6/17/2015
Karibu Tanzania! Welcome to Tanzania!
Today was a great first full day in Tanzania! We are super excited that all of our students arrived safely and are settling into their new home for the next three weeks. Today was all about orienting the students to their new home and the local customs and culture of their host country. After a morning spent at the home base the students went to a local market to purchase fabric for when the tailor comes tomorrow. They were able to walk and explore an authentic Tanzanian food and clothing market. We are excited for the new experiences and adventures that the next few days will bring!
6/18/2015
Hello friends and family, Bill Sanders comin at you with the daily rundown of our day. Waking up is still a bit tough with adjusting to the new time schedule, this has lead to some early mornings after some easygoing nights, although waking comes easy after a shower. For breakfast we ate pastries, toast (I like to throw some peanut butter and an egg on it), and bananas. After that we played some card games then got on the bus, and went to the school for the first time. Once we got off the bus we were immediately met by what seemed like hundreds of cheerful children with bright smiles. It seemed as if all the kids liked to play with rings that they would roll then keep it going with a stick, it’s amazing to see kids so happy with a stick and a ring especially after seeing kids that age in America get frustrated over a cell phone that’s not good enough. We got to the school, today was just orientation, and signed the visitor sheet for both schools, and got to meet the very proud owner of both schools, his positivity almost matched that of the kids. Next we got to visit a classroom where all of the kids sang songs to us including, we will rock you, twinkle twinkle little star, and one more that I did not recognize. We then moved on to see all the impact (environmentally) that GLA has had on these schools and what we saw was astounding. They have made a huge impact, whether it was planting so many trees, or building a thorn fence for the school’s border. We followed that with about an hour long photo shoot with all of these kids in an open dirt field. The kids fell in love with the spotlight and made for amazing models. The photo shoot also had piggyback rides, high fives, and hugs on the side.
After the photos had all been taken, we made the poor decision to play a big game of duck, duck, and goose. I say poor decision because the little kids slipped and fell while running away from one another. One of those kids just so happened to be myself, I was not going to let the little guy beat me in a race around the circle, but unfortunately a rock had other plans for me. I failed to save myself as I picked up a couple good cuts and bruises, but even worse the camera around my neck was worse. The lens broke and it no longer turns on, even with a full battery. We then headed home and enjoyed a nice lunch consisting of pasta, vegetable crepes, and fruit salad. We played loads of fun games as a group, including a game of pickup soccer that gained more and more as kids continued to join, by the end of it our leader Baraka was even in the game. Also, the seamstress came and we gave him our fabrics we bought the previous day at the market, he then turned it into whatever we wanted him to make. We were given a very interesting presentation about the Maasai warriors given by our leader Allison. For dinner we had some very different but still delicious fish. After that we played some games and were given a sort of leadership/personality quiz. Now we are debating whether or not to watch a documentary. Mom if you are reading this my injuries were not a lie, but the broken camera was. Also, I still have yet to receive my bag, so please wish me luck.
– Will Sanders
6/21/2015
Happy Father’s Day
Happy Father’s Day, Baba!
Today, we were supposed to sleep in, but instead everyone got up early anyways and played cards together! Mama Simba, our mother away from home, gave us a comprehensive Swahili lesson, and now we’re completely fluent. We had a quick break and then met our host families! Sophie and I (Galen), bonded a lot with our new host brothers. Everyone was very kind and welcoming, and all of us had a wonderful time. We met their families and they took us on tours of the town. We learned about their lives and we taught them about aspects of American life. It was an eye-opening experience, especially because we had to bridge the gap between the cultures ourselves, without the help of the local staff.
After our tours, our host families left and we were in for a surprise. There was a dance group here that performed traditional tribal dances. It was very lively, and included audience participation (Zach even danced). The leader of the dance group gave some background information, and we learned that there are over 120 tribes in Tanzania alone. We were able to purchase some beautiful merchandise from the group as well.
Dinner was a delicious delight, and we reflected on our favorite parts of the day. We then participated in a leadership activity where we were exposed to the challenges of cross-cultural interaction, and how we can better understand the behavior of others. All in all, it was a fabulous day, and we cannot wait to spend more time here and with our host families.
