Aventure Discovery Volunteer International

it's me

2008-06-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

Ok this is what’s up, I’m back home, school’s going ok, and things with my family are good. some bad stuff happened before I left and I’m still trying to figure that one out but for the most part things are good. I’m happy to be home my dog got so big its crazy she was so small when I left and know she has her last shots and everything, she’s up to my knees to.
So where gating ready to do some presentations soon that’s always good IV been flaking out but I’m ready to start buckling down. Well I’m hungry and have already been at school all day so I’m going to go talk soon.

nye

Until next time...

2008-04-29T22:27:00.000-07:00

4-29-08

I don’t know what to say. Goodbyes are hard. I just sat in the house with my kids looking at a map of the world, answering all their questions about oceans, rivers, and continents. Little Boaz was curled up asleep in my lap like a kitten, and Christina was playing with my hair. They all wonder when I will return, and even next Sunday seems too far away to them. I put them all to bed, gave them a hug and a kiss, and the girls sang me a lullaby in Kiswahili. I definitely shed a tear, but they did not see it.

The kids here at Rift Valley will be the next teachers, nurses, safari drivers, and police officers. They are smart, and have the resources to go from rags to riches. Compared to most kids in Africa, they may actually have the opportunity to visit America as they dream so often about. They are incredible, and have found their way into a special place in my heart.

This will be my last blog. Tomorrow we will leave for Arusha, and spend a few days there before we fly out of Kilimanjaro airport on Friday. We will spend our final days shopping at the Maasai markets, watching a court case at the United Nations Rwandan War Tribunal Headquarters, visiting a baby orphanage/adoption center, tasting the local cuisine, and relaxing.

This trip was a huge success, and I want to thank everyone that helped make this happen. Lupe told me today she wants to go to college, and wants my help applying. Nye was almost in tears saying goodbye to his kids in kindergarten, and wants to become an English teacher and return to places like the Rift Valley. They have grown so much in the last month, and are two of the most special kids alive. This trip has inspired us all in so many ways, and as the sun is setting out my window; I will say my goodbyes to this incredible place. I know we all will return someday.

Jen

Funza

2008-04-29T22:26:00.000-07:00

4-29

Today was the most miserable day in my life. All day long I sat completely discouraged about my effort so far. I wish I had interacted the tiniest bit more with the kids. As I tucked the kids in Manyara house into bed, they all asked when I will return. Neema, one of the three girls, was torn in two. She’s totally heart broken, it breaks my heart to see her cry. I will never forget her beautiful face. I cannot wait to return to the Rift Valley.

I’ll be seeing you soon.

Lupe

Ps- I found a funza in my toe today while I was scrubbing all of the dirt off my feet. A funza is a small white worm that usually lives in dry African soil. I was lucky enough to get one during the rainy season. It looks like a severely infected pimple-thing. There is a small brown dot in the middle of the swollen white tissue. Extracting a funza is much like removing a splinter. Except one must pop it, and then pull the whole worm out. The end result is a tiny crater left in the skin.

Speechless

2008-04-29T22:25:00.000-07:00

4-29-08

I can’t put this experience into words. It was the most amazing thing that ever happened to me. Everything is so different. I don’t understand how a country this beautiful with as many natural resources can be so troubled with poverty. In my three weeks of being on this adventure, I have witnessed people without limbs. Women as young as sixteen with a baby girl on their back, I have been swarmed by packs of grown men trying to sell me homemade necklaces made of bone. Children as old as five not being able to say their A,B,C’s in any other way than a song. But at the same time I’ve fell in love with forty-two kids in a three-week period. Not to mention the preschool I have been teaching at since the day I got here. Or the beautiful landscape with its scenery; I am speechless. It is unbelievable. As the end of my journey is near and things come to an end, one of the biggest things on my mind is the people that helped us reach our goal and sending them a giant ‘thank you’.

Nye

R.I.P

ANTHONY NICELS

-SLEEP WELL-

Two more days at Rift Valley

2008-04-28T23:28:00.000-07:00

4-28-08

Two more days

Two more days in this beautiful country. I went to the crater yesterday and things went great. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. The animals were great, the scenery was great, and the drive out of the crater was amazing. I was on top of the world.

The feeling I had can’t be put into words, let me just tell you that I felt so small in something so big. I realized how beautiful the smallest things in life are, like a tree or a smile. I realized that the world won’t stop for any thing. When I was driving up that mountain it was a culture shock all over again. I’ve never seen any thing like it in my whole life. Now I know why its one of the seven wonders of the world!

Nye B

R.I.P.
BODY.

Mirror Images

2008-04-28T23:25:00.002-07:00

4-28-08

Despite the fact I am standing on the soil of Africa, it amazes me each day how my experiences, relationships, and love for the kids here parallel the connections I have with my students at the Phoenix School. Although the kids here are all orphans under the age of thirteen, eat with their hands, take bucket baths, have ring worm, speak Kiswahili, and own one pencil for school--they all amaze me just as much as my students in Roseburg who have a family, are in high school, use silverware, have clean running water, speak English, and drive cars. Whether five years old or fifteen years old, rich or poor, clean or dirty, black or white, in America or Africa, sick or healthy, shy or outgoing, tall or short, orphan or not--kids have so much love to give.

Learning opportunities for life’s lessons present themselves every day and in a variety of situations, and I am discovering that many of the conversations I have with five year olds are simpler versions of those I have with fifteen year olds. Whether it is a kid at the orphanage stealing a marker from his “kaka” (brother), or a high school student stealing cigarettes from a convenient store, the same lessons to be learned are still at the core of the issue. I am discovering that I have a love for working with youth of all ages, and the core of what it means to be a teacher does not change from one age group to the next. Tomorrow will be incredibly hard as it is our last full day to spend with the kids.

Jen

Heartbreaking

2008-04-28T23:25:00.001-07:00

4-28-08

My last day of helping teach at Cheke Chea was more heart breaking than I ever thought possible. To think that almost none of the children will remember me, but I will remember all of them is a complete nightmare! I hope for the BEST for all of the children I will be leaving behind.

On the other hand, my heart raced like never before when Jen and I took a long journey to the cornfields near the Oldeani lookout. Every little peep made us jump. We came to a long stretch after we turned a sharp corner. I glanced at, what looked to me, a water buffalo. It was simply a cow being herded toward the great oasis.

That Nye must have some voodoo powers. He cursed Jen that if she took a walk, bees would attack her again. Two minutes later, a bee landed on Jen and stung her in the arm!

Lupe

Ngorogoro Crater

2008-04-28T02:16:00.000-07:00

4-27-08

Today we went to Ngorogoro Crater, one of the seven natural wonders of the world! We saw everything from lions and cheetahs to endangered black rhinos and hyenas.

Here are our thoughts on the day:

Jen- I have never seen such a stark contrast in color between the purple wildflowers, green grass, pink flamingos, and the blue lake. My eyes could not keep up with the movement across the landscape, as so many rare and exotic animals were darting across the barren crater floor in all directions around me. It was also interesting from an anthropology standpoint, as evidence of some of the earliest homosapians has been found in the crater. Tribes including the one with the “clicking” language still live around the Ngorogoro Conservation area. If I could be an animal, it would surely be the crowned crane. They have a gnarly fiery yellow mohawk!

Thomas- From the lookout on the crater rim this morning, the crater appeared to be an empty 200 square mile grass field with a lake in the middle. It was certainly not the world’s largest concentration of wildlife. But low and behold after the steep ascent we came upon grouping after grouping of wildlife. Zebras are a new favorite. As we passed by them all day, I grew to realize they are actually quite personable. They love to grin their teeth into almost seemingly ridiculous smiles and have a quirky penchant to rest their heads on each other’s back. If I could be an animal, it would be a black kite hawk drifting endlessly in the breeze. Also they are notorious for swooping down and biting tourists fingers!

Lupe- It was so much better than Lake Manyara! I didn’t see as many trees or as much wildlife, but I got a way better view of our surroundings. The crater walls go straight up into the air and are covered with acacia trees. There was SO MANY zebra, all around us! The huge lake in the middle of crater was flooded with flamingo! The giant herds of buffalo were hilarious! They all had horns that looked like 18^th century curly white wigs. Although most of the species were overflowing in population, we saw only one male lion. When we drove through fields with no animals, I felt as though I was in a western movie with John Wayne at my heels. I give it two thumbs up! If I had the choice to be any animal in the world, I would have to be a giraffe. They have super long necks that allow them to see over the fence.

Nye- I would be a wolf. They're not in the crater, but they're my favorite animal because they got their homies to have their back. They live in a pack and they're just beautiful animals.

