Hello!
So I have been putting off writing in here since I've come home but I thought I'd post a link to my photo albums on Facebook so that you can all check out what I've been doing the last 3 months, even if it is a bit late!
Sorry this post took so long... hopefully at least a few of you check this so you can take a look. Thanks again for all your support, especially those who donated money. I appreciated every bit of it while I was gone :)
Album 1
Album 2
Sunday, 21 August 2011
Monday, 25 July 2011
Day 78
Hello everyone!
It has been a pretty emotnal (but awesome) few days as my trip has come to end and I have been saying goodbye to everyone I have met in Tanzania. I am writing from the Amsterdam airport right now and have just gotten off my first (11 hour) flight. I'm in this really weird transitional phase where I feel stuck between two worlds. On one hand I am excited to go home to Canada, but on the other I am so sad that my trip is ending and I have had to leave behind so many amazing people. I found that in my last few weeks my reluctance about leaving Tanzania and my excitement about going home have come in waves. Now it's like the waves are very short and since I left my house I am constantly going back and forth between tears and excitement.
My last few days were pretty awesome. I have spent a lot of time reflecting on my trip and on the lessons I have learned while I have been here. I've also had a lot of goodbyes. Thursday I said goodbye to all my Projects Abroad friends at the social. There were a few tears as I said goodbye but it was a really nice night and I had a great time. On Friday I had my last day of work and had to say goodbye to everyone at the hospital. Stef, Jamie and Alex are three volunteers who I have gotten really close to from the hospital. Originally we were going to say goodbye at the hospital but then we ended up going to Tans-Hands Cafe to have one last lunch. After that I went to see the kids at Rehoboth Orphanage for one last time, play ukulele for them and say goodbye. I had a dress made in town at the market so after thatbI went to Arusha to pick it up with Ella and then we ended up meeting Stef, Jamie and Alex once more for a coffee. It was pretty upsetting saying goodbye to them - I won't lie, there were a few tears. The way I look at it is that although I am sad to say goodbye at the moment, I am so blessed to have formed relationships worth crying over by the time we leave, and to have had so many amazing memories.
Saturday me and Ella went to the market to get some things for the orphanage. We got the beds finished (yay!) but still needed to buy matresses and sheets and we also wanted to get food for them. Overall it was a really great last day. We got the matresses and brought them to the orphanage and then went back into the market to get some sheets and food. After we got the sheets we were looking around the market and suddenly I felt a tug at my bag. I turned around and saw a guy running away with my wallet in his hand. Luckily all he got was my wallet, but unfortunately it had all the remaining donations in it. After chasing him through the market (he went into an ally eventually and i couldnt follow him in) and getting over the initial shock we had to go to the police to make a report in order to be able to claim the money through insurance. As upsetting at the experience was, I think the worst part was the police. They had absolutely no respect for us or our situation and spent most of the time chewing gum and laughing at us because we couldn't speak fluent Swahili. At one point a guy came in who was being arrested for stabbing someone, and they put him on the same bench as us and left us alone with him in the station for a while. It turns out that their cashier doesn't work on weekends so we had to wait until Monday to get the report for insurance. Since I left on a Sunday I couldn't go in, but Projects Abroad is going to help me by picking up the report and scanning it to me on Monday night. I am really glad I chose to come with an organization. They have been a great support for me for a number of my needs during my stay.
The whole situation worked out in the end. Me and Ella tried to keep a positive attitude with everything and still ended up having a "weirdly lovely day" (as she would put it). I had enough US cash on me to cover what we lost in donations and gave it to Ella so that she could get the food next week. I will get the money back through insurance so everything looks like it will be fine. The whole experience really gave me an appreciation for the police services we have at home and for the safety that I am able to feel in Canada. Ella is also getting a bunch of money transferred to her next week from home, and was planning on bringing it all to the market, so now she will be more careful when she is there. There were lots of lessons to be learned through the whole thing.
After dealing with the police we went to Tans-Hands for one last time and then said goodbye. I spent the rest of the evening with my host family. On Sunday I went to church one last time, then came home, ate some chapati and beans (my favorite) and danced with my host family for a few hours (one of our favorite things to do when we have power). Afterwards I said goodbye to everyone and went off to the airport. I was doing a good job of not crying until I said goodbye to Hashim. After hugging him goodbye I couldn't help but shed a few tears, but I pulled it together pretty quickly once my cab left Usa on the way to the airport.
I would really like to thenk everyone for all the support you have given me. I am blown away by the amount of encouragement that I have recieved from home. I also want to thank everyone for the donations for the orphanage and the x-ray department at the hospital. I really appreciate the support for that as well. This experience has grown me so much and I have learned tons since I have been here. I am so blessed to have such an indescribable experience and feel very grateful to have been able to do it. Words really can't even to begin to describe what this trip has been to me.
