Thursday, June 19th
I drove back to Moshi this morning and headed straight for the wheelchair workshop at KCMC. They had finished making the wheelchair frames but were waiting for the brackets which we had made in Arusha. I had my hands full when I walked in—umbrellas, brackets, tables. There’s a guard who I have to sign-in with at the gate and I can tell she thinks I’m kind of crazy. I can’t wait to roll out of there with the completed small-business wheelchairs and show her what I’ve been working on all this time!
Samson and Albert came up with a neat design to hold the drawers under the seat. It’s slightly different from what we did in Arusha, so it will be good to get feedback on both designs. We welded on the bottom bracket that acts as a stand for the table (and by “we” I mean Samson welded while I shielded my eyes and then checked with the square to make sure it was straight). And then we welded a small piece of pipe onto the side that will hold the umbrella.
On my way home I stopped at the market because Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard was looking pretty bare. I love going to the market here. All the vegetables are super fresh and grown more locally than you could imagine. Rows of women sit with assorted stacks in front of them—piles of oranges, stacks of cucumbers, pyramids of tomatoes, rows of onions. Things are priced by group, which vary by size. So the small pyramid of tomatoes might be 200 shillings while the bigger pyramid is 400. You have to bargain a bit but I’m getting better.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Trying to upload pictures...
So iPhoto isn't working on my computer which means it's a huge pain to get the pictures off my camera. And I can't resize them so they take foreverrrrrrrrrr to upload. But I think I may have finally gotten one posted. It should be from my cooking lesson with Abdullah's wife, Fatuma.
"A business without a sign is a sign of no business"
Monday, June 16th to Wednesday, June 18th
What a busy week! I arrived in Arusha on Sunday afternoon so Monday morning I was ready to get to work. I picked up Jake (another MIT student) and we headed to MobilityCare. They had made great progress on the wheelchair frames, and were just waiting for the small-business “accessories” so they could weld a few final pieces. I brought the completed drawers and tables, and we got to work designing a track for the drawers to slide on.
In the afternoon we went into town to look for a signwriter to paint the tables that will also serve as signs. When I was telling my dad about the design for the small-business chair he reminded me of a sign we saw in Antigua (a favorite family vacation spot), that read “A business without a sign is a sign of no business.” Which is exactly why these business wheelchairs need signs!
The first signwriter we went to gave us a price that was much higher than I expected to pay. I thought it was probably because I was a “mzungu” (white person in Swahili) but even when Joseph went by himself to another signwriter the price was still high. Now I’m certainly not an artist—in fact I have probably have the arts and crafts skills of a 3rd grader—but I wasn’t expecting anything too fancy for these signs. So I decided to do it myself. We went on a crazy goose chase around Arusha and finally tracked down the right kind of paint and brushes, and large stencils for the letters. The best part was that the shop reused glass Konyagi bottles for dispensing paint! Konyagi is a local Tanzanian gin which they are very proud of. And now I have a collection of bottles in my apartment.
On Tuesday we painted the tables white which took forever because the sun kept hiding. The weather has been kind of crazy. It’s supposed to be the dry season but it’s been kind of drizzly and very cold. It’s not a Boston winter but I’ve still been wearing two fleeces to dinner.
On Wednesday we stenciled in the words for each of the businesses and prepared them to be painted. We had set up a table outside in the shade for the stenciling operation and it was really zen sitting there, methodically plodding across each table and penciling in the letters. I almost felt like doing some yoga.
… …
When Daniel visited MIT in March he had a burrito from Anna’s in our student center and he loved it! He kept telling everybody back at MobilityCare about burritos and asking me if we could make them. Jake is a much bigger burrito eater than I am so we decided to make Wednesday “burrito” day for lunch. We went all over town getting avocados, rice, beans—the only thing we couldn’t find were tortillas so we used chapati which is a round, flat bread they eat here that is similar but thicker and sweeter.
We set everything up outside and showed everybody how to fill their burritos. The only problem was that we all put way too much inside and then it was impossible to roll them shut! But they were really delicious and everybody seemed to enjoy the afternoon. I wonder what else I could cook for them… any suggestions?
