Footsteps NZ-TZ: Malula

One of the early images I have on our arrival in Tanzania is passing through Malula [though I didn't know it was Malula at the time] was the small duka(s) lit by candles as we passed by - it was dark and I was excited to catch my first glimpses of Tanzania! Oh the first was stepping off the aircraft into the mild, Tanzania night. There was no electricity so everything was dimly lit.

Malula straddles the main Moshi/Nairobi road and is the junction to turn off the King'ori and eventually, Ngarenanyuki. In fact the Coca Cola sign does indicate that the village is King'ori.

The Lutheran Church is just on the South side of the main road and stands beside a great pit that was excavated for fill to form the new road. This pit fills with water and is used for all purposes including livestock watering. One of the big issues in the area was, and still is, is water!
The church was perhaps half built, which means it was usable and we often met with the Pastor in his office within the church - actually I found those concrete rooms too cool for my personal comfort, so when I knew we were going there, I wore a sweater. The friendly Evangelist there always referred to me as Mzungu rather than use my name, which he knew, and was perhaps his was of making a joke.
Actually few got my name right. The way names are used in Swahili do not mach how we in NZ use a Christian name and a Surname so it is fair to say I got their names muddled too. And by adding the usual vowel at the end I often became Iyani! Then because I was in the habit of using Blue or Bluey as almost a term of endearment to anybody, I have recieved invitations with my name as Blowey!
As well as the Pastor, we worked with the Village Chairman and the Village Executive Officer. This was because there was a mixture of some six tribes in the area and also various religions. The village leadership wanted to progress the village and give all the residents a chance to take advantage of what we had to offer.
The church seminar was successful and trees were planted around the church and given to those who wished to plant around their homes or shamba. During the seminar, as I spoke, a safari ant climbed up my leg and I think my face did not show any reaction, but when it latched on to a more sensitive part, I had to make a hurried escape to the toilet (a small building at the end of a narrow path) where I removed the insect with its electric powered jaws! On my return, the smiles told me that my audience knew full well what had happened!

On the North side of the road (up a bit) there is a large godown - a huge barn-like building with several rooms as well. One of the rooms housed the village office - and outside was a flagpole with a rock surround. Many village meeting were held there.
Our environmental seminar was held in the godown and attracted a large audience. A contingent of Maasai, all decked out in their finery wanted especially fruit trees for their children and we were able to help out with that. He made a remarkable speech to support us and said that our very survival depended on a healthy environment.

The village was growing quite rapidly and a teacher of junior students from the school further up the road, Mikuuni, had moved into a new house. She had been promoted/transferred to start a junior class in the godown until a new school could be built, but at this stage it was still operating as part of Mikuuni Primary School. This woman took on a voluntary role to encourage other villagers in their tree planting activities. And did a very good job of it!
By the time our assignments were completed, the new school was built and our friend, Mbise, the Headteacher from Leguruke had been transferred to up a position here. The school was now known as Mikuuni Chini. Our son and his wife on a visit actually took a senior class there and I was proud of their effort - the kids even learned the Haka. Actually we were very pleased that this took place!
Once the new school was in operation, we carried out an environmental programme there and supplied trees for around the school.

One day we heard singing from the godown and found a delightful young woman taking a preschool class. The songs were English, but to a poor standard. This young woman was untrained and was working voluntarily simply because there was a need and she had no other work. We used a donation from Maureen & Gerard Potts to buy a supply of slates and chalk and from time to time helped with other resources.

Not far from the godown there was a well. This well gave two buckets of water per day, but it was good water - all ground water there is contaminated. The village chairman asked us to help preserve the well and perhaps increase its capacity. We did find some funds and we did some research to find that further extending the well was risky in the extreme. So we made a wall around it for protection [and to prevent kids falling in] and cleaned it out. This actually increased the flow to seven buckets a day with more expected during the wetter months.

The Bishop owned a small parcel of land and some small building within the village and he planted some Mlonge, Moringa olefera trees. I think he was trying to encourage my projects, but the tree was touted as being a good cash crop and he wanted to demonstrate its usefulness.
But the planting of Mlonge was driven by Mama Mbembe. I had carried out trial work and found that the wider Meru area was too cool for the species, so I had not pushed it.
There is no doubt that the species is very useful and profitable in the right climate. Mama Mbembe latched on to the words of 'an Indian expert' who was going to buy Mlonge seed from all the people who grew the trees. He sold them the tree seedlings, but never arrived to buy the seed - and the trees did not thrive and died out. [There was one Indian woman at Valeska who successfully grew two Mlonge trees, using them to spice up her food and pressing the oil. The further away from Mt Meru, the warmer it becomes.]

There was a little eatery facing the main road, with a fence of sisal sticks. We were taken there on a few occasions by the village chairman and village executive officer - the cook nyama choma very, very well! And usually they would not allow me to drink just one bottle of Coke, they said 'a Maasai carries at least two spears'.