Okay, it's official, we have left Tanzania. It was both a happy and sad departure. Of course we were happy to be continuing on with our journey, some of us happy to be returning home, others excited about a summer of travel, yet at the same time it was extremely sad to say goodbye to a place that we called home for the past 6 weeks. We loved everything about Tanzania. We enjoyed our time in Chogo and believe we were extremely successful in delievering important information to an under educated and uninformed population. In short we believe we made the difference we came here to make and are confident that we made positive impacts of the lives of the people we came here to help.
Setting our volunteer work aside, we also had an amazing time vacationing in Tanzania. Between the weekend get-a-way to Zanzibar and the safari through the serengetti we were able to see a different side of tanzania, a side with a booming tourist industry and bustling markets.
I know each of us experienced Tanzania in a slightly different way, and that each of us will bring back seperate memories that we will cherish, but I am also certain that we will all remember our time here fondly, try to do what we can for the people that touched our lives so intimately and closely, and perhaps even return oneday for a visit or future volunteer work.
The safari was the perfect way to end our time in Tanzania as it was a means of reintergrating into a more fast past and materialistic culture, the culture we are familiar with in Canada. It is often extremely hard for volunteers returning to Canada as they experience reverse culture shock, a process which makes it difficult to accept the realities that are the Canadian way of life, such as our wastefull use of water, our expensive clothing and our general love of all things electronic. Of course there is nothing wrong with this way of life but after coming from a place where water was scarce and often non existent, electricity unreliable and many people struggling to survive, it is difficult to accept that it is okay to go back to our (Canadian) way of living without feeling incredibly guilty. I know that each of us will experience this reverse culture shock in our own way, but I am also confident that after being on safari and having at least oen hot shower before returning home, that our transition will not be nearly as difficult.
sorry but my computer isn't letting me upload any new pics today.
see you all soon,
Heather
Monday, July 2, 2007
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Safari of a life time!
Just wanted to post a quick note to let everyone know how things are going here in Tanzania!
We are just about to finish our safari. we had an amazing time, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a great vacation. It was the perfect way to end our time here in Tanzania. Our tour guides were great. We saw amazing animals. And we met fascinating people. When I get to place with more reliable internet I will post some of the pics we took!!!
See you all soon,
Heather
We are just about to finish our safari. we had an amazing time, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a great vacation. It was the perfect way to end our time here in Tanzania. Our tour guides were great. We saw amazing animals. And we met fascinating people. When I get to place with more reliable internet I will post some of the pics we took!!!
See you all soon,
Heather
Monday, June 25, 2007
Back to Dar
Today was our last day in the refugee settlement.
We packed up early and caught the 9:30 bus to Dar.
Our time in Chogo was definitely memorable and I am sure our experiences there will serve as great life lessons.
I believe the last five weeks have changed us all. Not dramatically, but I know speaking for myself, my appreciation for life back home has definietly been re-newed. I am glad that I have been given the chance to experience life in a developing country for the second time now. With each trip comes new realizations. This project was so different from my last project mostly because of the refugee situation. Refugees are an interesting group of people. They have been forced to leave their homelands, are unsure of when or if they will ever go home, and unfortunately are stripped of many of their basic human rights.
Okay, and now for alittle cahnge of pace because I am running out of internet time. I have actually wrote this blog at two different times. I am now in Arusha with everyone except Heather O'dea and Gillian. We are all getting ready to start our safari tomorrow and are very excited. Although it was sad to leave Chogo we are all now slowly moving into the vacation mindset and are very much looking forward to the wonderful sights we are about to see.
Tonight we are staying a nice hotel, with hot showers and a nice resturant, a far cry from what we have become accostumed too!!
I will be sure to write more about Chogo and the safari the next time I have access to internet... which may very well be when I arrive in Paris.
Until then,
Heather
Okay, and now for alittle cahnge of pace because I am running out of internet time. I have actually wrote this blog at two different times. I am now in Arusha with everyone except Heather O'dea and Gillian. We are all getting ready to start our safari tomorrow and are very excited. Although it was sad to leave Chogo we are all now slowly moving into the vacation mindset and are very much looking forward to the wonderful sights we are about to see.
Tonight we are staying a nice hotel, with hot showers and a nice resturant, a far cry from what we have become accostumed too!!
I will be sure to write more about Chogo and the safari the next time I have access to internet... which may very well be when I arrive in Paris.
Until then,
Heather
Friday, June 15, 2007
Inside Chogo
I realized while reading back over my previous blog entries that for the most part I haven't given a great description of what life is like inside the camp. I think I have described what it has been like for me, but I have yet to give justice to the hardships that the refugees in the settlement face on a daily basis. I hope that after reading the following paragraphs you will have a better appreciation of the world that I, and the other volunteers, have come to consider as our Tanzanian home.
