Habari yako!

Today is our first break since arriving in Tanzania. It’s been crazy welcoming 27 volunteers and 14 Tanzanian teaching partners, but we have an awesome group, representing all parts of the world, who have really hit it off well and will do great things this summer. After our traditional waterfall hike on the base of Mt. Meru, we all loaded up on the bus of many horns and headed off to Babati for our orientation. While it’s been busy planning parts of orientation, making sure volunteers and TP’s are well and checking out the villages, we’ve been able to have fun, learning new dance moves such as kiduku, learning the Swahili slang from the teaching partners, and enjoying missed foods and drinks only found in this region of Africa.

I’ve been really enjoying the this new experience of coordinating and being able to see and learn from SIC on the other side. I’ve been able to learn from the staff, to hear about their thoughts on the volunteer program, and  to hear the strengths and weaknesses of each program. This program is off to a great start with a great team to work with (both staff and volunteers) and I’m excited to move into Mamire ward. Yesterday we were able to visit all the villages and to meet with all the homestays. Despite my love for Gallapo ward, Mamire has a different feel; very welcoming (though Gallapo was very welcoming as well), much more rural (none of the homestays have electricity), and so beautiful! We didn’t meet a mama that wasn’t loving and welcoming, and the village is excited to finally have an awareness program in Mamire. We leave for the villages on July 4, so until then, we are still forming teaching groups and assigning homestays and teaching all we can until the let the volunteers and teaching partners loose in the villages. Tutaonana until next time!

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