Safari Safi

Last day of safari!  What was the height of the week?  Making arrows with the Hadza? or the lion cubs in Tarangire?  And how many times did the car break down?  Last night 3 elephants came through the tented lodge, so close that I could hear them breathing.  They broke the water pipe.  The adventure continues ... Today back to Olasiti for a week to visit our students in schools.

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

How can so many kids fit into such a tiny courtyard?  Dozens line up on benches carried out of the classroom.  Zenan and his mother emptied their homes of tables and chairs for us.  The littlest ones sat in a row on the step.  They all sang, competing to be the loudest.  Then the feast began.  The big girls served the dinner to all.  We were the only ones to get spoons -- the rest ate with their fingers, careful not to drop a grain of rice.  Great evening! 

Back in Olasiti!

It's great to see everyone again.  We took 13 kids to Arusha National Park for a long day.  Our naturalist guide was a girl, which impressed our young ladies.  One asked a million questions about what education is needed to become a ranger or biologist.  Seeds are being planted...

On our walk we passed three giraffes happily munching.  We all kept silent to watch them.  What a gentle giant!

Looking Back and Looking Forward

Mount Meru from Olasiti

The past six months have been gratifying, as we've seen the walls of the new orphanage going up, with the help of local laborers, volunteers, and the kids themselves.  Imagine: clean water! electricity! Solar is an option. Banana and mango trees are growing. Two secondary students now have bicycles of their own.  Three cameras and computers have been donated.  Fifty-two students are attending school on scholarships.  Joseph is in advanced secondary (what we would call junior college)!  Our friend Gloria is in Tanzania now, opening a clinic in another village; in Olasiti she is producing a "Kids with Cameras" exhibit, and planning an auction of the photos.

Next June's service trip is in the works:  teaching English in the village school, and working on orphanage construction.  Are you ready to get muddy and change lives?

Batik Paintings by the Orphans Arts Club

Construction Progress!

Construction

Picasa Web album of construction progress

Walls Are Going Up!

Slide Show

Swahinglish!

One morning at Olasiti Lodge I ordered: mbili mayai na gibini na nyani. The cook looked surprised. Apparently I had ordered a baboon in my omelet! Instead of two eggs with cheese and tomatoes, I had used nyani (baboon) instead of nyanya (tomatoes)! You say tomato, I say baboon! At the Pangani ferry crossing, V, who is accomplished in Swahili, called a woman pregnant (tumbo--stomach--slang for pregnant) instead of inquiring about oranges (chungwa). Much laughter ensued...