Language on a Spice Island - part 1

The second part of our Language School experience took us to the spice island of Zanzibar! Many people think of relaxing on beautiful white beaches and swimming in azure waters when they dream of Unguja (as it is properly known along with Pemba and several smaller islands making up the Zanzibar Archipelago), but for us we were looking forward to another 4 weeks in a classroom.


                                       The benefit of going to Zanzibar for Language School is that you are completely immersed in the Swahili language and culture from the moment you step off the ferry. And a very different culture from Dar too with much more of an Arab influence and small island feel.

  

  Zanzibar is very safe. I felt much safer walking around with the children through Stone Town than I ever would in Dar and I certainly wouldn't be out by choice in the streets from dusk onwards in Dar! There was no bag snatching, no pick pockets, no feelings of mistrust or uneasiness. The Zanzibarians seemed to hold to a different ideal from the mainland - they could trust each other and you could trust them. Was this the influence of a strong social and religious network on a small island? I don't know, but I do know that to relax and not be sceptical or suspicious of everyone who offered their help to us, took at least a week or more as you simply trust no-one in Dar unless you have known them a long while and even then cultural attitudes are so different that you can never be too sure.

 

We were up at 6.30am to be out of the hotel by 7.30am (hopefully if breakfast wasn't too late) to walk through the markets toward The University of Suza, department of languages for foreigners. Walking through the markets at that time in the morning you are definitely not a tourist! As we were studying at a Muslim university we had been asked (both me and Robyn), to cover our hair as it was both a cultural thing as well as 'religious'. Only our husbands are allowed to see our hair.


We happily did this as we were more readily accepted both within the University but also out in the streets, we were seen as being respectful towards the Zanzibarian culture. It even became quite a challenge to see which one of us could get their headscarf on the best - inevitably Robyn won every time! We got less stares from both men and women when we had the headscarf on and got cheaper prices at the market too!

Gradually we became a regular sight rushing through the market, past the cow hides heaped in a pile by the side of the path, the legs from knees to hooves in another, and occasionally if you were lucky as you picked your way across the streams of blood dripping from the little pick ups that had just delivered the carcasses, you saw the heads of the cows in the baskets of a bicycle or two. One day Harry pointed out the head of a most gorgeous black cow which still had it's horns attached - he thought it would look good on our car!

Didn't have a picture of cows and yes that is a crow on its back!  

The children's attitude to meat and where it comes from has changed over the last 2yrs. They look at animals differently - I am not allowed any more to name the cows that wander along the road on the way home from school as they will be slaughtered and then the children fear I won't let them eat meat until I know it's not 'my' cow!

They also know where fruit and vegetables really come from, and rice that doesn't come clean and prepacked, that you have to pick stones and other bits out of it as with the sugar. Flour must always be sieved if you don't want to eat the bugs that are always there no matter how careful you are at storing it!!

 4,000Tsh - cheap at less than £2 but not when you only earn 5,000 a day! 

 Fish, however, is amazing! Freshly caught and brought in from the dhow (small fishing boat synonymous with Zanzibar), and all colours; red, blue, pink, green, usually bigger than anything I've seen before. And the variety - no Cod or Haddock here; Red Snapper, King Fish, Changu, Sword Fish, Rays, Octopus, Squid, Lobster, tropical fish I don't have names for and huge Tuna, Prawns - the list goes on.

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This one arrived on the back of a bike!

Being so close to the sea wherever you are on Zanizibar, the market was the place to go to see the 'Catch of the Day'.                                                  
However, the smell from the butchers corner and the fish end was not to be taken lightly. Luckily August is a relatively cool month, so the heat hadn't worked it's magic to the pungent aroma by lunchtime when we would walk back through the melee.

We have all learned to breathe only through your mouth and observe closely what is around you with your eyes  - the sense of smell is very overrated at the market!

Huge Rays will find themselves on the hotel menus tonight

 I thank God for this experience as now our kids know the value of food, the hard work that goes into growing/catching and preparing it, the time involved as well as the effort, the simplest of meals is often hard won. They know where it all comes from and how it got to their plates. Hopefully they will never take food for granted and appreciate it for what it is truly worth.
God gave us an amazingly bountiful earth, hopefully they know now not to abuse that gift and treat the earth and all that is in it with the stewardship that was entrusted to us.



It was Ramadan for the first 2 weeks of our stay - the Muslim month of fasting - so there was no cooked food available (except in hotels whose prices were definitely for western tourists), from 5am until 6pm - during the fast even drinking water is prohibited. Ramadan is more strictly adhered to in Zanzibar than on the mainland where you wouldn't even know it was happening.  In Dar there is such a plethora of  Churches and different traditions that there is what seems a greater freedom not to stick so strictly to such religious practices although I am sure there are many who do, it's just not so obvious.
Ramadan caused us quite a problem initially as 2 teenage boys and a 10yr old girl need their lunch!  As we walked back to our guest house room we saw food but had no means of cooking it!
Initially we decided to wander around and see if anyone was selling Chappati or anything the kids could take back and eat.