Maasai Day
Today was our earliest day by far, and we were on the bus by 4 am to go to the Maasai boma. The ride was about 3 hours, but we were entertained with games and an amazing view of the sunrise over the Serengeti. When we arrived at the Boma we first interacted with the cattle before they were let out to graze. We got an introduction to Maasai life from a Maasai tour guide, and looked in a traditional home. We had breakfast with the Maasai, cooked by a cook that we brought with us. After breakfast we rode the bus for a short while, and then got out and went on a nature walk. We saw many beautiful views, and even saw zebras. We walked for about 2 hours and then took the bus back to the Boma.
After the walk we were given the option to watch a traditional goat slaughter. Most people watched the slaughtering, but many of us left part of the way through. The goats were killed through suffocation, which was hard for most of us to watch, but after the goats were killed they were skinned and cut open, which was very interesting and a few people watched. After the slaughtering we ate lunch, and had the option of eating the goat, which was apparently very delicious.
After lunch we got to throw spears, which was much harder then it looked, but everyone tried their best and it was very fun. The women at the Boma had beautiful jewelry on, and many of them shared their jewelry with us. We watched, and many participated, in the dancing of the men and the women. The dancing with the men and women was mostly separate, and the men left when the women started dancing. We had a chance to buy some Maasai jewelry, and then we got on the bus to leave.
On the way home we stopped at another Boma, where there was a circumcision celebration, which ended up being for two girls. There were a lot of people from various communities there, who all brought their own gifts for the girls. We were given a brief tour, and then left again. The bus ride back was about 4 hours because we got stuck in traffic, but we were entertained by a good playlist and games. Everyone was exhausted when we got back to the home base, and most of us went right to bed. It was a great day, and meeting the Maasai was an amazing experience.
Hey everyone, sorry this is a few days behind.
So last Friday, we went to the primary school and I was in a group of 6 people who taught a decent size group of kids (maybe 40??). We introduced ourselves, sang a few songs, and read from their learning book while trying to act out the words. I sat in the back of the class for a bit with a few of the students and helped them out a bit. Then we played with them du+- ring their recess time. Everyone was so kind and fun; it was amazing how well we got along, even though we don’t speak the same language. When it started raining, we went into one of the older classrooms and started demolishing the floor, with hopes of rebuilding it to make it safer for the kids. After going to the school, we went back to the home base for a special presentation from an FGM speaker. She talked for about an hour on what Female Genital Mutilation was and how it effects the culture here. It was very powerful and really opened up my eyes to different things going on around the world. After that, we went to the wifi café, which served a ton of American food and very cheap wifi. It was really nice to reconnect with family and friends back home, and maybe post a pic or two. Back at the home base, our group played a huge game of signs (our new favorite game) then went to bed about 8, because we’d need to wake up the next morning at 3:30am… the whole day was extremely fun and I’m so glad that I got to teach the kids today, even if there was a slight language barrierJ
– Jennah landgraf
6/22/2015
Today was an average Monday morning. We rose at the bright and early hour of 7:00 am and prepared for the school day. After we ate a nutritious breakfast and packed our back-packs we boarded the bus and headed to school. The ride to school was pretty boring except for the view of the peak of Kilimanjaro from our bus window. Today was our second day at school so we felt more comfortable and began to form bonds with the students. Classroom instruction was filled with fun games and blank stares as the children struggled with English learning. Recess was an enjoyable period with hoky-poky and athletics plus various song and dance routines. The children adored us and especially enjoyed taking selfies on our phones. Once we finished enjoying our leisure hour we began a session of rigorous physical labor that involved digging large holes for suspicious purposes (is a tree or a small child going in that hole?). After we devoured our lunch, we began arts and crafts hour. We learned the classic African arts of batik where we painted on fabric using wax to create beautiful images. Since we are all so artistically talented we required no assistance with our painting and created everything completely on our own with no professional help. We also made good use of our money by spending copious amounts of African prints and baggy pants. Arts and crafts took the entire afternoon and we were excited for French fry omelettes (chips in my eye). Nothing like a cholesterol and fat filled meal to complete a strenuous day. In the evening we learned about confronting harmful African stereotypes. In all, it was an enjoyable day in the bush.
