Shopping, Swahili and Swimming

On Thursday we took a trip to a local market. We have a tiny market by our house but the fruit and vegetables are not cheap compared to what you can get at the bigger markets. It was a ideal time to practice my Swahili, and I heard a few utterances about it, maybe because they knew they couldn't charge Mzungu price? They probably still did! 


Anyway, for under £4 I got 2 Tilapia fish, 15 baby bananas, 2 mangoes, a coconut, a lime, 3 green peppers, 13 tomatoes, 4 carrots, 2 onions, some weird sweet seed things and some spinach. A good amount of it was used in yesterday's cookery lesson which produced this delicious meal (I forgot to take the picture before we started to eat, there was a whole fried fish and everything!):

I have really made efforts with Swahili this week; the mobile phone network I am on here gives you 4 free texts a day so I have used them to text my teacher in Swahili. For a text without mistakes I am on about a 50% success rate at the moment, but the mistakes I have made are small! 


We are hoping to go swimming later, but as I write this the rain is loud and the thunder is rumbling. Fingers crossed the sun comes out as we had to cancel last week's trip due to the weather! We are going to take Big Babies... super cute. 

Please give generously!

Last year when I was here, a guy called Campo came to visit for a few days, he made a film about Forever Angels and it was shown at a dinner in London that was attended by lots of rich people (and me!) Anyway he brought with him some canvas and I made a pretty cool picture which had the handprints of all the babies and mamas. It went to auction at the dinner and sold for £400. I was sooo pleased!


Anyway he has been here this week to make another film, and he brought more canvas. Of course I was more than happy to produce more 'artwork' (ha ha, I am no artist) but hopefully another rich Londoner will purchase the pictures and raise more money so we can help all the beautiful babies and their families that I love so much. 


Here are the results of my efforts this time around! 

Today was a good day all round actually, we painted the Big Toddler's faces (using the Snazaroo book, they actually looked good, I wish I hadn't forgot my camera!) and then they walked to Ladson Lodge, had soda, came back and had great fun with a parachute.

Check out Campo's videos at http://www.foreverangels.org/index.php?source=videos/videos.html&transform=stylesheet.xsl&pageName=videos  

It's the little things that make you smile....

Rainy season has started, and therefore water and electricity supplies are unpredictable. Some of the other volunteers call me a princess, as I get stressed if my hair cannot be washed, dried and (most of the time) straightened as and when I want! Joking aside, it makes you appreciate what we have in England without even realising it. Here's my top ten little things, in no order, that have made me smile recently....note how none of them are grand, materialistic gestures...


1. Watching Lucas dance in excitement when he can walk by himself - then fall down as a result
2. Sharing a meal with a local family, in awe of the effort taken to cook it on charcoal
3. Observing the already forming bond between a child and her future mother
4. Cuddling a baby, getting caught in a maternal moment then realising they have fallen asleep
5. Walking down a street in Mwanza and feeling 'at home'
6. Hearing the kids wake up at 5am, and the first thing you hear is 'Mama Erika swimming!'
7. Being invited on a break with a mama to share a cup of hot, sugary, powdered milk 
8. Buying mango at the market for local price, not 'mzungu price'
9. Practising Swahili by text message and getting it right
10. Eating chips mayai with friends in the dark


It was 2 years ago today that I first came to Mwanza, and I loved it then but I love it ten times more now. 

3 months in!

This time, 3 months ago, I was sat in Terminal One of Manchester Airport, eating and drinking my last Starbucks, waiting for the signs to say ‘Go To Gate’.  I knew this trip was going to be fantastic, but I had no idea how much.

Reflecting on the last 3 months, it can certainly be described as a rollercoaster. I have watched babies take their first steps... I have been plagued with stomach problems. I have been a guest at mamas homes... I have had to cope with the breakup of a long term relationship. I have started to learn Swahili... I have attended the funeral of a 5 month old baby girl. Above all though, I get to wake up every morning and I do not dread going to work – in fact I cannot get there quickly enough. I know that today will be unique, different from yesterday and from tomorrow. I know that the more time I spend out of the house the greater the experience I will have. I never want this to end.

