Losinoni Primary School

The road into Losinoni village is a rough one and I never saw a dog at the place with a big sign saying 'Mbwa Mkali' meaning Savage Dog, or more like Keep Out! But dust was the norm and the wee Maruti stirred it up in great clouds.

During the heat of the day people did not travel by foot so much but we would give a lift to people who were going in out direction and in the confines of the small cab, the body odor mixed with wood smoke was something that took a little getting used to.

The Primary school was small compared to the rest we worked with and some students walked in excess of 8km to get there. Some quite old students attended and this came about when a younger member of the family was able to take over duties to chunga ng'ombe - herd the cattle (or sheep/goats.
Some Maasai saw more value in herding duties than they did in educating their children - but in their way, they were still educating them and preparing them for life.

Our environmental project was a success at the school and as with most schools all the kids took part - it was somewhat exciting for them to have a mzungu call and talk to them, so we were totally unable to work with just the older kids. Joshia read 'Ndoto ya Grace' (see blog) and I had a flip chart with drawing to illustrate the story. Joshia would then ask question and always highlight part where Grace had asked her father about the prospects for future generations if all the trees were cut down in their village.

The tree planting was successful, and the kids stole water (that was supposed to be exclusively for livestock) at night to ensure the survival of their trees. Well there was a competition and they all wanted to win a prize! The best species in the area was Schinus molle - mpilipili which has no use other than to provide shade/shelter, but that's better than no trees!










Well grown Mpilipili tree








Planting Demo










Planting Day!








Prizewinner - all but one, boys!



Through the Assistance to Primary Schools project we were able to supply some 100 desks, 5 teachers' tables and chairs, slates and chalk, text books - there were no new curriculum text books at the school at this time - teachers' copies and paint to renew the blackboards.
The parents were very grateful for this assistance and promised to ensure the survival of the trees.

Runaway Chook

We had been assisting a new, locally based nursery school (kids) at Muriet from funds we had managed to raise. The Muriet community had seen the need for a local nursery school as new government rules meant that new school entrants required some pre-school education.

On this day I took 4 rolls of polythene pipe and fittings for the water project I had promised the village and school. Gideon, one of the  young village leaders was not there, but his mother - all older women are referred to as 'Bibi' - insisted we take tea with her.
As we left, Bibi gave Mags a chicken (chook), a special gift in recognition of what we were doing in the village. Mags was afraid to hold it - they are inclined to poo on you, so I carried it to the Maruti where I tied it's legs together for the ride home.

Time was against us as this was when we were changing our assignments and residence from Sanawari to Makumira. I knew I would not have time to prepare and eat the chook.
I told Mama Baraka the story and gave the chook to her, asking that she prepare it for her family, and maybe give me a little to taste, so I could tell Bibi in truth that her her chicken was tamu sana - very tasty!

Mama Baraka arrived with a small dish with some chicken and vegetables and sat to watch us eat it. She burst out laughing and blushed in the way Tanzanians do.
'Oh I wasn't going to tell you,' she said, 'but it is so funny! The chicken escaped and together with Olotu and Nai, I looked everywhere around the village for it! After one and a half hours, we found it at home, so we tied it's legs together while Olotu sharpened a knife.
'Well when he went to slaughter the chicken, one of his dogs had killed and eaten most of it!
So I had him kill one of my young layers and it is the one you are eating!'

Small things make a difference and as I have said before - Mama Baraka was one in a million! I truly as tamu sana!

There is another tale about a chook.

We had traveled with Mo and Jo to Loshoto but decided to stay a few nights at Soni Falls. We had arrived at lunch time and so after we had booked in, we asked if there was a chance we could have lunch there.
At that time we were their only customers, so they were not about to turn down any chance of making some money.
They gave us a choice of beef or chicken and we all chose chicken.
As we sat taking a beer before lunch, we heard the familiar squawk that comes when a chicken being slaughtered! We therefore knew lunch was a long long way off , so we called the young man and told him that we would have the chicken for our evening meal and asked him in the meantime if he could supply 'bites'. In no time he returned with samosa and half cake - no doubt he sent someone running to the village to buy them.
We enjoyed the chook later that evening!

Soni Falls is a great place to stay and I have a few tales about the place but here is something about bats.
The only indigenous mammal in NZ is a small bat, but we seldom see them but in Tanzania there are many different species and I enjoy watching them.
In the dining room at Soni Falls Hotel, there was a small hole in the window, and as we ate, a small bat would fly through that hole and circle the light above the table to catch a moth, then it would fly out, returning to partake in another. Fascinating that when you consider the fly by sonar.

By the way, the falls are worth the short walk.

To Church at Likamba

Africa life for us had many twists and turns, ups and downs with the certainty that there was always a surprise around the corner.

