ngirilover: Facing Leaving Moshi

The Ides of March
Two Friday the 13ths in a row. How interesting is that? Pretty interesting especially if you are in ....Tanzania.... where witchcraft is still very much a part of every day life. We are facing down our last week here in Moshi until July. The time spent has been full, busy and fine. Problems
are in all probability waiting around the corner as the world economy
continues to spiral and people are grasping at what can be done. But here, life goes on. NGO’s
don’t seem to have an idea that there may be big problems with ongoing
funding and for that we are very worried as the country’s GNP is based
largely on AID.
But many good things have been uncovered. The
AIDS rate has decreased to 5.2%. One of the most outstanding areas of
improvement is the Kilimanjaro which in the 2004-2006 prevalence data 4^th highest, and now is one of the lowest at 1.9%. People are worried that the new reporting system might not be quite right, but this is the data that we have. We continue to find that patients
are growing and that many needs are unmet, but surely prevention methods have
been at least moderately successful.
Sadly, the orphans are still here and most live very grim lives indeed. The
grandmothers grow older, the family structure in many areas is
completely demolished, and if indeed, there is no family, then in
African society life becomes a series of complicated difficult
situations to traverse especially for a young girl.

Thus funeral processions are part of every day life
here. Usually these are processions from
KCMC to the church, or possibly from the church to the family home where burial is the most common. Almost always the lead car videos the whole procession as the body makes its way to its final resting point.
Though very busy with our incredible social life here, we had some fun moments. We
actually went shopping yesterday, and I quickly decided that the face
of the man that I talk about in blogs related to Albinos. Here is Mr. Shah with John and in the background his wonderful assistant manager and
artist.

This photo is Unique Batik Mama Lida’s auntie Margaret who runs the shop. Doesn’t she look great. She also spoke hardly any English when I first met her, and now she is doing very very well.

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