Life in Chogo is hard. The situation is more desperate that anything I have every come in contact with, including the time I spent in South America. When we first arrived in Chogo we all had blinders on. All we saw was what we thought the people had. A house, a farm, decent healthcare, running water, schools. We thought that the people of Chogo were living decently and within the Tanzanian standards. We were wrong.
To start. The clinic which we thought was available to all the refugees is in fact inaccessible to most. Why can't the refugees use the clinic that was built for them? Well ever since UNHCR pulled out of the camp 3 years ago the refugees have had to pay out of their own pockets for the services provided at the clinic. But there is no economy in the camp. The refugees have little way of making money, and they are not permitted to leave the camp for long enough periods to actually find work and make some money elsewhere. Those that try are picked up by immigration and jailed. So, most refugees don't visit the clinic when they are ill. Those that can afford the cost use the clinic at times but the services that the clinic offers are limited and for most major illnesses the patient must be sent to a larger hospital, this too also costs a great deal. Barely anyone in the camp is able to afford transport. As such, we have been told that many people who become ill in Chogo never get the medical attention they need and often they die because they can't afford the ~$40 US fuel fare to get to the hospital 1 hour away. It is a really sad situation.
The people of Chogo are farmers. But because water is extremely limited and it too must be paid for, many of he farmlands and crops in Chogo are dying. The people struggle to farm enough food to feed themselves, and even then most of them do not eat a balanced diet.
Education in Tanzania is not free. Many of the refugees can not afford to send their children to school. The schools that were built for the refugees by UNHCR are filled with children from the surrounding communities while the majority of the refugees are forced to stay at home and help their families farm. Without education how can these people hope for a future for their children. Parents are the same all over the world. They want the best for their children. They want their children to have better lives than themselves. The parents of Chogo struggle everyday with the fact that most of their children will have less chances and opportunity in life than they had.
So, everyday for the past 4 weeks I have been living along side people who have little food, little access to water, houses built from mud that leak and fall apart, children that can't afford education and very little in the way of proper health care. These people are being denied almost every human right possible. Yet most of them are happy, at least they appear to be. They are extremely grateful that we have come to learn about their experiences, to teach them what we know and to try to tell their story to anyone who will listen.
Hopefully I will be able to write more later and post pictures such that you can all have a better idea of the situation here.
Sorry for the sad post, but it had to be said.
Until next time,
Heather
Life in Chogo is hard. The situation is more desperate that anything I have every come in contact with, including the time I spent in South America. When we first arrived in Chogo we all had blinders on. All we saw was what we thought the people had. A house, a farm, decent healthcare, running water, schools. We thought that the people of Chogo were living decently and within the Tanzanian standards. We were wrong.
To start. The clinic which we thought was available to all the refugees is in fact inaccessible to most. Why can't the refugees use the clinic that was built for them? Well ever since UNHCR pulled out of the camp 3 years ago the refugees have had to pay out of their own pockets for the services provided at the clinic. But there is no economy in the camp. The refugees have little way of making money, and they are not permitted to leave the camp for long enough periods to actually find work and make some money elsewhere. Those that try are picked up by immigration and jailed. So, most refugees don't visit the clinic when they are ill. Those that can afford the cost use the clinic at times but the services that the clinic offers are limited and for most major illnesses the patient must be sent to a larger hospital, this too also costs a great deal. Barely anyone in the camp is able to afford transport. As such, we have been told that many people who become ill in Chogo never get the medical attention they need and often they die because they can't afford the ~$40 US fuel fare to get to the hospital 1 hour away. It is a really sad situation.
The people of Chogo are farmers. But because water is extremely limited and it too must be paid for, many of he farmlands and crops in Chogo are dying. The people struggle to farm enough food to feed themselves, and even then most of them do not eat a balanced diet.
Education in Tanzania is not free. Many of the refugees can not afford to send their children to school. The schools that were built for the refugees by UNHCR are filled with children from the surrounding communities while the majority of the refugees are forced to stay at home and help their families farm. Without education how can these people hope for a future for their children. Parents are the same all over the world. They want the best for their children. They want their children to have better lives than themselves. The parents of Chogo struggle everyday with the fact that most of their children will have less chances and opportunity in life than they had.
So, everyday for the past 4 weeks I have been living along side people who have little food, little access to water, houses built from mud that leak and fall apart, children that can't afford education and very little in the way of proper health care. These people are being denied almost every human right possible. Yet most of them are happy, at least they appear to be. They are extremely grateful that we have come to learn about their experiences, to teach them what we know and to try to tell their story to anyone who will listen.
