I entered the Bamboo Café next door for a quick cup of coffee and a chapatti before heading over to MWEDO offices for my 10:00 a.m. meeting. Someone called my name and I turned to see Robert, the street vendor, having coffee and a doughnut with his brother. He offered to buy me breakfast and I declined. Priscilla took my order, brought my food and I talked with the guys about how I could help his brother find a sponsor to become a tour guide. The six month course is $400.00 U.S. and then there is a field placement (not sure of this cost.) I told them what I tell everyone else who asks for sponsorship: Project TEMBO works in Longido and Kimokouwa only but I would be happy to put their photo on the blog and tell people about them. They are happy with this compromise.
I asked Robert if he had seen the disturbance by the gas station yesterday, and he had. Talk about getting it wrong. Here is what happened. It seems the city is cracking down on street vendors and is trying to get them to sell their wares in marketplaces where, Robert says, there simply is no room. I mentioned that three women sell fruit at the spot where the mob gathered yesterday. I took the above photograph of them this afternoon. The fellow in the red shirt was one of the bylaw enforcers who was trying to confiscate the women’s fruit because they were doing something “illegal”. The people were yelling and creating such a mob scene around him because they were defending the women. Power to the people. Yes, I favour underdogs, especially people who are simply trying to eke out an existence.
I looked up from our conversation and over at the counter and couldn’t believe my eyes. It was Steven Kiruswa from Longido waiting to pick up a package. I ran over, tapped him on the shoulder and gave him a great big hug. What a thrill to see him again! He reminded me that a room was ready and waiting for me. I asked Steven about the situation in Longido and he said it is very bad. Cows are dying and there is little food. He said he would talk to me about a proposal he was in the middle of writing for food aid - large scale food aid. He intends to send it out to whom ever he can. I told him Project TEMBO could offer some very small assistance in the short term and he was grateful for this. We said goodbye, agreeing to meet again the first of the week. I returned to the table finished my coffee and then went to the counter to pay. Priscilla made out the receipt – 2700 shillings. I thought it a bit expensive for what I had, but gave her 3000 shillings anyway, with the change for a tip, then left to meet John the taxi driver. It was only later in the day, when I took another look at the receipt before filing it away, that I realized Priscilla had charged me for what Robert and his brother had eaten as well. We’ll talk, Priscilla.
My three-hour meeting with Ndinini at MWEDO went very well. I got caught up on the both joyful and turbulent events of the last ten months: Ndinini giving birth to a new son, and two of her young Community Development Officers dying in unrelated, non-AIDS related circumstances. Marian and I had met and worked with both Penina and Raphael during our 2005 visit and knew what a void their deaths would have left in the organization. I also met some of the new staff who have been hired. Ndinini has suggested I go to Longido on Monday and one of the staff, Mary, will drive me. I welcome the chance to talk with Mary during the one hour drive.
The 12 new girls are now enrolled at both Longido Secondary School and a second school in the area, bringing our total to 14 sponsored girls. I hope to meet with all of them this week. Solomon Lekui is the young man applying to attend Patandi Teacher Training Institute for admission in July. Solomon has completed teacher training, which is a pre-requisite for entrance at Patandi, where he will study to become a teacher of the deaf. He is very enthusiastic about this opportunity. When I see Steven, I will get updates on the other teachers-in-training.
Most of the 10 Longido women raising chickens are having great success. Only two are struggling a bit. Eggs seem to be a big hit, being sold locally for 200 shillings each. Ndinini is surprised that people are paying this much for one egg. She thought if they sold for 100 shillings each the women would be doing well. I will get a report on the goat project in Kimokouwa next week. Generally, goats are having a more difficult time due to the drought.
The rebuilding of the Longido banda is timely. When a structure has been built too close to the road or must move for any other reason, it is marked with a large red ‘X”. The old banda has been so branded because it is dangerously close to the road. Ndinini presented me with a list of materials and the cost to re-build the Longido bead makers banda. Donations and fundraising by TEMBO will just about cover the cost. I will buy jewelry from the women to make up the shortfall. It will be a new structure made of red bricks and cement with wood supports and a red tin roof. Nearly all of the materials will be available locally, with only a few items, like paint, needing to come from Arusha. It will be set off the road and Ndinini would like to eventually see some native plants and trees along a pathway to the banda. The women have chosen a local fundi or workman to do the construction. He will begin on Tuesday once he receives money for the materials. Someone is making two new signs, one for the road and another for the building. It is an exciting time for the women and I am looking forward to watching the progress over the next few weeks. If I can get in there with my hands, without breaking any Maasai cultural taboos, I’d love to help with the work.
I presented Ndinini with a business plan by which the Kimokouwa women could generate money to build their banda. It’s a simple idea: the women make jewelry using ear hooks, wire, and some simple decorations TEMBO is supplying, along with their own beads. I buy them back from them, for a fair price, before I leave. They have money to build their banda – hopefully $1000.00 - and we have jewelry to sell in Canada generating money we can put back into projects. The women would also be able to sell this “new” jewelry to tourists. This is also how the Longido women will top up the amount required for their new banda.
More from our meeting in the next entry…
No comments:
Post a Comment