Ninarudi
After 2 months spent in Tanzania, 35 hours worth of traveling back to the states, and many tears shed, I have safely returned to Seattle. While it’s been a long time since I posted due to difficulty in reaching internet, there is much to tell, and few words to convey the things I have experienced. Upon the end of orientation, I traveled to Gallapo town with 3 fellow American volunteers and 2 Tanzanian teaching partners while other volunteers dispersed to the villages of Endanoga, Ayamongo, Gedemara A, and Gedemara B C.
As soon as my roommate Flora and I walked into the courtyard of our home stay, we were greeted by our welcoming Baba (who spoke English) and caring Mama. (In the Tanzanian culture, the mama is named after her eldest son or daughter, so she was named Mama Happy.) Since the day we first met, to the day we departed the Happy Household, were we treated as their own children and were welcomed into the family. While Flora and I had difficulty initially communicating with our Mama and family, as time went by, we were able to learn Swahili and to say the basics to get by. With the help of Mama Happy, our dadas (sisters) Happy and Deanna, and our kaka (brother) Fredrick, we were able not only to learn the cultures and language of Tanzania, but about the family. Though we were never able to have “in-depth” conversations with our mama, dadas and kaka, with all the time spent together we found that you don’t need words in order to get to know a person, the mere action of spending time together, laughing, and learning could form a strong bond and a lasting relationship.
Along with the Happy Household, Gallapo Town became a home away from America, and my teaching group became some of my closest friends. While there were ups and down, lessons to be learned, our group was able to persevere and to do all that we could with the time given. From understanding cultural differences, being patient with the language barrier, learning each member’s teaching styles, and filling in for those who were sick, the Gallapo Town crew created lasting memories while doing our best to impact the community around us. When we first stepped foot into Gallapo, being the only wazungus (white people) in the village, we stood out like a sore thumb; by the time we were leaving, neighbors called us by name from afar, people from the town approached us to ask questions about HIV or to invite us to their homes. Our last week we met two patients who were HIV positive, one at the state of AIDS, and it was encouraging to hear what their thoughts of SIC were, and the thanks they gave us for coming to Gallapo. While we are able to say that as an SIC group we taught over 6,000 people of Gallapo Ward, and tested 1,600 people in the short time we were in the community, it’s not a matter of numbers, but instead the people we were able to reach and the lives we were able to change. It’s easy to tell people about what HIV is and to load them with information, but their response of getting tested and making the move to protect themselves by knowing their status is huge.
Leaving Tanzania, my second home, was hard to do, but when upon leaving I know that while we were able to leave HIV education in the Gallapo town, I in turn, have taken so many lessons from Tanzania. I have learned to appreciate the small things in life and to try to live life to the fullest. My outlook has changed from an individual perspective, to one that sees the community as a whole. I’ve learned to be more patient and to go with the flow of things instead of constantly worrying (there were times we would have to wait 2 hours before a meeting started). And I’ve learned to see the privileges I’ve been given in life, like going to college, having a washing machine (hand washing things was a difficult task), and the many opportunities America provides, and to make the most of those things. I hope that this blog will share a small light of what Tanzania has done for me and to also share how significant HIV has become in Africa. If you have any questions or would like to hear more the time I spent in Tanzania, I would love to share more about my time. Thank you for everyone who followed and read my blog over the course of these two months and for all the encouragement you have provided. As we say in Tanzania, ninarudi, I’m home.
*For information from other groups (including Gallapo Town) there are blogs on the SIC website from all groups throughout the program: http://sichange.org/news-photos-blog/
Gallapo here we come!
Orientation is finally coming to an end. As we finish last minute preparations, teaching groups are being formed, and villages are being assigned. Each group will consist of 2 Tanzanian teaching partners who will translate during lessons, and 3 Americans. In the villages we not only will be teaching to classrooms (primary and secondary school), but also the community, different mama’s groups, and anyone who wants to learn about HIV.