Five days to go! We will be back in the Burg before we know it!!!

The ADVI Crew

Check mate

2008-04-27T09:24:00.002-07:00

4-26-08

6 MOVE KILL: CHECK MATE

I had a beautiful start to my day after killing Nye in chess with a six-move checkmate. On Saturdays, the day is open for structured play with the kids, which involves anything from soccer to art projects to teaching kids the “Sorry Miss Jackson” song. The sun was out, and the kids are so much fun! Unfortunately, fifteen of our kids got in trouble again today for stealing markers and selling them to kids in the village, so they spent the day sitting on their beds.

With only less than a week left in Africa, it makes me want to cry just thinking about saying goodbye to the kids! The final days are going to fly by, as we have some fun plans ahead of us. Tomorrow we will visit the Ngorogoro Crater, which has the world’s largest concentration of wildlife in the world. We leave the orphanage on Wednesday for Arusha, and Thursday we will visit the United Nations Rwandan War Tribunal to watch a court case with accused war criminals, as well as visit a baby orphanage just outside the city. Before departure on Friday, we will do our final shopping spree at the Maasai Market.

I hope so much that I can come back here some day for a longer period of time, as my company with the kids and volunteers has been nothing short of incredible!

Jen

Dance with the white girl!

2008-04-27T09:24:00.001-07:00

4-25 and 4-26

Yesterday wasn’t real eventful. At lunch I got sick and had to miss out on Cheke Cheya. There is a little girl there who has huge problems counting; her struggles keep me running back. Her name is Diana and her beautiful, glossy brown eyes tell the saddest story. She is the only child in the class with enough hair to braid. I think this is because her mother is avoiding all of the ringworm on her tiny scull.

On the other hand, today was much more eventful. I did this and that, then Tony and I set out on a journey to the duka: A small store in the Campi Nirobi village across the street. Our mission was foolproof, to pick up a Fanta soda for Mr. Beamer and a cola for myself. I think Tony is religiously against soda, because he NEVER wants one. Anyways, along the way we saw a group of babies singing the elephant song. I was instantly drawn to the crowd and began to sing along. They all stopped singing began to blush; all the surrounding villagers started saying “cheka kwa mnzugu”!! DANCE WITH THE WHITE GIRL!

Lupe

The end is near...

2008-04-27T09:23:00.001-07:00

4-26-08

Wednesday is coming so fast. The thought of leaving in three days is crazy. Knowing that I’m going to be done with staying after school and doing presentations is hard to believe, but exciting at the same time. I’m excited for the next year’s group to see what their project is going to be. This is a great thing that happened to me and I know my school will carry this new project on for years to come. So for you students that are interested in this project, know that it’s not over and that we will keep this going on at Phoenix. I will see all my classmates soon and thank you for this experience. And to all the students that stayed after school and helped, know we won’t be coming back empty handed. Thank you for all your hard work.

R.I.P

Tony nickels

Nye

I'll never forget this...

2008-04-26T00:26:00.000-07:00

4-25-08

Today the day went by fast. I knew that I would be leaving this place soon and won’t return for a long time. The thought of growing a relationship with these kids, then leaving is cruel. I don’t think it is fair to them, but then again, they’re probably used to it. The school is coming along great, the kids grow up so fast. I wish I had more time for Winmary. I don’t want her thinking badly of me. There’s nothing I can do. The thought of me working on ADVI for over a year, and than it being over is crazy. That’s the way of life though, “short”, then it’s over, but I want to say thank you’s to all of the people that made this trip possible. I'll never forget it.

Nye

Message from a guest

2008-04-26T00:21:00.000-07:00

(Guest Blogger: The half-a-dozen or so amazing souls who volunteer here at the orphanage comprise a nice mix of different backgrounds and attitudes. It is needless to say of course we have made some great new friends. One of which was even granted the privilege of and pleasantly willing enough to contribute to our hallowed blog. Enjoy!)

………..

Hello, my name is Becca Pope, I am 20 years old, and from Seattle, Washington. Reporting on the ADVI crew. They are a little crazy. Sometimes the truth hurts.

Today I was walking on a treacherously muddy road with Lupe and we came across a small green person. This small green person was actually a praying mantis, and he was praying his way across our path. He walked with his arms stretched out, feelers extending from his body, feeling his way into the African air. We were stunned by this creature, and leaned down to examine him. He stopped dead in his tracks to cock his head at Lupe, and then at me. I wonder if he has ever seen two white people before?

The corn is growing, the coffee beans are sprouting, and here we are in the beautiful garden that is the Rift Valley. As we pass by entire villages consisting of mud huts, children know our names and run up to give us hugs. We live in a pocket of land, where the little African children run free with a life that was completely turned around because of one woman named India. The mamas smile as we tell them “Shikamo” and they reply “Maharaba!”

I have gotten a few interesting questions from a certain kid named Josephat about my skin color. The other day when we were walking from school together, he called me a “Mzungu” which means white person in Swahili. I told him, yes, I am a Mzungu, thanks for noticing, and he asked me why? “Why are you white?” As he strained to look up at my face, his bald head shining in the sun. I stopped and thought about this question. “Well Josephat,” I replied, “The reason I am white is because I am from a different part of the world than you. Do you understand that, different people from different parts of the world have different skin colors?” He replied with a yes but I’m not sure if he quite understood. Today, Josephat called me over and asked me, “Do you poop white?” which I replied, “Why, because my skin is white? No Josephat. No. You don’t poop according to your skin color.”

These kids are nuts. Hopefully I will survive.

-Becca

dont cry!

2008-04-25T04:56:00.000-07:00

I’m learning SO much more about the people around me. It’s making me really comfortable!

Today I went to cheke cheya and got intensely involved in rolling wood cars around on the floor. Five children had three cars each coming at me at once, and it was my job to instantly role them back. I got my fingers pinched every four cars. One of the kid’s knit sweaters was coming unraveled, and the wheels of the cars got tangled in the dangling yarn. The more he tried to fix it, the worse it got. Poor fella.

There are many young Tanzanian boys who say they are going to cry when I leave. Hope not, I don’t want to ruin anyone’s day!

Lupe

Chalkboard Races

2008-04-25T01:03:00.000-07:00

It feels good teaching again in a classroom. Few souls know this but I do have close to two years of classroom experience. True, most of that was as an assistant in Japan but when I had the floor over there, I made one captivated audience indulging in every moment of my show. Well my roadshow is now making a stop here in Tanzania and I am loving it. It has a strange resemblance to Japan in the fact the teacher gives me usually a couple minute heads up on the topic and then I am on.

I am proud to admit my old antics are causing a structured havoc in Standard 2 with my chalkboard races. Now my tactics may cause wild children to make all kinds of disturbances like howler monkeys and even one girl was elbowed in the face yesterday but I did accomplish the goal of having 55 kids all engaged in English for one hour. Basically I introduced a topic, which was fruits and vegetables, and then drew pictures on the blackboard of everything from onions to paw paws. We next reviewed the vocabulary for a few minutes. This basically entailed myself yelling the names and then the students attempting to collectively reiterate the words in a cacophony louder than which I spoke. An interesting behavior I witnessed while observing other subjects was where the teacher would bring up three students and they would model questions concerning the topic and then ask the class to copy what they modeled. I thought to give it a shot and the surprising thing was I had to fight the kids off after four or five teams modeled. They seem to love having control of the show which of course bored me and I really wanted to play the game. Finally, someone conveyed the Swahili word for 'game' to the kids and once again I was in control!

Now chalkboard races are something which I created in Japan as a way to amuse myself and get classes of kids loving English. I was not surprised when at my first teaching conference in Japan; I found several other teachers use the tactic daily. Basically you divide a class in half and then call up one person from each side. They stand behind a line a good distance from the black board and then they mush dash to board as fast they can after I call out an object on the board. The winner is the first to touch the object and say what kind of object it is. Yesterday it was “fruit” or “vegetable.” This game went on for over forty minutes and as I hinted before there were several fights. The principal of the school even came over to check out the hub-bub from all the noise. It seems he and the teachers love it and want me to do it again. I am stoked. Hopefully though the causality rate will decrease today!!

Hair

2008-04-25T01:02:00.000-07:00

In Africa, all the boys and girls shave their heads from a very young age. One major reason they shave their heads is because of ringworm, which was revealed on the heads of several of my kids today when they got their monthly haircuts. This baldness makes it very hard to distinguish between sexes, especially because they do not use gender specific colors (blues and pinks) to distinguish boys from girls. The kids are very confused by Nye and Thomas, who are both males with long hair; and Lupe who is a girl with short hair! They also don’t have a Swahili translation for “he/she”, which really confuses them (and us) when referring to people!

