Looking back on Kilimanjaro, Looking to Friendships and new experiences

Kilimanjaro View Machame in 2007

Kilimanjaro View Machame in 2014

Kilimanjaro view Machame in 2012

Kilimanjaro is losing its ice cap fast.  Looks can deceive as when you look at the mountain in April or May and the top is covered with snow, (see above shot in 2012) but when you look at the top two pictures from the same location 7 years apart, same time of year, you can see what has happened over the course of time.  I can only imagine that our friends Nic and Sylvie Emmanuel, who have watched the loss of the ice cap for the past 60+ years are stunned by the change. Nic has kept pictures each year of the mountain from this view, and while the vegetation in their yard has grown, the mountain and the glaciers are definitely in trouble.  Obviously, there does not seem to be an answer, the snows of Kilimanjaro will be reduced to just what falls in April and May and possibly November.

Our last 10 days or so have been filled with busy-ness.  John has been preparing for symposia, our visitors have presented conferences, we have caught up with many of our friends and colleagues and are looking forward to the next week.

I have enjoyed short play times with Jonathon who has now decided that walking would be a preference to crawling, though he is proficient in crawling and can fly across the floor.  He tolerates

"Bibi" who has a camera in one hand most of the time.

Jonathan stands on his own

We received very cute pictures from our daughter that showed Corinne playing with a mobile that we brought from Madagascar last year just this time.  So here is Corinne at 5 months and Jonathan at 9 months.

Jonathan at 9 months (two teeth and one more coming)

Corinne and her mobile

I was so excited to read an article in the paper about the work that my Duke Engage Student completed last year with TAWREF (Tanzanian Women's Research Foundation).  She had worked with very poor orphaned families who were selected by the Vine Trust to have a 3 room home built for them.  With the support of the North Carolina Diocese of the Episcopal Church, she was able to survey these families about potential income generating activities, most critical needs, provide a one day training for them in business skills, and offer small loans for them to start a business.  As it turned out, Princess Anne came to visit Kilimanjaro, and spent quite a bit of time with TAWREF.  She is a big supporter of the Vine Trust, and was interested in seeing some of the houses.  Some of the families that were supported also by the Episcopal Church were among those that were chosen and one Grandmother specifically mentioned the North Carolina Episcopal Church in her gratitude.  So, in a small way this grant really went a long way!

I was so happy to see my Dada Agnes again.  She looks terrific and has started a Women's Collective Group. This group will be having small businesses and learning business skills as well as working together to give one another courage to face  the day with the poverty, challenges and roadblocks that they have faced over time.  I learned that she had taken on considerable of the responsibility of raising her sister's son--providing school fees, etc., at a time when money was very very tight for her.  But, she should be proud, not only that her business is making money, but that she was able to work through the papers required for getting reduced fees to secondary school for this young man, but to pay for his first year to a very good school.  Go Agnes

Agnes and me 2012

And finally, for those who know or knew Melkizedik, he is preparing to start his last year at the Institute of Social Work in Dar.  Some amazing donors have supported him through three years and continued to make it possible for him to finish.  Melki just wishes to say a big ASANTENI SANA!

Melki, Ema and Sister Bona!

It's Gin and Tonic time!