As orientation comes to an end, it has made me realize that we as teachers are not only teaching about HIV/AIDS and providing education, but we’re here to promote a behavior change, to encourage the community to get tested and to know their status, and to help eliminate the stigma that is placed with HIV. We’re learning how to answer questions linked with HIV, which is making me see the reality this virus has on communities. One question that left me thinking was this: I am HIV positive and I really want to have a baby. How can I protect my husband while becoming pregnant? The reality is that this mama would not be able to protect her husband from HIV if she were to have unprotected sex, and also, the virus could be passed onto her child. HIV is rampant, and the only sure fire way of protecting yourself is remaining abstinent.
Here in Tanzania, 80% of HIV transmission is through sexual relations. 2% is blood to blood transmission (which is extremely rare now that medical facilities are aware of this form of transmission), and the other 18% is through mother to child transmission. How HIV works is that once a person is infected with HIV, they will have flu symptoms as their viral load shoots up and their immune cells begin to fight off the disease. Then for a period of time, they will go through a silent period where they feel perfectly normal. This lasts for 5-7 years (approx). The thing about the silent period is that since there are no symptoms, a person will not know they have HIV (unless they have been tested), and can spread the disease to others unknowingly. This is why we are stressing the significance of testing.
While many know about HIV, and how to prevent it, there are many myths floating around which is promoting stigma everywhere, and makes those infected fearful to reveal their status. As we teach, we’re not only giving information and education, but also trying to motivate the community and students towards a behavior change, and to help eliminate this stigma placed on HIV. Along with teaching in the villages, we will be meeting HIV patients, hearing their stories about HIV, conducting surveys, teaching people in the markets who ask about SIC, and starting sustainable projects that can help others in the village.
I’m still not entirely sure what to expect or what will come from our time in Gallapo, but I’m excited to meet my home stay family in a few days, to see how the students respond to the HIV message and to see what will come from our time in Gallapo.
Tupo Pamoja Kuushinda UKIMIWI!
After a three hour bumpy bus ride from Arusha, the SIC team made it to Babati. As soon as we reached this town, we jumped right into the curriculum we will be teaching in Gallapo and learning more about the Tanzanian culture and ways. This past week of training has been a great time to not only reinforce the information we’ve learned in prefield, but to also get to know our fellow Tanzanian teaching partners, the SIC coordinators, and the many students from Stanford, UCLA, Santa Clara, and UW. Talking to each member of our team has been awesome to hear the reasons for their involvement with SIC and the impact this journey may make on their future goals.
Our time in Babati has been nothing but welcoming. Mama Sia, our cook, feds us until we can no longer eat, and we’ve all come to love chipati, fried flour and water (kinda like a tortilla). The teaching partners have taken time out of their days to show us around Babati and to teach us about the Tanzanian culture. They’ve been patient with our learning Swahili, and have been helpful in teaching us. And as we walk down the roads of Babati, we’re greeting by everyone we see, and children come out wanting to play. It is apparent that community is key in Tanzania, and the more time we spend here, the more welcomed we are to take part in it.
While it’s been fun exploring Babati, our main focus is the curriculum and training, and getting to be familiar with each volunteer and teaching partner in order to form great teams for later on. We start the morning waking up at 6:30 and then eat our breakfast of chapatti, a boiled egg, and some fruit. We then head over to the school and start Swahili lessons at 8, and then finish training at 5. But as we’ve been learning comes the issue of HIV. We leave 8/4 for Gallopo to being our teaching in the schools, the community and the various extra groups, yet how do we make a difference with teaching? While it’s easy to teach information, we now have to look to see how to promote behavior change, to help our fellow Tanzanians see the reality of HIV, and to encourage testing. It’s a huge mission to tackle, but after seeing the determination from my team, I feel there is a lot in store for these next months in Gallapo.
Mambo!
It’s my third day in Arusha now!!! I’m starting to get acclimated to the culture here in Tanzania, but so far it’s been great; nothing that I expected. The streets are packed with people, trying to sell newspapers and batik mats, but a word we learned very quickly is Hapana Asante: No thank you. I’ve also learned to look right before left when crossing the streets, and unlike America, pedestrians do not have the right away. But a thing I’ve noticed most, is the community in Tanzania.
