What Children Can Teach Us

This week I finally had the opportunity to go on another round of 4-H club visits. Five 4-H staff traveled to Korogwe, which is located two hours south-west of Tanga, to assess 4-H clubs for two days. Josef, the training manager, Manase, the fundraising manager, Gudila, a project manager, Chloe, and myself traveled to Korogwe to get a better understanding of the needs of the 4-H clubs. One of the projects Chloe and I are working on is writing a grant proposal for a project that focuses on the female entrepreneurs in 4-H. Visiting the clubs gave us the opportunity to speak with the women and ask them what could 4-H provided them that would be most beneficial for them in their small businesses. Another, more long term project that Chloe and I are working on is a project through the 4-H Global Network. We are working on a way to connect 4-H clubs in Tanzania with 4-H clubs back in the United States. We would like to see the clubs sharing 4-H and their cultures with one another. So again, this opportunity to speak with club members gave us an idea of what Tanzania 4-H members would like to learn from 4-H clubs in the United States as well as what they want to teach U.S. clubs.

After pushing the car to get it started, we were off on our two day journey. We arrived in Korogwe around 11 a.m. and went to pick up the District Advisors for the area. Tanzania is divided into regions and each region is divided into districts. Each district has 4-H District Advisors who over the 4-H clubs throughout their district. We traveled down the all-too-familiar bumpy roads and stopped at a little house with 20 women sitting out front.

The first club we met with was an all-female club in which the women have only completed primary school. The club has 30 members all of whom have their own income-generating projects. Many of the women raise chickens as their individual project while others grow and sell vegetables from their gardens. Some of the women described how 4-H has helped them become successful business women because before they joined 4-H, they did not understand many of the medicines available for animals. These medicines help keep the animals healthy longer, so the women can now make a greater profit from their animals.

All of the women had at least one child, but because of 4-H, the women have a better understanding of time management. 4-H has taught them how to raise and take care of their children while still maintaining a successful business. These women were all very thankful for the support they have received and the skills they have learned through the 4-H program.

After meeting with the women, we headed to a busy bus stop for lunch. This bus stop is the half-way point between Dar es Salaam and Arusha (Kilimanjaro), a 12 hour journey. It is a very hoping joint with many venders selling everything from meat to fruits. I had a common meal that many Tanzanians enjoy-meat and chips. Beef is called meat and french fries are called chips. The meal comes in a foil container where you must use toothpicks to eat. The meat is fresh-as in, just butchered right before you eat it, so you have to pick around the bones and fat, but it's pretty darn good.

After lunch we headed out to some home visits, where we got to see women working their small businesses. The first women we met with was Amina, who owns her own salon. She invited us into her small saloon and spoke with us while she was braiding another woman's hair. She has been involved in 4-H for two years and has had her own business for one year. The management training that she has received through 4-H has helped her become successful to where she now makes a profit of 20,000-30,000 Tsh per day. 30,000 Tsh (Tanzanian Shillings) is equal to about $20 USD. The confidence she has gained from 4-H has allowed her open her own business, and because of her success, she tries to encourage others to become 4-H members. She serves as a model for other women interested in entrepreneurship in her village.

Our next stop was to meet with Veronica, who has been a member of 4-H for two years. She makes her living by dying her own batiks and designing and producing dresses. 4-H has taught her how to market her clothes to the women in her village. Furthermore, she has learned how to take care of the customer. Before her involvement in 4-H, Veronica was making 50,000 Tsh per month. She now makes more than 70,000 Tsh and can make more than ten dresses in a week. She owns two sewing machines, which are operated manually with a foot pedal, and is working on saving up enough money to buy an embroidery machine, which will allow her to greatly expand her business. In addition to producing clothes, this successful women teaches three younger girls about the art of sewing. She charges the young girls a small fee in exchange for the valuable entrepreneurial skills that Veronica possesses.

Our third stop was to the home of Asnath, who has been a member of 4-H for three years. She makes her living from the restaurant that she owns, which is a hut in front of her house. She has seen a positive change in her life from her involvement in 4-H. Before 4-H, Asnath worked at a restaurant where she struggling to get by. Because of the knowledge she has gained through 4-H, Asnath owns her own restaurant and even employes another women. She now makes 3,000 Tsh each day in addition to taking care of two children.

We drove quite a ways to meet up with Janet who has been in 4-H for three years. Janet has become incredibly successful with the skills she has learned through 4-H. She was selected as one of twelve women to attend a vocational training session taught by 4-H Tanzania. The training session taught her about tailoring, making batiks, and making jewelry. Her self-confidence and decision making skills as well as her ability to work with others has helped her make over 400,000 Tsh by selling her clothing and jewelry to shops around the village. Janet showed us some of her work, which was incredible, so Chloe and I bought a couple bracelets as well as a batik that she hand-painted.