I will proabaly post a few more times when I get home to put up some pictures from my trip. The Internet was so slow in Tanzania that I couldn't share as many photos as I would have liked to, so there is definitely more to come. Thanks again for all your support and I will see you all soon!!! :)
It has been a pretty emotnal (but awesome) few days as my trip has come to end and I have been saying goodbye to everyone I have met in Tanzania. I am writing from the Amsterdam airport right now and have just gotten off my first (11 hour) flight. I'm in this really weird transitional phase where I feel stuck between two worlds. On one hand I am excited to go home to Canada, but on the other I am so sad that my trip is ending and I have had to leave behind so many amazing people. I found that in my last few weeks my reluctance about leaving Tanzania and my excitement about going home have come in waves. Now it's like the waves are very short and since I left my house I am constantly going back and forth between tears and excitement.
My last few days were pretty awesome. I have spent a lot of time reflecting on my trip and on the lessons I have learned while I have been here. I've also had a lot of goodbyes. Thursday I said goodbye to all my Projects Abroad friends at the social. There were a few tears as I said goodbye but it was a really nice night and I had a great time. On Friday I had my last day of work and had to say goodbye to everyone at the hospital. Stef, Jamie and Alex are three volunteers who I have gotten really close to from the hospital. Originally we were going to say goodbye at the hospital but then we ended up going to Tans-Hands Cafe to have one last lunch. After that I went to see the kids at Rehoboth Orphanage for one last time, play ukulele for them and say goodbye. I had a dress made in town at the market so after thatbI went to Arusha to pick it up with Ella and then we ended up meeting Stef, Jamie and Alex once more for a coffee. It was pretty upsetting saying goodbye to them - I won't lie, there were a few tears. The way I look at it is that although I am sad to say goodbye at the moment, I am so blessed to have formed relationships worth crying over by the time we leave, and to have had so many amazing memories.
Saturday me and Ella went to the market to get some things for the orphanage. We got the beds finished (yay!) but still needed to buy matresses and sheets and we also wanted to get food for them. Overall it was a really great last day. We got the matresses and brought them to the orphanage and then went back into the market to get some sheets and food. After we got the sheets we were looking around the market and suddenly I felt a tug at my bag. I turned around and saw a guy running away with my wallet in his hand. Luckily all he got was my wallet, but unfortunately it had all the remaining donations in it. After chasing him through the market (he went into an ally eventually and i couldnt follow him in) and getting over the initial shock we had to go to the police to make a report in order to be able to claim the money through insurance. As upsetting at the experience was, I think the worst part was the police. They had absolutely no respect for us or our situation and spent most of the time chewing gum and laughing at us because we couldn't speak fluent Swahili. At one point a guy came in who was being arrested for stabbing someone, and they put him on the same bench as us and left us alone with him in the station for a while. It turns out that their cashier doesn't work on weekends so we had to wait until Monday to get the report for insurance. Since I left on a Sunday I couldn't go in, but Projects Abroad is going to help me by picking up the report and scanning it to me on Monday night. I am really glad I chose to come with an organization. They have been a great support for me for a number of my needs during my stay.
The whole situation worked out in the end. Me and Ella tried to keep a positive attitude with everything and still ended up having a "weirdly lovely day" (as she would put it). I had enough US cash on me to cover what we lost in donations and gave it to Ella so that she could get the food next week. I will get the money back through insurance so everything looks like it will be fine. The whole experience really gave me an appreciation for the police services we have at home and for the safety that I am able to feel in Canada. Ella is also getting a bunch of money transferred to her next week from home, and was planning on bringing it all to the market, so now she will be more careful when she is there. There were lots of lessons to be learned through the whole thing.
After dealing with the police we went to Tans-Hands for one last time and then said goodbye. I spent the rest of the evening with my host family. On Sunday I went to church one last time, then came home, ate some chapati and beans (my favorite) and danced with my host family for a few hours (one of our favorite things to do when we have power). Afterwards I said goodbye to everyone and went off to the airport. I was doing a good job of not crying until I said goodbye to Hashim. After hugging him goodbye I couldn't help but shed a few tears, but I pulled it together pretty quickly once my cab left Usa on the way to the airport.
I would really like to thenk everyone for all the support you have given me. I am blown away by the amount of encouragement that I have recieved from home. I also want to thank everyone for the donations for the orphanage and the x-ray department at the hospital. I really appreciate the support for that as well. This experience has grown me so much and I have learned tons since I have been here. I am so blessed to have such an indescribable experience and feel very grateful to have been able to do it. Words really can't even to begin to describe what this trip has been to me.
I will proabaly post a few more times when I get home to put up some pictures from my trip. The Internet was so slow in Tanzania that I couldn't share as many photos as I would have liked to, so there is definitely more to come. Thanks again for all your support and I will see you all soon!!! :)
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Day 75
Jambo!!