Nonetheless, when the kids have an opportunity to play with hair they get very excited. This afternoon, I somehow managed to have three four-year olds remove the hair ties from my pig tales, creatively use an etch-a-sketch as a hairbrush on my head, and proceed to get the dials on the etch-a-sketch tangled around my hair! In the end, the Maasai mamas ripped a nice chunk of hair out of my head, exposing a nice little bald spot that Thomas pointed out on our hike this afternoon. I suppose my bald spot could be considered a cheap souvenir from my journeys in Africa…

Jen

Coming Home

2008-04-25T00:59:00.001-07:00

Coming home in seven days, that’s so bazaar. But I’m excited at the same time.

I miss my family and want to see Mike. The end of the year is so close but yet far away. I’m nervous about coming back to school. I don’t know what my grades are looking like and I’m not sure if I want to. But what I am sure about is I will never forget this opportunity the Phoenix School has given me. I want this program to go on. I want the Phoenix School to be known for something else than the troubled school for troubled kids, because my school is much more than that. My school sent to students to the other side of the world. And hopefully does it again.

Thank you for your time.

R.I.P

Tony Nickels

Nye

Yep, definitely in Africa

2008-04-24T04:13:00.000-07:00

4-23-08

Our chef contracted Malaria today. We have had no running water in the orphanage for three days now, despite the fact we are in the peak of the rainy season. The printer is broken, so I had to just handwrite a four page English exam on old "chalkboards", or, simply put, classroom walls painted black. My eraser was a shoulder pad from a woman’s dress. Elephants continue to eat our corn, and I have weird scabs on the back of my scalp. We are definitely in Africa.

Jen

Wild dreams

2008-04-24T04:11:00.000-07:00

4-23-08

Tonight’s sky is the darkest night since we’ve been here. I don’t know why it’s so dark, but the moon is nowhere to be found. And in one just spot in the sky, there is a huge cluster of the most beautiful stars I have EVER seen. The bats are really overwhelming here!

It’s the morning after and it’s looking pretty gloomy out side! But who knows, it MIGHT clear up.

I’m having the craziest dreams. Last night I dreamt that after I graduated high school I came back to the orphanage for two years. I went home for a week and everything I saw made me cry! I was still dating Richard and we went to his friend’s house by one of the movie theaters. He and all of his friends worshiped a girl band. I think it was the singer from Flyleaf. They were all giving me a really hard time because I didn’t bow down to her. So I tried to hop out the bathroom window but I was too big! I could not stop crying and I kept seeing my reflection in mirror. I was caked with makeup, and I had platinum blond hair. I tried to wipe the makeup off, but it was like paint. I finally got out and was waiting for my mom to pick me up. When she showed up she took all my clothes and made me run home naked!

The end

Lupe

School

2008-04-24T04:09:00.000-07:00

4-23-08

School

I don’t understand the concept of yelling at someone if they don’t under stand the answer. Maybe it’s an Africa thing, so at school the teachers yell at the students before they have a chance to answer the question. So I call the teachers of Cheky Chaya ‘Shane’s people’, just joking big guy, miss you. We haven’t got a comment but I know you miss me. Back to the subject of the teachers of Cheky Chaya. I feel the problem is they don’t want to be a teacher, and they look at it as just a job. In the U.S. the only reason people teach is for the satisfaction of watching their children grow up and make something out of them self’s, but that’s just my opinion. It can’t be the money, that’s for sure. Well I’m going to read another book and see what the day has for me. Good morning to all of you.

R.I.P

Tony nickels

Nye

A Nice Day

2008-04-22T22:54:00.001-07:00

Today was a nice day, for the most part. I went to teach at the kindergarten class and it went well. I like having the power, yah right, the power with five year olds. So at school today we did a variety of things and it went by fast. To start the day off, we do math then English. After all that it’s time for art, my favorite subject because you give the kids a crayon and they go to town. The day was dull after that, but Winmary and I had a conversation…um, well lack of. I said hi and she smiled without looking at me, well that was our conversation.

Ps. Jen Jackson is the champ

Nye

Chess Champion

2008-04-22T22:50:00.000-07:00

The only thing I have to write about today is the fact that I just won THREE chess games in a row, and am celebrating my victories against the ex-chess club member, Nye Beamer.

Jen

What’s your name?

2008-04-22T22:49:00.000-07:00

Swedi, Neema, Asau, Rehema,Yusufu; are names of persons I have never met before in my life for obvious reasons such as my white suburban upbringing and lack of travel before to say Africa or maybe Harlem. But while grading exams lately, I have begun to notice some names whose originality certainly makes them just as beautiful. I have met quite a few girls named Happy and some who are even named Happiness. One student is named Godbless in my class and I have heard there is a kindergartner named Godwilling. People I suppose just are resourcefully attaching a prayer or a smile to accompany their offspring along the way.

Another interesting point with names here is that everyone’s last name is the first name of their father. I definitely thought the name Happy John was interesting for a girl the first time I heard it. Before I learned that I was even curious at times if people simply had no last names at all. But I will say I am getting use to the names around here. Who knows? How does the name Happiness McGregor sound to you?

Hopefully frightening my girlfriend,

Thomas

elephant walk

2008-04-22T22:46:00.000-07:00

There is a coffee table with magazines on it in the volunteer house. But why? None of the items advertised are available in Tanzania. And none of the workers at the orphanage will ever see half of the stuff. It’s just American culture at it’s finest! No offense!

Today was perfect, busy, and fun. I woke up at 6am, fed the children in the Manyara house breakfast, taught pre-school, fought off African vampires, then Jen and I walked a few kids to find elephants. Didn’t see any by the way. But I had a lot of fun marching through the mud with Yusufu.

As time goes on, I find myself having mixed emotions about this place. It’s definitely a high-class orphanage, if there ever was one. And I definitely wish to return. But I don’t feel that fit in with some of the other volunteers. I would rather not explain this at the moment. It’s nothing horrible, I promise. I know we’re all here for the same reason, but the stories I hear are amazing!

Mmmm… I love hot chocolate! Oh, and seriously craving cheesecake and a tuna sandwich!

This Sunday we are going to the Ngorogoro crater. It’s supposed to be WAY better than lake Manyara. I can’t wait!!

I miss you so much!

Lupe

A sick day

2008-04-22T01:00:00.001-07:00

4-21-08

Today was a sick day for me, I think it was just a day long stomach flu. It wasn’t nice. The whole day went slow, so I just slept and read. I’m reading a book called “A Long Way Gone” and its a good one. It’s about a boy that was abducted and forced to be a solider. He was forced to fight a war that started before his lifetime, which is sad. For the most part of the day I just felt bad and mom\Jen took good care of me just like a mom would. It’s actually funny the way she babies me if I’m not feeling good or if I’m on a long plane ride. She’s nice. Last night she even said she was going to have a talk with Mike the volunteer I wrestled with because of the scratches on my knees, she is so funny. Any way, tonight I’m going to get some sleep and try to feel better.

Nye

life of a maasai

2008-04-22T00:52:00.000-07:00

Today on my hike through the coffee plantations, my friend Jessie and I became engaged in a conversation about the Maasai people that live in the area. Aside from seeing tall dark Africans with tribal scars on their faces, large holes in their ears, colorful garb covering their bodies from head to toe, a flock of goat and cattle at their heels, and a large stick or machete in hand; I did not know anything about Maasai customs and culture. First, they do not believe in counting. They do not know how many heads of cattle or goat they have at any given time, and do not know the ages of their children. In fact, they consider individuals born within a seven-year time span to be the same age. They refuse to kill bees, and believe God put every head of cattle on the planet for their taking. This ultimately leads to a lot of fighting, as stealing cattle is a common crime.

Around the time of puberty, the Maasai elders make the boys paint their faces white, dress in all black, and live together wandering the land for several months as a rite of passage. Before they return home for the final circumcision ceremony, they must have killed a lion and be mentally prepared to become a man. The night of the circumcision, the elders get the boys very drunk, beat them, and then circumcise them. If they cry, they are killed. If not, they are considered a warrior and are never allowed to sleep or urinate again in their lives! Around the same age, mothers are mutilating the genitals of their daughters so they will never enjoy sex. This way, men never need to worry about their wives cheating on them!

They are a polygamous people, and a man can only get married once all his older siblings have married. When it becomes time to begin a family, the men build a hut of mud and sticks away from other villages and begin collecting their wives. Over time, as they get more wives and children, a village will begin to grow. If other men ever visit a Maasai man at his home, the gift of one of his wives for the evening will be presented. If a woman gets pregnant by another man during this time, the child will always remain with the husband of the woman who gives birth. If the baby is born with medical issues, it is killed. Women are not allowed to get an education, and Maasai men say that if you love your wife, you should beat her.

