an 'avarage' day

Sorry for the gap with no updates, but let me explain, First of all my computer died probably due to all the ants that are crawling into it. Also life here is finally setting into a routine, even though it feels far from ordinary, meaning that I never really know what to write. I hope this post satisfies the complaints how I never update. (Note to reader, this computer does not have spell check).

So what does my day look like?


Well I get up around sunrise and either go to the beach about a 15 minute walk to go for a jog or to catch up on my Swahili hw that I didn’t do the night before (but usually just sleep in). Afterwards I take nice cold shower, and eat a breakfast of fresh bananas, mangos, oranges, papaya and the like. I eat a lot of plain toast too, which is also pleantiful.


At around 830 or so I walk the the bus stop which is anywhere on the road side, and try to wave down a dalla dalla (small bus/van). Because Dar es Salaam is the largest city in TZ attracting people from all over the country (and world) traffic into the city is pretty bad. This also means that dalla dallas are packed solid. And by packed I don’t just mean I have never had a seat but I am usually hanging out the door getting whacked by branches on the way. [Don’t worry mom, im safe]. On the odd day when the dalla dallas wont stop or if the guy whose job it is is to manage people coming in and out looks particularly intimidating, I will take a bajaji which is a small three-wheeled motorbike, but those are about quadrouple the price of a dalla dalla which is still less than a dollar. White people usually have a vehicle or take taxis. I always get lots of strange looks when I ride public transport and sometimes people like to touch my skin and pretend they didnt.


Once I arrive at my Swahili school I greet my teachers and classmates (2 in all) and we go over vocabulary, verbs, and such. Often we are sent to converse with people in the area to practice our language which can lead to very interesting conversations, whether being proposed to by a Tanzanian woman or being invited to meet some people's families. Once class is over I usually try to find a place for a late lunch or go to the CRWRC office and have lunch with the staff there.


Here in dar es salaam every block has a restataunt which pretty much sell the same things no matter where you go. I usually end up buying ugali (maize meal) or rice with beans and a little bit of unidentified meat. The grand total of this meal will cost me between 60 cents to a dollar. Sometimes I like to spoil myself and spend 5 dollars for the world’s greatest buffet (im not kidding) at the local shopping centre but this is not nealy as fun.

After my lunch I will head to the office. Some days I have the opportunity to travel to the outskirts of Dar and visit partners, and sit in on some finance management training or on small micro credit group meetings. These are always great tests for my Swahili skills and to get out of the busyness of the city and allows me to see the actual work at the individual and comuntiy level. I will also have chances to see the very buisnesses and projects that the training allows people to expand. Sometimes this means checking up on the progress of a chicken farm, or another small buisness like growing and processing cashews. Other days at the office I will look through and help update the growth of these financial groups or simply help set up some networking and computer software. CRWRC uses an approach called results based management which has very systematic and efficient ways of tracking progress and savings of these credit groups, this allows CRWRC to know exaclt how many people are involved, what savings they have, challenges they face and what progress they are making. And even other days I will find myself being introduced to partners and people with whom CRWRC works.

I am finding work here is very different from North America. We are very task oriented, focused and don’t make much time for relationships and converstations. Here I am realizing that development work in particular and partnerships are all about fostering and building relationships. So sometimes I find myself getting to know my supervisors or about their families, lives, hopes and work. It can be frusterating at times to not get things done but I am realizing that relationships and learning from these differences are just as important... Im sure I will write more about this later, bare with me.

After work I will head back to my guesthouse. My guesthouse is run by some sort of branch of the catholic church (Passionists) run by a Father and Brother and a few Sisters too. They are much to kind and are trying to fatten me while I am here in Africa. The passionists have a charity organization that opens health clinics, schools, and orphanages for communtieis. They also run this guesthouse to help pay for their work. Thing means that there are always fresh faces and lots of new people to meet. They also have good connections in these villages so that every few days there is a shipment of fresh pineapple, mangos, bananas, papayas, organges and a few crates of wine.

Before dinner and before sundown I try to get out into the surrounding community and get to know people as well as practice Swahili. Sometimes I end up playing a pick up game of soccer with a few kids, go to the beach and read, go to the market and look for some snacks/street food, or chat with an Indian man whose name I never get right and who always sits on the same corner as if he is waiting for me. I have heard it said before but its very true: Tanzanians are very friendly. Even if we don’t speak the same language sometimes they insist that I sit with them and enjoy the view of the ocean or busy road since people-watching is never boring and a popular activity. There are always so many people everywhere that its hard to feel alone. It is a massive change from the distant and secluded suburban life in Edmonton. One of the most fun parts about walking around the neighborhood and area is meeting children who either greet me with Shikamoo (the very respectful greeting reserved for elders, which actally means 'I clasp your feet' as if they were bowing) to which they wait for the reply from me marahaba (I accept your greeting) or they greet me with Mambo Vipi which pretty much means: 'sup. The greeting usually depends on if their parents are near by to overhear.

People are also biking, walking, skipping or driving in every which direction but never really seem to be in a hurry (I realized that either people walk really really slow here or I just walk ridiculously fast). It is refreshing that despite the busyness and crowded places, people seem to be laid back take things as they come.

When dinner comes I am presented with quite a feast of food, drink, and company. Dinners are intimate, shared, loud, and always start with the lords prayer. The nuns here always like to test my Swahili which always ends up with them laughing at me and me not knowing about what. There are always new people at dinner and no one ever has the same accent.

After dinner I try to finish some Swahili homework which is often about writing a story about a dog looking for a ball or a boy late for school which seems slightly juvenile but I do it anyway. Other evenings I find myself forgetting to do my homework and at the local bar/restaurant watching a football, rugby, basketball, or cricket game.


Its not long before I am exahausted and head to bed beneath my misquito net sheltered bed.

Although each day is different, I have gotten myself into a routine of never knowing what to expect.

Soon enough I will be heading to Mwanza district and to Sengerema, where I should be spending the majority of my time over these months. It will be great to get into the village and be a part of the grassroots work there. I will also be travelling to Nairobi, Kenya for a conference with the Micah Network on climate change and East Africa. I am also hoping to get to the Serengeti grasslands to see some animals. More information to come...

I hope to put pictures up very soon, but again with so many strange sights I never know what to take pictures of and usually end up taking none.