Wow, what an amazing week! I'm sorry again for not posting in a while. I'm still convinced that the power company has it out for me.I have a lot to write about but I'll try not to make this one too long :)
My trip to Tanga was amazing. Thursday night we all stayed in Arusha and then got on the bus for Tanga early that morning. We didn't have time to pick up food so I was a bit concerned that I would get really hungry (all I had was some digestive cookies and we have one 15 minute stop for the whole 8 hour trip). It worked out though because there were people trying to sell me something at every stop through the window so I had more then enough to choose from (a little too much actually, at one point I was offered a full goat leg haha). We got to the resort safely Friday night after taking a very interesting cab ride. We stayed at Peponi Holiday Resort and it was gorgeous. After getting into our banda (basically just a house for 6 people) we all went to dinner. At that point I was so tired I was just ready to crash so I went to bed. I calculated it on the bus and between Tuesday morning and Friday night I got about 14 hours of sleep total. It was definitely worth it though this has been some of the best two weeks of my life!
Peponi is right on the beach so we spent a lot of time in the water, tanning and playing sports on the beach. Sunday we went snorkeling in the ocean and took a Dhow out to a beautiful sandbar. The Dhow was cool because it was an actual wooden sailboat and the sandbar we went to was amazing! By the time we left the tide was coming in and half the sandbar was covered in water.
Monday morning we woke up early and watched the sun rise over the ocean and the got on a bus back home again. The trip overall was amazing! I had a great time with the other volunteers (there were 9 of us total at the resort) and loved getting to know them better. I think the best part of the weekend was that the whole thing cost me about 150 USD total (including bus fare and staying overnight in Arusha)!
Tuesday I went into work and was in X-ray again.After work I went to Rehoboth again to see the kids and the bunk beds that we got made for them! It was awesome to see :)
Yesterday was my 19th birthday and I've got to say, it was one of my favorite birthdays ever! I went into work in the morning. It was really neat because I got to do two x-rays entirely on my own (exposure and developing and everything!) and do an ultrasound on a pregnant woman as well. After work I went to Tans-Hands with a bunch of the volunteers for a bit of a birthday lunch. Afterwards I went back to the hospital for a night shift in maternity. The shift went really well. We had 6 healthy babies born and I got to deliver one! One of the babies was huge (4.4 kgs) but the one I delivered was pretty small. The delivery that I got to do happened a lot faster than we had anticipated, so the nurse wasn't even around for the actual birth. It happened so suddenly but it was really exciting. Me and the two volunteers I did night shift with (Jamie and Stef, who also went to Tanga) worked out the time difference and it turns out that the baby I delivered was born within less than an hour of me (just 19 years later)! She was a beautiful baby girl and weighed 2.6 kgs.
Today I just slept and then tonight I will go to my last Projects Abroad social. I can't believe how quickly my time has come to pass here, and am really upset it has to end so soon. I leave Sunday evening and have no idea how I will be able to say goodbye to everyone. It feels so surreal that I am already on my 75th day here. It has been a great summer so far and I look forward to my last few days in Tanzania. I feel so blessed to have had this experience and feel like I have grown a lot, both in my faith and life experience. I'll try to post again as soon as I get the chance! Love you all, see you soon!
Wow, what an amazing week! I'm sorry again for not posting in a while. I'm still convinced that the power company has it out for me.I have a lot to write about but I'll try not to make this one too long :)
My trip to Tanga was amazing. Thursday night we all stayed in Arusha and then got on the bus for Tanga early that morning. We didn't have time to pick up food so I was a bit concerned that I would get really hungry (all I had was some digestive cookies and we have one 15 minute stop for the whole 8 hour trip). It worked out though because there were people trying to sell me something at every stop through the window so I had more then enough to choose from (a little too much actually, at one point I was offered a full goat leg haha). We got to the resort safely Friday night after taking a very interesting cab ride. We stayed at Peponi Holiday Resort and it was gorgeous. After getting into our banda (basically just a house for 6 people) we all went to dinner. At that point I was so tired I was just ready to crash so I went to bed. I calculated it on the bus and between Tuesday morning and Friday night I got about 14 hours of sleep total. It was definitely worth it though this has been some of the best two weeks of my life!
Peponi is right on the beach so we spent a lot of time in the water, tanning and playing sports on the beach. Sunday we went snorkeling in the ocean and took a Dhow out to a beautiful sandbar. The Dhow was cool because it was an actual wooden sailboat and the sandbar we went to was amazing! By the time we left the tide was coming in and half the sandbar was covered in water.
Monday morning we woke up early and watched the sun rise over the ocean and the got on a bus back home again. The trip overall was amazing! I had a great time with the other volunteers (there were 9 of us total at the resort) and loved getting to know them better. I think the best part of the weekend was that the whole thing cost me about 150 USD total (including bus fare and staying overnight in Arusha)!