What a busy week! I arrived in Arusha on Sunday afternoon so Monday morning I was ready to get to work. I picked up Jake (another MIT student) and we headed to MobilityCare. They had made great progress on the wheelchair frames, and were just waiting for the small-business “accessories” so they could weld a few final pieces. I brought the completed drawers and tables, and we got to work designing a track for the drawers to slide on.
In the afternoon we went into town to look for a signwriter to paint the tables that will also serve as signs. When I was telling my dad about the design for the small-business chair he reminded me of a sign we saw in Antigua (a favorite family vacation spot), that read “A business without a sign is a sign of no business.” Which is exactly why these business wheelchairs need signs!
The first signwriter we went to gave us a price that was much higher than I expected to pay. I thought it was probably because I was a “mzungu” (white person in Swahili) but even when Joseph went by himself to another signwriter the price was still high. Now I’m certainly not an artist—in fact I have probably have the arts and crafts skills of a 3rd grader—but I wasn’t expecting anything too fancy for these signs. So I decided to do it myself. We went on a crazy goose chase around Arusha and finally tracked down the right kind of paint and brushes, and large stencils for the letters. The best part was that the shop reused glass Konyagi bottles for dispensing paint! Konyagi is a local Tanzanian gin which they are very proud of. And now I have a collection of bottles in my apartment.
On Tuesday we painted the tables white which took forever because the sun kept hiding. The weather has been kind of crazy. It’s supposed to be the dry season but it’s been kind of drizzly and very cold. It’s not a Boston winter but I’ve still been wearing two fleeces to dinner.
On Wednesday we stenciled in the words for each of the businesses and prepared them to be painted. We had set up a table outside in the shade for the stenciling operation and it was really zen sitting there, methodically plodding across each table and penciling in the letters. I almost felt like doing some yoga.
… …
When Daniel visited MIT in March he had a burrito from Anna’s in our student center and he loved it! He kept telling everybody back at MobilityCare about burritos and asking me if we could make them. Jake is a much bigger burrito eater than I am so we decided to make Wednesday “burrito” day for lunch. We went all over town getting avocados, rice, beans—the only thing we couldn’t find were tortillas so we used chapati which is a round, flat bread they eat here that is similar but thicker and sweeter.
We set everything up outside and showed everybody how to fill their burritos. The only problem was that we all put way too much inside and then it was impossible to roll them shut! But they were really delicious and everybody seemed to enjoy the afternoon. I wonder what else I could cook for them… any suggestions?
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Another weekend in TZ
June 14-15
I spent Saturday in Moshi. In the morning I went to KCMC and we finished making the frames for the 3 wheelchairs there. I also sharpened my kitchen knife so now I’ll actually be able to slice my cucumbers and pineapples easily.
Tanzania was playing Cameroon in soccer so in the afternoon I went to a local bar with a few friends to watch the game. The crowd was crazy! If Cameroon had the ball the entire place was dead silent, but when Tanzania even touched the ball they all started whooping and cheering! Unfortunately the match ended in a 0-0 tie but Tanzania still has a shot of making it to the World Cup in 2010 if they win their next two games. Hope they can do it!
On Sunday I drove to Arusha and met up with Jake, another MIT student who is working on a similar project at MobilityCare. We went to Daniel’s house and hung out with his family, and then took Daniel, his brother Alfred, and his 2-year old son out to dinner.
The place we went for dinner had a playground which I thought would be good for little Joseph, but I ended up chasing him around the swings for at least an hour. How do little kids have so much energy?
I spent Saturday in Moshi. In the morning I went to KCMC and we finished making the frames for the 3 wheelchairs there. I also sharpened my kitchen knife so now I’ll actually be able to slice my cucumbers and pineapples easily.
Tanzania was playing Cameroon in soccer so in the afternoon I went to a local bar with a few friends to watch the game. The crowd was crazy! If Cameroon had the ball the entire place was dead silent, but when Tanzania even touched the ball they all started whooping and cheering! Unfortunately the match ended in a 0-0 tie but Tanzania still has a shot of making it to the World Cup in 2010 if they win their next two games. Hope they can do it!
On Sunday I drove to Arusha and met up with Jake, another MIT student who is working on a similar project at MobilityCare. We went to Daniel’s house and hung out with his family, and then took Daniel, his brother Alfred, and his 2-year old son out to dinner.
