a classic example of the challenges involved in finding a certain place.  I heard about this bookstore and tried to find it on my own.  When I located this building with the name I was looking for, "Book Point", all I could see for sale were the shoes on display.  Confused, I left and told the other students I hadn't been able to find it.  "Oh, it's there," they told me.  The next time I went with someone, and they showed me the doorway next to the shoe stand (there are empty boxes in front of the door in this picture).  Once you go inside, you find a sizeable book/office supply store.  Simple, right? 

There is a little street filled with shops selling all things beaded, wooden and brightly colored.  It's a fun place to browse, but the sellers are used to tourists, so they can be aggressive.

This is Neema Crafts, a project that trains and employs deaf or disabled people.  The bottom floor contains a stors where they sell their handcrafts, and the top floor is a restaurant.  It's a nice place to hang out, and they offer homemade ice cream!  (As far as we know, it's the only place where this treat is available.)

Another favorite spot is this little cafe on the main road, directly across from our normal rendezvous point.  They sell great milkshakes. :)

This is where we gather to return to camp.  You can (sort of) see the sign for Info Iringa, where an English-speaking staff will help tourists find lodgings and plan excursions in the area.  Skynet [Internet] Cafe is currently my sole means of connecting to the internet.  On the black banner is "Vineyard Church"--a local congregation we have visited.  The pastor will usually ask us if he should preach in English as well as Swahili(!), but we tell him we're learning Swahili and want to practice.  The worship music is great.

Hope you enjoyed your tour of Iringa!

(One last shot...  This is another main road lined with shops.  Here you can buy tools, tires, mattresses, hire the services of any number of tailors, and probably do other things as well.)

Everything's Bigger in... Africa

Sorry, Texas.

I've been trying to get a good internet connection so I could share our discovery from last week.  This was our excitement before class that Tuesday: a giant stick insect!  We'd had a hard rain, and Alec found this thing wandering around the central camp buildings.  I've never seen a walking stick like this!

For the record, Alec stands 6-foot-7, so for this bug to span the length of his forearm is saying something.  He let it crawl all over him, to the delighted shrieks of his daughters.

Here you can see it expanding its (already remarkable) size.  By now it was a little freaked out by all the commotion, so it unfurled its funny round wings, curled up its tail, and stretched its two front legs straight out in front of him.

WOW!!!