Kerry and Summer

This place is amazing!  We have had our eyes truly opened by volunteering here in Tanzania.  The kids at the orphanage are kind and happy with what little they have and grateful beyond measure.  We can’t thank this organization enough for this opportunity to try to make a difference in the life of a child.  Also we never dreamed that we would ever teach a Massai Village how to play frisbee.  Yes, we were throwing a frisbee to a man with four wives and looked like he could eat us for lunch!  Thank you Make A Difference!!!!!!!

Came as a teacher, leaving as a student

I think the hardest part about writing a blog entry is deciding where to start. In this case, I think I’ll start here near the end.

I’ve been in Tanzania for 3 months now, and the time has certainly flown by.  I’m here in I guess a bit of a ‘double-role’.  I came through MAD as a Teaching Intern and have been working (and living during the week) at MAD’s partner school, The Royal Junior School in Himo.  It’s been here that I’ve been working to teach Secondary Science and also to collect participatory research for an Action Research project I’m working on as part of my dissertation for a Masters in Education.  When not at the school, I’ve been ‘moonlighting’ as a MAD volunteer on weekends and getting to be a part of the programs and activities with MAD.  It’s been great!  Whether making a splash with the kids at the local pool while teaching them to swim, taking in the gorgeous scenery on Sunday afternoon hikes, getting excited for games and activities with the kids at the orphanage, or enjoying the treat of a delicious meal out on the town, the experience with MAD and the scene in Moshi has so much to offer.

With regards to my teaching time at The Royal School, it has been beyond enriching.  Apart from getting to see the ‘MAD/Kili kids’ each day at school (they attend the Primary section) and enjoying lots of high fives and hugs, the insight I have gained from my experience at the school and working with the Secondary students has been incredible.  I have come to appreciate so many new dimensions to the teaching and learning dynamic (particularly from the perspective of within a developing nation).  The research project I have been working on aims to improve issues of social justice in the field of community & classroom-based education, specifically working with programs of empowerment, leadership development and life skills training for Tanzanian youth.  Despite a variety of differences in schooling that permeate from the socio-cultural and socio-economic context of Tanzania, the sense of community at The Royal School, and the warmth and sense of welcoming all visitors receive continues to inspire me (‘Karibu sana’ is more than just a phrase here with Mrs. Ndjike).  Mrs. Ndjike (the Head of School), the administrative and support staff, and the teachers themselves are really working to create an environment of quality education and learning for the students.  And the shining smiles on the students’ faces, along with the ‘Good Morning, Madam’ each day, was just as touching and inspiring on the last day as on the first.

In addition to an enriching experience working at the school, enjoying the comforts of the ‘MAD House’ and the variety of activities in town has also been a blast.  Whether enjoying a delicious local dish with ‘Western flair’ prepared by Pena (the guest house manager), admiring the stunning views of Mt. Kilimanjaro in the backyard, or sharing a story and a good laugh with other volunteers, the guest house has come to feel like a home-away-from-home (but maybe with a few more power outages .  Even Scooby-doo makes an appearance or two when the kids stay over for sleepovers, and that means there’s always lots of laughter!

Well, I’ve managed to do it again with this blog…I’ve rambled on without actually saying much ;D  I hope if you’ve read it though, you’ve been able to connect with some part of it – even if only learning a new Swahili word.  For a better understanding, Karibu Tanzania – come see for yourself!

Volunteer Blog

You can follow my blog while I’m here in Tanzania at: madebykyle.blogspot.com

 

The start of a swimming programme with the kids!

The swimming programme with the kids has recently sat a foot in the water, literally. And I am so impressed of their different achievements. A few of them are heading the water for the first time in their lives and of course it is nervous in the beginning for both them and us teaching, but after a while when they have get used to the water it’s amazing to see them managing to swim on their own, across the water which is pretty deep if it is your first time in there.

We started with the four oldest girls the first day and we were six persons to be there and assist. It was me, Theresa and a Canadian family. The girls laughed a lot and I think they were very nervous. One of them knew the basics of swimming and for the other three it was the first time. We started to show them fun, basic stuff like splashing in the water, blowing bubbles and just float around. They were fast learners and soon they started to swim on their own. It was  difficult to get them out of the water when it was time to go home!

The  second day, two of the younger girls joined us with the older girls and we started the same way as the day before, just letting them get used to the water by blowing bubbles, floating and being in the water. The two younger girls did better than I expected and soon both swam across the pool with some help of flotation cushions.  This day we also got help from the pool manager with swimming lessons and it went really good!

Next time we’re going there we are going to advance the girls swimming skills and a professional swimming instructor is helping us with that.

The day have went much better then I expected and I am so proud of these wonderful kids!

Veronika, volunteer at Make A Difference Now

 

Smores by Lake Chala

This was my first trip to the orphanage. I had heard so much about the kids and the work MAD was doing in Tanzania having met Teresa a few times over the last few years so I was really looking forward to it.

