In addition to teaching preschoolers and math instruction to teens at the Tawawami Project, I am also assisting the administrator in writing grants for funding and a proposal for a much needed health project for the school and the surrounding community. Daily, I am proofing and revising work in order to send the literature out to the prospective groups or individuals. We have been utilizing my laptop, and then going into town periodically to a local print shop to print out the work.
Today, however, was quite an adventure into town. The administrator Richard Sulumet and I were riding a daladala when suddenly it was re-routed by the police. It appeared that we were taking a tour traveling along the outskirts of town.
It was not a tour, in fact you could hear pin drop in the daladala which is unique. There was an aura in the air when we finally arrived in town. I felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz when she first realized and expressed to Toto that they are no longer in Kansas anymore.
People were lining the streets and sidewalks and talking excitedly. Richard himself was quite quiet and started to walk briskly as I picked up the pace alongside of him. Then we heard pop, pop, pop, and it wasn’t popcorn. Our pace increased and we arrived at the print shop within minutes.
The print shop, approximately 12’x 12’ in size, found itself safely housing 10 adults, and a young boy who was selling eggs on the street. There was nervous joking and laughing as the popping continued outside. Quickly, we learned that there was a political group protesting at the government building in town. The popping sound evidently was a series of tear gas canisters being set off to ward them away and to diffuse the protest. It worked! Presumably, this occurs once every 5 years – seldom. In general, Mwanza like it’s country of Tanzania rarely experiences conflicts between varied groups. For more information: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11668588
Life returns back to normal in Mwanza; naturally the town was experiencing a blackout, so we weren’t able to print after all. We marched right to a computer shop, approximately 10’x 10’ in size, and purchased a printer from the funds that I received the evening of the "Send-off Party." Once again, due to the generosity of the “Friends from Holy Cross” the program will now be able to be more self-sufficient. On behalf of the Tawawami Project – thank you!
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| Cosmas, teacher at Tawawami, and Julius, an adult student and a member of the Maasai tribe |
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| Friend Julius and myself |
