Pre Zanzibar

Before we could head off to Zanzibar there we a couple of 'initial visits' to make and to get the tree nursery ticking along.
Mbise our night guard was to work in the nursery as well as guard the place at night, but one day he contracted malaria and thought he could carry on working. We all know malaria isn't like that and his condition worsened so I sent him home. I was not too concerned about the fact that we never had a night for four nights but as the electricity was off during that time I went out every time I woke during the night and flashed my torch about. A waste of time really because everyone and his dog new that Mbise was crook.

The other staff were learning what was required of them - Amani from across the river, Veronica from further up the hill, and Upendo aka Helen also from across the river. I began the practice of writing a list of the work to be done [in my best Kiswahili] and they would check each task off and make a good job of it. I fail to understand those who say Africans are unreliable and unable to follow directions. Throughout the five years I employed staff at Makumira, they carried out their tasks exactly as I required and I could leave them unsupervised for weeks on end. There is a culture of greeting people and requiring time away for funerals, but that is the culture and outsiders need only to respect that.

We paid a visit to Malula, the church there, the Mtendaje and the village chairman. All were young men committed to server their community. The big issue was water and that had to be bought in at a cost of 250/- per 20 litre bucket. None of the water schemes were working and the small well gave very little.
There was a willingness to plant trees.

There were the continued visits to villages with Missy and Joshia. it was refreshing to hear about the successes of our plantings and how our visits in small ways motivated some folk.

The General Secretary had a farm at Mareu and he wanted to plant there - though I thought the area not to be a priority, it was up to DME to prioritize and make recommendations, so we met the village and church leaders there. We told them to spread the news that we intended to frequent the village and would respond to the environmental needs.

There was a new orphanage built just above Nkoaranga Hospital, funded through the Lutheran Church - American I think. We took the vol nurse with us because she had no vehicle.
First was the inspection and we found it to be an excellent facility.
It was a colourful ceremony with many guests, speeches and singing by two choirs.
There was the usual huge African meal and the keki goat.
While there was still a hubbub I went across to the primary school to introduce myself and planned for a future visit.
This orphanage was to play a part in a story that will come later.

We were fortunate during this time to recieve a Toyota Double Cab and it had a canopy on the back. It was an ideal vehicle for us as the suspension was pumped up an extra two inches. Diesel and cheap to run.

I was ready for a breather, and what better place to have that - Zanzibar!

A little bit of touring.

Another visitor arrived - she had just finished her vol assignment in Zimbabwe and was on her way home. I had known her casually through work in NZ and she was interested in what we were doing in our projects.

Missy was still with us as well and had just about finished her field work so both these young women were able to spend a weekend with us at Tarangire National Park and then a trip to Lushoto because I needed to go to the National Tree Seed Project to buy some seed.
My free pass was still valid for Tarangire National Park which was a big saving for us at the time and we always enjoyed our time there.
I'm sure I don't need to go into the detail of this trip but will add some pics. One thing though was when we came to the top of a rise, there stood a huge bull elephant! Out vol from Zimbabwe ordered me to stop so she could take a photo of him, but the elephant took fright and charged us, trunk raised and ears wide! I knew it was just bluff! No way I didn't, panic invaded the car and I put my foot down on the accelerator! I didn't even change gear! Now I think the elephant was probably bluffing, but he stood there watching us make a lot of dust!

























































I guess one of the perks I had was regular tips to Lushoto to purchase seed. Not only seed but plants of various types as well. For this trip we took a number of people including Mo & Jo, Missy, the vol from Zimbabwe and another from South Africa. A fair load for the Toyota and some had to sit [in rotation] in the back - lucky there was a canopy!