We arrived late on Saturday, July 2^nd after a few days on safari so we were already acclimated to the time zone and settled in quickly. We had so many great experiences during our short, four-day visit, but one day stands out.

On Sunday we took all the kids on a day trip to Lake Chala. When we woke up Nema was not feeling well so before going to the orphanage we stopped by the clinic. As you know or will soon find out, everything goes “pole pole” (slow) in Tanzania. After a couple of hours to get everything squared away we were off to the orphanage to pick up the kids. When we arrived the kids were ready, way ready. Screams and giggles erupted from the orphanage when we arrived as their wait was finally over.

The kids gave us big hugs and were super excited to be going on a day trip. None had ever been to Lake Chala and for most this was their first day trip in over a year. As we drove to the Lake I got to sit next to Christina, an energetic girl with a big smile. I was surprised by how easy it was relate to her. The honesty and sincerity was apparent and I felt myself relax and enjoy the moment.

After lunch at the Lake Chala campgrounds we hiked our way down to the lake. It was a rather long walk down a rocky, steep path. The kids didn’t seem to mind a bit — they were ready to swim!! However, we soon discovered that the term “swimming” was for some rather optimistic as the first swimmer quickly sank to the bottom. We adjusted our plan and let the kids “swim” by the shore where they could easily stand while I took some of the more courageous ones for their first swim. I’d hold them up horizontally in the waist deep water so that they were floating on the water. With squeals of delight they would kick their feet and splash with their arms. I was moved by the trust they put in me as they tested their courage and tried to swim for real. It was pure joy for them. And for me!!

No camp out is deemed a success unless you have smores. And so the kids were introduced to marshmallows and the fine art of roasting them over the fire. Of course there were the crash and burns where the marshmallow caught fire leaving just a black charred morsel. But soon we had the melted marshmallows on a graham cracker with dark chocolate and we were off to sugar heaven. One of the newly converted smore fans loved them so much she stashed one in each pocket while eating the third. Ahhhh, the ear to ear grin of a sugar coma soon set in for all of us.

But it was starting to get dark so we had to load up the bus again for our ride back. And as great as the day had been the night was sure to be entertaining too. On the drive back a very energetic bunny hopped on the road ahead of the bus for at least a mile. Darting back and forth this bunny had all the kids mesmerized. For most of the ride back we sang songs on the bus and thanked god for such a wonderful day. It had been a special day and we all felt great. Peter was sitting next to me with his arm on my shoulder. And so we rode on with big smiles on our faces.  This was a special day and I felt happy, blessed and fulfilled.

Hopefully you will find your way to Tanzania to have an experience of your own. I’m sure it will transform your life like it has mine.

Frank

Francine Parling

Take a look at this wonderful blog posted by one of our fantastic volunteers….. Francine Parling.

http://www.teachingtraveling.com/2011/08/28/francine-teaching-esl-in-the-u-s-and-travel-in-tanzania/

Traveling Reflections :)

Any trip you take puts you in a position to learn many things if you look at your situation in a unbiased, open way. Whether that trip involves going across the street or across the ocean is entirely up to what you want to do and the resources you have with which to do it.

I have learned many useful things in my day to day life by keeping my eyes and ears open and when I did the math and realized that coming to Africa was more than just a dream, but actually a possibility, I was filled with excitement, anticipating all the learning that would come along with my travels.

I have learned about a few basics of swahili, how modern weddings take place, how bill gates infects people with malaria, how to hash, how to name certain exotic animals by looking at their droppings, and how to live life by candel-light just to name a few things off the top of my head. I’m sad to say, I did NOT learn, however, how many people can fit in a dala-dala. I think that is one of those unanswerable mysteries ranking up there with; What is the meaning of life? and Is Global Warming a real threat?

But, more than learning, I have been asked some great questions by the kids at the orphanage. “Madam! Your hair, it is smelling good! What is this?” It’s shampoo, Peter. hahaha. “Madam! Do all white people use this kind of soap?” Everybody uses a different kind, but i guess some white people might use the same one as me. haha! And then comes the anatomy questions; “Madam! What is this spot!” Mary asked grabbing my arm. That’s a freckle! And “Madam Zoe! Your nose goes like this” Elliona said pointing to his nose and bringing it away from his face, “And mine is like this” he said pushing down on my nose. Yep, they are different. haha. Then, the ever-so-serious, “Why.” Uhm, I don’t know!

My time with the kids was filled with learning on both sides about culture and language and the difference between us, but we shared laughter the whole time. Whenever i didn’t understand an accent, or an expression, the laughs definitely closed those gaps and I believe if they didn’t know a word of English and I didn’t know a word of Swahili we would still get along great by walking around, and teaching and learning from each other with the help of patience, smiles, and laughter.