Our last home visit was with Matilda who has been a member for three years. She had a stand out her home where she sold vegetables and fruits from her garden. She also makes and sells batiks and clothing. She has been able to open up her own bank account where she can start saving the money she makes from her business. Her confidence and entrepreneurship skills have helped her earn more than 20,000 Tsh per month.

As we were visiting with Matilda, a swarm of children started watching us. I had a hard time concentrating on our interview because the children were so curious with me and Chloe. After our interview we spent some time playing with and taking pictures of the children. They cheered and cheered every time the flash on my camera when off and they laughed hysterically when they saw themselves in the pictures. The children are the best part about this country.

After our home visits we headed back to our hotel to clean up. I had the opportunity to take a hot shower, so I may have stayed in the shower a few extra minutes. The reason there was hot water at this hotel was not because they have a water heater. Ooh no, instead they have an electric heater in the shower head. If you ask me, it's a really easy way to get yourself electrocuted. But my reasoning is, if Africans can manage to do it, so can I. I did accidentally touch the shower head, and yes, it does shock you. I may just stick to cold showers if my only other option is to use an electric shower head that plugs into the wall of the shower.

After freshening up, Josef, Manase, Gudila, Chloe, and I went out for dinner. The evening was the longest, yet most enjoyable evening I have had. We ordered our dinner around 6:30 p.m. If you haven't figured it out by now, time doesn't mean anything in Tanzania. At 7:30, after some great laughs, I asked when our food would be ready. Manase went to ask the chef how much longer it would be and he told me it would be about another 30 minutes. As if my stomach wasn't growling enough, I waited a little longer. After some more great laughs and jokes that I should probably not share with the public, I asked if the food was ready. That's when I learned the term "bado kidogo," which means "in a little bit." It was a little bit longer...9 p.m. when we received our meal. But, it was well worth the wait. It was great food and great company-a good way to end a great day.

The next morning we headed out into the Usambara Mountains to meet up with our first club of the day. We met with a primary school at the foot of the mountains. As we drove up, the children's faces lit up and they began singing their 4-H pledge for us. They created a pathway and continued singing to us as we walked passed them. We sat down and they began to sing another song. Just as I sat down, a little girl came up to me and held out her hand as if she wanted to dance with me. Not knowing what I was doing, I got up and followed her to the open area in front of us. The beat of the music changed and she suddenly began swiveling and shaking her hips. Still not knowing what was going on I started shaking my hips too as all the children began to chuckle. The children went down the row so Chloe, Gudila, Manase, and Josef each got their turn to shake it. Just when I thought we were done, I was told it was my turn to go pick a student to dance with, so I slowly made my way over to the children dancing to the beat of the music. I extended my hand to a shy girl and then I started shakin' my hips. As if we hadn't already received the most uplifting welcome, the children began to singing "We are so ha-ha-ha-happy to say welcome." It was the most heartwarming experience I have had yet.






After singing and dancing with the children, we went to speak with the club advisors to get a better understanding of their perceptions of their students. The Kwagunda Primary School has been around for ten years and has 126 4-H members ranging in age from 9-14. They have two club projects that they work on together, which consists of tree planting and growing corn on their two acres of land. The money that the club earns from their club projects help pay for medical expenses if any of the children become ill. The club has a meeting every three months, but they meet in-between to work on their own individual club projects. Most of the children's individual projects consist of either poultry keeping, goat keeping, or tree planting. The advisors did say that water is something they desperately need. They have a hard time taking care of their trees and corn fields because they have very little irrigation. They have a well pump, but they just need a little extra money so they can dig the well.

We spoke with about 30 children after meeting with the club advisors. The children spoke of how much they enjoyed 4-H because it has taught them entrepreneurship skills that will help them sustain themselves in the future. They all want to grow up to become farmers, so the husbandry skills, tree planting knowledge, environment protection lessons, and garden keeping skills, will all help these children become successful farmers in the future. We asked them what kind of things they would like to learn from 4-H members in the United States that they were most interested in the type of projects in U.S. clubs. They were also very interested in technology and wanted to learn about the different cars and computers that we have in the United States.

The children took us out to see their corn fields behind the school. They were so proud to show us their projects and thrilled that we were taking pictures of them with their corn. As we headed back to the car, the children huddled around us and walked as close as they could to me and Chloe. They started touching our hair and skin and they were so fascinated with the differences. I handed out some of the 4-H gifts that I brought from home, which they were very excited to see. We showed them how to use the frisbees and then it was time to go. As we drove away, the children lined the driveway and sang to us as we left.