It is a long journey, maybe five hours and while others may think that the landscape is boring, I beg to differ. There is plenty see if you are interested and it is not only trees that interest me. Around Boma Ng'ombe the young men [now there's a thing, they are called boys and that is a legacy from colonialism - really a bit derogatory so I will use the Kiswahili kijana (one vijana (plural)] on their bike ferrying water. Always I try to glimpse Kilimanjaro as she lifts her skirts of clouds. Coming into Moshi the landscape changes and there is rice drying in many places. The two roundabouts through Moshi and memories of taking Upendo to look for a place in secondary school, and her friend not being used to a knife and fork, spilling her leg of chicken. After that I always use my fingers to eat when there is company who are not used to the ironmongery. Through Moshi is the place where they auction bales of used clothing - the first step for distribution. The river crossing and branch to Marangu. The vijana selling items to the bus passengers. The volcanic rock being cut into bricks. Some teak trees. Mwanga village, but before there is the railway and wrecked carriages - Mwanga mean (day) light. Then before Same is are the Baobab trees and just after the Elephant Hotel where we have eaten breakfast in the past. Then the scrublands that were sold off as small farms and we watched as the trees were removed, made into charcoal and crops of maize grown and failed. The Sisal farms and then Mombo the junction to climb up to Lushoto. Always stop for chicken and chips a Mombo! Clean ans anything, good, safe food and the Pare woman there was so like Mama Upendo! Mombo is vibrant with vijana selling all manner of things, mainly food. These were street vendors. The guard who I always paid 100/- kept his eye on our vehicle - he was paid by the restaurant but. And it is good with visitors because they see it through fresh eyes and reopen your own!

The road from Mombo is sealed because above Lushoto is a presidential palace - You can glimpse it but not take photos or enter the grounds, but they have picked a great place. t first the road is windy and steep-sided with many small bridges, and it is a steady climb to Soni Falls then Lushoto, it is great landscape and 'one of the better places to see!'
Lushoto was founded by the German colonists for somewhere to retire to in order to avoid the summer heat of Dar es Salaam or even Arusha. Some of the buildings still remain with the German architecture. Actually we were shown a place where the 'the Germans hid in during WWI, there is a tunnel into the hill, but at the top. I'm fairly sure that it was a bauxite mine and they wanted to keep it secret. There are other very good hiding places.

We stayed at the Grand Mandarin, which is up the hill a little. The guy, Manadri, was always pleased to see us. The hotel, if that is what it was, was still in the 'building phase' - was 10 years ago and will be in 10 years time. Most would rate it as basic accommodation but we liked it. One warning though, it can be cold there at night, so you receive a charcoal burner for heat. It robs the oxygen and also is inclined to cause a headache - and that should be a warning as well.

Wherever I go, I like to wake early and walk around before many people are awake - it is usually peaceful at that time and I like an early morning cup of tea or coffee if I can get it. I have been known to make special arrangements with the local people for that early burst of caffeine by leaving a Thermos of getting permission to brew it up myself!

The Ithene lookout point is a must. But regrettably the past president has built a huge tourist lodge overlooking it and this detracts from nature at its very best - then who could stop it? Guides want to take you there but generally we refused as we had our own vehicle and we had been there previously, but it is good to take a guide and pay him well as tourists can afford to pay and for the locals it is hard to scratch out a living.

The National Tree Seed Project is an excellent facility originally set up by Denmark and handed over to the Tanzania Nation. Frida managed the enterprise with expertise and was always a delight to do business with. I know very well that I could collect much of my seed requirements myself, but if enterprises such as this are not supported, then they close and that would be a tragedy. Misitu Juu!



There is a wonderful herbrarium close by but sadly it is not used to any great extent but the collection of plants really is extensive.
There is also a huge arboretum there as well, set up years ago and not really managed but some of the trees are very large with the species range being extensive. I collected some material that I was looking for - some Leyland cypress cuttings - they have no viable seed. I had also found some Bhutan cypress and collected seed because that species is not generally grown - unfortunately it was all unviable.
But for anyone with an interest in trees, it is a place to go - few knew about it back then.

It was not possible to find or to buy Arucaria seed mti ngazi meaning a tree of steps because of it's form. It is a popular tree over most of Tanzania as an amenity tree. Vijana collect the seed as fast as it ripens and plant it to sell the seedlings at a premium price. I always took a few to take as gifts for people within the various projects.

I saw a small sign stuck to a tree saying Bustani ya Miti - Tree Nursery. The old guy there had worked in a Forestry Department tree nursery years ago and was still enthusiastic. He had a small nursery with a diverse species selection. He just made enough money to buy his booze and I was happy to support him. I enjoyed talking with him and we shared knowledge - his far more extensive than mine! The respect was mutual and I took trees from there to be planted within the extensive Meru area.

Below the NTSP there was another nursery and they specialized in many fruiting plants such as passion fruit, but also some forest species but more suited to higher rainfall areas. I always left there with several plants as well.