Joshia had asked me to take him and his wife Mama Ng'ida to Likamba church for an inter-church service. Josiah was choir master at Kimondolu Church and the choir (as they do) was invited to Likamba to sing. This of course meant that I was donating my time and vehicle for the day and that the wee Maruti would be full.

The safari was to be 23 March 1997, and then, there were no cellphones and I did not have a digital camera, but as it turned out, I was too busy to take photos!

Overnight it rained! Tropical rain. Knowing the topography we were to traverse, I thought it wise to cancel the trip so at about 8:00am I drove to Joshia's house. The trip was not without its' challenges as the Sanawari road was slippery and difficult to negotiate.
The road to Joshia's house was a mess with large ponds of water - deep, half way up the door! The last 300 metres to Joshia's gate was grass field with a difficult creek crossing to negotiate. The Maruti is an excellent light 4x4 and managed to negotiate it well.

Joshia was most surprised to see me so early! In no way was he going to put off the tour, he thought it was 'just normal rain'. I told him that there had been a lot of flooding and that it might not be safe. He had no concerns.

Luckily the rain had stopped at around 7:30am and in the Arusha climate, drying began quickly.
I returned to collect them at 9:00 as the service was to start at 11:00 but knowing the Maasai /African psyche, exact time did not wholly come into the equation.

The 'seats' (actually wheel arches) could accommodate 3 bums each side and Joshia sat in the front seat beside me. Two mini vans daladalas followed me from the Kimondolu church, out to the main road towards Ngaremtoni. Six people in the back was too much really, but the road was not too bad, just surface flooding and debris to drive around - also there were the loony drivers.

The road into Likamba is flat at first, and then it climbs into the low hills. There had been a massive amount of rain and after passing through a deep 'lake', we found that the road was completely washed out leaving a river of porridge like mud.

I stopped to survey the scene and Joshia admitted that I might have been right after all. The buses pulled up behind me and their drivers said they would go no further.
I walked the length of the crossing a couple of times, testing the texture to find it too deep to attempt a crossing. Further to my right the mud river looked narrower and I went to look closer. I thought maybe I could try to cross - with the knowledge that there were plenty of people to manhandle me out if I became stuck.

I told Joshia that I would try, but with nobody else with me. If I succeeded, then I could take some people across. It was muddy, but it was solid under the wheels and the diffs bulldozed their own path through the soft mud.
I returned and took Joshia and four others to the church, I thought to tell them that the others were stranded! But oh no, they implored me to ferry the whole lot of them from the buses to the church. Slowly the land was drying, especially my tyre marks and I was able to carry seven at a time.
We all finally arrived one and a half hours late!

The church service had gone on while I was doing the ferrying, and at last the choirs were able to sing. The choirs are very, very good and of course each was keen to demonstrate their prowess. I was enthralled and enjoyed the singing, band and acts.
Finally, Joshia and Mama Ng'ida performed a role play, with Joshia taking two roles (with quick costume changes).
The play was about the way some rich men can swindle widows out of what is rightfully theirs. At the end, I don't think there was a dry eye in the house (church)! Including mine!
It was not real surprise to me, but I was amazed at Joshia's and Mama Ng'ida's acting ability.

Afterward there was the mountain of rice to consume with beef pieces and vegetables, but we all agreed that with dark clouds looming, it was wise to hurry back to the buses and I repeated my ferry service. Once one bus was full, it drove off and the other followed when it was full.
After dropping off Joshia and Mama Ng'ida, I arrived home at 5:30pm just as large raindrops splattered on the windscreen.
After all, it was a tiring day, but one out of the box for me. It rained all night, but I did not hear it, my room was full of zzzzz.

More on Likamba

We usually took the road to Ngaremtoni and then the dry, dusty road into the hills to Likamba village. An alternative route is behind Engorora - the way Mama Bustani used to go. (see the blog on her).

Before the Maruti had a fibre glass canopy fitted, there was a ripped canvas one so the dust came in and covered us with a thin, dark layer. I always felt sorry for the people traveling by foot, perhaps going to market, all dressed up and with mafuta, oil to make their skin shine. But I never saw a shaken fist or other frustration.

Our first work was among the village people through the enthusiasm of the Village Executive Officer and the village elders - later we worked with the primary school.
New Zealand was already well known in the village for NZHC had funded a maize mill which was kept in very good working order and was well utilized. There was also a small kiln for jiko making - clay cooking fires.

These were women's group activities chaired by a very busy woman who we also worked with her within our environmental project. She accompanied us on many of our visits around the village and was obviously very popular there. I remember it was at her house that Joshia taught me the local custom of announcing your arrival at someones house.
Fist you call out, 'Hodi!' - sort of 'knock, knock' because you don't physically knock on the door.
The person inside will call, 'Karibu!' - welcome, but you do not just barge on in there.
Again you call, 'Hodi!' - and again you will receive, Karibu!' - but again you do not go in there. You are being advised someone is there, but they may well be indisposed for some reason or other.
Again for the third time you call out, 'Hodi!' and then you may receive, 'Karibu ndani!' - Welcome inside, or the person will come to the door and welcome you.