Many of our workers and students here are Maasai. They are the poster image of beautiful African people that cover the landscape with colorful clothing and traditional huts. People pay a lot of money to visit their villages and meet their families. George Bush has pictures in TIME magazine with the Maasai people during his visit to Africa.

But the question arises that, despite cultural norms and customs, is it ever acceptable in any traditional practices to mutilate, beat, and oppress women? Do people like myself have the right to feel angry? Do we have the right to intervene? To be disgusted?

Jen

i put a piece of clay in my eyebrow

2008-04-22T00:51:00.000-07:00

I must say that I am truly starting to get home sick. It comes and goes, but mostly hits me when I’m alone. The thought of life back in the states is a little overwhelming right now because I’m not ready to leave. I want to build a stronger bond with the children, but I don’t think it’s such a good idea. I’m having so much fun teaching preschool. The kids are so hyper and always want to play. In Tanzania, if a student in class does not know an answer, they are ridiculed and laughed at by the teachers and the other students. This happened today in Cheke Chea to a little girl who couldn’t sound out the Kiswahili syllables ba, be, bi, bo, bu.

The grasshoppers here are so huge. Some are like 4in.-5in. long, and have red horns on their backs. It’s so bizarre.

Last night I dreamed then Jen and I were apartment hunting in downtown Roseburg. If you live in the burg you know that most of the buildings have abandoned space on the second floor. Well there was a porno director in town remodeling the space into apartments. We went inside to see the rooms and he had creepy mannequins with super skanky lingerie on. As we were leaving, the director’s girlfriend and Jen got into a bit of spat over how trashy everything was. Just outside the front door were some shelves full of picture frames, so we decided to take the ones most appealing and run. Later we were swimming and some dude came up to us started asking us if we had ever studied the water current. We later learned through his teachings that there was a group of river monsters and that we had to save the world! We trapped the monsters between two dams and electrocuted them.

The end

Lupe

Ps- mom! I’m so happy you responded. I’m so sorry I was rude in my message. I was really upset that you hadn’t said hello. I wont be able to call before I leave but I’ll call you as soon as I get back to the states! I love you so much! I miss you.

Rough days

2008-04-21T00:22:00.000-07:00

Rough Days

I have yet to broadcast this but I have been under the weather at times during our trip. First time was early last week when I came down with a fever. It was my first in years and I believe it was due to heat stroke. The sun is pretty intense down here at the equator; even our little Native American friend Nye has had rosy cheeks by day’s end. I enjoyed the remedy. I got to stay in bed all day, read books, sleep, and drink Coca Cola. Don’t tell anyone at the school though; I don’t have many sick days left in my contract!

By day two I felt fine and went back into the swing of things. Then a few days later I began to get full rather quickly at meals and would be starving an hour or so after. This condition grew into nasty frothing burps along with a constant upset stomach and constant trips to the restroom. This one was diagnosed as giardia and I got to take some special anti-worming pills probably not too much unlike the ones your veterinarian would give your dog.

I feel better now. Today was fun riding in the Land Rover over to Oldeani village. Jen had a spaz-tastic reaction to the fun we were having sliding all over with the bald tires and the clay-riffic mud. I thought it was jolly-good ride though and am looking forward to our last safari into the crater next Sunday.

tomas

All fired up!

2008-04-21T00:20:00.001-07:00

4-19-08

I got all fired up this weekend, and have never felt so outraged about the education system! Yesterday I walked 40 kilometers round trip with 65 Standard Seven students (ages 13-15) to the village of Bahay so they could take the practice national exam in the subject areas of Kiswahili, math, and English. If they do not pass this exam, they are not eligible to continue their education in secondary school (high school), and will most likely get married and start a family at a young age. The problem is that the federal exam sets the kids up for failure! The tests were poorly written (I snagged some copies to bring back to the states as an example), too long to complete in the allotted time given to take the test, and many questions were nearly impossible to answer! Even the teachers did not know the answers to the questions! And even worse, the kids walked almost three hours with me to take the test, had no food or water, and then proceeded to sit in a cold dark room for several hours with no breaks between tests. As I was proctoring the exams, kids kept cheating because they did not know the answers but wanted so badly to pass in order to continue their education, and the teachers and principals did nothing about it! And, for the few that will pass the exams, secondary school is unrealistic for many because it costs money to go to school, buy books, and buy uniforms. This is all so unfortunate to me, because educating the people of Africa is at the core of solving so many issues this continent faces, but a good education is out of reach for so many people that desire to learn…

Jen Jackson

Weekend adventures

2008-04-21T00:19:00.000-07:00

4-19-08

HELLO

Thanks for the email Ricky and Seth and I love you grandma

Well today was a nice day. One of the children got a guitar for their birthday and came to me to ask for help to tune it. I did the best I can. After trying to tune the guitar, he asked me if I knew how to play. I was thinking, no, not to well, but instead I told him my dad was Elvis Presley and he believed me. I told him the truth a little bit later. I showed him “Smoke on the Water” and he caught on quick. I’m going to teach him everything I know. That’s not a lot though.

R.I.P

TONY NICLES

4-20-08

Today was a long day. The weather wasn’t that nice and we ended up going to a small town. It was nice, and they were selling used phone cards with half the minutes and it didn’t sound safe. On the ride up there, Jen decided to walk because she didn’t think it was safe. So I walked with her up this big hill. It was nice because the scenery is so different from what I’m used to. It’s a mind-blowing rain forest. At the village we walked around and shopped for presents for our friends and family. Good thing I had Toney with me because I paid half what they did. After that we all rode back to the orphanage there were at least ten of us in this truck. On the ride back we all made fun of Jen for walking, and she kind of got mad and beat me (just kidding). But soon after my beating a branch came in her window and slapped her in the face. Karma. Well the day was long and I’m pretty sleepy so good night or good morning to all of you.

R.I.P

-TONY NICLES-

Nye Beamer

Oldeani village

2008-04-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

Sundays are our day off, and we visited the local market at the Oldeani Village—a remote and non-tourist driven community a half hour drive from the orphanage. On the way there, the fearless leader (myself) proceeded to jump out of a vehicle because I was too frightened of the driving. After I jumped out, I realized what a great leader I was for leaving the rest of my crew in the car. In my defense, they did not seem the least bit frightened by the driving! The roads were muddy, I was sitting shotgun, we were sliding off the road, and I was having a small panic attack. All in all, I was the topic of conversation and target for a good laugh all day amongst our Tanzanian buddies. But no need to worry, the fearless leader got us all home alive!

PS- Happy birthday Jen Coggswell!

Jen

carefuly read who writes the blog,not who posted it

2008-04-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

Oh yes! Today I slept in till’ 10:30’ish. Woke up to total abandonment. I had no idea what was going on or where anyone was. I then crawled out of bed and found a few friends chillin’ in silence. We all finally decided to go to the Oldeani Village for a few hours. Our car arrived at 1pm to pick us up (the weather was really bad) and we had a 45min. drive. On the way I began to feel a little nervous because the roads were extremely slippery. Jen also felt this way and jumped out of the car. She jumped out at the exact same spot we were attacked by bees, but the bees had moved on. When we arrived in Oldeani, we went straight to what seemed to me someone’s home, but was actually a restaurant. A few moments after we sat down, a woman dressed in red brought us rice and some kind of meat stew. We ate everything but the meat.

After that we explored the town and got a small taste of the culture. Crowded 5 ft x 5 ft shops and sick dogs was mostly what I saw. But the people were absolutely beautiful and the landscape was outstanding. There was a small market with blankets on the ground covered with shoes and cloths.

I think I acquired a Tanzanian boyfriend today. Well, more like a stalker, his name is Paschal Paulo. He will attend a computer class at the orphanage on Monday.

There is also a young man at the orphanage that bought me a pair of tire shoes today, and in Tanzanian tradition this requires a gift in return. He will not be receiving the gift he is hoping for. But he sure is sweet.

As I sat waiting for my ride home, I saw a young child standing alone with urine trickling down his leg.

Love you babe.

Lupe

Honestly

2008-04-18T08:58:00.003-07:00

HONESTLY

As I sat repeatedly counting 1-7 with bottle caps, I noticed how much I truly wish to help these children learn. It’s not the children from the orphanage that need help. It’s the children from the surrounding villages that NEED help. Don’t get me wrong, the children from the orphanage are very lucky to be where they are, and definitely need assistance with day-to-day routines. But I would personally get more satisfaction out of teaching a child how to count to ten that has no idea where to start, and if they are lucky, maybe get one meal a day. I absolutely LOVE this facility, and would be more than willing to return in the near future.