The second and last school that we visited was Hale Primary School, which had a total of 289 members divided amongst six club advisers. The club advisors, again spoke of how they have little access to water, which makes it hard for the children to work in the 1/4 acre corn and vegetable garden. The club is currently looking for more space so they can begin a poultry keeping project. The club meets two times a year as a club, but they meet regularly to work on individual club projects.

The schools in Tanzania are on holiday so most of the children where not around. We spoke with about 30 members from the Hale Primary School club. They said they liked 4-H because of the environment protection skills, leadership skills, the independence they have gained, planning for their futures, and the money they have earned from their projects, which has allowed them to afford an education. This club was most interested in learning about the American culture. They wanted to know the types of foods we eat, how we live, what types of sports and activities we have, as well as what Americans learn in 4-H. Similarly, the children want to teach Americans about their own cultures. They want to teach U.S. clubs about their foods, nature, agriculture, fishing, the language, sports, fashions, and how they use a hand hoe for digging. One young student quietly raised her hand and with confidence, she said she wanted to teach U.S. clubs how they lead others. I think there is a lot to be learned from these incredibly driven, hard-working, and extremely proud children.

Fun and Sun

This weekend's adventure took us to Pangani, which is a beach town 40 miles south of Tanga. You would think we could make the 40 mile journey in less than an hour, but no, not even close. We made the journey in a good two and a half hours. Gudila joined us for a day in Pangani and met us at the Tanga bus station. The bus station consists of 30 vans and buses lined up waiting to be filled. The minute we stepped out of the car at the bus station, six different bus conductors came rushing to us to get on their bus...but non of them knew where we wanted to go. Luckily, Gudila got us all situated and onto a little van headed for Pangani. I thought the ride would be a pleasant journey, but I was wrong again.

The road to Pangani, not surprisingly, unpaved. Traveling down an unpaved road in a small van filled to capacity means tilting your head so you don't smash it against the roof when you're hurled over a massive bump. I was pretty fearful the windows of the van were going to shatter because they were rattling out of control. Despite the chaos and discomfort inside the van, the view on the outside was really nice. We passed many thatched hut villages surrounded by huge palm trees.

Once we arrived in Pangani, Gudila took us to the tourist information office where we were given a long list of possible adventures for the day. Chloe, Gudila, and I decided on the most exciting adventure that could be completed in a single afternoon. We chose to go on a river boat cruise down the Pangani River. The Pangani River begins at Mount Kilimanjaro and winds its way to the Indian Ocean in Pangani. At some point along its journey, the water passes through a water turbine to produce energy. The energy produced by the Pangani River is the source of power in Tanga.

After eating lunch, Gudila, Chloe, and I waited for our tour guide down by the river. As we waited, I heard Gudila humming a familiar song. It happened to be a song by none other than Lady Gaga. I got excited that she was humming Gaga so I busted out my iPod and Gudila and I started jamming out to Lady Gaga on the banks of the river. I think I need to start playing some American tunes during work. I also told Gudila as we were waiting, that I want to learn how to carry things on my head like everyone else. She said "like this?" and proceeded to put a water bottle on her head. I tried for ten minutes to balance it on my head, but it was a total failure. However, I am determined to learn before I come home.







Our boat pulled up and we began our trip upstream passing thousands of mangroves along the shore. Crocodiles and hippopotamuses can sometimes be seen lurking in the murky waters, so you can imagine I was on the edge of my seat the entire trip looking for animals. I thought I spotted the head of a hippopotamus and I got very excited... it turned out it was a coconut drifting in the river. Our tour guide then proceeded to tell us that this river is used for transporting coconuts, which is the biggest income generating product of Pangani and the surrounding area. We saw several boats hauling thousands of coconuts down the river and dropping them off in a village where they are then distributed throughout Tanzania.

As we turned the first bend in the river, I thought I was floating down the Nile River in Egypt. The river was lined with palm tree forests with mangroves in-between. I could just picture myself floating down the Nile River in one of Pharaoh's large ships. I was half expecting to turn another bend and see a pyramid.

After drifting upstream for an hour, we took a turn and meandered up a smaller river feeding into Pangani. The tour guide told us this spot is where they sometimes see crocodiles. I immediately jumped up and stood at the front of the boat with my camera waiting for one to lash out. Unfortunately, the crocodiles must have been entertaining other tourists at some other part of the river, because we did not see any. However, there are over 500 different species of birds that live along the river, so we did get to see four different birds out of the 500!