Tuesday I went into work and was in X-ray again.After work I went to Rehoboth again to see the kids and the bunk beds that we got made for them! It was awesome to see :)
Yesterday was my 19th birthday and I've got to say, it was one of my favorite birthdays ever! I went into work in the morning. It was really neat because I got to do two x-rays entirely on my own (exposure and developing and everything!) and do an ultrasound on a pregnant woman as well. After work I went to Tans-Hands with a bunch of the volunteers for a bit of a birthday lunch. Afterwards I went back to the hospital for a night shift in maternity. The shift went really well. We had 6 healthy babies born and I got to deliver one! One of the babies was huge (4.4 kgs) but the one I delivered was pretty small. The delivery that I got to do happened a lot faster than we had anticipated, so the nurse wasn't even around for the actual birth. It happened so suddenly but it was really exciting. Me and the two volunteers I did night shift with (Jamie and Stef, who also went to Tanga) worked out the time difference and it turns out that the baby I delivered was born within less than an hour of me (just 19 years later)! She was a beautiful baby girl and weighed 2.6 kgs.
Today I just slept and then tonight I will go to my last Projects Abroad social. I can't believe how quickly my time has come to pass here, and am really upset it has to end so soon. I leave Sunday evening and have no idea how I will be able to say goodbye to everyone. It feels so surreal that I am already on my 75th day here. It has been a great summer so far and I look forward to my last few days in Tanzania. I feel so blessed to have had this experience and feel like I have grown a lot, both in my faith and life experience. I'll try to post again as soon as I get the chance! Love you all, see you soon!
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Day 68
Hello!
Sorry for not posting in so long. I have officially decided that the power companies have it out for me and turn off the power every time I come within 5 meters of an internet cafe. This post will be pretty short as well because I have lots to do tonight but I will do my best to fit a bunch in!
Thursday we were supposed to go to the host springs but it failed miserably so we went to the pool instead. Afterwards I went to the Projects Abroad social and then to Via Via. I left my bag with another volunteer so that I wouldn't have to bring it to the club but unfortunately I left my key inside it and couldn't get into my room. I ended up waiting until about 12:00 until they came back to Usa but it wasn't a total waste of a day because I got to go to Rehoboth Orphanage with Matt and Ella (two volunteers from England) and see the kids again. They we amazing (like always) and I had a great time.
Saturday I went with Matt and Ella to town to buy things for the kids. They are organizing a birthday party for the kids this afternoon - we don't know their birthdays so we just decided to through a party for them all. Saturday afternoon I got a roommate from France who will work at another orphanage. She is really nice and I love having her around the house. On Sunday we went to Vineyard Church together and then out to lunch with Shae, Happy and Uchumi. Afterwards we just hung out at the house with our family and danced to some music out back with Shufa, Monvua and Hashim.
Monday I went into work and was in x-ray. Afterwards me, Matt and Andrew (a volunteer at the hospital from Scotland) went to Rehoboth again. Their is one kid their named Jeremiah who is one of my favorites. When I went in on Friday I had a hair elastic around my wrist and he took it and put it on his own wrist. Monday when I went in the first thing he did was show me the elastic, which was still on his wrist. It was so cute how excited he was about it. We also sorted out the beds for the kids, which will be made by a local carpenter soon!
Tuesday I went into work but left early because I was doing a night shift. The night shift was awesome! I did it with Paul, Andrew and Matt and we had 5 babies (and a placenta from a home birth). At one point we were all playing hearts (which was great because we were all so tired that everything was funny) and then Paul went over to check on the ladies in labor and one of them was pushing and had about half the head out. We rushed around to deliver her baby and get everything ready and as soon as she had delivered her boy we looked at the lady beside her and she had about half the head out as well! We also had no power at this point so everything was done by lamp light or with a flashlight. It was a great time though and I even managed to sneak in 2 hours of sleep.
Wednesday morning I didn't go to sleep because we had planned to try to go to the hot springs again. We rented a dala this time. It was pretty crazy because we had no idea where it actually was, we had just heard about it by word of mouth. We basically just drove around in the middle of nowhere for 1.5 hours in a place with no roads and stopping occasionally to ask locals for directions. I was actually not having a bad time (although we got stuck in the mud once) and wasn't even expecting to get there, but then suddenly we were in the most beautiful place I've ever seen. It is this totally untouched small lake which is surrounded by trees and has the most crystal clear water I've ever seen. The water is about 2 meters deep and you can see the bottom when you are standing on the edge. The trees have big branches you can climb on and some locals came and brought us a rope so we could swing into the pond from it. The water is a really nice temperature (not quite warm but just right) and I spent almost all day in it. It was so amazing we ended up spending the whole day there! As soon as I can, I will post pictures of it, because it was absolutely amazing. It is one of the most amazing places I've ever seen.