 For the first couple of days we found dates - fresh, juicy, amazing dates! Dates are huge for Ramadan so we ate dates for lunch. One day we even managed to find some chappati's but then had to find somewhere to eat them as we couldn't eat in the streets as this would be insensitive during the fasting hours.

Children are allowed to eat but would eat at home and once over around 12yrs old they would be encouraged to fast - not an option for my boys who needed food!!


The people of Zanzibar were very understanding though and really appreciated our desire not to be insensitive. I found myself thinking of Paul in his letter to the Corinthians (1Cor 9 vs 19-23), how his freedom in Christ allowed him to choose to be a 'slave' to win others for Christ. By dressing sensitively and wearing a headscarf so as not to upset the Muslim majority, especially during Ramadan, God open doors through which we were able to witness.

Robyn dressed for school

Many asked if Robyn and I were Muslim. When I said "No, Christian," they then wanted to know why we wore the headscarf  - an open door through which I was able to explain that we wanted to respect them and love them just as Jesus loved them.


On more than one occasion I was able to tell of God's plan of salvation for them through His son Jesus. Often the look of surprise that God would actually come to earth and die for them was something I will never forget. In 2013 although many in Zanzibar would claim Christianity and Islam to be 'the same - wanting peace and loving God', they still don't know that God in His love and mercy came to earth in the form of His only Son to die for them. All because of His grace and mercy - not because of what we can do to win favour, but because the Creator God wants a loving relationship with His creation - God reached down to man as man could never reach high enough to God.

Summer 2013 Language School or bust!!

Dear all, thank you so much for all your prayers!

We didn't return home to the UK this summer as we took the opportunity
to go to language school in Iringa to learn Swahili. We felt lack of understanding
of Swahili has been key to a lot of the issues we have faced over the last two years
and felt we needed to address this. Thankfully MAF UK also agreed this was important
for us to achieve and have enabled us to participate in a language programme.

Iringa is a beautiful part of Tanzania, although incredibly cold in the mornings and at night at this time of year, with the temperature getting as low as just 5 degs C!!

We have had to buy jumpers and jeans off the second hand market - a good place to practice Swahili!

We have been able to have a lot more freedom in Iringa, taking hikes and walks through the countryside without the usual concerns of heat or for safety we have in Dar.

Its been great to be able to walk instead of having to drive everywhere. The children have loved climbing the rocks and spotting gheko's but we have not seen any snakes yet - although there are plenty around!

For language the children have their own teacher, Catherine. On Friday she celebrated her 20th birthday. After class the boys and Robyn wanted to make Catherine a card - 2 1/2hrs later they had finished a really clever pop up card so we set out to deliver it to her (she lives with her aunt in a nearby village).
We followed Jack on a 'short cut' which took us the long way through the whole village where we had to stop and greet everyone before we finally arrived at Catherine's house.

She was out collecting water when we arrived but her aunt invited us in to wait for her. The house was a typical mud and stick built house with a 'thatched' roof. Inside were a couple of wooden 'sofas' and a small wooden coffee table. A piece of material separated the living room from the bedroom. The cooking was done outside as is traditional on a small charcoal/stick fire. Luckily there was a well near the village so we didn't have to wait too long and Catherine was soon back with her water bucket carried on her head.

She told us that sometimes they had to go down to the river by the camp to collect water if the well was dry. Obviously the well water is much better as it is cleaner for drinking and closer when you have to carry it back in buckets on your head! Catherine is an orphan, her mother died when she was 7yrs and she never knew her father. We saw another side to her life when we visited her on her birthday. As a teacher she is dressed much as any young western girl in jeans, t-shirt and jacket but in the village her life changes to that of doing the daily chores, collecting water on her head, working in thefamily fields, wearing the traditional kanga, cooking the family meal of ugali and cleaning the house. It is a strange mix of living in a 'western' environment whilst teaching Swahili, then back to a very traditional lifestyle of village Tanzania.
Whilst we were there the Kuku's (chickens) came in to roost (it was around 6pm).

Catherine's aunt saw me looking at them and thought I felt uncomfortable with them in the house beside where I sat. Through Catherine I was able to explain it was quite the opposite. I explained that we too had Robyn's 2 chickens living in the house (albeit in a box), and I had about 26 living outside!
I had found a way in to put everyone at ease as we discussed chickens!!
I have found a new passion for chickens, the rich diversity of type and colour etc although for our western ways they can be hard work. The Tanzanian way is so much easier and freer and the chickens seem to like it too!

Please Pray for Catherine and Joyce who have been teaching the children and for Ishmael (our language teacher) and his wife, Moshi. Ishmael is a Muslim but came originally to Iringa (from Bagamoyo) through the Baptist Church. His wife was Christian but as is the custom here you take on the religion of your husband when you marry.
I had a great opportunity to talk with him a number of times and was able to explain the difference in the Muslim view of God as opposed to the Christian view - I knew all that RE teaching of Islam would come in useful one day!!
I am grateful that God was able to use me to reach out and plant a seed that His Holy Spirit will continue to water. Please pray for Ishmael as he continues to search for the Truth that he continues to study the Bible to find out who Isa (Jesus) really is.