The place we went for dinner had a playground which I thought would be good for little Joseph, but I ended up chasing him around the swings for at least an hour. How do little kids have so much energy?
A very successful day!
Friday, June 13th
As of today, there is a piece of land in the Siha District of Kilimanjaro with KASI’s name on it. Cue excitement! I would love to write about everything that happened today because it was pretty amazing, but we have to go out and celebrate. So briefly…
There are six districts in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania with the newest one, Siha, just added in 2006. Henry arranged for us to meet with the new District Commissioner to see if she might have some land for us to build the new KASI facility. On the drive there Henry let me in on a little secret (the District Commissioner is his younger sister!)
It was a beautiful drive up to her office and even more beautiful driving down the meandering grassy lane to her house, sunflower fields flanking both sides. First I had to sign her official visitor’s log which made me feel pretty important considering the President of Tanzania had signed just a few pages earlier. Apparently the color of the signature signifies how important you are—the President signs in red, members of Parliament in green, and everybody else in blue or black.
Like most Tanzanians, Annarose, the Siha District Commisioner, was such a warm, welcoming person. Henry and I told her about our plan for the new KASI facility and about the funds that we have already raised and she was really excited. There are very few schools for disabled children but one of the best ones in the country is located in her district. So Annarose was very enthusiastic about building her district as a hub for all of this activity.
She has to look at her maps and figure out exactly which piece of land she can give us, but she said by next month we will be able to come and look at it and start working. The only condition is that we have to plant some trees—she really likes gardens, much like somebody else I know! The district is right inbetween Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru so it should be pretty spectacular on a clear day.
I can’t believe this all happened so fast. I expected to spend the whole summer searching for a piece of land and we already have one. Next week we’ll continue planning how to spend the funds from GlobalGiving. I can’t wait!
As of today, there is a piece of land in the Siha District of Kilimanjaro with KASI’s name on it. Cue excitement! I would love to write about everything that happened today because it was pretty amazing, but we have to go out and celebrate. So briefly…
There are six districts in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania with the newest one, Siha, just added in 2006. Henry arranged for us to meet with the new District Commissioner to see if she might have some land for us to build the new KASI facility. On the drive there Henry let me in on a little secret (the District Commissioner is his younger sister!)
It was a beautiful drive up to her office and even more beautiful driving down the meandering grassy lane to her house, sunflower fields flanking both sides. First I had to sign her official visitor’s log which made me feel pretty important considering the President of Tanzania had signed just a few pages earlier. Apparently the color of the signature signifies how important you are—the President signs in red, members of Parliament in green, and everybody else in blue or black.
Like most Tanzanians, Annarose, the Siha District Commisioner, was such a warm, welcoming person. Henry and I told her about our plan for the new KASI facility and about the funds that we have already raised and she was really excited. There are very few schools for disabled children but one of the best ones in the country is located in her district. So Annarose was very enthusiastic about building her district as a hub for all of this activity.
She has to look at her maps and figure out exactly which piece of land she can give us, but she said by next month we will be able to come and look at it and start working. The only condition is that we have to plant some trees—she really likes gardens, much like somebody else I know! The district is right inbetween Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru so it should be pretty spectacular on a clear day.
I can’t believe this all happened so fast. I expected to spend the whole summer searching for a piece of land and we already have one. Next week we’ll continue planning how to spend the funds from GlobalGiving. I can’t wait!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Cooking Lessons
Wednesday, June 11th
Since I’ve been here people have asked me a lot of questions that I just don’t know the answers to. Maybe I look smarter than I really am? In any case, here’s a sampling of what I have been asked:
How did Oprah make so much money?
How many floors are in the tallest building in the world?
Is it safe for people on the top floors of skyscrapers to open their windows?
Will Obama choose Hillary to be his vice-president?
After I finished working for the day I went to visit Abdullah’s wife, Fatuma. Abdullah is in South Africa until the end of this month but I couldn’t wait for him to come back to see his wife and new baby girl, Nadia. Nadia is about 7 months old now and she’s sooooo cute! I played with her for a while until Fatuma announced that it was cooking time. Last time I was at her house she taught me how to make ugali, which is a basically a stiff porridge made from maize powder and a staple for many Tanzanian meals. It’s not that hard to make and it fills you up like nothing else.