On top of that, I weighed myself today... in 3 months I have lost 18lbs!  People here don’t understand my elation at this... here, if someone says ‘you are fat’ this is to be taken as a compliment, but one I will never quite accept!! Check out the skinny arm on this pic!

 Oh, and feel free to post me some smaller trousers. The address is on the Forever Angels website!! 

Privileged is the best word

I have used the word 'Privileged' so many times since I have been here, but it's entirely appropriate. Most nights I lie in bed and think 'did that really happen?' Most things here, even the small things, are one off moments that you can never repeat. 

Today, after a Big Baby shift, I went to the house of one of the mamas. We took 2 dalla dalla's, and... after much persuasion and reassurance... A MOTORBIKE. I have spent the past 2 weeks telling the mama how I am afraid of them, how I don't like them, and next I am sandwiched between her and the driver, holding on for dear life over the bumpy roads. That was the first time I have ever sat on a motorbike... hey, it's all about new experiences, so I won't guarantee it will be the last... 

Arriving at the mamas house, we were greeted by her husband and two beautiful children. Her 'front room/lounge' is pretty big compared to others I have seen, there was seating for 8 and plenty of space for the children to play with the Toy Story bowling set we had brought. She was soo apologetic that she had no floor, which was amusing! (it was just bumpy concrete, they had recently moved in). She proudly showed us her photo album, which has wedding pictures, pictures from her husbands graduation, and a picture of me and her together at the Baby Home! I'm pretty honoured!!! The house was up on a hill so the views were incredible, the environment peaceful, and I so full of thoughts about how amazing the afternoon was that I was speechless and at one point asked if I was happy... I couldn't have been any more happy! 

We decided to leave as we realised the sun was lowering, and the mama held my hand for the entire 40 minute walk back to the dalla dalla stand. This in itself I would describe as a privilege, as you see same sex people holding hands often and is a sign of friendship. 

Upon my return, two volunteers returned from shift with a gift for me, from a mama who was about to start a night shift. Apparently she was really sad that I wasn't at the Baby Home tonight to give me this gift herself. I had seen this mama at 6am as she was working last night, and in the middle of a Swahili conversation about work she had asked me if I liked fish. I answered yes and figured my Swahili had obviously broken down and caused a communication issue, and thought nothing more of it. You've guessed it, my gift is a full, frozen, gutted fish! I can only smile widely at this.. as random as it maybe to us Mzungu's, this mama has given me a gift. Privileged is the right word isn't it :-) 

Pole Sana....I am working here!!

2 weeks have passed since I last wrote? That has flown by! I have been so busy working, I have even done a number of 12 hour days... though I actually jump at the chance to do them. Well you don't learn anything about babies, mama's or Tanzania sitting at the Volunteer House do you?


This past fortnight has been good, busy, I have laughed, smiled, grinned like a Cheshire Cat.. and no tears! Actually just a couple, but for a good reason. 


My Swahili is coming along well. I have an amazing teacher, a mama from the baby home who works her backside off constantly, deals with all the stress when volunteers don't do as much as they should yet still smiles and laughs when I ask her for the 10th time what that Swahili word was again! Wednesday is 'Kiswahili only' day, and not a word of English is spoken for entire shift (well maybe one or two by me!). It does work, as I just clarify any issues in English on the other days I see her, and getting to know the language makes me feel even more at home here. I am so proud of myself when I say something in Swahili and she hugs me (probably amazed that I got it right!) - Cheshire Cat moment.