Today I went into work. It was the last day for about 8 volunteers so I was pretty emotional (but I didn't cry - thank goodness!). After work I came straight here to post and then I will go to the birthday party at Rehoboth Orphanage. Tonight is a goodbye dinner for a bunch of people and then we will go to Via Via. Tomorrow morning I leave from Arusha on a bus to go to Tanga with soem other volunteers. I am so excited (but still so tired - I have only really slept once in the last 2 days) and have lots to do before I leave so I better go! I'll try to post soon :)
Sorry for not posting in so long. I have officially decided that the power companies have it out for me and turn off the power every time I come within 5 meters of an internet cafe. This post will be pretty short as well because I have lots to do tonight but I will do my best to fit a bunch in!
Thursday we were supposed to go to the host springs but it failed miserably so we went to the pool instead. Afterwards I went to the Projects Abroad social and then to Via Via. I left my bag with another volunteer so that I wouldn't have to bring it to the club but unfortunately I left my key inside it and couldn't get into my room. I ended up waiting until about 12:00 until they came back to Usa but it wasn't a total waste of a day because I got to go to Rehoboth Orphanage with Matt and Ella (two volunteers from England) and see the kids again. They we amazing (like always) and I had a great time.
Saturday I went with Matt and Ella to town to buy things for the kids. They are organizing a birthday party for the kids this afternoon - we don't know their birthdays so we just decided to through a party for them all. Saturday afternoon I got a roommate from France who will work at another orphanage. She is really nice and I love having her around the house. On Sunday we went to Vineyard Church together and then out to lunch with Shae, Happy and Uchumi. Afterwards we just hung out at the house with our family and danced to some music out back with Shufa, Monvua and Hashim.
Monday I went into work and was in x-ray. Afterwards me, Matt and Andrew (a volunteer at the hospital from Scotland) went to Rehoboth again. Their is one kid their named Jeremiah who is one of my favorites. When I went in on Friday I had a hair elastic around my wrist and he took it and put it on his own wrist. Monday when I went in the first thing he did was show me the elastic, which was still on his wrist. It was so cute how excited he was about it. We also sorted out the beds for the kids, which will be made by a local carpenter soon!
Tuesday I went into work but left early because I was doing a night shift. The night shift was awesome! I did it with Paul, Andrew and Matt and we had 5 babies (and a placenta from a home birth). At one point we were all playing hearts (which was great because we were all so tired that everything was funny) and then Paul went over to check on the ladies in labor and one of them was pushing and had about half the head out. We rushed around to deliver her baby and get everything ready and as soon as she had delivered her boy we looked at the lady beside her and she had about half the head out as well! We also had no power at this point so everything was done by lamp light or with a flashlight. It was a great time though and I even managed to sneak in 2 hours of sleep.
Wednesday morning I didn't go to sleep because we had planned to try to go to the hot springs again. We rented a dala this time. It was pretty crazy because we had no idea where it actually was, we had just heard about it by word of mouth. We basically just drove around in the middle of nowhere for 1.5 hours in a place with no roads and stopping occasionally to ask locals for directions. I was actually not having a bad time (although we got stuck in the mud once) and wasn't even expecting to get there, but then suddenly we were in the most beautiful place I've ever seen. It is this totally untouched small lake which is surrounded by trees and has the most crystal clear water I've ever seen. The water is about 2 meters deep and you can see the bottom when you are standing on the edge. The trees have big branches you can climb on and some locals came and brought us a rope so we could swing into the pond from it. The water is a really nice temperature (not quite warm but just right) and I spent almost all day in it. It was so amazing we ended up spending the whole day there! As soon as I can, I will post pictures of it, because it was absolutely amazing. It is one of the most amazing places I've ever seen.
Today I went into work. It was the last day for about 8 volunteers so I was pretty emotional (but I didn't cry - thank goodness!). After work I came straight here to post and then I will go to the birthday party at Rehoboth Orphanage. Tonight is a goodbye dinner for a bunch of people and then we will go to Via Via. Tomorrow morning I leave from Arusha on a bus to go to Tanga with soem other volunteers. I am so excited (but still so tired - I have only really slept once in the last 2 days) and have lots to do before I leave so I better go! I'll try to post soon :)
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Day 61
Hello Everyone!
I am having such a blessed week and am really grateful for the encouragement God has given me. I have been missing home a lot more then usual lately probably because all my friends are starting to get back home in Calgary and most of my friends here have just left. But suddenly I am getting all this support from back home and having the chance to talk to people I haven't seen since before I left home!
Mondays night shift was awesome. We had 2 C-sections and 2 natural births, and all the babies were healthy and happy :) I had a lot of fun with the other volunteers as well and with the nurses on duty.