Hopefully I will be able to write more later and post pictures such that you can all have a better idea of the situation here.
Sorry for the sad post, but it had to be said.
Until next time,
Heather
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
A trip to Zanzibar!
…so after a very packed and stressful four day work week, the MUNHOPE gang decided that they deserved a little safari (translated journey) of their own and headed to the beautiful island of Zanzibar for the weekend!!!! How do I begin to talk about Zanzibar? I have to say that it is definitely one of the most beautiful and unique places that I have ever visited but first I should tell you how we actually got from the remote refugee camp of Chogo to the bustling tourist hotspot of Stonetown! It all started bright and early on Friday morning. We hopped on board the UNHCR vehicle at 7:45 am and travelled the bumpy dirt road to Kobuku. We waited outside the market for the bus to come. We had called the day before to reserve ten seats… the bus of course was late, but that is par for the course in Tanzania. When the bus finally arrived we jumped onboard and enjoyed the lovely and tasty snacks that they provide as part of your 8 dollar ticket… that’s right, 8 dollars buys you a 3hour bus ride and snacks!!! We learned on our first trip on the Scandinavian bus that the juice they provide is not the best tasting to say the least, but the bottled water, crackers and hard candy certainly hit the spot, especially when you have been living on beans and rice for weeks. When we got to Dar the group split up to run errands. It was a busy day, which culminated in Ben and I almost missing the ferry to Zanzibar. Thankfully we made it just in time, albeit a little out of breath from running.
The ferry ride was interesting. It was comforting hearing English again as Zanzibar is very touristy, but the ride was interesting. It was a nice size boat, fairly new and clean, but it was packed with people and various animals… namely a women with a plastic bag full of live chickens that randomly squawked through out the two hour ride. It was also very interesting having to use a squat toilet on rocky seas. We passed a few of the islands with beautiful beaches and blue water, saw dolphins swimming and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. When we arrived Pam’s friend ChiChi met us at the dock, escorted us through immigration and brought us to his hotel. It was a fairly nice place for 15 bucks a night. There were toilet seats and showers with warm water some of the time. Free breakfast too!!! It was great!!! Although some of us did get a few bed bug bites we were happy with our accommodations. Friday night we headed to Forodoni. It was amazing. Imagine complete darkness lit up by candlelight with at least 100 tables filled with fresh seafood and other Zanzibar cuisine. I had white shark and others had barracuda! We also tried Zanzibar dessert pizza… absolutely amazing… fried dough with chocolate sauce and bananas… yum yum! We all loved it! We met a bunch of people from all around the world. One man was making a documentary about Tanzania, the friendliest people on earth! Which in our experience is very true. It reminds us of Newfoundland actually. Others were just travelling. There were Australians, South Africans, Germans, etc. It was a great night that ended with us going to a great outdoor bar and having a few beer! We also started practicing our bargaining skills and a few of us bought some souvenirs. On Saturday we woke up early and headed out shopping. We found excellent deals and perfected our bargaining skills… no mzungu (foreigner) prices for us!!! At noon we headed to the beach. The most beautiful beach in the world… seriously!!! White beaches with the clearest, light blue water and barely any seaweed!!!! We enjoyed a day of relaxation, swimming and mzungu food… pizza and fruit juice! Juice isn’t a common drink in Tanzania! We shopped a little more and walked along the beach. Some of us relaxed in the hammocks that were set up along the beach. It was a great day. Saturday night we went back to Stonetown and went to dinner at Monsoon restaurant for a birthday celebration for Heather O’Dea and Julia. It was a very cultural experience, with traditional music and seating on floor cushions! I had delicious calamari! The bathroom was clean and even had air freshener. After the restaurant we went back to Forodoni, some people got more dessert pizza while others did some more bargaining! We then headed to Reggae Night at a local club. It too was amazing. Great music, outdoor seating looking up at the stars and out at the water and lots of dancing and Zanzibar alcohol! Don’t worry, none of us had very much to drink. On Sunday we got up early, had our free breakfast and then headed out for more shopping. For lunch some of us headed out for smoothies while others found a great chipsi maiyi (French fry and egg omelette) spot with actual seating, forks and the company of baby cockroaches!!! We have changed so much that baby cockroaches barely phase most of the group anymore, I have to admit however, since my bathroom experience my fear of cockroaches has elevated to an all time high… it’s rather unhealthy actually, 
I hate going to the bathroom and all my roommates are basking in the joy of making fun of my inability to pee in the dark!!! Okay, back to Zanzibar. We all piled into a van and headed to the airport around 1pm. The airport was very nice, we were all a bit surprised at the high level of security. The gift shop was fantastic, with fresh chocolate bars and Pringles that many people stocked up on! We all boarded a very small plane that was just big enough to fit us all in! It was a beautiful ride and we could see the entire island from the air. It was a bit sketch though as there was no co-pilot!!! When we arrived in Tanga we hopped in a van that we had pre-arranged to pick us up and drive us the 1.5 hours to Kobuku, where our UNHCR vehicle picked us up. It was nearly dark by the time we reached our Chogo home. It as nice to be back in our own beds and squat toilet. Overall we had a wonderful trip and are completely reenergized for the remainer of our volunteer placement here in the refugee settlement!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Chogo Chapter Two
Habari Zenu!!!