Well, I have to do dinner so I’ll talk to you later!

Lupe

Winmary

2008-04-18T08:58:00.001-07:00

Today was a bad day when it comes to the weather. I took interest in a five year old girl named Winmary. She is very shy. She will not look me in the eye, for some reason it’s frustrating to me. I don’t under stand. Sometimes she even looks frightened if I catch her looking at me. I’ve been trying to make friends with her, but she is reluctant when it comes down to it. I don’t understand. I am afraid she gets beat by her father or uncle, or who ever she lives with. It is a hard thing to understand I haven’t seen any marks, but I am convinced that is what is happening. Today she talked to me for the first time. I asked her how she was doing and she answered “enzuri”, and this means good in Swahili. It was a good step. I’m going to give Winmary lots of attention so maybe she can see me as a male role model and even find me to be a friend.

Nye

Classroom ridicule

2008-04-18T08:56:00.000-07:00

4-18-08

Today was an incredible day at the Checkie Chea kindergarten class, and we spent a lot of time with the kids during recess playing on monkey bars, chasing iguanas, and playing hopscotch. One unfortunate custom in the Tanzanian ways is to ridicule those who answer something wrong, or who are in the bottom half of the class. Today, for example, as we were practicing counting, a little girl Noela from the village who is clearly malnourished kept falling asleep at the table. I would joke with her and say “Lalasalama Noela”, or “goodnight Noela”, but my concerns got greater as class continued and she said her stomach hurt. When class was complete, we noticed one of the kids had vomited outside the classroom door, and when the teachers found out it was Noela, they threw dirt over the vomit and proceeded to embarrass her in front of the others. I told them I was bringing her to the nurse at the clinic. Noela put her head down, began to cry, and said something very quietly in Kiswahili. I asked one of the kids to translate for me, and she was saying that she didn’t want medicine because her mom would hit her if she brought it home. There was little sympathy for her, and I walked her away, holding her frail little hand, and left her with the nurse. I am not sure I will ever know the fate of Noela…

Jen

Standard 2

2008-04-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

Standard 2 class is my new home in the afternoon. After lunch Tuesday, I ventured over and waited in the dark classroom with its strange wooden desks, which remind me of church pews. Outside the window in the courtyard under the mango trees, I could see Vitalis the teacher gathering his students. He had them create one long line and then begin to march in place. The children spied me watching them and in between the Swahili chants they would smile and giggle at me. The little eight to nine year olds paraded the grounds for a few minutes until Vitalis was satisfied with their effort. There were over fifty children in the line and I was in disbelief that all of them would be learning together in this room a third the size of an American classroom.

A moment later they engulfed the room; three to four of them per pew. The noisy room was brought to order when Vitalis began clapping. All the students immediately sang and clapped along until all eyes were up front. The lesson then began. Before class when I had meet with Vitalis he had explained to me how the class was really three groups of students; “clever, ordinary, and weak-minded students.” After a few minutes of watching Vitalis teach I could easily see the majority of students falling into the “weak-minded” category from his lack of attempting to engage more than the one or two students who persistently answered his questions. The rest of the class would either try to follow along with an awe-gapping stare or it seemed they had more pressing issues such as the sharpness of their pencils.

School here in Tanzania is actually akin to those in Europe in how they publicly rank the students. Tests are always returned to students in front of the class in order from best score to worse. And if this is not embarrassing enough, I have heard at graduation they bring forward the worse two students in front of everyone for a point and laugh session. In America this would seem as an attack on our privacy or something but here it is a motivation tool. Another Tanzanian classroom tool I have heard is a whack on the wrist or corporal punishment, which was still intact here at the school until Mama India, the lady in charge of our village, forbid the practice or would cease her financial support of the school. On Saturday, Jen and I are going to follow Standard 7 for a three-hour walk to the neighboring school for a joint standardized test followed by a soccer match between the schools. I am very interested in seeing what another Tanzanian school is like and of course will be rooting for many of the children here from the orphanage.

More to come more often…

Thomas

Survivers

2008-04-17T22:19:00.002-07:00

Sunday’s there is a market in the Oldeani village. Not a tourist driven event. Truly a wholesome, authentic, African affair. No overpriced jewelry, no spendy wooden carvings. Just things people need to survive. Sounds to me like the perfect opportunity to experience the native culture.

It’s not complicated at all to get to this village, just take a left and follow the road for two hours. (on foot)

The weather today was so wonderful. Perfect conditions for a brisk hike. So Jen, Jessie, and I decided to take the route to the village. Talk about teaching and thesis projects was the most of our conversation. We walked for about 30 min. when we came to the top of the hill. An overwhelming buzzing sound came from a huge acacia tree just ahead. My first instinct was to turn around and run. You see, I have never been stung. Jessie was about 20 ft. ahead of me. Jen about 10 ft behind her.

I said, “Screw this!” and began to run back down the hill. Before Jessie or Jen could get one peep out, we were instantly covered in bees.

Jessie took 9 to the dome. Jen 2 to the dome, and one in the arm. I escaped with none. Lucky for us, a car full of people that work at the orphanage was on its way up the frequently traveled road. Jessie was hyperventilating and had bees stuck in her hair. She was screaming for me to take out her hair tie so the bees could fall out. By that time Jen was trying to explain to the Swahili speaking driver what was happening. Everyone got out of the car and we all got in. We were drove back to the orphanage and dosed up with benadryl.

As far as Jen knew she was allergic to bee stings but miraculously had no major side effects.

Jessie is still in a daze from all the histamines running through her vanes. She’s also a little drowsy from the meds.

What an eventful day!

Lupe

African Killer Bees

2008-04-17T22:19:00.001-07:00

4-17-08

Last night I woke up to the screaming sounds of hyenas on the property of the orphanage, and the stray dogs in the area responded by barking, howling, and fighting with them. Our biggest threat here is not the people, but the dangerous wildlife that surrounds us. Two of the most dangerous animals here are the elephant and the water buffalo, and nearby all the creeks and in the valleys are mud huts for the people to hide in if these animals are nearby. We need to be cautious of this when walking around the local coffee plantations and cornfields, as they like to munch on these foods. Otherwise, it is very safe to walk around, and kids come running from all directions when they see you to greet you in Kiswahili. We always have at least five kids trailing behind us asking questions, and giggling at the color of our skin or the clothes that we wear.

(Six hours later)…Well, Jessie and I just survived an attack from a swarm of bees, possibly African Killer Bees, that Lupe details in her blog. I have had way too much benadryl to function!

Jen

a walk

2008-04-16T22:35:00.000-07:00

Hello world, how’s life? Well I don’t have a lot to blog about, so this is what I got.

Today after teaching, me and Tony, my friend that is 16, took me on a walk and showed
me some cool stuff. He showed me the crater with the world’s densest population of
animals. It was nice seeing all the plant life, and we even stumbled upon some baboons. It was nice. Not long after our walk, Tony and me started a volleyball game and the whole orphanage was out playing and watching. It was nice. After the game I went and helped with putting the kids to sleep. They all love attention, and it took me a long time to get them asleep. After that we all went to eat. I wish you well; good night or good morning to all of you…

Nye

R.I.P - Tony Nickels

-Love u man sleep good-

sick day

2008-04-16T22:32:00.000-07:00

Today started off great. I did breakfast, then taught preschool. After that I came back to the volunteer house and started to get really dizzy. Then I got nauseous but still ate a small lunch, I guess it is a big deal if you get dehydrated here. Everyone insisted that I take the afternoon off. So I did. Now I feel the exact same. But at least I tried.

There’s not much for me to talk about today, seeing how I was ill and all.

Thanks for helping me pick out my water bottle Richard! It confuses the kids so much.

Thomas and Jen just returned from a fantastic hike through the brush.

Love you.. miss you all so much!

Lupe

Our niche

2008-04-16T22:30:00.000-07:00

Today was an adventure as always. Lupe was feeling a little under the weather (not to worry, just a bit dehydrated here at 5,000 ft), so I had to teach kindergarten by myself. This was a bit daunting, mostly because the kids speak absolutely no English. The weather was beautiful, and we all seem to finally be getting the hang of things around here. Each one of us have found our niche, and feel confident carrying out tasks on our own. Actually, on an average day, I only see the ADVI crew in passing, at meals, and for the occasional hike, game of soccer, or chores with the kids. Not much more to say, today was business as usual!