6/21/2015
Happy Father’s Day, Baba! Today, we were supposed to sleep in, but instead everyone got up early anyways and played cards together! Mama Simba, our mother away from home, gave us a comprehensive Swahili lesson, and now we’re completely fluent. We had a quick break and then met our host families! Sophie and I (Galen), bonded a lot with our new host brothers. Everyone was very kind and welcoming, and all of us had a wonderful time. We met their families and they took us on tours of the town. We learned about their lives and we taught them about aspects of American life. It was an eye-opening experience, especially because we had to bridge the gap between the cultures ourselves, without the help of the local staff.
After our tours, our host families left and we were in for a surprise. There was a dance group here that performed traditional tribal dances. It was very lively, and included audience participation (Zach even danced). The leader of the dance group gave some background information, and we learned that there are over 120 tribes in Tanzania alone. We were able to purchase some beautiful merchandise from the group as well.
Dinner was a delicious delight, and we reflected on our favorite parts of the day. We then participated in a leadership activity where we were exposed to the challenges of cross-cultural interaction, and how we can better understand the behavior of others. All in all, it was a fabulous day, and we cannot wait to spend more time here and with our host families.
Maasai Day
Today was our earliest day by far, and we were on the bus by 4 am to go to the Maasai boma. The ride was about 3 hours, but we were entertained with games and an amazing view of the sunrise over the Serengeti. When we arrived at the Boma we first interacted with the cattle before they were let out to graze. We got an introduction to Maasai life from a Maasai tour guide, and looked in a traditional home. We had breakfast with the Maasai, cooked by a cook that we brought with us. After breakfast we rode the bus for a short while, and then got out and went on a nature walk. We saw many beautiful views, and even saw zebras. We walked for about 2 hours and then took the bus back to the Boma.
After the walk we were given the option to watch a traditional goat slaughter. Most people watched the slaughtering, but many of us left part of the way through. The goats were killed through suffocation, which was hard for most of us to watch, but after the goats were killed they were skinned and cut open, which was very interesting and a few people watched. After the slaughtering we ate lunch, and had the option of eating the goat, which was apparently very delicious.
After lunch we got to throw spears, which was much harder then it looked, but everyone tried their best and it was very fun. The women at the Boma had beautiful jewelry on, and many of them shared their jewelry with us. We watched, and many participated, in the dancing of the men and the women. The dancing with the men and women was mostly separate, and the men left when the women started dancing. We had a chance to buy some Maasai jewelry, and then we got on the bus to leave.
On the way home we stopped at another Boma, where there was a circumcision celebration, which ended up being for two girls. There were a lot of people from various communities there, who all brought their own gifts for the girls. We were given a brief tour, and then left again. The bus ride back was about 4 hours because we got stuck in traffic, but we were entertained by a good playlist and games. Everyone was exhausted when we got back to the home base, and most of us went right to bed. It was a great day, and meeting the Maasai was an amazing experience.
6/23/2015
Hey everyone, sorry this is a few days behind.
So last Friday, we went to the primary school and I was in a group of 6 people who taught a decent size group of kids (maybe 40??). We introduced ourselves, sang a few songs, and read from their learning book while trying to act out the words. I sat in the back of the class for a bit with a few of the students and helped them out a bit. Then we played with them du+- ring their recess time. Everyone was so kind and fun; it was amazing how well we got along, even though we don’t speak the same language. When it started raining, we went into one of the older classrooms and started demolishing the floor, with hopes of rebuilding it to make it safer for the kids. After going to the school, we went back to the home base for a special presentation from an FGM speaker. She talked for about an hour on what Female Genital Mutilation was and how it effects the culture here. It was very powerful and really opened up my eyes to different things going on around the world. After that, we went to the wifi café, which served a ton of American food and very cheap wifi. It was really nice to reconnect with family and friends back home, and maybe post a pic or two. Back at the home base, our group played a huge game of signs (our new favorite game) then went to bed about 8, because we’d need to wake up the next morning at 3:30am… the whole day was extremely fun and I’m so glad that I got to teach the kids today, even if there was a slight language barrierJ
– Jennah landgraf
6/26/2015