The first day when we went to get skirts made, the taylor (a friend
of one of our coordinators) took us to the market so that we would get
reasonable prices, and then gave us a great deal on our skirts (7000 shillings)which is less than 7 dollars. On our way to the market, the taylor, Mama Venus, was telling us about HIV in Tanzania, and how it has infected her friends. She shared her grief and the sadness that it has brought all of them and told us about a woman, one who had been faithful to her husband her whole life, but found she was infected after her husband died of HIV. On the side, her husband had another family and contracted HIV, which he passed onto this woman. Now she is left confused, not knowing if she should take her ARV’s or what to do. As Mama venus wrapped up her story, she explained that it was not nice to talk about people like this, showing the great stigma HIV has.
We then were taken by one of the SIC guides to get our first real Tanzanian lunch, wali maharge (rice and beans) and loved every part of it. We were also given boiled spinach and cabbage, which we devoured. A typical breakfast here is 3 pieces of white bread, an egg, and instant coffee of chia. Avocados are sold everywhere, and are 3 times the size of those in America, and oranges and mangos are also prevalent.
In a few days, we will be moving from Arusha into Babati (about 3.5 hours south) where we will have extensive orientation and will move into homestay. I’m excited to learn more about the culture, and though we will be without electricity and indoor plumbing, I’m excited for the close knit community. Internet will be harder to reach in Babati, since it is more rural and a smaller town but I will continue to keep you guys posted! Badahi.
I’m Off!
In a matter of hours I will finally embark on my journey to Tanzania. I leave Seattle at 8:30 am and will fly to Minnesota. From there I will fly out to Amsterdam, and finally to Kilimanjaro. Since Tanzania is 10 hours ahead of the U.S., it will be around 7 pm on Sunday when I finally arrive. From there another volunteer and I will be picked up and driven to Arusha, where we will meet with all the other volunteers and later travel to Babati District! Kwaheri everyone! I will try to keep you posted throughout my time in Tanzania!
28 Stories of AIDS in Africa
About a week ago I started reading a book called 28 Stories of AIDs in Africa, by Stephanie Nolen, and though I’ve only read 4 stories out of the 28, it has begun to me understand the affect HIV has not only on individuals, but on Africa as a whole. In many countries in Africa, HIV is a taboo subject. Because of the lack of awareness and education on HIV and AIDS, many misconceptions have come to form stigma and stereotypes about those infected with HIV. This in turn has silenced those infected which is contributing to the rapid spread of this virus. Many believe that by eating with, or even looking at a person, one can contract HIV, making it a huge stigma to have this disease. You no longer are seen as a person, but instead as HIV, a ‘diseased person’.
Yet confidentiality is what is killing people. For example, though a wife can be faithful to her husband, while he is away from home due to work or travel, he may acquire many sexual partners, making the chances of contracted HIV significantly higher. He then comes home to his wife, who he may pass the virus to, and in turn she can pass it to her children in child birth. On the flip side, a wife can be infected but because of fear of the truth, she may hide the fact, while exposing her husband to the chances of contracting this virus. “In our culture, you don’t tell. We don’t talk, and that is killing the nation,” Prisca Mhlolo (Zimbabwe).
This is the problem many face, not only in Africa (though the percent of the population is significantly higher than the rest of the world) but around the world. HIV is a growing reality for many and the effects run deeper than just health. With family members unable to work due to the toll HIV has taken on their bodies and immune system, other family members quit work to tend to the sick and the rest of the family has to learn to live from a lower income, and children are forced to quit school in order to help support the family. In the bigger picture, the decline of workers means that less food is being produced and cultivated, contributing to the problem of starvation. This just shows three of the major problems Africa is suffering from, starvation and poverty. Yet we haven’t even looked at the children who have lost their parents to HIV and are now orphans. Looking at all the affects HIV has on individuals, families, and Africa as a whole, everyone is affected by this virus.
This summer we will be in Gallapo Ward of Babati District, and through the teaching of what HIV is, how it is contracted, how to protect yourself against HIV/AIDs, and how to care for someone with HIV/Aids, my hope is that the percentage of the HIV infection in Babati district will drop and that more people will be able to protect themselves from HIV. And through their education of HIV, they in turn can share this with other communities so that stigma’s can diminish, the percentage of those infected will drop, and people with HIV and AIDS will receive the emotional and physical support they need.