Jen

Boaz-Vicente

2008-04-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

Boaz-Vicente

Things are very structured here at the orphanage. The kids wake up at six in the morning and eat their breakfast. They’re off to school and the day consists of a lot of structured play and doing the same things every day. Well I’m not here to talk about that today; I am here to talk about Boaz Tarmo Gwandu and Vicent Aloyce Joseph. Boaz is six years old, and he was born January 31,2002. He arrived at the orphanage June 16,2006. The history of Boaz is frightening; Boaz was born in Kambi ya Nyoka in January of 2002. His father is unknown and his mother died in childbirth in 2003, as did her unborn child. After the death of his mother, Boaz and his older brother Mole went to live with there Grandmother, who was unable to take care of them, so she brought them to her older sister in Gongalia Village. The situation was not much better there. They were living in a mud hut with no roof, and the elder did not have the strength to take care of them. After Endya heard of this situation, she brought them to the village. Now Boaz has a friend and a family that loves him, and when that family consists of 50 children, things get hectic. The story of Vicent is much the same. He was born January 11,2002. He arrived at the orphanage Jan 27, 2006. Vicent was born in Endabash Village in 2002. His father is unknown and his mother passed away from unknown causes in 2002, shortly after Vincent’s birth. Vicent has one sibling, an older sister Scolastica. Scolastica lives with the head teacher of Endabash primary school, and the orphanage is hoping to provided a scholarship for Scolastica so she too can attend secondary school. Vicent lived with his uncle but he was unable to take care of him because of his seven kids of his own, so the word got to the orphanage and they adopted him.

Nye

RATED "R"

2008-04-15T22:21:00.000-07:00

4-15-08

I am too tired to write much tonight, but one thing jumps out in my mind that I feel I need to share. BEWARE, THIS IS GRAPHIC!! I learned that one common practice here in Tanzania is female genital mutilation (FGM), and most of our girls here have had this happen to them by their mothers as an initiation to become a woman. As a result, they have serious medical problems including urinary tract infections and at times can die from septic shock. Even worse, in Sudan and Somalia the girls at a young age have their clitreous removed and their vaginal areas sewn shut, so that a man can be sure a girl is a virgin when they get married. Not only is this extremely painful, but also for obvious reasons it kills a lot of girls. The problem the orphanage is facing is that, after centuries of practicing these rituals, it is difficult for westerners to convince tribal members, in particular the mothers, of the negative repercussions these ceremonies can have. Stories like this continue to flood our thoughts as the days continue here at the orphanage…

Jen

Burn one down

2008-04-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

I wonder if it’s true, that you burn twice as many calories in Africa?

Well, I forget what day it is now but I’m still having fun!! Miss everyone! I’m kinda getting homesick as we speak. I got to go….

Uhh. Now then, where was I? Ah, yes, the room I’m in. I live in the ‘volunteer house’, two bedrooms, 1 bath, and 1 huge kitchen/pantry/dining/living room. A 14 seater dining table, two almost futon-like couches (they don’t unfold), a couple chairs, a few small tables and a book shelf. I write my blogs and e-mails on a black dell centrino notebook. I sleep on the top bunk, as does Thomas, who by the way is severely under the weather. But we don’t share a bed or anything like that! Haha

Oh.

Ohhhh that was the warmest shower I think I’ll get while here in Africa. So nice, maybe……58 degrees.

My battery is running low, got to go!

Lupe

Just another day in paradise

2008-04-15T06:25:00.000-07:00

I had my first day of teaching at the Katiki School in the nearby village. There is a definite class division between the kids that come from the orphanage and those from the local villages. Those from the orphanage have a backpack, clean clothes, know a lot of words in English, and are well fed and healthy. Those from the villages have dirty clothes, don’t have clean water for baths, cannot speak any English, and many seem sick and malnourished. Lupe and I helped with math, Kiswahili, science, and games; and the two of us taught an English lesson to the class. We performed a skit to teach kids manners in English, such as:

“May I please borrow your pencil?”

“Yes, you may”

“Thank you”

“You are welcome”

Then the kids would come to the front of the room and practice the words. It was great! Lupe is a natural teacher. The other interesting thing I discovered in the classroom today is that kids memorize letters and numbers in order, but cannot identify them when they are out of place. They can look at the numbers 1-10 and say them in order, but if you point to the number 4, they have no idea what that number is. Lupe and I are working hard with the Kiswahili teachers to keep the kids engaged in the classroom!

(Five hours later)…

I just returned from a two-hour trek through the Kirin Coffee plantations with some other volunteers, and learned more about the devastation of poverty and corruption that has plagued Africa. A lack of education and health care has disabled this struggling continent, and although international efforts continue to expand, the problem is too large to grasp. We all must remember one thing when working with humanitarian efforts, and that is to appreciate the one step forward we may make for every ten steps we may take back. Without this mentality, the situation could seem all too devastating.

Jen

She’ll be the end of me. But I can’t wait!

2008-04-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

Today I saw a stark contract in the children from the orphanage, and the children from the surrounding villages. The children from the orphanage know English and Swahili, all their colors by age 3, and most of them write the alphabet and numbers 1-10 daily. The children from the surrounding villages, however, hardly know Swahili, and CONNOT figure out how to write 2+2. Write, not solve.

As strange as it sounds, viewing this has deeply increased my own thirst for knowledge.

Besides my horrific battle against the snotty palms of Cheke Chea (Swahili for kindergarten) I had a fantastic day of explaining why my lip was different. Also, I witnessed the cutest display of discipline. At the end of the school day, all the Cheke Chea students form two lines and begin to march in place. The row on the right goes out one by one. The second line does the same, but more anxious feet carry the 4 year olds.

As I write this, Jen and Nye are playing chess on a hand carved board. Thomas, Ellie, Gretchen, and Jessie are all playing the most competitive game of scrabble the Kieran Coffee plantation has ever seen. We are listening to Mariah Carry and ‘the late’ Ole Dirty Bastard.

Till next time, Lupe.

day off

2008-04-13T22:45:00.000-07:00

Today I viewed the most beautiful landscape I have EVER seen! We went to the Lake Manyara National Park. This park covers 330 sq km, over half is covered by water, but there is still plenty of room for the overwhelming wildlife. Lions are rarely seen in these parts, but hippos, giraffes, elephants, and many species of monkeys are all over the place.

No words or pictures could do this fascinating world justice.

It was so mind blowing, being so close to all those crazy wild animals.

Tomorrow is my first REAL teaching day; it is also Ellie’s last day. She is another volunteer and has been here since January.

TANZANIA!!!! What? Yeah, that’s where I am! Haha

Well I must say I am getting a bit homesick. L

Today the dreary weather got to me and I began to think of all the fun times I’ve had with all of you! Then the sun came out and I began to think of all fun times I’m going to have without all of you! Hahaha just kidding!;) Thoughts of you keep me on my toes.

Yesterday Jen, Jessie, Ellie, and I worked out to a kickboxing video called “Billy’s Boot camp”. I’ve got to say I’m truly inspired to change my life!

“Just remember, where you are today, is where your mind put you. Where you are tomorrow, is where your mind put you”! Love Billy

Haha

Talk to you soon

Lupe

p.s.

ROSE!!!Thank you soo much for commenting my blog! I miss you so much. I hope you have fun camping with a boy! Allyce, Araya, Richard, I miss you all too!! Uhh, I got such a wimpy sunburn on my face… love you

Don’t think I forgot about you Kathy! Hope your having a good month!

Lake Manyara National Park

2008-04-13T22:26:00.000-07:00

4-13-08

Giraffe, elephants, baboons, hippos, zebra, flamingos, wart hogs—all the classic African wildlife wandering aimlessly through the jungle right before our eyes. 7.5% of the park’s proceeds go to local Masaii villages to educate them about conservation efforts and the importance of biodiversity. This is particularly important because once the wildlife migrate beyond the national park’s boundaries, they are vulnerable to poaching—still a common practice in Tanzania. At night, armed guards follow the herds of wildlife to protect them from hunters, and park rangers keep a close watch on them during the day. All of these efforts are only recent, as ecotourism has been steadily increasing and international financial contributions have been on the rise. It was an incredible day, and I am EXHAUSTED after the combination of getting a nice sunburn and listening to Nye (aka Pow Wow) and Thomas (aka Wonderbread) yappin’ all day in the safari jeep. It was a great time!

Jen

the day off

2008-04-13T22:24:00.000-07:00

4-13-08

Well today was a nice day, but I was not at the village. We went on a safari so there’s not a lot to talk about, but the actions of Jen you would not believe! Well I’m going to leave that to the imagination, but her nick names are elephant lover / granny.

