Under the African Sun

This week has been going pretty well.  It has its ups and downs as everything in Africa does!  I really like Tanzania. 

I've been moving around with the AIDS team here.  It has been a good time.  Today I went to a home for children with disabilities, where they rehab them and enable them to return to normal society.  It is really beautiful.  I worked with the director to help her get some ideas for partnerships with hospitals, peace corps and others.  I've been working every day with Sr. Bahati in the communication dept, helping her write some proposals for funding various projects.  I find that I am doing a lot more "consulting" work than service.  This is hard because it is not what I want to be doing, but it is something that I can do.  The places I have been recently aren't really set up for me to be able to jump in and be really hands on.

Yesterday I met with an AIDS group and was actually really able to give them a lot of input and tell them about the conditions of HIV/AIDS infected in the west.  That was really gratifying.  I am gaining a lot of knowledge through this visit... a lot of ideas for working with HIV/AIDS victims.  I am glad for this because it will be part of my work in Mbarara. 

I went back to the tailor yesterday to get my dress and it was all wrong.  This was very frustrating... I tried and tired for a 1/2 an hour to explain what I wanted.  I might have been successful.  Maybe.  The language barrier is huge here.  I am a bit annoyed at GVSU for not offering Swahili (they claimed it was a "slave language"... what, is the WHOLE population of Tanzania in slavery???) 

I've been antsy here because I am ready to get on the road home (to Mbarara).  But that has settled a little, now that I am actually working.  I'll visit more groups tomorrow and home visits on Friday.  Then to Mt. Kilimanjaro on Saturday!!  Woot.

This place is beautiful.

Today, the woman who runs the center I visited asked me if I had been in TZ before.  I said no.  She said she thought I had because of how I speak Swahili!!!  That was really encouraging.  I have just tried to jump in and have learn about 5 things and use them whenever I can.  I am very nervous to start Runyankole, but I just have to go for it! 

Photos tomorrow!!!