Swahili 101
Here are some of the basic Swahili greetings and vocabulary. The pronunciation is fairly simple and sounds very simialr to English (except emphasis goes on the secon to last syllable).
Hujambo!…hello, how are you
Sijambo….I’m fine
Habari Gani…How’re things?
Nzuri….Good
Asante Sana…Thank you very much (asante sana, squash banana)
Sema pole pole…please speak slower
Hapana…No
Ndiyo…Yes
Rafiki…Friend
Greetings for young people:
Mambo!
Poa!
Vipi!
Safi!
Tutaonana…See you later
SIC
This link gives a more detailed description about SIC. Check it out!
http://sichange.org/
I have the opportunity of a lifetime to journey to Arusha, Tanzania with a program called Support for International Change (SIC). Support for International Change has a mission “To limit the impact of HIV/AIDS in underserved communities and to train future leaders in global health and development.” I will embark on this journey with 4 other University of Washington students and 20 additional students from various colleges, and together we will be teaching HIV prevention to school classes and community groups.
SIC is a non-governmental organization that was started by two students from Stanford University and the University of Arizona. Over the years, the program has grown to incorporate students from several different colleges including UCLA, USC, and the UW. SIC is committed to limiting the impact of HIV/AIDS in the East African country of Tanzania, and as teachers in the community, we will be responsible for teaching HIV/AIDS educational seminars and training peer educators and community leaders within the village we are staying in. In addition to education about HIV, SIC offers a free, mobile HIV testing and counseling service as well as home-based care and support to AIDS patients and families.
When I first heard about SIC in December of 2008, I never would have thought that I would be traveling to Tanzania to spend two months (July 18-September 18) teaching about HIV/AIDS. With doors that have opened, and a supportive family, God has given me the opportunity to use the education I’ve been privileged to receive over the course of my life to spread to those in Tanzania. The first step in slowing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Tanzania is by spreading this very education.
Over the past couple of months, my colleagues and I have been preparing ourselves for this exciting experience; equipping ourselves with a curriculum that includes health and safety, local culture, Swahili, and the curriculum to be taught in Tanzania. We also will be immersed in Tanzanian culture through a home stay with local families, and forming lasting friendships, both within the group and with the people from Arusha and the villages.
One More Month!!!
The countdown starts now; one more month until I depart for Tanzania. For those of you who don’t know yet, I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime to journey to Arusha, Tanzania with a program called Support for International Change (SIC). Support for International Change has a mission “To limit the impact of HIV/AIDS in undeserved communities and to train future leaders in global health and development.” I will embark on this journey with 4 fellow University of Washington students and 20 additional students from various colleges, and together we will be teaching HIV prevention to school classes and community groups.
SIC is a non-governmental organization that was started by two students from Stanford University and the University of Arizona. Over the years, the program has grown to incorporate students from several different colleges including UCLA, USC, and the UW. SIC is committed to limiting the impact of HIV/AIDS in the East African country of Tanzania, and as teachers in the community, we will be responsible for teaching HIV/AIDS educational seminars and training peer educators and community leaders within the village we are staying in. In addition to education about HIV, SIC offers a free, mobile HIV testing and counseling service as well as home-based care and support to AIDS patients and families.
When I first heard about SIC in December of 2008, I never would have thought that I would be traveling to Tanzania to spend two months (July 18-September 18) teaching about HIV/AIDS. With doors that have opened, and a supportive family, God has given me the opportunity to use the education I’ve been privileged to receive over the course of my life to spread to those in Tanzania. The first step in slowing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Tanzania is by spreading this very education.
Over the past couple of months, my colleagues and I have been preparing ourselves for this exciting experience; equipping ourselves with a curriculum that includes health and safety, local culture, Swahili, and the curriculum to be taught in Tanzania. We also will be immersed in Tanzanian culture through a home stay with local families, and forming lasting friendships, both within the group and with the people from Arusha and the villages.
During my stay in Tanzania, I hope to update this blog and to hopefully keep everyone posted. Since I will not have electricity or internet in the villages I am staying in, this may be a bit challenging. Fortunately, we do have a town nearby, about 4 miles away, so whenever I can I will try to keep in touch!!