We headed back to the Pangani River where the tour guide took us on shore where several people were watching us and told us we were going to go visit a village. The boat couldn't make it on shore, so a villager waded out to our boat and carried me on his back to the shore. This became a historical show for all the village people watching Gudila, Chloe, and I being carried to shore. We walked through the village until we found a man who was going to take us to see the coconut trees. We began walking and I eventually stopped to see if he was following me, but he had disappeared. After searching around for him I looked up to find him climbing a 40 foot tree with his bare hands. He then cut down four coconuts from the tree and took them back to the village. As he was preparing the coconuts for us, we wandered through the little village. One villager showed me how they throw their nets into the river to catch fish. We headed back to the boat and made our way back to Pangani.

Here is a little lesson on coconuts. The coconuts we were given had been growing for three months. The hard coconuts you find in the grocery store in the United States grew for four months before they were cut down. The softer coconuts that we had have what is called coconut water inside, while the four month old coconuts have coconut milk. You can eat the inside of the three month old coconut because it is relatively soft, whereas the four month old coconuts are hard. Regardless of how old the coconut has been growing on a tree, I am still not the biggest fan of coconuts, but it was a fascinating experience nonetheless.

After our exciting boat trip, Gudila headed back to Tanga. We had reservations at a beach resort located between Pangani and Tanga. We rode with Gudila on the bus until we reach the resort. As we were traveling back down the make-you-car-sick road, the sun was setting. This sunset is the sunset you expect to see in Africa. There was not a cloud in the sky and it looked like a giant ball of fire falling from the sky as it turned the sky dark red. Pretty great way to end the day. Actually, the best way to end the day was having a HAMBURGER for dinner at the resort. I wasn't aware Tanzania knew about hamburgers, so I was quite pleased.

The next day Chloe and I had breakfast and arranged to go on a snorkeling adventure. We went out to the reef on a dhow and dropped anchor. Unlike last week, it was low tide so the reef was six feet below us. I was in heaven exploring the reef and all its hidden secrets. The sea floor was covered with everything from fan corals to giant brain corals to anemones with clownfish. I felt like I was in Finding Nemo. I dove down to the sea floor and found several species of starfish. Some were bright blue while others were red and white. I of course had to pick them up just to examine them. I spent about 45 minutes diving to the sea floor and exploring all the colorful life hidden amongst the coral.

After the first snorkeling spot we headed further out to sea to another reef. This reef was closer to the drop off so the fish were larger. As I was snorkeling and exploring the reef I saw big angelfish, a pufferfish, and an eel hiding in the reef. The colors of the fish were unbelievable. Some were bright green and electric blue, while others were gold and violet. I could have stayed and explored the reef and all its beauty all day long. However, the sun is pretty intense and you can burn very quickly.

After our second snorkel adventure, we headed further out to a sand island. However, the tide was coming in, so the island was disappearing. During low tide, there is a massive island of sand that hotel guests can relax and enjoy lunch before heading back to shore. It was probably a good thing that we did not get to stop on the island because I may have gotten a little more sun exposure than needed.

We returned to resort and had our lunch under a banda instead of the island. After eating another American classic- a hotdog, I took a shower and prepared for our departure. Instead of taking a bus back to Tanga, Chloe and I called a taxi. I have decided that a taxi is well worth a little extra investment. Not once did my head hit the roof of the car. It was like the road had magically changed overnight. Goodbye buses, hello taxi.

Hakuna Matata

At the beginning of the week, Chloe and I decided it was time to take a weekend trip to visit the paradise island of Zanzibar. Zanzibar is right off the coast of Dar es Salaam and is famous for picturesque white sand beaches and coral reefs. This area is also known as the Spice Islands because of the wide variety of spices that an be found on the many small islands around Zanzibar.

We took a quick 30 minute flight from Tanga to Zanzibar and flew in a single propeller plane with room for 12 passengers. The plane was so small that I could not even stand up. If you are not aware, I am short. The plane was so small that the pilot sat in the seat in front of me and I could see out of the front window. As we flew over the Indian Ocean, you could see the vibrant blues and greens of the shallow waters surrounding the reefs.

After our quick flight, we had an hour drive to the hotel located on the north eastern tip of the island. We stayed at the Zanzibari Hotel that can only accommodate up to 20 people in 10 rooms. It is a very quiet and peaceful resort away from all the touristy hotels closer to the city.
As we arrived at the hotel, we were served fresh juice and given a tour of the area. I can't begin to describe the beauty of the place. There was an endless pool that over-looks the beach followed by bandas (thatched huts) to relax under and enjoy the sound of the waves crashing into the shore. There was also a massive banda where meals were served. This luxurious banda is complete with a real "dhow" boat in the center used as a bar. Dhows are the boats used on the island to transport people around.