We all hope that everyone at home is doing well! We are still enjoying our time in Chogo although we are really roughing it now, we haven't had water in over a week and we found out tonight that we will only have water once every three nights for the remainder of our staff. Everyone is still in great spirits, albeit a more than a bit smelly!!! We are fitting in grand!
We have been trying to implement a lot of programming in the community and although sometimes it feels as though we are not accomplishing as much as we have hoped we are reassured by the community that our presence here is truly appreciated. All the refugees have commented on how much they appreciate our effort to learn their language, swahili, and our efforts to fit in with community and getting to know the people.
As for our living situation, we are holding up fine, although a cockroach landed on my bare leg while I was in the washroom and Emily has now had two experiences with bats in the washroom as well.
So last week it rained like crazy, which made the lack of water situation not so bad since most of us got wonderfull showers in the rain.
The girls teaching women's health did a condom demonstration yesterday and found out none of the women in attendance had even seen a condom before, it is very strange especially since condoms are available in the camp, although they have to sign them out giving them name and how many condoms they take.
I love Chogo, but it is a very difficult place for development, as everyone is very poor and there in relatively no money coming into the camp.
Badaaye,
Heather
We all hope that everyone at home is doing well! We are still enjoying our time in Chogo although we are really roughing it now, we haven't had water in over a week and we found out tonight that we will only have water once every three nights for the remainder of our staff. Everyone is still in great spirits, albeit a more than a bit smelly!!! We are fitting in grand!
We have been trying to implement a lot of programming in the community and although sometimes it feels as though we are not accomplishing as much as we have hoped we are reassured by the community that our presence here is truly appreciated. All the refugees have commented on how much they appreciate our effort to learn their language, swahili, and our efforts to fit in with community and getting to know the people.
As for our living situation, we are holding up fine, although a cockroach landed on my bare leg while I was in the washroom and Emily has now had two experiences with bats in the washroom as well.
So last week it rained like crazy, which made the lack of water situation not so bad since most of us got wonderfull showers in the rain.
The girls teaching women's health did a condom demonstration yesterday and found out none of the women in attendance had even seen a condom before, it is very strange especially since condoms are available in the camp, although they have to sign them out giving them name and how many condoms they take.
I love Chogo, but it is a very difficult place for development, as everyone is very poor and there in relatively no money coming into the camp.
Badaaye,
Heather
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Tales from Tanga!!
Hello Hello Hello
So Sorry that it has been so long since my last blog update, but we have been having internet trouble... basically we have had no internet at the camp, save 10 min which I used to read a few email. So here is the update...
We are all happy and healthy and loving Tanzania and Chogo. The people here are amazing and the scenery is beautifull. Since arriving at the refugee settlement we have already started to make an impact. We have been able to organize a community wide market clean-up and held a big celebration yesterday welcoming the start of healthy and sanitary living in the camp! It was amazing to see the entire community to come out for the event. We have also been busy with other programming. Our main focus in Chogo is peer education and we have divided ourselves into 5 groups. Each group has a min of 5 youth from the community who are being educated in peer education on various subjects including HIV and AIDS, Women's Health, Water Safety, Environment and Sanitation and Leadership and Volunteerism. We are also trying to organize a football (soccer) league in the camp and many up us are also volunteerin in the clinic. On Wednesday's in the clinic we are going to be hoding nutrition and HIV education classes, and I have been putting my respiratory skills to work by doing a respiratory clinic also on wednesday. AT first glance the clinic seems to be well stocked and able to provide adequate service, but after spending some time there you realize that although preventitive medicince is being realitively well taken care of, their ability to deal with acute situations is very limited. For example, the clinic didn't stock salbutamol to treat an acute asthma attack.
Overall we are enjoying our time and are starting to get to know the people. We are sure that we will be able to make a positive impact in the camp and are already buzzing with ideas about what we can do for Chogo once we are back in Newfoundland!
I hope to write again soon,
Badaaye (later),
Heater
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