Back in Moshi Again

View of Kilimanjaro from the Marathon Stadium

  Ten Days in Moshi

I had every intention of posting a short blog every few days of being in Moshi, but alas, it just didn’t work out.  I seemed to have time, but I wound up not having time.  A big part of the problem had to do with being attacked by a stomach virus, which slowed me down considerably (in every way but the loo).  But, there was no dirth of excitement in Moshi, most of it having to do with the Kilimanjaro Marathon.

I think the biggest shock of arriving and seeing the mountain for the first time was how quickly the glaciers are receding.  I was stunned that so little is left.  What a magnificient mountain and what a tragedy to see the snow disappear.

Hazy evening on Kilimanjaro, but oh the lack of snow!

Shortly, after we arrived in Moshi, a tortoise appeared in a neighbor’s yard, and came over to our house to visit.  This tortoise is big and who knows what kind it is, but it is big.  It is not as big as those that are on Zanzibar Island, but nevertheless is bigger than those we have roaming around in the US.  I was very worried that this poor tortoise’s life would be very short if it remained in Moshi, so I arranged to have him go to live in Machame with our friends out there.  As soon as he arrived in Machame, he took off down the steps and headed out to my friend Sylvie’s garden and there, hopefully, he resides incognito with water and lots of food all around him.

Tortoise planning his escape from A-5

We have experienced a huge swing in weather, high winds, one or two downpours, power outages, but in general it has been extremely hot.  Since we just came from a cold North Carolina, the change is dramatic for us.  Honestly, even beastly hot, I prefer this heat to the cold of NC.  And, of course I really love the fact that the sun comes up and goes down at the same time each day!  On Friday, a huge wind came up, and I heard a crack….so here is the old Flame Tree branch right next to our little car.

Our little Rav4 and the big Flame Tree Branch

Life goes on and getting ready for the marathon took a great deal of time. We registered an amazing number of people for the marathon.  Our collaboration Community Advisory Board (the Moshi CAB) had 48 sign ups for the race, and at the Wednesday meeting talked in depth about timing and meeting places.  Kudos to the CAB for giving up their bites at their monthly meeting in order to save as much as possible to pay for their own registrations.  We came close!  Thanks as always to my dear husband and Ema Msuya for helping with the registrations, and for the handing out of transportation money on Saturday.

3 of my favorite people Benward, our CAB Chair Edna, and of course Ema

Prisca looking like a model at the YMCA

We survived the marathon and we survived the after party, and managed to get a few hours sleep despite a 20 hour power outage that wound our batteries down and kept us tossing and turning in the heat.

View of 5K participants

5K Start

The International School's elephants to demonstrate anti-poaching

School students spent countless hours designing these huge floats

At the finish...5K's shouldn't be this easy (and they usually aren't)

Happy to be at the end

Happy ladies of the Community Advisory Board

Fabulous CAB...about 1/2 of this great group

Mowo our Vice Chair looking stern

KCMC Executive Director Dr. Massenge--nothing about him is elitist!

John eyeing the finish

Finally, John across the line

Bob K, Jan O, John and I....survived the Marathon

Happy Couple

Bob, Greg, John and Simon enjoy the after party

Kids gobble at the after party

Beatrice and Matt....hmmmm a beer drinker

The week begins again and we are looking forward to more business, more heat, and hopefully more power.

Sick Horse, "Nukies" in the Transformer, Kilimanjaro Marathon and more!

Community Advisory Board members give T-shirts and fares before Marathon

Last week was full of different experiences as much as can be imaginable. We experienced everything from a severely sick horse, "nukies" (bees) in the electric transformers, a horrific storm, to the Kilimanjaro Marathon.  Each one of the experiences had an impact on the week, so thank goodness the marathon came off without a hitch, and all of our crew finished the half marathon and 5 K without injury or need for medics.

Our good friend's favorite horse sustained some injuries at the Nairobi Horse Show, and her saga is not over yet.  We are all continuing to send positive vibes for Penelope, long considered one of the best horses in Tanzania.  Our friend Terrie is staying up all night and trying desperately to keep the horse in good spirits, eating and upright.  I do not know much about horses but as I understand it, it is crucial to keep the horse standing up.

Terrie and me

On top of poor Penelope's problems, we had one of the worst storms I can remember in Moshi.  The storm came just at time of the CAB meeting so our poor community advisory board arrived terrified from their rides on the dala dalas, soaking wet, and shaken.  I arrived at the hospital and limbs were flying, building materials were coming out of the new construction in the Emergency Department, and ultimately trees came down, power was lost both on campus and in the compound and around the neighborhoods.  Our CAB members were amazingly resilient-- they quickly settled into the role of discussing new protocols, the issues again of research, and their experiences in outreach.  I am continuously impressed with their thoughtfulness and willingness to give input to our project.

The "nukies" (bees) in the transformers caused much worse problems.  Even though the electric company, "TANESCO" came to resolve the loss of power, they did not anticipate bees flying out of the transformers and when a few people were stung, they ran away and literally did not try to fix anything for 3 more days, thus some people were out of power for six days.  We were out for only 3.5 but all of our freezer defrosted and we had to cook food quickly on our propane top.  Apparently, all the older folks around here know that the "nukies" go into transformers and had warned the TANESCO people, but they didn't listen, and were terrified and had no idea what to do about these "nukies".  In retrospect it was pretty funny but at the time...NO!

