Making a Start

Even though we were in the Makumira house, there was still residual work left over from Hifadhi and finalizing other projects from various donated funds. Good old Joshia helped when he could, but sometimes I carried on on my own.

DME had given me two weeks to settle into the house, but we didn't need that long and I wanted to get going on the project.

I called at the office of the General Secretary but I could tell by his body language that he was not concentrating on what I had to say - it seemed he wanted to get the interview over as soon as possible! Mheshimwa Baba Askofu - the Bishop had knocked a guy off his bicycle on the way back from Dodoma and it was the General Secretary's job to sort out what had to be done.
I offered to wait and when he was able to relax, I had some answers.
Loti it seemed was out of favor with DME and while he was still on the payroll, he had no official job.
That raises another thing that will keep cropping up - DME was very short of cash. While Loti was on the payroll, he was not actually paid - the Makumira farm had to make money first, for that is where his wages were to be paid from. Mbise was paid irregularly - 6 months apart of even a year!
The General Secretary told me that the fish farming vol and his co-worker did not consult DME on what they were doing nor the location and the request was made that we keep DME informed. On the other had, we could proceed by making our own way and the Bishop was happy that we work with the total population in the DME are no matter their religious belief. So I took it that we would make our own way but keep up a dialogue.
The fish farming vol had demanded holiday time be taken into account when he resigned. The gist of which eludes me to this day, but according to the General Secretary, he expected leave to be taken at the completion of each year. Somehow it affected the relationship with the Agency.
We enjoyed a much more open and friendly arrangement. My attitude was to work hard to complete projects. I worked more than eight hours each day and more than five days per week. So if I needed to go anywhere or do anything, by swings and roundabout, DME had the best deal - and appropriately so!
I was again told about 'upsetting the ballance' by paying people too much. Obviously DME was cash-strapped and had to meet the wage demands of all their workers.
The General Secretary expressed the wish that any nursery we establish, should be on church land.

We went up to Loti's home place at Ngongongari where he had a large farm by his village's standards. To reach it we had to pass through the Seventh Day Adventist Seminary and I got to know the guard on the gate who's job it was to record people entering and leaving the compound - gradually he allowed me to pass without signing in.
There was a government tree nursery (State Forest Department) and we paid a visit there, meeting the manager who showed us Grevillea robusta, Cupressus lusitanica, Pinus patula and Eucalyptus maidenii seedlings. The guy was motivated and interested in the wider environment and supportive about our proposed activities. He even suggested we co-operate and use some of the nursery area for our nursery. Remembering the General Secretary's wish, we politely refused his offer and in the did not have very much to do with him - no fault, we just became busy doing what we do.

I will mention here and no doubt again: Loti proved to be an excellent co-worker. He would wait to see what my attitude was (over all sorts of things) and allow me to have my say or indicate what direction we would move in. He would interpret my Kiswahili so what I said was understood and he had great patience with me for at times he had not a clue what I was going to do or say next!

Mama Kuku is a well-known individual around Arusha and among other things is involved with Rotary in Arusha. Mama Kuku has done a great deal of work to provide assistance in various ways to the local population and her achievements cannot be overstated. Poor woman was recently beaten up and robbed, which is scant thanks for what she has done! She is regarded highly by the local population and the robbers are no more than opportunist thugs who deserve whatever fate might hand out. It will not be good in the end!
I met her (& her husband) from time to time and twice visited her at her home on the crater rim above Lake Diluti. The ritual of taking tea was like going back to colonial times.
Mama Kuku saw the opportunity to 'do something for the environment' and back-load nursery grown trees on her truck that transported day old chicks to Arusha. We had scored some of these trees through Hifadhi, and a large number arrived at the DME office.
The fish farming vol had arranged for the trees - 30 000 of them! And he was supposed to pay for the freight, but I did not know about this until later - when I had to cough up for them!
To be truthful, I did not want to deal with the trees because I would have to transport them and I knew from experience that if you just deliver trees without preparing to people and the planting hole, the success would be severely limited. The other thing was that there was an inadequate supply of water to maintain the trees at DME HQ!
At that time, there were few vehicles at DME - even the Pastors either walked, took Daladalas or Landrovers that acted as buses in the more remote areas.
In the end the trees were given to anyone who would take them away, and I transported them in bulk lots to some village offices within the DME area.

Loti and met at our home to work out how we were going to carry out the project and talk about the need to employ some people to help in the tree nursery.
Of course there was some interest in the work available because the local people thought that we would pay well and regularly. As well there was not much work around.
Mbise was our mlinzi, night guard but he wanted to work in the nursery as well. That was understandable as he did not receive regular pay to look after us - it was not our responsibility to pay for mlinzi work. You might wonder who he could stay awake carrying out two jobs. Well, we just trusted the guy.
Amani was a youg local woman who lived with her parents across the river - she was to work with us for a long time.
Veronica was a vibrant young woman of the Chugga tribe but carried with her a few problems caused by her husband.
Upendo, and while there are many Upendo's, this one was a school leaver who came to us first to sell eggs and wanted to be called 'Helen'. She came from a good family and uncounted problems in her life that may arise later.


We planned to carry out environmental seminars at schools, churches and anywhere else we thought might be appropriate. I had in my mind the content of seminars and we decided that I would make up flip chart for Loti to work from.
It would take some time to make up the chart so meantime I would teach the nursery workers what was required of them and Loti and I would make contact with the target audience.

I was pleased that I could at last concentrate on this assignment.