I will be going to the school and will write more.

Thank you for your time.

Love you G-funk

Nye-

Doesn’t Safari Mean Short Trip

2008-04-13T22:22:00.000-07:00

4/13/08

Swahili lesson #26: in Swahili safari actually means ‘short trip.’ So in my eyes, our trip today was NOT a realization of the word in its native sense. It was a long, long day. Although what the word probably conjures in everyone’s mind back home; we fully rocked a safari. From the old beater Ranger Rover to the binoculars dangling from all our necks, today was the ADVI crew chasing down everything from baboons to zebras. As I sit here typing this blog tonight the thing that stands out in my mind besides the amazing wildlife was all the fun we had together. To give a little perspective, right now Jen and Nye are playing chess and calling each other “Okie White Cracker” and “Prince Pow Wow.” This trip has definitely brought us much closer to each other and I am not sure how I feel about having to still be around this funky bunch day-in, day-out for the next 18 days. Not that I am saying there is tension within the group. It’s just that we are getting way too accustomed to all of our eccentricities. It is oddly a comfortable, scary feeling.

Tomorrow starts off a week of routine here at the orphanage. I will be helping out with the Tanzanian student teachers tutor all the second graders every morning all week. Last Friday I simply sat, listened, and tapped shoulders to pay attention while they revisited grammar and multiplication tables. But afterwards I discussed with the teachers since it is only meant to be reinforcing what the children have already learned at school maybe we could incorporate some games to make it more interactive and fun. Hopefully I can reorder up my skills from my teaching days back in Japan.

Wish me luck….

tomas

Jambo!

2008-04-12T04:33:00.002-07:00

April 12, 2008

Day three at the orphanage

I feel at home now. I spent my morning sprinting back and forth across the muddy field chasing after a soccer ball, and later had flocks of girls braiding my hair and discussing their dream of having long hair some day (boys and girls have their heads shaved weekly at school). I am learning some Swahili, as well as the cultural customs that are appropriate here—especially how to communicate with the elders. Whenever one walks past the mama’s (local housemothers), you should greet them with “Pole” (Sorry) and they respond with “Asante” (thank you). The word “Pole” is always used whenever you pass anyone in the village that is not resting. They can be sitting and reading, cooking, cleaning, or playing soccer, and they will always pass you and say “Pole”.

The kids in my house got in a lot of trouble from the mama’s this morning, and we had to gather for a “family meeting”. Spoken in Swahili, they got a long lecture for bad behavior. Many of the kids were bringing their tennis balls to school and trading them for money, which in turn they were buying donuts at the nearby village, Campo Nairobi. I am unsure where any of the kids got money, because Campo Nairobi is very poor, with over 400 people living in about eight houses. They barely have clothes or food, and view the kids from the orphanage as very wealthy because they have raincoats and toys.

Of the hundreds of kids that fill up the one small schoolhouse, I met one albino girl with scars all over her face. The local witch doctor tried to burn the whitish hues out of her skin, leaving her covered in burn marks and scars. Others have large gashes on the tops of their heads: one from being dropped on her head when she was little, and some from the clamps that are used to pull babies out of the mother’s wombs when they are born. One of our kids is HIV positive, but all the others have tested negative. The kids are all incredible, despite the challenging endeavors they had to overcome in their lives. I love it here!

Jen Jackson

Words from the Chief

2008-04-12T04:33:00.001-07:00

You know you are happy when the most stressful part of your days is deciding whether to play soccer or to go down to the creek for a swim. But honestly things are rather rough here. I am truly having trouble adjusting to someone making my bed, preparing every meal, making sure our room is clean and preparing my calendar of social events for the day. The locals employed here at the village are terribly apt to lend a hand to our needs so we may spend as much time as possible with the children. I will try my best to survive and work hard to gain a smile from every child, every moment that I can. But everyone please hold me in your thoughts and wishes; it is going to be a struggle ;)

Yesterday was our first true day here in Africa enjoying the peace and tranquility of the orphanage. There was no transporting our hides all over the place, no dying from lack of movement in our economy class seats of some jumbo jet, no touts trying to sell us every piece of art possible, no worrying someone will kidnap our students out from under our noses, and certainly the air of mystery concerning the pinnacle destination of this trip has been solved.

The heavenly place I now reside is tucked up in the mountains above the plains of Tanzania. One mile high to be exact and the altitude has been apparent during the impromptu soccer matches. The surrounding area is rolling coffee plantations, groups of mud brick huts, and large trees whose image you know belongs on a postcard. To be honest, when walking the children to the school just down the way, my mind is sent back to my uncle’s farm back in Virginia. The smells coming up from the lush green vegetation that the goats here just love to munch actually has a similar odor and look. Even the lawns here on the orphanage’s campus look just the same as any football field back home. Although, yesterday Nye and I were reminded of the surreal setting by finding a monster grasshopper who had a bright red head and zebra stripes running all down its body.

Aside the small details and smells, Africa truly is different in many regards. The obvious place for us as a minority can be striking at times. This was especially evident when we took our first walk into the city center our first morning and drew a following of twenty or so entrepreneurs and rubber-neckers. When we entered the main market where everyone was trading everything from veggies to dried fish; Nye and Lupe felt like rock stars. They turned a lot of heads. Jen and I felt like the Secret Service always keeping an eye on every move of every person in the vicinity. Africa also of course has that look unlike anything you would find in the USA. The presence of signs defining the developing world saturated the cities and towns we passed on the way here. The half built concrete buildings, the clouds of pollution drowning sidewalk commuters, the barbed wired compounds of lavish suburban looking homes, the men pulling large crude carts of supplies in the road, the large Coca-cola signs littering businesses, and so on.

I am more than happy Phoenix School students are allowed the opportunity to be introduced to this culture, this way of life, this place so far from their home and more akin to what rest of the world knows as home. It is also amazing to watch Nye and Lupe blossom into their responsibilities and give more than a hundred percent here at the orphanage. I believe this trip is going to be a huge success!!

tomas

Day three at Rift Valley

2008-04-12T04:26:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody in the states, how is your day going? Well, mine is ok. I miss my family and yes my girlfriend. Love you Jamdog. Well yesterday I taught my first class in

Kindergarten. It was nice. The kids are good with math, for example, three plus four, but when I pulled out some objects to use for multiplication they didn’t know what I was doing. The children here are incredibly smart but don’t understand the concept of objects having a number. They can count them but they cant add them, so I started from ground zero and used their fingers and that seemed to help to an extent, if u no what I’m saying, u only have ten fingers! After school, as I was walking to the orphanage, I saw one white girl in a school uniform one hundred feet in front of me. As I walked up I noticed she was albino and had these horrible scars all over her face. I said” jambo”, which means hello, and she replied in Swahili also saying hello. She asked me my name and I answered, and also replied with the same question and she answered Jasmine and then ran off giggling. When I got back to the orphaning I asked what was the story of the little girl named Jasmine, and I was told she lived in the village close to us when she was twelve years old. Than I asked why there were scars all over her face. I was told when she was born into the massai village the parents didn’t know what was wrong, so they sent for a witch doctor and the doctor tried to burn the white out of her, and that is the story of Jasmine. I will see more of her as I continue my volunteering.

Ps. I have made to good friends Vincent and Bozo, they are both three years ole.

Pss. I love baby so much and I love u Scotty

Nye

today is Saturday here at the village

2008-04-11T23:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, so our job is many things; we teach, help cook, and be a huge part of the kid’s life.

Thomas and I are in the Manyara house. 11 children, Rehema, Jackie, Yusufu, Saidi, Swedi, James, Ismail, Edina, Benji, Asau, and Abdul. 2 house mothers, their names i am not sure, and us. I am a teacher in the preschool along with Jen in the morning and after that I help in the kindergarten. Honestly there is way too much to tell you about, cause I don’t even know what’s going on.

As I said today is Saturday, and that means family house meetings for all the different houses. In my house kids got in trouble for wasting food. In Jen and Nye’s house, kids got in trouble for stealing toys and selling them at school. They would then take the money and buy doughnuts at the village! Haha

Once a month each house has a birthday and each kid that has a birthday that month gets a gift. Today is that day and I need to go make signs…

oh and by the way, our feet are very dirty. But so are everyone else's.

I am the only one who is getting bit by the mozzi. They're tear'n it up, well eating me alive.

We sleep in bunk beds, I get the top.(jens gettin old) just kidding! haha ,no for real, but she's a little sour on the subject.

I miss you all so much! I want to give a shout out to Allyce, Araya, Toni, RICHARD, and to all my supporters. Thanks guys!