The roadside market at Soni Falls was always a place to stop. The street vendors would arrive at the car window en mass which can be over-powering for some passengers. I always bought a bucket-full of Loquat and pressed my passengers to eating them and saving the seed. The nursery workers and friends at Makumira also had the task of eating as much fruit as possible and saving the seed.
There were other fruits available, but most of them needed the cooler climate to thrive, so I bout enough to satisfy our immediate needs and of course to offer a taste to the folk we worked with and lived among.

This I have written from memory as the note in my diary says that I was too busy to write up the full events of the trip, but I would do so later - well I didn't. My diary also stated that there were plans for a visit to Zanzibar at the end of the month, but there was much to do beforehand.



























PS. I have trouble setting out pictures. Maybe all one side of page is best.

What is the Environment?

Mazingira ni nini? What is the environment? Is the heading of the flipchart we used in all the seminars and Loti helped with the precise Kiswahili as I drew it up. During this time we were busy with nursery work so there would be trees ready when the rains came.

We had negotiated a salary for Loti that was as much as the the balance between the General Secretary's wish and the project could afford. Loti had a farm and he was to have Wednesdays off so he could maximize production there.

The flipchart was an important part of the seminars and Loti was to use it most of the time - I generally cut in with anecdotes and roll plays. But Mags had thought of a song that was to become very popular and constantly used. She had her ukulele and played it as schoolkids and adults sang along.
Sung to the tune 'If you are happy and you know it. clap your hands.

Tunapenda ku tunza mazingira,
tunapenda ku tunza mazingira.
Tunapenda, tunapenda,
Tunapenda ku tunza mazingira!

Tunapenda ku panda miti mengi,
tunapenda ku panda miti mengi.
Tunapenda, tunapenda,
Tunapenda ku panda miti mengi!

Kama mbuzi amekuja mfukuza,
Kama mbuzi amekuja mfukuza.
Kama mbuzi anakuja, kama mbuzi anakuja.
Kama mbuzi anakuja mfukuza!

----

We love to care for the environment!

We love to plant a lot of trees!

If a goat comes (along) chase him away!

Sometimes when kids hear or saw our vehicle coming, they would stand beside the road clapping in time and singing 'Tunapenda'! I have to say it was very special to have that rapport among the population. I challenge anyone to sing that song in the middle of Arusha and even today someone will sing along!

The flipchart had details of the cycle of water as well as the uses of trees in the environment.
There is no 'Mother Nature' in Kiswahili or the Tanzania culture, so all that we would call 'the work of Mother Nature' is simply regarded as 'the work of God' and we were comfortable with that. Regardless of the religious belief of any of the people we talked they had their own God so fully understood the concept.

In case I have no other opportunity to do, I have to acknowledge John Swann of TD Design because he helped do a 'professional' job of the flip chart and laminate it. This is when I was about to return for the second stint in Tanzania.

The Fundi School

A fundi is a craftsman/artisan, so fundi boma is a plumber, fundi umeme is an electrician and so on, and there are training schools to teach student such skills. Here in NZ they are technical colleges or polytechnics and in Tanzania they are vocational colleges or simply shule ufundi.

DME had a vocational college just up the road from King'ori, but it had the name Leguruke rather than King'ori - I don't know why but accept that DME had their reasons.

The O/C of the school, Urio, was a Pastor but I did not realise that at the time and he welcomed us with a cup of tea and some cake because some of the female students were studying cooking. Afterward we went for a tour of the college where we saw the various work unit areas, cooking, sewing, plumbing, and carpentering/cabinet making.

I noticed the toilet doors [many bomb-box toilets are in groups of 3, 4, 5, or 6, all sharing the one pit] were off their hinges, I thought that inappropriate for a vocational college. On the other hand the sewing seemed to be of a high standard as did the cooking - we watched our lunch being prepared. The carpentry workshop was good also and we ordered a tray with two wood colours.

Lunch was rice with roast meat and vegetables and more than enough. Very well served by the students who were dressed in their uniform. There were speeches and Urio told us he needed our help to start a forest in the school farm, to set up a tree nursery and to provide environmental education.
I replied say that we would assist with the tree nursery and environmental education. As for afforestation, the student could do that but we would help start them off and perhaps provide trees.
Urio replied that he would appreciate any help and that the school was short of funds and projects like forestry would help them out financially.
I actually hadn't realised how the Meru crisis had left the whole of DME with a lack of resources - especially financial. I'm sure too that the Agency did not realise.