After waking up to heavy-metal dubstep (thanks Paige) at 6:00 this morning, we were so happy to walk out of our room and see The Rolls, the famous delicious bread that The Mamas made us. We then quickly got ready and boarded the bus for our last day of teaching and service this week. Our ride consisted of a wide variety of songs from Taylor Swift to Coldplay, all of which we now have highly-complicated choreographed dances to. After arriving at the school, we were greeted by the many smiling faces of the children that we have been teaching and have gotten to know throughout the week. Today, Jennah, Galen, and I reviewed the story that we taught our class yesterday, played a lot of Simon Says, and taught our students The Macarena. We then continued digging the holes where we will plant over 60 trees next week. Upon arriving back at our home-base, The Mamas surprised us with chips-mayeye, a large plate of French fries cooked in a fried egg. After eating, we walked to a nearby orphanage. We learned that the orphanage started with just 12 children, and they now host over 90 kids, all of whom attend school. We had the opportunity to learn about and tour the orphanage as well as play and talk with the children there. We played games such as “Indian Chief” and soccer, and they also taught us a few games of their own. We then walked back to our home-base and learned about our safari tomorrow from the leader of another GLA program who also doubles as an undercover officer who has worked for many groups including the CIA. Dinner came quickly later, and we ate delicious pasta with beef, tomato sauce, and delicious vegetables. As I have been writing this blog, Sophie, Galen, and “Lauren” (also known as the other Julia) got into a heated marker battle. Unfortunately, the event took a drastic turn to the worst when Lauren’s foot had to be amputated. When asked what happened, Lauren told the following tale, “A rabid ginger stalked me in hot pursuit, using an artistic tool as a savage weapon. As I was chased by this fearsome entity, I tripped and fell, but rose quickly in attempt to evade the evil ginger, unaware that blood was spewing from my foot. I thought I would get away, but then a barbaric blonde tackled me to the ground. The ginger and the blonde began stabbing me savagely in the facial region as my foot bled profusely. After this incident, there was no way to save my beloved appendage. My foot will be mailed to my parents next week.” Just kidding, Lauren mildly cut her foot, but she is as alive and spunky as ever. We now are about to have another leadership activity lead by our two mentors, and then we are going to sleep early tonight because we leave very early tomorrow for our first safari! It’s been a really amazing experience so far and I absolutely cannot wait for everything else that is to come!
– Julia Kostro
6/28/15
Greetings friends, family! Yesterday morning at 7:30 am we piled into
Jurassic Park-style trucks and hit the road for the drive to Terangire
Park. After a six-hour car ride, including a stop for some healthy
snacks and enlightening reading material, we arrived. The tops of
the trucks opened up so we were able to stand up and get a better view
of the beautiful landscape. We witnessed elfies, zeebees, giraffes,
warthogs, and more. A whole herd of elfies walked right in front of
our truck at one point! Seeing these animals in the wild was
incredible; most of us, including myself, had only ever seen them in
zoos. We arrived at a motel a few hours later and were able to get
some much-needed rest.
-Cayley
6/28/2015
Zeke Goldsmith
Today we got off to an early start to the day, waking up at 5:30 am,
and leaving the hotel at 6:00. We drove for about an hour before
reaching Ngorogoro Crater. As we were ascending the walls of the
Calavera, we were engulfed by a thick fog (we soon found out that we
were actually in a cloud.) Finally, we came to the crest, overlooking
the majestic Ngorogoro world heritage site, but not before Paige
spotted a Leopard. At the crest, we opened the tops of the safari
vans, allowing us to fully take in the site. We descended into the
savanna, and one by one came across various mammals of interest. From
a group of zebras, to several huge herds of wildebeest, the Tanzania
fauna did not disappoint. In addition to that, we saw a lion eating a
wildebeest, surrounded by hungry hyenas. After a few hours in the
crater, we had lunch next to a surpassingly close pod of hippos. If
the hippos weren’t as tolerant of humans as they were, we could all
have been dead in about 10 seconds. Thankfully, we survived. After
lunch we made our way back to home base in Moshi. As we were leaving,
we came across a beautiful vantage point. The clouds had passed, so we
all clambered out of the vans to take pictures. Some of the girls
decided to take the classic “Jump in mid air all at once” picture.
However, Lauren’s phone was not as snugly fit in her pocket as one
would hope, and mid jump, the phone made a break for it, falling out
and smashing the ground. Fortunately, her phone’s case protected the
vital iPhone from damage. Unfortunately, the case made the ultimate
sacrifice in the process; after hitting the ground, it skidded across
the pavement and off the conveniently placed cliff, tumbling into the
Ngorogoro Crater below. “MY PHONE!!!!!” Lauren screamed as she
dropped to her knees, not realizing the iPhone itself was sitting
firmly and safely on the ground. Once the realization was made, she
saw the $5 case was lost and not the $300 phone, Lauren experienced
what the described as a “religious experience,” convinced that the
hand of God had saved her phone, and not the case. All was well after
that, and concluding a six-hour van ride, we returned home.