Tuesday I slept (or attempted to sleep) all morning and then did some errands in the afternoon. I was feeling pretty crummy still because of my night shift but I figured it was better to be up and about otherwise I'd be moping around all day. I also had the chance to talk to my mom and sister on skype.
Yesterday I worked in X-ray and then afterwards I went to Rehoboth Orphanage with Matt. I was so amazed that the kids remembered me and my ukulele. Apparently whenever any sort of music comes on they go "Kenedy! Guitar!" and strum the air, which is about 10 times cuter than it would be because they pronounce guitar like gee-tar. They are such amazing kids and so much fun to play with. I also got the chance to talk with Ella and Matt about our plans for the orphanage. We are thinking of getting then bunk beds so that they don't have to share, sheets for their beds, clothes and shoes that fit them properly. I am so grateful for the donations that have been coming in and very glad that I have the chance to see these things come to the orphanage. The management isn;t the greatest so I just feel so much more comfort knowing that the money is going to good use.
Today is a public holiday so the hospital is closed to out patients. It is "Saba Saba" (Seven Seven, because it is 7/7/2011) and so all the volunteers have the day off. We are going to the Moshi Hot Springs for the day to hang out and relax. I am looking forward to today and to get the chance to take the day off and relax. Have a great rest of the week and thank you again for all who have donated to the Orphanage! If anyone would like to give some donations my parent's email address is garylhart@me.com and they will wire me the money from Canada. Thanks again!
I am having such a blessed week and am really grateful for the encouragement God has given me. I have been missing home a lot more then usual lately probably because all my friends are starting to get back home in Calgary and most of my friends here have just left. But suddenly I am getting all this support from back home and having the chance to talk to people I haven't seen since before I left home!
Mondays night shift was awesome. We had 2 C-sections and 2 natural births, and all the babies were healthy and happy :) I had a lot of fun with the other volunteers as well and with the nurses on duty.
Tuesday I slept (or attempted to sleep) all morning and then did some errands in the afternoon. I was feeling pretty crummy still because of my night shift but I figured it was better to be up and about otherwise I'd be moping around all day. I also had the chance to talk to my mom and sister on skype.
Yesterday I worked in X-ray and then afterwards I went to Rehoboth Orphanage with Matt. I was so amazed that the kids remembered me and my ukulele. Apparently whenever any sort of music comes on they go "Kenedy! Guitar!" and strum the air, which is about 10 times cuter than it would be because they pronounce guitar like gee-tar. They are such amazing kids and so much fun to play with. I also got the chance to talk with Ella and Matt about our plans for the orphanage. We are thinking of getting then bunk beds so that they don't have to share, sheets for their beds, clothes and shoes that fit them properly. I am so grateful for the donations that have been coming in and very glad that I have the chance to see these things come to the orphanage. The management isn;t the greatest so I just feel so much more comfort knowing that the money is going to good use.
Today is a public holiday so the hospital is closed to out patients. It is "Saba Saba" (Seven Seven, because it is 7/7/2011) and so all the volunteers have the day off. We are going to the Moshi Hot Springs for the day to hang out and relax. I am looking forward to today and to get the chance to take the day off and relax. Have a great rest of the week and thank you again for all who have donated to the Orphanage! If anyone would like to give some donations my parent's email address is garylhart@me.com and they will wire me the money from Canada. Thanks again!
Monday, 4 July 2011
Day 58
Hello!
Another crazy weekend. I am shocked at how fast time has been going by here. It is hard to believe that I only have 3 weeks left before I go back home. I said that to some other volunteers (who re only here for a month) and they said that I was crazy. But when you have been here for 8 weeks already 3 seems like nothing, especially since the last week is all just saying goodbye and doing a bunch of stuff with volunteers before you go.
On Saturday I went to Zam Zam's (my host mom's sister's) house and it was a lot of fun. When I got there she had a bunch of my favorite Tanzanian food prepared and had baked a cake for me with a K on it. Neema was there and she had bought me a kanga to thank me for the sewing machine. Zam Zam told me that she was very happy since she got her sewing machine and will start lessons soon. Karen was there as well (the 2 year old who visited us for a few days) and itr was a lot of fun having her around. We just spent the day talking and looking at pictures and playing with Hashim and Karen. Zam Zam braided my hair as well. Overall it was a really great day. When I got home I went out with Shae and Happy again for dinner. Shae's friend Chumy was there as well and he is a taxi driver so he gave me a ride home afterwards.