Of course, no matter how poor a household may be, something is always prepared for a guest, even if only water. One time our friend gave Joshia and I a 2 litre mug each of loshoro - cooked (husked) maize in sour milk. Joshia drank it down in (what seemed to me) a couple of gulps! I am slow at that sort of thing and I was conscious that being slow may mean that I didn't like it - in fact I did! They were happy that I had downed the lot! Another time as we sat on the couch in her home, we heard the shaking of a calabash, we were going to be treated to maziwa magando - not quite yogurt. It was coagulated sour milk and as it separates, with the water below, and curdled milt floating on top - she was mixing it by shaking the calabash.

In Maasai areas (perhaps other tribes too) the inside of the calabash is protected with wood ash from the small tree Dodonea viscosa - endemic to Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In NZ the Maori name if Ake Ake. The ash gives the milk a nice smokey taste as well.

It was always a pleasure to be able to involve whole households in small tree planting projects. We would not supply the trees until the holes had been properly prepared complete with dry cow manure. As you work with a family, even for a short time , you get to know/understand something about them and they you. Sometime the success of these plantings is beyond belief, and with others the enthusiasm wains - or bad luck can occur when wandering stock wipes out all the work in just a few moments. We needed to be resilient and patient and I am more than satisfied with the outcomes - generally.

The father of the Village Executive Officer lived within the village and he had worked for the Forestry Department before he retired. He grew Euc. maidenii as a cash crop, coppicing them to produce poles - light poles up to 4 metres long with a small end diameter of 75 mm. These have many uses but mainly for building.
The old fellow was also interested in what we were doing and requested trees to plant around his farm. On one of our visits, he was tilling the soil using a plough pulled by a large ox and was intending to grow beans. Mags had a go at driving the ox!

Some farmers in the area grew barley to be sold to the local local brewery and they opposed the planting of trees because trees offered a habitat for birds to nest in, and birds stole a lot of the grain. My response was that birds were part of a healthy environment and if good crops of barley are to be grown, then birds are important. Birds eat insects as well as grain, and there are predators that control birds. At least while I was there, most agreed with me and did plant some trees.

There was one old Mzee in the village who had planted (or more like one of his wives) useful trees and ornamentals such as Bougainvillea to make an attractive and useful mini environment for his boma. The old fellow always tried to get me on his own and ask me for money to buy sugar. It was more likely that he would use the money for pombe - booze! He never relented and each time we visited there he had something 'special' to show me, then the hand would come out. He received plenty of plants, but never money. I gave him a sticky label saying 'Misitu ni Uhai' which he stuck on his door (it was a beaten 200 litre petrol drum that he had made use of).

The old fellow's junior wife told me of her interest in trees and had grown a hedge of Sesbania seban - a fodder tree - the seedlings of which I had given her. It is encouraging when you see successes; she had the benefit of shelter from the trees, and supplementary fodder for her milking cow. She took clippings off the hedge, and the thicker sticks that the cow did not eat, were dried on the roof of the cow shelter and after just one week she could use them in her cooking fire. She was a delightful happy woman.

Once the Assistance to Primary Schools was under way, we became involved with the school and provided some 100 desks, five sets of teachers' tables and chairs, text books, teacher's copies, slates & chalk and science kits.
There was a small hill behind the school and the students planted an extensive area there. The planting holes were well prepared and the trees survived well despite the lack of water at the school. However it is fair to say that there is more reliable rainfall at Likamba than many of the other villages we worked with. There was a large tank/reservoir belonging to the village but there were inherent problems with it and so water was always in short supply.
We contributed, as did many others when the headteacher's house was burnt to the ground and he lost everything - even in poverty, people contribute and have empathy for their fellows.
I was surprised and happy to find a school girl who wore an All Black shirt. Her parents had bought it at the mtumba at the Ngaremotoni market. She was happy to receive a Misitu ni Uhai badge.

We had a busy time at Likamba.

Makuyuni (Primary School)

The village of Makuyuni is situated at the junction/turnoff to Mto wa Mbu and when we were there it was an important fuelstop for the trip on to Karatu or Babati. At least to Karatu, the fuelstop is no longer important as the road is so good (and the vehicles are much better).

We were not directly working with Makuyuni Primary School, but the next village North is Mswakini, where we had worked intensively.

It was pointed out that Makuyuni Primary School was in real need of assistance because of a large roll and meager resources. It was an opportunity for me to deliver a few trees that would otherwise not have been planted in the area, so I called in with a few.
I could offer no assistance because the school was not within the programme, but I took a note of what was required and gave my word that I would try to help.
Luckily there was some few funds remaining and Mo & Jo agreed that some assistance could be provided to the school.