Talk to you soon!

lupe

where to begin..

2008-04-11T06:46:00.000-07:00

Everything has been so chill, but so unbelievably hectic at the same time. For starters, I had never set foot on a plane before, takeoff was a b**** out of Portland. After landing in Minneapolis, then waiting around for a few hours, takeoff was a piece of cake. We flew NWA out of the states and KLM Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro. European stewardest are so conceded.

We arrived in Africa at about 2 am’ish greeted by the most unexpected stench of the land. Our driver to the Outpost was so helpful. Our flight was delayed 6 hours out of Amsterdam and he was still waiting for us.

We crashed and woke up around 7am. After eating breakfast, we hit up the town of Arusha and met some of the locals….

Well we were actually fallowed by like 15 dudes trying to sell us their merchandise.

Everyone is so welcoming, even if you don’t buy something. And most are just happy to shake your hand.

Yesterday we all had the most surreal drive to the orphanage and saw some of the most beautiful countryside in the world. We took the night off and hit the sack pretty early. Today we have been slowly easing ourselves into the classes.

Oh, it is so nice to wake up in Africa!

lupe

the nice thing to do

2008-04-11T03:37:00.000-07:00

Hello world I miss u all!... Not! yeah things are going great but i am getting girlfriend-sick.(all you men u know what im saying) ok so getting here was amazing, for starter when I got off the plane at two in the morning it was at least 70 degrees it was sweaty. then from the air port it was straight to the hotel and let me tell u what after 21 hours of flying and 12 hours of sitting, it was nice. then the next day we went to the town of arusha and the people saw us and just went crazy trying to sell us stuff and ya it was nuts but now we are at the village and i have been recording a lot on the video camera and things are ok.. well have fun at school and see u soon

NYE

Love u mom

Africa!!

2008-04-11T03:35:00.000-07:00

Day 3

Rift Valley Children’s Village

Karatu, Tanzania

After five long and adventurous days, we have finally arrived at the orphanage on the Kiren Coffee Plantation in the Oldeani Village near Karatu. The experiences we have had so far have been amazing, shocking, and humbling--and by far the most incredible opportunity of our lives. So far we have explored the busy city of Arusha, shopped at local markets, traveled the Masai warrior country side, taught preschool and kindergarten to the kids at the orphanage, saw baboons crossing the road, gathered alongside those from local and poorest Campo Nairobi Village, and best of all—have done an incredible job of sticking together as the ADVI group to share these experiences. My cheeks have been hurting so much every night from smiling every minute of every day. It is very safe where we are, and I believe we will all walk away from this journey different people. We should, at least for the next three weeks, have regular contact with the rest of the world, and I know Nye and Lupe are exploding at the opportunity to share their experiences with all their loved ones. Until next time…

Jen Jackson

today we had a blast presenting

2008-02-28T17:59:00.000-08:00

Today at noon Nye and I presented at a Rotary meeting. We raised almost $400 just being there. I have completely mastered public speaking, Even though I forgot one of my note cards, I quickly realised that I don't even need it. I knew exactly what to say.
We stayed for lunch and many people were interested in our fundraiser at the Wildlife Safari.

Monday Nye, Jen and myself got shots! I'm just now staring to feel it. In about two weeks we all go to Eugen to get three more.

I'm so stoked about the upcoming event. We have been selling tickets and hanging up fliers all over town. In Jen's class we have been painting on canvases to sell at the auction. I was stunned to see how much talent some of my class have. They have put so much effort in their art. I'm so proud to be at Phoenix School.

hopefully everything goes smooth.

Lupe

2008-02-27T15:24:00.000-08:00

Were doing good on raising the money and in finely getting comfortable with talking to big crowds are presentations are going great im not even getting that nerves any more. wev done presentations all over now and they just keep getting easer wee done them
Wee done them at a retirement home and a democratically group thing are going great.

Nye Beamer.

We've been really busy

2008-02-27T14:55:00.000-08:00

presenting all over the community. We have just recently presented at a retirement home in Canyon Ville and at Career Alternatives meeting at the Democratic headquarters.
Sunday the 24th, I spread the word about our project at the Day of empowerment for peace. It was a blast! I had the opportunity to tell EVERYONE about some of the issues in Tanzania. Many people were interested in what we are doing and were stoked to hear about the Gala at the Wildlife Safari. Oh! We are having a huge fundraiser at the Wildlife Safari March 8th starting at 2:30 Nye and I will start presenting and then we will host a silent auction. Then at 7, roadies from Invisible Children will present.

hope to see you there!

Lupe

Life is Hectic

2008-02-04T17:25:00.000-08:00

Long time no blog! Ive been really busy, trying to balance school, my girlfriend, work, and Africa. Days just aren't long enough. we've came really far in our effort to reach Africa goals, But theres a lot more to go and not enough time. So Im pretty much famous, Iv'e been in the news, the paper, and all over the internet. Ok maybe not that famous but i do get the accasional aren't you the kid going to Africa? It's a great feeling knowing that everyone looks at this in the point of view that we want them to, also i have alot of support from my family and friends. Last Tuesday we had a meeting with the Roseburg Rodery Club. Hopefully they took us seriously and help us raise money. We had dinner and talked about our goals and they seemed really supportive but you never know, i guess we'll know soon. We have another fundraisor coming up at the Wildlife Safari and i have high hopes. Is that Bad?

Nye.

plans are going well...

2008-02-03T20:06:00.000-08:00

Last week we had a very important meeting with the Rotary club. Some of the gentalmen discused thier plan to put wells in Togo.(west Africa)
It was all very inspireing!:)

a little off topic but the Giants won! woooh.
haha

And still as planned, we will continue to fundraise until our departure. April 7th.

lupe

i was stuck in trafic for 2 1/2 hours...

2008-01-28T15:06:00.000-08:00

hello world! yesterday was my birthday! im now 17. Also yesterday i was on my way back from visiting my boyfriend when a semi truck tipped on its side, blocking trafic for 2 1/2 hours! haha

as we further in our attempts to raise money, i have congered up a few very creative projects.
tye-die t-shirts with the A.D.V.I. logo on the front. cute
neaklaces and breclets.(hemp)
and hopefuly i can start paintings and potts

some of these things might be sold at our silent auction when we present at the wildlife safari.

today is a snow day so all schools were canceled! its too bad... i love school! :)

lupe

during the break and back to school!.....

2008-01-08T19:29:00.000-08:00

This break was a great relief of tension and Christmas was SOOO much fun! I did miss working on our project but now we're back in action!
I have been personally working on fun and crafty fund raising ideas. Such as painting, Tye dieing, and making hemp necklaces. I am a very crafty person and I love art.
hope you all had a fantastic new years!

Lupe

this week is crazy!!

2007-12-19T15:40:00.000-08:00

things have been really frustrating. there is a lot of tension between Nye, Jenn, and myself.
I think maybe its just this time of year.....
everyone is getting antsy because of the holidays.
I think this break will really help everyone relax.
We had a few reporters from the News Review visit us at the boy's and girl's club. They took pic. of Nye and myself interacting with the kids.
as for fund raising, we have recently received a few private donations.
and as usual, Jenn and Thomas have been writing grants.
Oh! Thomas left us yesterday for his X-mas vacation to !!MEXICO!!.... hope your having fun!:)

hopefully things get a little easier after the break.

presentation at RHS!!!

2007-12-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

Today's presentation at Roseburg High went WAY better than i had expected! Sure, I was nervous I mean I had sweaty hands and I was weak at the knees, but in the end I was extremely satisfied with the outcome. We received much support from the class we presented to. I had a blast sharing information with the students of RHS. good night

Lupe's Feelings on Presenations thus far

2007-12-11T16:34:00.001-08:00

Nye and myself, have successfully presented to the staff and students of the Phoenix School. The first time we presented was to the staff and more than half showed up! The next 4 times were to the students. The more practice we got, the better we got. So as you can tell, the last presentation was the best!
Some of the students were disrespectful, but that’s part of learning how to deal with distractions. I respect teachers WAY more now that I know what its like to teach and have disruptive students!
I am SO excited about presenting at RHS tomorrow. Yeah, its gonna be nerve racking, but it’ll be nice to present to new faces.

Nye's feelings on presentations thus far

2007-12-11T16:10:00.000-08:00

The presentations at Phoenix School went great. The class was respectful and paid attention. It was hard at first but I was nervous and in the end me and loops pulled it together and did a good job. Now I’m just waiting for the presentation tomorrow at R.H.S. Will I choke? Will everybody laugh at me? We’ll have to find out, the moment of truth.

Ps. A reporter came by today