———————–
29 June 2015
Today we had a late breakfast, toast and eggs, which was amazing as
usual. This morning we walked down to the soccer field, all wearing
our mismatching Tanzania soccer jerseys; while they were all either
black or blue, no two were alike. We played a friendly-competitive
game of World Cup, a soccer game where teams of two all compete to
score a goal at once. Kids from the school across the field happened
to be out on recess, and were more than enthusiastic to play with us,
specifically to play with Paige’s soccer ball. After a hard fought
match, and some much appreciated exercise, we walked back to the home
base. As everyone prepared to change out of his or her jerseys and
shower/nap, we were surprised by a special announcement.
The GLA staff had decided to take us out for lunch on the town. We settled on an
American-style coffeehouse. We had a very nice meal and some Wi-Fi,
then headed back the home base, but only after we escaped the
extremely persistent street peddlers, who have taken to sticking their
heads and merchandize inside the bus as a sales tactic. Needless to
say, it failed (for the most part). After that, we had a chill
afternoon followed by an informative lesson about Tanzania’s education
and economic situation. After dinner, which again was amazing, we
listened to Mama Simba’s inspirational story of her journey to
success.
From,
Jane
June 30
Safari Bill coming at chya once again. Today we returned to school after a three-day weekend and the kids were quite pleased to see our pale faces again. After a strenuous day of educating the youth of Tanzania, we were kindly greeted by one of the locals who gave us directions to the nearby church and airport for our departure home. We then played with the children through games such as, pulling on Lauren’s hair, dancing to indie rock, and asking for “picha teacha!” We then painted the brown dirt with some beautiful green trees. We returned home to a nutritious lunch filled with love. After lunch there was an electric vibe in the air, and not just because Zeke received a shock from the electric fence. Next we visited the orphanage down the road once again where an intense game of soccer occurred.
During this day Zeke received his second memory of the day when Sherry rocketed a shot right into his gut, but all in the fun of soccer. I was beaten by Joseph for the orphanages leading goal scorer, however I’m having the kid checked for performance enhancing drugs, so I’ll get back to you on that. After this we had a lovely dinner prepared by our amazing mommas, then all but myself took part in a large game of human knot (I have a large phobia of knots, and ties). We ended the day with what I believe was a TED talk but since I had a lack of energy I dreamed about the village children getting upset and forming the cutest angry mob I’ve ever imagined. Mama Simba is THE
BEST!
July 1
Hellur, everyone. @zumbazach speaking on behalf of the GLA staff and students. Today, we enjoyed another unbelievable day in Tanzania. Will, Zeke, and I woke up to a lovely alarm of Nicki Minaj as usual. Will was salty, because he woke up late for breakfast and blamed me for his irresponsibility. Our friendship was still on the rocks, because of the treacherous game of Life that we played on the way back from the Safari. (I sued him for $100,000 and ended up winning by a landslide.)
For breakfast, we all downed our daily cups of tea that most of us have come to drink as second nature. After breakfast, we piled onto the bus and headed to service, knowing that it was our second to last day spending time with the school children. Sophie and I were overwhelmed by the large turnout in our classroom of over 30 students; for the past two weeks our class had been composed of less than 12 students. Class ended up being a blast, because the kids were very energetic, and we decided to take it easy for a change and utilize crayons as part of our lesson. Joseph, Braiton, and Queen are my favorite students, but of course that’s purely confidential. Recess was exhausting, yet such an experience, like always. After finding my boy Baraka, we walked around and talked with several of the kids, playing a game of catch or simple hand games like Double Double This This, which Baraka loves to play but can never get right.
Saying “Kwaheri!” (Goodbye) is always hard, but after recess we returned to the job of planting trees and watering them. Galen struggled with the water and ended up being soaked by the end of the day, but we had fun with it. Many of the kids, including Baraka, stayed behind and ended up helping dig holes or carry water, so I got to continue spending time with him during service. Once we finished the hour of hard work, we were worn out and finally said our final goodbyes for the day to our favorite kids. I think Baraka and I hug twenty times every time we say goodbye.