I stepped on the bathroom scales the other day, and am happy to discover I have lost 13lb since I arrived! However I need to watch that I don't need to slip into old habits... I have taken to making cakes for the mamas, and of course you have to take one piece for yourself! I also had a 'food exchange' with one of the mamas last week... she brought me bananas (not sweet ones), boiled with beans and fish, and I brought sweet bananas, baked in their skin in the oven with chocolate melting in the middle. It was an amazing feast and a wonderful half hour chatting and laughing with a girl I now call my friend.


There have been a range of volunteers coming and going these last couple of weeks, since I arrived in June I have said 'welcome' or 'farewell' to almost 30 volunteers. Let's be honest, you cannot get on with everyone, but some I have been genuinely sad to say goodbye to. Currently there are 9 volunteers, and saying there are 'a range of volunteers' is enough of a comment I think!!!! 


I have been mocked by the mamas for having cracked heels! We go barefoot in the Baby Home and the Volunteer House and it has had a painful effect on my poor Mzungu skin, to the point where I could not put one heel on the floor. Far from getting sympathy, this caused great amusement among the staff, as it is a sign here apparently that you do not wash properly. For someone who showers and washes my hair daily this causes me great worry so I am currently obsessing over soaking my feet, applying copious amounts of E45 and wearing socks!!! 


On Friday I had the great privilege of going to visit the Bethany Project with a staff member who used to live there. The Bethany Project is like a family, it does have that feel, but basically is another orphanage. We took a dalla dalla (local bus) and a bigger bus there, and 4 dalla dallas back. One of them, which has 11 seats, held 22 people at one point, and I was sandwiched firmly between 2 people and standing on one leg for over 20 minutes! Anyway the point is it was a lovely day, all the kids were ridiculously polite in greeting us and showing us round, and we were so happy to attend their choir practice. They sat us at the front and you couldn't help but sway to the music and smile as they blasted out a number of songs, many led by two fantastic singers. This is where I shed a tear... I can't explain why, I was just caught in a moment. You get that a lot here (well I do). 


Finally, last night I fulfilled an ambition ha ha... I did a night shift! I always wanted to know what went on, how soon the kids went to bed, how early they got up. The answers are - you sort out clothes, nappies, give milk to any children that wake, watch a video and (in yesterday's case) temporarily braid some of my hair! There are obviously a number of quiet hours, even with so many children, so I also got to chat to the girls on shift about a range of subjects. Oh, and eat ginger and banana cakes that I had made. The last child fell asleep at 10:15pm, and the first child woke up at 4:50am. I have an invite for next week's night shift... we'll see how my eye bags recover!!! 


Baadaye for now.... off to a mamas house tomorrow for lunch. I am so bloody privileged. 

Getting to know the mamas

These past few days have been busy, and I have barely had time to stop and reflect on these last few days until now. (Sorry if this post is waffle and nonsensical, I'm writing what I'm thinking!!!)


When anyone comes to Forever Angels, they choose to come because they love children. They want to give kids cuddles and kisses, make them laugh, make them smile, give them new experiences. 


Over the last few days a nerve has been hit inside of me, as I have realised fully that there is also an additional 'benefit' to coming to Forever Angels - meeting and getting to know the wonderful mamas. A large percentage of them are twenty somethings, just like us. They are so professional in the Baby Home that you forget that they are more than just child carers. 


On Saturday we went swimming, and we took four mamas with us, and you could say they had more fun than the children! Two of them had never been in a swimming pool before, and as they splashed about with each other and the kids, huge smiles on their faces, you remember that they are just like you - beautiful young women with their lives in front of them and I wonder... I came here to work out what I want to do with my life, what are my hopes and dreams... but what do they want to do with their life? What are their hopes and dreams? What barriers are there? 


Yesterday I also had the privilege of attending the wedding celebration of one of the staff members, and we sat with 4 other mamas and talked about weddings, the culture here, all sorts, and I plan on finding out more. This is definitely a huge learning curve for me.


So, if anyone reading this is planning on coming here, remember the kids will change you, but the mamas can do also...