There is rush in Arusha

Saturday 1.03.2014

This week started with our first weekend not spent Karatu. On Saturday we went to visit Endallah and consequently Endallah Secondary School as well. Because it is a boarding school the school was flooded with pupils even though it was weekend. Two weeks before, we had already met Anna, an American who teaches at the school, in Karatu but she wasn't at the school this Saturday.

After visiting the school we went looking for a small camping site. When we finally found it, it turned out that during the night sometimes elephants from Lake Manyara National Park come up there. Unfortunately, we couldn't see them, only what they left behind: their poop. From the camping ground we had the most beautiful view on Lake Manyara. You can't find a view like this in Belgium.

Next, we went to John's house, where we were welcomed by his wife. We got offered a delicious meal and some hot coco afterwards. It keeps surprising me how warm and welcoming most people are here. After lunch we went back to Getamock because Paul and I needed our rest for the next day.

Sunday 2.03.2014

The day after, Paul and I had to make the trip from Getamock all the way to Arusha, which takes quite a while. We left in the early morning and arrived in the afternoon at the bus stand in Arusha. There we had to wait for Frank, a friend of Paul's, to pick us up. Thankfully, the first thing Frank did was take us to eat something. Upon entering the restaurant the difference between Karatu and a city like Arusha became obvious. If it wasn't already before at least. Arusha is a very busy and big city and I'm quite sure I would get lost turning just one corner on my own.

In the evening we had dinner with Frank and some of his friends at a café/restaurant just two doors down from our guesthouse. When we entered, the realisation downed on me that Arusha has a lot of hidden places. On the outside it can look small and uninviting, but when you get inside it is quite large and you can get away from Arusha's busyness.

Monday 3.03.2014

The next morning we could finally do what we came to do, or so we thought. The goal of this entire trip was to go to Western Union and pick up the money for the solar panels for the school. This is a project, sponsored by a Belgian organisation, for which I am now one of mediators between the organisation and the school. Unfortunately, Murphy's law applied and everything that could go wrong did go wrong, resulting in us not being able to get the money until Tuesday and subsequently losing an entire day.

To cheer me up and making me feel as if I didn't just waste an entire day Fadhili, a friend of Frank and Paul, took me on a small tour of the city. At one point he said: 'Iris and Katinka don't like this place. They got robbed here.' We were in the middle of a busy street. Him telling me that didn't make me feel very safe.

Tuesday 4.03.2014

On Tuesday we did what already was a third attempt at getting the money and this time we sealed the deal. Success! :D After bringing the money to the bank Paul and I could finally make our way back to Karatu. Upon arriving there Paul stayed to sign the final papers for the solar panels and I had to travel further on my own. Well, not really on my own. I would take Johnny with me, Paul's little nephew. Johnny will be attending Getamock Primary School.

Back in Getamock, I was happy to be somewhere where I know my way around and where I don't have to be afraid that one of the thousand cars on the road will hit me. For Johnny's first night there, Astrid had already started making chips when we arrived. I quickly did the dishes and we invited Costa, a pupil who lives next door to us with two teachers, to eat with us.

Wednesday 5.03.2014

The next day in the early morning, Johnny was knocking on our door looking really excited to go to school. Paul told him he would take him later and when we went to give him some of our breakfast cookies and Astrid wanted to take him on a walk he made it very clear to us that the only place he wanted to go to was the primary school and he wouldn't go anywhere else until he had been there.

As usual I had a busy day of teaching ahead of me on Wednesday. Because of working on the project of the solar panels I had missed a class in form 3 on Monday. Since I had discussed all the theory with the pupils I had asked a fellow teacher to give the pupils some exercises I had picked out. Unfortunately, when my lessons in form 3 on Wednesday took place, I discovered that the other teacher had completely forgotten about it.

When lessons were over and the extracurricular activities started, Astrid and I supervised the debate again. Unexpectedly, this time almost all the teachers were there and then we were told that this was a preparation for a debate against Endallah Secondary School, where we coincidently had been the past weekend.