After lunch we toured the complex on foot seeing the student accommodation, staff quarters, cattle banda (for milking cows), the disused shelter that housed a recent DME annual conference and the farm. The farm was either undeveloped or reverted and needed considerable work to bring it into production - meaning financial resources. There was potential here for a forest project to run alongside any agricultural project(s).
We planned to return for a day's work and tuition on tree nursery production on 26th August.
Something there gave me a feeling of disquiet and I could not put my finger on it, but I had some questions that I asked myself: Why was there no fruit grown there? The student diet was 'student diet' and they would benefit from the extra vitamins. Why were they buying firewood? It is possible to easily grow short rotation trees for firewood. Why buy timber for carpentering education? Even small areas of timber producing trees, eg. Grevillea robusta, could be pit-sawn on the place at no cost, being good education.


We took with us wire mesh for sieving the soil, a watering can, a roll of polythene tubing and a range of useful tree seeds.
A group of young men and women had formed themselves into an 'environmental group' and they listened attentively, taking notes as we spoke to them using the new flipchart - Mazingira ni nini? - What is the Environment?
We cleared an area of land for the nursery site and I demonstrated how to cut the polythene tubing and fill the pots. Loti demonstrated the sowing of the seed and we talked about irrigation.
A woman teacher was to be in charge of the project and we went into the farm to look at proposed forestry sites. There were plenty of potential sites and I saw some areas that had been fallowed for a number of years, was actually regenerating into indigenous forest. I was excited about this and explained that by clearing the weeds around the trees and perhaps fertilizing, they had a ready-made indigenous forest.
I saw the eyes glaze over with disinterest in this because always the preference is for quicker growing exotics. It seemed to me that there was the attitude 'out with the old, in with the new'. The inference being that indigenous species were somehow inferior. Not so!
It became part of our programme to encourage indigenous species and we made sure there was always a percentage of them in each project.

A bit of a note

What tree is this?

From about July 1997 we became very busy and a lot happened. It is difficult for me to summarize each center of activity in one go, so I will go more precisely from my diary than before - I hope that makes sense.
From time to time our camera did not work well so excuse the lack of photos from time to time.

Women's Group at Mbaaseny

I should not understate the distances we covered each day in the DME projects because the Diocese area is so very large. Sitting here now after have traveled through the area so many times over five years and considering the road conditions at the time, I feel like it was the norm and no problem but really there is a lot for me to be thankful for.

The first women's group we worked with was the Mbaaseny Group which was a part of the home parish of the Hon Bishop. His wife was part of the group and while she did not hold high office within the group, she had an aura about her that gave her the right to great respect. I found her to be a knowledgeable woman.

At this time Mch Majola was in charge of the King'ori District and was the Pastor for Mbaaseny and he had encouraged us to become involved with the group. I think his idea was for us to become will known throughout the Diocese.


We gave the group a seminar about the importance of caring for the environment and it was well received. It seemed to me unusual at the time that the women liked to have a man within the group 'to provide general guidance' and they took notice of him. Also the parish workers came - the Evangelist, secretary. It is a young woman who had the official title 'Parish Worker'. I had written a short skit (role play) that we had performed using seminar participant s actors - it went well.

The group wanted a tree nursery to raise funds for the women's group activities and we supplied them with rolls of polythene tube, a watering can, a rake, a shovel and seed. We spent a day with them setting them up and they seemed very keen.
You need to approach each group as the situation dictates and this area (by Leguruke) was not a dry, difficult area but fertile and with adequate rainfall. People generally were interested in growing trees for profit or a specific need such as hedges (mchongoma), timber (Grevillea), fruit (Avocado, Guava), aesthetics (Bougainvillea). They were not so interested in indigenous species conservation though that was included in the seminar.

After the seminar we went there for the day to work work with the group to set up the nursery. Half the day was spent eating and socializing - something we were going to have to become used to. They were a good group and took to all the tasks readily. Many of the group members took me aside to ask questions: about the nursery, about the environment, about New Zealand and if we could help with a project of some sort either personally and with another group with which they were connected.
Examples of this were: the assistant head teacher of Leguruke Primary School suggesting we work at the school and her husband was the head of the Leguruke Clinic they needed assistance, the Parish Worker wanted us to visit her home parish further up the hill from Leguruke. This is how we became so busy.