Pray also that Jack, Harry and Robyn begin to feel confident with using Swahili and feel less inhibited to use it.
Pray also that we start to gain some confidence and move forward in our language studies.

Whilst we were at the language school we had our camera stolen from our banda, unfortunately that and some of Robyn's toys that were also taken, were never recovered. Please pray that whoever took them is blessed by the income they generated and that we too can let go of these material things (unfortunately the camera had most of our photo's of Iringa on it so there aren't too many for this blog.).

There has been so much to thank God for, new friends, continued good health, seeing Him work in our lives everyday as we walk alongside Him. He has opened our eyes and hearts to see those around us and their circumstances in a new way - I would like to say how He sees them, not as people to be pitied or feel sorry for but as His creation with so much to offer but in so much need of Him. We have been given this unique opportunity to be God's hands and feet to love and serve His creation.
We head home for a week - to get a months worth of washing done (my hand washing doesn't get the red dirt out of white socks!!) , after which we set sail for the island of Zanzibar to further our Swahili studies in the birthplace of Kiswahili!!.

A New Year....

For us 2013 began with a break away from the heat and humidity of Dar es Salaam as we spent New Year in Iringa in Tanzania's Southern Highlands.

We stayed in a small banda at Rivervalley camp site well outside of Iringa town and particularly as we were nearly the only guests, it was about as peaceful as you could wish for.

The main activity from the camp site is walking along the river and up into the hills. This was certainly livened up by using some of the local "footbridges" which the kids had to cross several times to ensure they worked!




























It also gave us a chance to see first hand the work done by one of the organisations that MAF serve by providing international flights and logistics assistance. Run by the Anglican Church of Tanzania, Neema Crafts operate a number of different craft workshops, a cafe and a guest house all staffed by local people with differing disabilities. In particular we can vouch for the cafe, where the staff who are all deaf, serve great food, awesome milkshakes and home made ice cream, all in an atmosphere where everyone is laughing.


It was really valuable for us to get away from Dar and remind ourselves what a beautiful country Tanzania is.

However even through the spectacular landscapes of the national parks and rain forests there are constant reminders of how hard life is for many ordinary Tanzanians.  

According to a recent report from the UK Department for International Development " although Tanzania is no longer one of the five poorest countries in the world, as it was in the 1980s, it is still in the bottom 25. 80% of the population (34 million people) live on less than £20 a month and 34% (15 million people) live on less than £7 a month, which means that they cannot buy essential goods such as soap and clothes. The needs remain huge: only 34% of children enrol in secondary school, over 30 million people use inadequate sanitation, 42% of all children are stunted through chronic malnutrition, natural resources are over exploited, it is one of five countries in the world with the most malaria deaths and one woman in every 25 will die in childbirth. Tanzania‟s size, its poor infrastructure and a rapidly expanding population present serious challenges to providing basic services equitably across the country"

This last point was illustrated on our journey just outside of Iringa where there is a steep winding pass which forms part of the main truck route between Dar es Salaam and Mbeya.  Very few heavy trucks and buses are maintained at all in Tanzania and so the pass was littered with the wrecks of various vehicles.   On our way to Iringa the truck pictured below had clearly recently crashed.   The cab was badly damaged and the crew of the truck were sat at the side of the road obviously trying to protect it and it's cargo from thieves.

 Six days later the truck was still there - the cab had been hit several more times and was completely crushed, the crew were still left cowering at the side of the road waiting in vain for someone to come to collect their cargo.

 Back to the traffic and humidity of Dar.....



As the office re-opened we were very glad to take delivery of a new Caterpillar digger which has been bought for our Airstrip Development Team.

Meanwhile in the UK our new Airfield Development truck (see below) is nearing completion.   A crane has been added for loading the Caterpillar and a front mounted winch fitted for if/when the truck gets stuck.

We have high hopes that this truck will have a big impact on our airstrip building in the years to come.   Later this summer we hope to have an aircraft based in Mbeya, in the South West of the country.   In this region there are many villages that don't have any form of road access even on a dirt track.   MAF have plans to build a number of new airstrips to serve the region so there will be a full schedule for the truck when it finally arrives.

As the children returned to school after the break the Board of Governors have been continuing to search for a new Director to lead and oversee all the activities of the school.   This is a crucial role to the future of the school as we embark on a new 5 year strategic plan.
  With many of the teaching staff being fixed-term missionary volunteers  the school sees a significant exodus every couple of years.   This is one of those years as you can see from the vacancy list at the school website (http://www.hopac.net/opportunities-at-hopac/current-opportunities/.)

Any teachers fancy coming out to join us.......?