It was 4:30 by the time we arrived at the hotel so it was high tide. The beach was gone for the day, so Chloe and I just relaxed. Dinner was served at 7:30. We were served soup, grilled chicken with scalloped potatoes, and German apple pudding for dessert. This feast sure beats anything that Chloe and I will ever be able to cook in a pan over our gas cooker.


We woke up at 6 am the next morning to kayak and watch the sun rise over the ocean. Chloe and I joined two other women from South Africa as we kayaked around the coastline. It was a very peaceful experience. The only thing that could be heard was the waves breaking in the distance as the sun slowly began to rise. We kayaked a mile down the coast to watch the fisherman bring in their catches for the day. It's was like kayaking through a maze, going between the boats, as hundreds of them came to drop off their fish.

After another delicious meal, Chloe and I took advantage of the low tide and walked down the beach exploring the tide pools and looking for shells. We found tons of hermit crabs living in beautiful bright shells, sea urchins, and thousands of tiny starfish.

We continued walking down the shoreline until we came to the aquarium, which is a sanctuary for sea turtles. Because the sanctuary is connected to the ocean, the best time to view the turtles is during low tide. A guide took us to the inlet where the green sea turtles live. He gave us seaweed so we could feed the turtles. As if that wasn't exciting enough, he took us to a small pool and showed us sea turtles that were only a few years old. I was excited when he said we could pick them up and hold them. He then took us to another pool that had baby sea turtles that had hatched only two weeks ago. If sea turtles were not an endangered species and if I had some way to take one home, I would have found a way to snatch one of those baby turtles and keep it as a pet.

After a great experience with the sea turtles, we returned to the hotel. There was a massage hut that sits overlooking the beach so I decided I was going to get a massage. I sat on the table and the women told me to take off my shirt...so I did. She then looked at me and told me to take my pants off. Now for someone who has never had a massage before, I came close to freaking out. My pants were not coming off in an open-faced hut with a women who spoke little English. So I said, "Why do my pants need to come off? I thought this was a head, back, and shoulder massage." She said, "Nope it's a full body massage." I'm sure she found the look on my face quite hysterical. I had not prepared myself for a full body massage so I just politely asked if I could just have a head, back, and shoulder massage instead. Crisis diverted. I was ready to call it a day after the relaxing massage, but it was only 3 pm and we still had more adventures yet to come.

We arranged for the hotel to take us on a sunset cruise, so a couple men walked us from the dhow down the beach for our cruise. We set sail, and I mean literally-with a sail made from three large tree branches tied together. They took us out to a reef as the sun was beginning to fade. We dropped anchor and went snorkeling for the last 30 minutes of daylight. The ocean floor was 30 feet below, but it looked as if you were looking through glass. You could see every small detail of the reef through the crystal clear blue water. I swam along side schools of fish as if I was part of the gang. We returned to the the boat and sat on the top deck of the dhow and watched the sun fall from the sky.

Back at the hotel, we had a buffet dinner complete with a salad, beef curry, goat, potatoes, and an assortment of desserts. After dinner there was a traditional tribal Masai warrior dance around a fire pit down on the beach. It sounded like your regular old tribal chant with a few low notes followed by some freakishly high notes. It was quite a unique cultural experience. Chloe and I were exhausted after our eventful day so we called it a night.

The next morning we woke up, ate breakfast, and check out of paradise. We had the driver take us to Stone Town, the famous old town of Zanzibar. We found a small alley lined with souvenir shops. Prior to my experience that day, I didn't know you could barter with the sales people in shops. I hate having to decide how much something is worth, but after that day, I am now a pro-barterer. It actually is not that hard to barter with Tanzanians when they give you the first price of $60 USD for five small items. RED FLAG. So I told him that I could buy these items in America or on the internet for less than $20 USD. I think he was actually pretty impressed with my bartering abilities. When he kept telling me to raise the price, I said "no thank you" and began to walk out the door. He stopped me and finally said "OK." Winner! Don't worry, I did not rip them off. I found the same items sold in the airport for the same price I ended up giving them.

Thanks to the Lion King, we all are familiar with the phrase "Hakuna Matata." It is actually a real Swahili phrase. I would also say this is the motto of Zanzibar. The people of Zanzibar use it in their everyday language. For example, if I were to say "I would like to go snorkeling," the response would be "of course, hakuna matata." If I were to say "my shower is leaking and the bathroom is flooding," I would be told "hakuna matata." And I am pretty sure that if I told someone I just broke my leg, they would say, "Ya man, hakuna matata." It really is their way of life on the paradise island.

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