It was necessary to use judgment and offer advice without being officious and this group needed to be told that they would need to water the tree seedlings on a rota system to ensure they dry out. With nobody actually living on site, they needed to organise a daily watering as well as their meetings to carry out the necessary nursery work.


Joshia had taught me about the importance of motivation and one of the ways to motivate people/students was to bring them to the Makumira nursery where they could see haw the nursery worked. We would give them some trees and a meal. Sometimes it caused extra driving for me - the Landrover could seat twelve people so two trips to bring them and two trips to take them home. It was well worth the effort though.


The Mbaaseny nursery was a success and they sold all the trees, but they told me that they found it difficult to get all the work done and keep the watering up to day.
Even though they did not want to carry on for a second season, I felt that it was a successful outcome because it showed how co-operation can achieve good outcomes, it fostered the message of 'Tunza Mazingira' Care/protect the environment, and it gave us many more contacts to follow up.

Nkwakiringa Nursery School

With a young population in Tanzania, it became obvious to many that there was a need for pre- primary schools (kindergarten, nursery, chekechea, call them what you will) to cater for the many under seven year old kids.

There were those set up as business and obviously catered for kids who were fortunate enough to have financial backing. But most did not have that ability and parents banded together and formed groups like those at Muriet. Churches also took the responsibility to set up nursery schools like the one at Nkwakiringa. Most of these small schools were unfunded and the teachers were just volunteers with no skills other than a love for the kids and a willingness to do the job.
You may laugh at the young woman at Malula who worked with kids in the godown there. She was teaching the kids [as we went in to deliver slates and chalk] the kids song 'Old MacDonald had a farm.' Most nouns have a vowel on the end in Kiswahili, and she was teaching 'Oldi Macdonaldi 'e ad a frami.' Sure she was teaching the kids the wrong words but she was doing her very best and the kids were in a learning environment, learning those necessary social skills and learning to sing and even write. We gave her as much support as we could.

Later the government made a ruling that for entry into primary schools, it was mandatory to attend a pre-school so the whole situation was more formalized and the teachers had to more formally trained and qualified. While the transition has been slow and there are not enough building or teachers, some of the older system carries on today, but that thing 'change' - some of those first teachers have been made redundant.

The way to carry tree in the village

The KKKT, DME parish of Nkwakiringa housed the Nursery School under the watchful eye of the very good volunteer teacher. A tall, lean young woman who had to walk some seven kilometers from her home.
We could not visit these churches without being fed. This is the Meru way where they feel they must do something. There would always be bites with a cup of tea (the milky, sweet kind) and later would come a very substantial meal.
We tried and even Loti tried to respectfully request a cup of tea only, or something small, but that did not really happen. We would lose time because the kitchens were fires and the cooking pot(s) sufaria sitting on three stones. And so it is not like 'putting the kettle on' it takes longer to cook things. Most importantly though the cost to the parish and individuals was high. On the other hand the food was delicious and we liked it very much. I called the rice given to me 'Mlia Meru', Mount Meru because it was a huge mountain of food! And they really did enjoy putting it on for us.
The teacher was quick to ask us for help to start a small tree nursery, partly as an activity for the children but also to raise much needed funds. The day we arrived with materials for the nursery, a man turned up who wanted to volunteer to be in charge of the tree nursery. Now that was a surprise. He was the father of of one of the wee kids who had told him of our visit. Who says kids don't know much and don't talk to their fathers?










This fellow was keen to learn all he could about tree nursery work and led the kids well. We supplied the necessary materials - rolls of polythene tubing, chekecheke to sieve soil, a shovel, watering can and of course seed. They brought in the soil and dry cow manure - easy that really, just ask the kids to bring it from home in a korai [and carried on their heads].









The tree nursery worked very well and measuring its' success compared with others is not all that fair as this one had a good supply of water. Having said that, the work had to be done and it was. We always called in to see them as we passed [which was quite regularly] and usually the guy was there and there were no weeds and the plants were growing well. The other good thing was that they were easily able to sell their trees plus we supplied a few extra for them to sell and one each for each child to take home.It was really good because we could take 'big noises' there because it was just a short trip in real terms and they could see a good project and the kids would always sing which was a quick way to the heart of anyone. Here are some reps from MFAT and another vol.