We live so close to nature here. Cows and goats meander around the property at will, their dung remaining where it falls until it decomposes. Chickens are everywhere, too. Last night the moon was so bright that we did not need to use flash lights to find our way home. I feel completely comfortable and safe here.
After a restless night, I awakened at 6:00 a.m. to the sound of birds squabbling and cowbells clanging. The rooster had already cock-a-doodle-dood at 4:55 a.m. Without opening my curtain, I wandered into the bathing area and did my best to freshen up using some precious bottled water. Then I dressed, walked down the hall and opened the front door. A blackened pot of water was being warmed on a fire – just for me, for my morning bath. I smiled. Youster, assigned to care for me during my stay, was not visible but her handiwork was. I should have opened the curtains.
I wrote for awhile and then Baraka arrived about 8:30 a.m. and we walked down the hill, through the village, and across the paved road to Café La Mama’s, about 10 minutes away. I looked forward to Mama Frances’ chapattis, coffee and steamed milk that I had enjoyed a year earlier. Baraka introduced me to Joseph, Angel, Sagnin’o and Gabriel from the ADP. They are great people who live with uncertainty about their futures once the ADP phases out of Longido. Steady good work is a gift here.
Ndinini, the director of MWEDO, arrived in their white land cruiser bringing some supplies for the banda. Since the iron pipes were not part of the delivery the fundi cannot begin work until they are brought out on Friday. We met with the women, explaining that they would need to make some jewelry for TEMBO as their part of the contribution to the cost of the project. Ndinini also explained that TEMBO had brought money to begin a new Chicken Group and they might consider who among them needed extra income the most. They will prepare a list and give it to me this week.
After Ndinini left, Baraka and I toured the village, visiting the women who belonged to the first Project TEMBO Chicken Group. Before we left Tanzania in 2005, we left money with MWEDO for the groups to begin. Each of ten women received $50.00 to buy whatever supplies she needed to build a “chicken boma”. Most are a combination of a little wood, some chicken wire, and scrap tin roof pieces. Some were able to afford a few red bricks. They were encouraged to help each other with the construction. When the bomas were completed, the women went to Arusha and chose any combination of 10 roosters and chickens they wanted. (Nai, one of the Longido leaders, is pictured above with her chickens.)
In visiting the women, Baraka and I discovered they were having some difficulties, partly due to the drought. The chickens were not producing enough eggs and new ones were struggling to survive. I asked what the problem was and was told the chickens could not find enough food. Because the women had not received feed as part of the original plan, the chickens were let out to wander during the day making them easy prey for snakes and hungry dogs. They also needed some medication that must be kept refrigerated, which made it impossible for the women to keep. I suggested that TEMBO purchase a 50 kilogram sack of chicken feed for each woman and that if the chickens were fed a healthy diet they might not require medication. The women agreed to try this and we promised to have the feed delivered as soon as possible. I left feeling sad about the rough shape some of the chickens were in but knew the women were doing the best they could with what they had been given.
Before supper, Baraka took me to a small duka or store in the village, across from the Vatican City Bar. I needed a plastic container to use for my “bucket shower” and for doing laundry. He chose a bright teal colour for me. Then we purchased the supplies I would need to use for my first attempt with the Sun Oven on Wednesday. I decided to try making chai and maize cake, a sweet cornbread. The recipes were from a website I located while still in Ottawa. We purchased tea leaves, sugar, milk, oil, maize meal, baking powder, and salt. I would forego the raisins and lemon peel. I decided to leave ugali, a Tanzanian staple food, for another day. When I explained to Baraka that the solar oven would cook ugali in 2.5 hours he broke out in roars of laughter, saying Tanzanian women cook it in 15 minutes. Okay, I said, but they must stir and flip it constantly to keep it from burning and the pan is difficult to clean afterwards. Cooking it in the solar oven means a woman can go off and do something else instead of standing over the fire. Baraka could see the wisdom and I could see the humour.
At supper that night, we talked about the new oven with the ADP staff. People had not heard of cooking with the sun and could not imagine the sun could bake a cake without being hooked up to anything – not even a solar panel. I explained why I had brought the oven from Canada: more free time for women; less time spent walking great distances looking for fire wood; conservation of an already seriously depleted environment; fewer respiratory infections in women and children; and no risk of children falling into the fire. And the fact that the sun shines here for about 11 hours a day for most of the year makes it an ideal appliance for Tanzania. Everyone could see the benefits and value – it just seemed too good to be true.
Angel was now referring to tomorrow’s event as the “Solar Tea Party” and I invited everyone to the guest house at 2:00 p.m. to sample chai and cake. Then I remembered I had forgotten to purchase the eggs. Not a problem. I knew exactly where I could get some in the morning.
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