We were able to send them fifty desks, some text books and blackboard paint. Not enough really but at least a token to show that we shared empathy there.

As a footnote to this story: There is a project running presently to grow Mpingo, African Blackwood. This is the black wood that is used for traditional carvings - it is beautiful wood and very slow growing. Becoming rare too!
It is encouraging that there is a project to grow this tree and I anyone from that project sees this, they may be interested to know that we used to collect from the other side of the gully at the start of the Mto wa Mbu road. Seedlings have been planted in most of the villages we worked at and in the Meru area where (largely) I have not yet mentioned.

Mti Mmoja tena

Those tanks at Mti Mmoja still haunt me! I have seen a comment made by nkonina on my original post. I am very glad someone from Mti Mmoja has read it. I don't know him, but he is my friend. I did not find a contact for him so through here - Salaam bwana, je labda wako watu wanatukumbuka - Misitu ni uhai - Mti Mmoja juu!
It is very difficult to find funds for projects these days - and I am still looking. Maybe someone will read this and start something - maybe.

Mti Mmoja was another school were we were able to bring the Primary School Assistance Project.
We had carried out our environmental project the success of which was tempered by the lack of water. This is why we did not supply very many trees to the school - we did not want to burden the kids with the extra task of finding water.
The school building was reasonably new, but there was a lack of resources so through the project were were able to supply desks, teachers tables and chairs, text books and cupboards to store them in.
I do not remember the name of the woman who was Headteacher (I see her still wearing her green woolen sweater) but I found her grateful on behalf of the students. I hope her students remember her with gratitude.
The area is proudly Maasai and I remember one teacher complaining that the students , especially boys, tended to be 'stubborn' and refused to learn. This seems to be one of those things that will occur. That person, I could tell, will not have been Maasai because I understood, each tribe has a certain opinion of another tribe. But I do think it is good that teachers serve outside their tribal areas because that's where understanding begins.

The special place I have in my heart for Mti Mmoja though is because I visited there with the General Secretary of DME and he saw me give a mixture of chili water to the school to help trees survive against termite attack. He saw the work we were doing there and asked if I would help his organization for a year. Well it ended up being five!
Mti Mmoja juu!

Meserani Chini

The events at Meserani Chini taught me a valuable lesson.
I was not really involved with the Primary School Assistance Project at Meserani Chini as it was a school allocated to another vol, Duck.

He was based at Monduli and had no transport, therefore could not supervise the project. Instead he handed the funds to the Monduli Regional Education Office for them to administer. Duck was fully in support of the project, he just lacked the tools manage it.

So I was asked to supervise the project from time to time, which was a task I did not mind, but could have done without.
The project went well and I had no real concerns except that part of the project in this case was to plaster the floor. Fair enough, it was in a really sorry state. My concern was that they were not 'plastering' the floor, rather, they were relaying a concrete floor about 100cm thick. I agreed that it was necessary but thought they would run out of cement, which they did. Duck's budget had been spent leaving the classroom floor half completed. I made a small application for more funds and was successful so the floor was eventually completed. There were minor concerns mainly over terminology - plastering vs concreting, but that sorted ok.

The other 'unusual' part of the project was rainwater harvesting.
There was indeed a need for rainwater harvesting but the project had not attempted it before and I was very interested in the concept.
Boards had been used for spouting and a small tank had been built and I thought the setup was very well done.
I found that there was no water source within the village and water was brought in by tractor and sold for Tsh100 per 20litre bucket. Very expensive for the local Maasai.
Naturally after the first rains, I made it my business to call there to see if the tank was holding the water. The Headteacher was very stressed and wanted the tank taken away.
Providing a small amount of free water had upset the internal balance of the village. It was never expressed who should benefit from the water. The teachers thought is for them, the parents thought it was for the students, who could take water home home. Then there were the thieves at night. So the Headteacher put a lock on the tap but that only caused extra bad feeling within the village.
I called in the Mtendaje - the village executive officer, and suggested that the situation be settle in one way or another. He immediately called a village meeting , chaired by the village chairman, and a few were able to come at short notice. Then he passed the buck on to me! It was not my fight!
So I simply told the meeting that the amount of water was small and if every household recieved one bucket, the tank would be empty in a day. They all agreed.
For the sake of keeping the tank in working order, there should be water in the tank for as long as possible with some remaining constantly. The water should therefore be for the use of the teachers - equally - as teachers need to be attracted to hard, rural areas and with no water, there may well be no teachers.
The meeting fully agreed with that and peace returned to the village.

The lesson: People need to understand the terms of aid/assistance fully before work begins or goods are supplied. By taking the power away from people it insults their intelligence and nobody can be expected to accept that.
Keep the consultation process going! Always.