Party

This morning I had the fun of helping to do a party at the Miyuji Cheschire home for mentally and physically handicapped children. Some of the children have parents, but even if they do they often can't cope. I've heard that some parents will lock their children in cupboards because they don't know what to do with them. Anyway four of us from MAF put on a very early Christmas party, including singing, craft, playing on the slide, bikes etc that we took, water balloons, samosas, sodas and finally a small goody bag for each child. The kids loved it and it was great to see how happy it made them. Their normal life is pretty boring, and it was wonderful to bring some colour and excitment to their lives. Here are a few pictures of the morning. The little boy I'm holding (and sitting on the chair) is 4 years old!! (older than Bethany).

Baking

Just to prove that Libby wasn't exaggerating my baking talents - here's the evidence!

And here's Joshua on his stabiliser-less bike: [sorry about the rubbish foramtting of this blog. For some reason it doesn't seem to like spaces!]

Geeks and a birthday

I recently read another MAF blog which bemoaned the fact that having grown up knowing 'geeky missionary types' they were determined to be hip, happening, with-it missionary types. Alas, according to their recent visitor they have already succumbed and are well and truly geeky. Reading this alarmed me somewhat, as they were quite cool to start with. If they're geeky, there's no hope for us. I had some batik skirts made for me this week, and am slightly worried they are a bit 'missionary'. I wore my jean shorts all last weekend just to make myself feel more normal. I probably need some serious fashion advice when I come back. Actually I probably needed it before I came here - no comments please.

Anyway I was pleased to have two outfits made for only £6. The lady just glanced at me and came back a week later with two outfits.

It was my birthday this week, so I am posting a picture of the flowers Joshua picked for me in the garden. The children bought me a necklace as a present. Joshua was so excited, he said, "I'll give you a clue mummy, it's round and it goes round your neck, think really hard". Bethany woke up on the morning of my birthday and demanded to see my cake. She was quite shocked that I didn't have one, so Daniel spent the morning making a delicious chocolate cake. It's definately an advantage having slightly older children because they demand certain standards for birthdays and are outraged if they're not adhered to.

Joshua is very proud because he can now ride his bike without stabilisers. We rode together to the swimming pool this afternoon on the main road.

Here are some photos of some of Sarah’s 'children'. Frieda, Jacqueline, Nelson, Philip and Baraka.

Barbecue

Last Sunday afternoon we went out for a MAF barbecue. It's quite a strange experience roaring into the bush in a convoy of MAF 4x4s and unpacking plastic chairs, tables, barbecues, kites, footballs etc.. Most of the local people who came to watch probably don't have any chairs or tables, never mind ones they just use for picnics. The local kids just hover around the barbecues waiting to be fed. It's really an uncomfortable feeling tucking into a hamburger whilst being watched by hungry children. If you do start giving out food, they go a bit wild, and it almost gets out of control. It really is like feeding time at the zoo. In the end they all got something to eat, played football with us and joined the singing. . It was very emotional seeing the boys scrabbling around on the floor for bits of pasta that had been dropped. However, they were especially pleased to have an opportunity to try out the chairs and they loved singing the choruses. We sang a couple in Kiswahili for their benefit. Here are a few images of the afternoon.

Boo

Death & money

On Monday this week both my house ladies were away. Sarah was still mourning the loss of her sister who died on the previous Friday of AIDS. In the African way, as she calls it, you have to spend three nights sleeping at the house of the person who died. The funeral normally takes place the same day or the day after the person has died. They don't seem to cremate here, so I guess it's quick because of the heat and decomposition.
My other house lady Elizabeti (or beti as Caleb calls her - pictured here with her four children and a few hanger-oners!!) had gone to Dar es Salaam. She wanted to buy Batik to sell in Dodoma. However as the bus fare to Dar, there and back is 20.ooo shillings and she was planning to buy 10 Batiks with a profit of 2000 shillings per Batik, I wasn't sure it was worth it. In the end I gave her the money for the bus fare and bought two batiks!!

I seem to have a bit of a problem with buying things. I'm not sure if it's guilt or compassion. People often come to our gate selling fruit and vegetables and handicrafts which I feel compelled to buy. True we do eat most of it, but do I really need 6 coconuts?? (That's how many I've bought in the last few days) Selling tomatoes and carrots is really only one step up from begging, so I figure at least these people are trying to sell me something and not just begging, you have to respect them for trying. I also bought a wood carving after the guy gave me some story about needing money to feed his children. (This may or may not be true.) My favourite bit about going to the market is being able to pay the street boys who carry your baskets for you. I paid the guy today 1,000 shills (50p) which by Tanzanian standards was way too much, but it was worth it when I saw the little dance of joy (literally) he did when he saw how much I'd paid him.

To get back to Monday. My gardener came to see me to tell me he wouldn't be into work because his sister had just died giving birth. He wanted me to go to the hospital, I think he wanted me to take the body to the village, but in the end we agreed if I paid for the diesel he would use his uncle's car. I just can't get used to all this death and the amount of grief that the average Tanzanian must carry around. That's about the 3rd or 4th relative of my gardener to die since we've been here!

A good bit of news, the other runaway nephew of Sarah, Philip, has returned. Thank you those of you who prayed. As of next week he will also start school, so just pray he and his brother stay there.

Other family news, Caleb can now say power cut and he and Josh are both confidant enough to Kamikaze into the swimming pool together holding hands. We now have two weeks holiday from school, so we will probably spend it doing all the exciting, beautiful and culturally stimulating things there are to do in Dodoma (not!) This means we will probably spend it al the pool and maybe visit the ice cream parlour if the power is on!!