Today Fatuma wanted to make pilau, which is a really tasty spiced rice dish. It’s much more complicated than making ugali, but it tastes a lot better too! I tried to be as helpful as I could, cutting up tomatoes and onions and being the master stirrer.
Fatuma is such a good teacher. We joked around and said that I was the first student in her new cooking school. I probably didn’t get an A but I got to eat my final project so I was happy!
Since I’ve been here people have asked me a lot of questions that I just don’t know the answers to. Maybe I look smarter than I really am? In any case, here’s a sampling of what I have been asked:
How did Oprah make so much money?
How many floors are in the tallest building in the world?
Is it safe for people on the top floors of skyscrapers to open their windows?
Will Obama choose Hillary to be his vice-president?
After I finished working for the day I went to visit Abdullah’s wife, Fatuma. Abdullah is in South Africa until the end of this month but I couldn’t wait for him to come back to see his wife and new baby girl, Nadia. Nadia is about 7 months old now and she’s sooooo cute! I played with her for a while until Fatuma announced that it was cooking time. Last time I was at her house she taught me how to make ugali, which is a basically a stiff porridge made from maize powder and a staple for many Tanzanian meals. It’s not that hard to make and it fills you up like nothing else.
Today Fatuma wanted to make pilau, which is a really tasty spiced rice dish. It’s much more complicated than making ugali, but it tastes a lot better too! I tried to be as helpful as I could, cutting up tomatoes and onions and being the master stirrer.
Fatuma is such a good teacher. We joked around and said that I was the first student in her new cooking school. I probably didn’t get an A but I got to eat my final project so I was happy!
And for you, only mangoes!
Tuesday, June 10th
I ate an entire mango for breakfast. It was soooooo good, but I’m sure I’ll pay for it later. If you open my refrigerator you’ll find it filled with mangoes, oranges, bananas, cucumbers, eggs, and of course bottled water. I love going grocery shopping here. On Monday the fundi came to fix my stove so now I can actually start cooking—not that I’m a really good cook or anything. So far I’ve made pasta, eggs, and toast. But hey, I’m learning!
I got to see a lot of Moshi as I ran around town yesterday. I started off at KASI and we just about finished the website. Although it’s not totally done yet, I’ll let you all have a sneak peak: http://KASI.tanzania.googlepages.com
There is still a lot of editing to be done but I think we did a pretty good job given the circumstances! The wheelchair technicians at KCMC have all the materials to make the three new small business wheelchairs and they’re working on them now. Can’t wait to see them when they’re done!
In order for GlobalGiving to transfer the money we raised to KASI there is a lot of paperwork to be done. I was a little worried about getting it all done before the deadline at the end of this month but Henry and I pretty much finished everything in a single sitting this afternoon! I’ve noticed that things that seem like they will take forever get done really quickly, and things that seem like they should be finished in no time end up taking forever. Ironic but interesting.
I ate an entire mango for breakfast. It was soooooo good, but I’m sure I’ll pay for it later. If you open my refrigerator you’ll find it filled with mangoes, oranges, bananas, cucumbers, eggs, and of course bottled water. I love going grocery shopping here. On Monday the fundi came to fix my stove so now I can actually start cooking—not that I’m a really good cook or anything. So far I’ve made pasta, eggs, and toast. But hey, I’m learning!
I got to see a lot of Moshi as I ran around town yesterday. I started off at KASI and we just about finished the website. Although it’s not totally done yet, I’ll let you all have a sneak peak: http://KASI.tanzania.googlepages.com
There is still a lot of editing to be done but I think we did a pretty good job given the circumstances! The wheelchair technicians at KCMC have all the materials to make the three new small business wheelchairs and they’re working on them now. Can’t wait to see them when they’re done!
In order for GlobalGiving to transfer the money we raised to KASI there is a lot of paperwork to be done. I was a little worried about getting it all done before the deadline at the end of this month but Henry and I pretty much finished everything in a single sitting this afternoon! I’ve noticed that things that seem like they will take forever get done really quickly, and things that seem like they should be finished in no time end up taking forever. Ironic but interesting.
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