On Sunday I skipped church to go to Merelani with my host family. Zahra and Zam Zam grew up there and apparently their grandma had called a family meeting so the whole family was there and I got to meet their sisters and some of their cousins, as well as Zam Zam's husband. Merelani is a mining town about 1.5 hours away from where I live. Most of the people there are involved in mining Tanzanite, which is a gemstone that is found only in Tanzania. Zam Zam's husband is a miner there and he arranged for one of his friends to bring me to the mines to see them. Basically I ended up getting a private tour of the Tanzanite mines and the area around it. It was one of the coolest experiences that I've had since I've been here. He said that I was probably the only Mzungu that isn't involved in mining to do that. I got to see the mine that Zahra's family owns (their mom left it to them before she died) and go inside it. The Tanzanite is found 600m below the ground and the men climb down a wooden ladder the whole way to get there. I went down a little bit but soon realized how dangerous it can be down there. They also have a compressor to give them fresh air which is fed underground by a long tube that hangs beside the ladder. I was also given some Tanzanite (not the good kind though that can be sold, it was just a sample of it) and got to see the camps where the miners live. On the way out we got stalled at the gate (basically it was just because I was white) and watched about 20 cars pass by us as we were waiting. The road to and from the mines is crazy. It reminded me of the pink jeep tour I took when I was in Arizona with all the rocks and bumps. The craziest part was that the men usually drive up the hill by motorcycle when they go to the mines. Luckily we were in a jeep so it was no problem.
Today I worked in x-ray. We had a lot of patients today so there was plenty to do. We got one baby in who was 19 months and had swallowed a coin last Tuesday. The parents hadn't seen the coin since so they wanted an x-ray just to make sure that it wasn't still in there. We also had a man and a woman come in within 5 minutes of each other who had the exact same fracture on their left leg. It was very strange because they looked so similar. I have been getting a lot more responsibility in x-ray which is really nice. I do all the developing now and fill out a few of the forms after ultrasound. Now that Paul is here, I can also help set up x-rays without Njau there in the room so he can do an ultrasound while we so the x-rays. It really gets things going and we get a lot more work done that way. Paul is also teaching me a lot so although I am a lot more comfortable with the facilities I am still learning lots.
After work I went to Tans-Hands and then came here. Tonight I am working a night shift with Kristina and Andrew, which I am very excited for. I am going to go and take a nap and then leave for work in an hour so I should sign off and get some sleep right away! See you soon :)
Another crazy weekend. I am shocked at how fast time has been going by here. It is hard to believe that I only have 3 weeks left before I go back home. I said that to some other volunteers (who re only here for a month) and they said that I was crazy. But when you have been here for 8 weeks already 3 seems like nothing, especially since the last week is all just saying goodbye and doing a bunch of stuff with volunteers before you go.
On Saturday I went to Zam Zam's (my host mom's sister's) house and it was a lot of fun. When I got there she had a bunch of my favorite Tanzanian food prepared and had baked a cake for me with a K on it. Neema was there and she had bought me a kanga to thank me for the sewing machine. Zam Zam told me that she was very happy since she got her sewing machine and will start lessons soon. Karen was there as well (the 2 year old who visited us for a few days) and itr was a lot of fun having her around. We just spent the day talking and looking at pictures and playing with Hashim and Karen. Zam Zam braided my hair as well. Overall it was a really great day. When I got home I went out with Shae and Happy again for dinner. Shae's friend Chumy was there as well and he is a taxi driver so he gave me a ride home afterwards.
On Sunday I skipped church to go to Merelani with my host family. Zahra and Zam Zam grew up there and apparently their grandma had called a family meeting so the whole family was there and I got to meet their sisters and some of their cousins, as well as Zam Zam's husband. Merelani is a mining town about 1.5 hours away from where I live. Most of the people there are involved in mining Tanzanite, which is a gemstone that is found only in Tanzania. Zam Zam's husband is a miner there and he arranged for one of his friends to bring me to the mines to see them. Basically I ended up getting a private tour of the Tanzanite mines and the area around it. It was one of the coolest experiences that I've had since I've been here. He said that I was probably the only Mzungu that isn't involved in mining to do that. I got to see the mine that Zahra's family owns (their mom left it to them before she died) and go inside it. The Tanzanite is found 600m below the ground and the men climb down a wooden ladder the whole way to get there. I went down a little bit but soon realized how dangerous it can be down there. They also have a compressor to give them fresh air which is fed underground by a long tube that hangs beside the ladder. I was also given some Tanzanite (not the good kind though that can be sold, it was just a sample of it) and got to see the camps where the miners live. On the way out we got stalled at the gate (basically it was just because I was white) and watched about 20 cars pass by us as we were waiting. The road to and from the mines is crazy. It reminded me of the pink jeep tour I took when I was in Arizona with all the rocks and bumps. The craziest part was that the men usually drive up the hill by motorcycle when they go to the mines. Luckily we were in a jeep so it was no problem.