Upon returning to the compound, we dove into a delicious lunch prepared by the Mamas whom we love so much. Will has made it his mission to become BFF’s with Mama D, so he always gets extra food or even special requests just for him, that little bugger. After lunch, I napped for a solid hour with Lana Del Rey playing from my phone, and Will woke me up once it was time for our next activity. We were separated into two groups and told to go on a scavenger hunt for food ingredients at the local market, because that night we were helping Mama D prepare dinner!! The hunt was fun, but it was very hot and I was still groggy from my nap, so I let Jennah and Julia do the bargaining. I’m getting used to being pointed at and called Mzungu (white person).
At home base, we piled into the kitchen, and started helping to make soup. Galen and I cut onions and shed tears (over our impending departure from Tanzania), and Will sat in the corner shredding coconuts. I appreciate my parents’ cooking so much now. In the time between cooking and eating, we had downtime and somewhere during that time we held a manhunt for Will, who we thought had miraculously disappeared from the compound. After five minutes of panicked searching, we found the stinker napping UNDER his bed, because it was “quieter under there.” Then we ate our dinner and felt the success of our hard work.
After dinner, we had our leadership activity, which was especially interactive. We were all blindfolded and lead into a maze that Nicole and Allison had constructed inside the dining area. We were told to hold onto a rope and that if we wanted help, all we had to was raise our hand. After fumbling around for about five minutes, I raised my hand and Allison told me to open my eyes. Turns out, the point of the activity was to learn the value in asking for help and realizing that others can help you when you can’t help yourself. Only by asking for help could you complete the maze.
We were then left with more downtime until lights out, so me, Galen, and Jennah decided to stargaze outside. Soon everyone decided to join and it turned into a giggle fest with everyone laying on each other for support. I decided to leave early, and found Agape, Mama Simba, and Will in the dining area talking around a phone flashlight (the power was out again). I joined in, and we all talked about how much we loved the program and how Mama Simba was welcome in our homes whenever she wanted. I feel lucky to have met a woman like her, and her messages will stick with me forever, I know.
Then, Will and I headed to bed, where we prepared for another morning full of the beautiful sound of our queen, Nicki Minaj. We both decided that Taylor just doesn’t compare, but I’m glad that Will is realizing the power of Nicki.
July 4
Today we woke up as early as everyday, though we didn’t have normal service. We had breakfast at 7 and left at 8. We spent about an hour watching and learning from a few blacksmiths. We spent about the hour with three different blacksmiths, and watched them make machetes and other objects in the fire. After learning how to make knifes and other dangerous objects, we made a quick stop at the ATM and currency exchange before spending too much of our money at an underground art market.
After everyone finished buying their over-priced souvenirs, we stopped at our favorite place, the Wi-Fi café. We ate our American food and dove into the world of the Internet (after a dangerous scare with disconnected wireless). We made a pit stop at a grocery store to buy ice cream for a fourth of July celebration, before returning to the compound for a delicious lunch prepared by our wonderful Mamas. We had a little while to relax and recharge before our host families, that we met a couple of weeks ago, came by to pick us up. We were able to spend most of the afternoon with our generous families. I (Galen), along with Sophie, Jennah and Cayley, walked around Rau Village with Muhammad, who is 18 years old. At about 4:30 we all met at the soccer field at the local primary school. There was a soccer game going on, and a few people joined in and the rest of us enjoyed watching the match.
A little before six we walked back to the home base, looking forward to a fourth of July celebration. We were informed, however, that due to a mishap in the kitchen, the pizza we were looking forward to had not been possible. We voted and chose to go to a café in town for a more American dinner, to celebrate our great independence (the café also had WI-FI, which was a plus). The bus ride home consisted of belting out “Firework” by Katy Perry a total of three times, which of course included choreography by our very own Lauren. We were in for a surprise when we got home, a bonfire! We sang songs, although we were all a bit disappointed in our inability to remember real campfire songs. The night ended in sitting around the campfire and picking out a Swahili name for each of us. Each of us was given a name that the group agreed matched their personality. Most of the group is now helping Julia pack, who we are sad to see leave tomorrow.
Happy Fourth of July!
