Hi friends! Now that we've been home a few weeks, many have asked for photos and stories of our September 2013 Visit Africa volunteer team. They called themselves: Timu Wanawake, team of women. So, enjoy part 1 of 5 blog posts about the trip! I hope you feel like you were there . . . almost!
DAY 1 - team members left Boston Logan airport at 6pm, flew to Amsterdam and on to Kilimanjaro airport for a fuel stop and finally to Dar es Salaam, arriving on DAY 2 at 9:40pm. (I arrived from Kenya a few days before the group for last minute preparations and met them at the airport with our Tanzania team.)
Waiting excitedly for our volunteers at the Dar airport were (L to R): Dalmas Nzai, CEO Kulea Kenya; Pastor Romy Mtenda, CEO Kulea Tanzania; Tour Director Kanuth Tarimo of Kanuth Adventure Safaris; me (Deborah Brown, Kulea USA ED); and Paul Maliti, Kulea Tour Guide.
They're here!! (insert: lots of squealing, laughter and hugging)
The team stayed overnight in Dar es Salaam at The Greenlight Hotel, which features air conditioning, European-style bathrooms, comfy beds, TVs, and delicious breakfast with homemade bread! Mmm!
DAY 3 - Just finishing breakfast, then a photo shoot!
We left The Greenlight, exchanged money, etc, then shared a lunch of rotisserie chicken, rice, bananas and sambusas (small fried meat pies) on our way to Chalinze, about 2 hours away.
The Bush Guest House was our home for the week in Chalinze. We were surprised to see many people from Kulea Tanzania there to greet us and carry in our bags! At The Bush we love the large rooms, the kindness of the staff, a new fridge, and even the Pepto-Bismol colored walls! Each room has a fan (no a/c) and some rooms have a toilet while others have a latrine. Before we left the USA, we had more than enough volunteers for a room with a latrine. That told us a lot about this team -- FLEXIBLE from start to finish!
After a quick stop at The Bush, we left to meet the Kulea Kids, children who are in Kulea's total care program, living in the first Kulea home. We were so excited and the kids were, too!
The children had written two welcome songs for us, and they danced as they sang to us.
Then began our tour -- the first one conducted by Kulea kids! Amos showed us the Kulea office.
Amos with Pastor Romy (Dad) in the Kulea office.
The children led our group across the street to see the original church and the construction site of the new Chalinze Baptist Church. Paul explained everything at these two sites. Then Salma showed us the outside cooking space, water storage for the home, the laundry place, and Mwajuma finished with a tour of the inside of the Kulea home. The kid tour guides were great!
Day 4 - Jen Clark led a preschool teacher training seminar on Saturday morning with help from several team members. This team gave the teachers new ideas and methods, plus they brought an abundance of supplies. In addition they funded much needed uniforms for 19 children plus school supplies. Team members have a dream of helping one of the teachers go for training in Morogoro.
On Saturday, while the preschool teacher seminar was in session, Debbie Kinnal and Kelly Lacourse talked about ecology with our Kulea kids and then took a 'clean-up field trip' of the grounds.
After the clean up we played outdoor games with many children.
This is how we ended Day 4 of our trip:
blowing bubbles,
doing the hula with hula hoops,
kicking around the soccer ball,
playing Simon Says,
throwing frisbees,
doing the 'hokey pokey',
playing yo-yos,
laughing,
hugging
and high fives!
ENJOY!
Amos
Amos, Pastor Cindy and Jen
The playground gang
Jen and Debbie make giant bubbles . . .
Bubbles were a hit!
...and this little guy played frisbee with Barb for a long time!
Gianna demonstrated the hula hoop
Naomi tried to imitate her (and did well)!
Debbie teaches the yo-yo!
Eliza playing Noel Anasema!
Rajabu playing Noel Anasema!
After a long time of playing, Kelly could not "trick" Rajabu, Amos, Paul or
Eliza in the game of Simon Says, so she declared 4 winners!
So much fun!!
Amos explains Simon Says (Noel Anasema) in Swahili and then the game begins!