Today I worked in x-ray. We had a lot of patients today so there was plenty to do. We got one baby in who was 19 months and had swallowed a coin last Tuesday. The parents hadn't seen the coin since so they wanted an x-ray just to make sure that it wasn't still in there. We also had a man and a woman come in within 5 minutes of each other who had the exact same fracture on their left leg. It was very strange because they looked so similar. I have been getting a lot more responsibility in x-ray which is really nice. I do all the developing now and fill out a few of the forms after ultrasound. Now that Paul is here, I can also help set up x-rays without Njau there in the room so he can do an ultrasound while we so the x-rays. It really gets things going and we get a lot more work done that way. Paul is also teaching me a lot so although I am a lot more comfortable with the facilities I am still learning lots.
After work I went to Tans-Hands and then came here. Tonight I am working a night shift with Kristina and Andrew, which I am very excited for. I am going to go and take a nap and then leave for work in an hour so I should sign off and get some sleep right away! See you soon :)
Friday, 1 July 2011
Day 55
Hey All!
The power in Usa has been ridiculously bad lately so I only have a bit of time since I am using the generator at the internet cafe for power. I apologize in advance for a super lame and rushed post.
Wednesday I worked at x-ray again. Paul the new volunteer has been teaching me so much so its awesome to have him around, though I definitely have less to do on my own. After work I went to a medical workshop the projects abroad put on and by chance I ran into my friend Ciaran (from Canada) at the office on his way to the airport. It was awesome getting one last chance to see him and say goodbye.
Thursday I went on a second medical outreach at a Masai school. It was different then the firstone. The doctor running it didn;t bring any medicine and it was basically just to determine the needs of the kids, but we really didn't need 12 volunteers to do that. It was also pretty intimidating for the kids to sit in the middle of the circle so me and another volunteer suggested that we split up the group. It worked out that we just got to play games with the kids for a while (which was awesome! Masai kids are sooo tough!) and then got a chance to see some skin diseases and things like that when it was our turn. Afterwards I was sooo dirty so I quickly ran home to wash off and then went back into town for the Thursday social. It was good to see everyone and socialize and then afterward I went home.
Today I worked in x-ray but there was no power so we didn;t have anything to do until 1:00. Until then we just talked (again, I learned soo much from Paul) and met some new volunteers. Then we treated about 6 patients and I went home. At home I layed in the sun with Hashim, Zahra and Shufa and then did some laundry. Hashim helped me (which was hilarious). I was washing my new dress with a bar of soap (which apparently you should do when you was kitanges or any fabric from here for the first time) and Hashim said that he liked it and asked if I would give it to him. I said I would when I left, but his response was that it was no good because he was coming with me. I will miss him so much when I go home it is crazy!
Tomorrow I am going to Zam Zam's house to see her and Neema (they haven't been living with us the last week). It is crazy how mucgh I have missed them after such a short time. Zam Zam has already bought the sewing machine and I will see that tomorrow as well. Otherwise I will just be hanging out and going to church for the rest of the weekend. Have a great weekend and I hope to post soon!
The power in Usa has been ridiculously bad lately so I only have a bit of time since I am using the generator at the internet cafe for power. I apologize in advance for a super lame and rushed post.
Wednesday I worked at x-ray again. Paul the new volunteer has been teaching me so much so its awesome to have him around, though I definitely have less to do on my own. After work I went to a medical workshop the projects abroad put on and by chance I ran into my friend Ciaran (from Canada) at the office on his way to the airport. It was awesome getting one last chance to see him and say goodbye.
Thursday I went on a second medical outreach at a Masai school. It was different then the firstone. The doctor running it didn;t bring any medicine and it was basically just to determine the needs of the kids, but we really didn't need 12 volunteers to do that. It was also pretty intimidating for the kids to sit in the middle of the circle so me and another volunteer suggested that we split up the group. It worked out that we just got to play games with the kids for a while (which was awesome! Masai kids are sooo tough!) and then got a chance to see some skin diseases and things like that when it was our turn. Afterwards I was sooo dirty so I quickly ran home to wash off and then went back into town for the Thursday social. It was good to see everyone and socialize and then afterward I went home.
Today I worked in x-ray but there was no power so we didn;t have anything to do until 1:00. Until then we just talked (again, I learned soo much from Paul) and met some new volunteers. Then we treated about 6 patients and I went home. At home I layed in the sun with Hashim, Zahra and Shufa and then did some laundry. Hashim helped me (which was hilarious). I was washing my new dress with a bar of soap (which apparently you should do when you was kitanges or any fabric from here for the first time) and Hashim said that he liked it and asked if I would give it to him. I said I would when I left, but his response was that it was no good because he was coming with me. I will miss him so much when I go home it is crazy!
Tomorrow I am going to Zam Zam's house to see her and Neema (they haven't been living with us the last week). It is crazy how mucgh I have missed them after such a short time. Zam Zam has already bought the sewing machine and I will see that tomorrow as well. Otherwise I will just be hanging out and going to church for the rest of the weekend. Have a great weekend and I hope to post soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)