Almost everyday the pupils stay around the school grounds to play sports and they did Wednesday as well. We went to pick up Johnny at the house, who had been to the primary school with Paul during the day, and he originally went with us to watch volleyball but ended up playing with some kids instead.

Thursday 6.03.2014

Thursday didn't start all too well for me. I had been feeling bad all week and Thursday it finally got the best of me. I spent the entire day in bed, which annoyed me endlessly because I would miss a lesson in form 3 causing me to lose another precious 80 minutes in the same class. At the end of the day I did feel a lot better though so staying in bed really helped. Mama Leonie, Paulina, Astrid and Paul all came to check on me during the day and from Astrid I heard that most of the other teachers were worried as well.

Friday 7.03.2014

When I woke up on Friday I still felt a little queasy but already 1000 times better than the day before. This was very good because unexpectedly I didn't have to teach just form 4 but also take over form 2 from Pweza. Around 11.30 am we started the 15 kilometre journey to Endallah Secondary School on foot. Even though, I wasn't 100% on Thursday, I really felt up to the challenge. The other teachers kept asking if we were able to walk that far, because two mzungu's walking 15 kilometres? That's impossible!

All the comments aside, it was a really nice way to get to know our pupils better. Next time, I wouldn't mind if they defined the word 'walk' a little better. We had to cross some mountains, walk through fields, jump over big cracks, several streams and climb over rocks. When we arrived after about two hours victory was ours. Admittedly, the pupils found the trip easier than we did but we succeeded in proving that mzungu's can do it as well! :D

I think the fact that we walked with them made the pupils more open towards us. One of them told me: “You are more open and tolerant than most people. Most mzungu's would just take a car.” I told him that if they (our pupils, not the other mzungu's :p) do it, it would be ridiculous if we didn't even attempt.

The school tournament focused on debate, nettiball, handiball and footiball as they call it here. The first one on the list was debate. Our pupils had good points, had each other's back, worked together efficiently, never made it personal and stayed polite at all times. Unfortunately, the other school won. Honestly, I was quite surprised by this because some pupils of E.S.S. had made it personal and by doing so insulted our girls, which really riled me up. Afterwards, Stephen explained that the team that has the most points wins. It doesn't matter whether they're strong points or not. A debate in Tanzania obviously doesn't go by the same rules as one in Belgium, but this was still quite surprising.

After debate we had lunch and then followed the sports events. These were started off by netball and then followed by football and handball at the same time. Some of the boys who played netball had to play football as well, so we gave them some of our water, something they seemed to be quite happy with. Suddenly we noticed that one of the boys who played both netball and football was also one of the boys who was suspended. I felt quite shocked that he wasn't allowed to sit in class but when it came down to sports events he still had to represent the school. On moments like these, I feel out of the loop.

Although it was a pity that our pupils lost the netball and handball game they triumphed in football. I think partially because of our chanting ('Go, Getamock, go! Go, Getamock, go!'). I am very proud of how our pupils behaved towards the other school and when I see them again on Monday I will tell them so.

The trip back to Getamock was a little bit more eventful than we expected. We had barely left and suddenly it started raining. And not just a little bit of rain, but full out storming. Apparently, our pupils had seen it coming because they had all ran. They told us to do the same but when we realised what was going on it was already too late. When we reached the 'pre-town' of Endallah we hid from the rain in a small shop where a student who wouldn't leave us behind, just like mr. EPA, bought us some candy with his last money. When we told him we could pay for it, he refused and kept insisting.

After a little while the rain lessened and we restarted our journey. Mr. EPA and the pupil stayed with us the entire time. Even though, I hit the ground more than once, without them it would have happened a lot more, more than I want to think about.

When we finally arrived in Getamock we realised that the journey hadn't taken much longer than in the morning. How that is possible, I don't know. What I do know is that I was ecstatic to see my bed!

Lala salaam, Belgium! (Sweet dreams)