"Nukies" bee swarm (though not in the transformer)

The weekend came, and marathon madness was in the air.  I had 37 Community Advisory Board members signed up to run 5K, and they all came to collect their t-shirts and fare, and they all arrived promptly at 6:45 am for the race.  It was hot and dusty, but everyone was in good spirits.  John and the folks in our house ran the 21K, and many other friends as well.  Such a wonderful event for the Moshi community.  Everyone comes out and joins in in one way or the other.  Stands are filled with people, cheerleaders are on the side of the road, and the runners for sure push themselves up and down the mountain.  We were all thrilled that the Tanzanian men took first, second, third, fourth in the half marathon, but most thrilled that a Tanzanian woman won first place in the Full Marathon.  Hongera Tanzania!

Fabiola Williams wins the Full Marathon

 Fabiola is a police officer from Singida, TZ, and she is the first Tanzanian female to win the full Kilimanjaro marathon.  She was fantastic.

I ran a good time, but the 5K was quite easy this year

Even our beloved Provost Kessy came to cheer the KCMCollege students on.

nice group shot, Jan, John, Charles, Imani, Dorothy

Always interesting people at the marathon

Our Youth CAB member runs the half!!!

The Apparition makes his presence known!

So, we are trying not to have the last week here be an anti-climax after the marathon, and who knows what the week will bring.  New adventures I'm sure.

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!

Motorcross Speedway and the Bartletts...what is that?

Kilimanjaro is snow covered!

Week 5 Moshi

After the eventful week 4, I was reasonably sure that there could be nothing to top our weekend at Lake Chala and the Hash (run/walk) and flat tires.  And, I think it really has to be said that the events of last week are pretty un-toppable.  But, the week did continue, and as usual, was most interesting and different.

toilet water leaking out-and ou-and out

We woke up after the horrible tire incident with water covering the floor of the house, with the small bathroom leak.  I mopped it all up and yet it continued to leak.  As usual I thought the worst, but Pauli (thank goodness for Pauli) discovered that it was just water coming from the lever to flush.  The water level was set too high and suddenly started dripping water continuously.  Thanks yet again, Pauli.

Just a reminder, lots of snow!

The mountain has been spectacular this week when it has been out.  There is tons of new snow on it, though the glaciers continue to recede.  But, nearly every day brings new rain, new beauty.

Judy?  I don't know what this is...looks like a day lily leaf

Unusual Turk's cap lily

One of my favorite things is seeing new things in the yard, and here are two new flowers.  Because I love to see what is new, I had Pauli accompany me and explain everything.  The songbirds are going crazy, though I can not quite get them in my sights.  They are like hummingbirds only bigger but they stick their long beak into fragrant flowers and spend happy hours souring around looking for more.

Ema-youth CAB leader gives a report about marathon

Youth CAB members listen to reports

Ema answering questions

James our bright energetic AMO discusses his passion, stigma towards HIV-infected pregnant women

James adds a plea for a campaign to end stigma

Wednesday was the big CAB meeting and as usual was packed not just for  agenda, but also for the folks attending.  Our big CAB was huge, and everyone was talking and asking questions as usual. Ema showed a slide show from the Marathon and there were one or two very upset folks who did not get their picture in, yet actually participated.  Poor Ema, he had tried his level best to get everyone in.  But there you go.  We had  multiple presentations regarding other research going on at the site, and will have to invite them back as there was so much interest.  The main topic of stigma and discrimination still is dominant, and we will try to have a symposium soon to bring stakeholders to the table to discuss what we as a community might be able to do to change this terrible problem.

The weekend held new promise.  More rain.  Heaven’s radio is nearly finished. Now I love the concept of the Carter Family Heaven's Radio....  "The static in the air sometimes makes it hard to hear, but it is not so with heaven's radio.  So our Heaven's radio towers are jumping up all over the place.  They are hideous just let the record show, and often block our mountain view, which is of course, heaven.  But there we are.  They are there just like in the US and everywhere else.

Heaven's Radio--Where my precious savior always listens in!

And then we attended the Motorcross up at Sylvie and Fons’ farm.  It was crazy.  And the big race was on Sunday (when it poured rain and I’m sure all the paths were muddy and slippery.  Here are just some of the pictures that I was able to snap.

Fons' farm

Venue of race

Fons, note no helmet!

KCMC ambulance

First view of the duet

this duet is competing

down, now up

very steep

still at it

close to the end

ahead a bit

He's still coming

this was actually pretty scary

He is trying to catch up

still trying

     

next time around

he is a hot rod!

14 year old going down the wrong way!

She found it now

Here is the one we were waiting for....Nicoli and his dad...But Nicoli was in great shape and so happy!

So one has to think about a "godmother" and her godson.... riding a motor bike in crazy conditions.  But, he loved it and was maybe careful, but had a ball.  How much fun is that?

 So, another week passes.  We sang a variation of "Jerusalem" at church and it was so much fun.  Not the same words but same tune.  Everyone my age and down another 20 years was thinking “Chariots of Fire”.  And singing joyfully. My friend Clive and I just kept exchanging fun glances with each new old standard that we sung...and go Clive.  He has a great bass voice and often doesn't go for harmony, but he did today and it was great fun. 

So, now onto the 6^th week (sadly next to last).

Saddies, my beloved Blue Devils lost in the first round. It was certainly not what we wanted or expected, but this is college ball and anything can happen.   So, with all saddies comes some triumph.
The painful loss was tempered by Harvard winning against Cincinnati, even though they lost to Michigan State, perhaps the best team in college basketball today.  But, wow,  Johnny Dawkins’ Stanford team wins against Kansas.  How in the world did that happen.  So now on to the next week, and more interesting experiences here in my 3rd home.