The Duttons: Day 1

Our group before heading to the school

36 hours of travel and I have finally made it to Africa. The trip here ended with what began as an 8 hour flight direct from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro, but instead turned out to be a 16 hour flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi, Kenya to Dar es Salaam then finally to Kilimanjaro. We were on the plane for so long that we ran out of water! Needless to say, when we finally arrived here we were pretty excited to say goodbye to putting our seats back in their upright positions, sore knees and recycled air.

Our accommodations

Tanzania may be one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to (which isn’t really saying much as my passport has only been stamped 3 times). Having traveled to Africa in the summer of 2010, I felt that I knew what to expect going into this trip, but so far Tanzania has exceeded any expectations I may have had. The two thoughts that keep creeping into my mind were 1. Tanzania is so much like Kenya. 2. Tanzania is nothing like Kenya. Due to my lack of sleep (4 hours of sleep in 44 hours) and jet lag (we are 11 hours ahead) my thoughts are completely jumbled so I will do my best to give you all a brief rundown of Tanzania.

Freshly roasted cashews.. A new favorite

Smells: The smells of Tanzania are extremely similar to those of Kenya. The air is a mixture of the pungent smell of body odor and burning garbage/corn. The food on the farm fills the air with smells of roasting cashews and coffee depending on the time of day.

Fresh Avocados

Farm fresh peanut butter, honey, butter and Mulberry Jam

Tastes: So far the food here is SO much better than Kenya! The farm we are staying on is 100% self-sustainable and everything we eat is made fresh just footsteps away from our rooms. This morning I was treated to toast topped with homemade peanut butter and honey from the Mtuy’s bees. Bennet (our go-to guy) pointed out the coffee bean tree to me as I was sipping a delicious cup of coffee and I ended my meal with farm fresh eggs and bacon.

Children enjoying their new coloring books and crayons

Touch: The children here are just as happy and curious as can be. As we were walking from the farm to the school (on one of the most beautiful walks to school that I have ever been on) we came upon the Baby Class who were out playing on the field. They all came running out saying “Halloh” and “Well-come.” Most of them were hesitant to reach out to us, but the longer we stayed there the closer and more curious they became. Finally one child got the courage to reach out and grab Carol’s hand and the floodgates were opened. Within moments she was surrounded by the children who all wanted the chance to touch the Muzungu (white person).

Carol and the kids

A tattered sweater

Boys feet

Girls feet

Sounds: As I sit here on my front porch I can hear the river running to my left, the sound of children calling to one another in joyous Swahili and as I look out in front of me there is a gathering of adults on the grass who seem to be just enjoying the sunset as we do in California. Music is playing in some far off place and the birds are chirping back and forth.

On our walk to school

A boy carrying coke

The river along our path to school

Sights: Tanzania is absolutely gorgeous! The Mbahe Village is lush with banana trees, corn stalks and Lilikoi (passion fruit) vines and the soil is a deep dark brown that is perfect for cultivation. The thought of moving to Africa never crossed my mind, but after seeing the beauty of Tanzania I may have changed it!A boy captured on camera while carrying cok

School: As sleep deprived and Jet-lagged as we were, we all could not wait to visit the school. After downing some delicious coffee, toast and eggs we took quick (warm) showers changed our clothes and headed down to the school. Our walk to the school (which we will be doing every morning and afternoon) was along a trail that traced the river down the valley, then across a bridge and across a big grassy field on then into the school. Our first order of business at the school was to unload all of our supplies and get organized. After going through 10 duffle bags worth of supplies we figured out where and when we would be doing our crafts/activities with the students. We then spent the remaining 5 hours filling out maps of Tanzania, making valentines and coloring in coloring books made by the 1^st graders at HDS. The children LOVED the map job and weren’t really sure what to make of the valentines and coloring. We could tell that the children are used to being instructed on what to do, when to do it and how to do it. Providing them with something as open ended as making a valentine or coloring in a book was a struggle for many of them. They did however LOVE discovering the magic of a glue stick!