On Thursday we had the opportunity to spend an entire day
with an Iraqw family. Iraqw is an African tribe, like Maasai, not the country.
I was sent to a home near our camp to a family with a Swahili speaking mama,
fortunately an English/Swahili speaking baba (father), and three children. We
started off the day making breakfast, which consisted of chai and fried
bananas. After breakfast we began preparing for lunch. We cut up some cow meat,
picked vegetables from their small farm down the road, and chopped the
vegetables. By the time all of these tasks were finished it was time to cook lunch.
We made a beef stew, some cooked salad consisting of pumpkin leaves, onion,
tomato, and carrot, white rice and ugali. Ugali is basically cornflower cooked
in water to the form of a paste, which the majority of people I have met in
Tanzania eat with everything! I however, am not a fan. We finished up lunch
with a papaya and lemons picked from their home garden. After lunch is usually
their rest time, but because they felt obligated to entertain us (put us to
work) we washed all of the dishes and took a tour of their home garden, which
surrounded the perimeter of their tiny plot of land. We then assisted in the
planting of beans and shared a coloring book with their youngest son.
Fortunately for us, our mama was a tailor so while the baba rested she taught
us how to make clothes, taking turns measuring and cutting the fabric and then
she taught us how to use her sewing machine. It is much harder than it looks,
but she could whip out a shirt in less than 15 minutes. After this we helped
them wash some of their laundry and finished up the day taking pictures with
the family, which we are going to have developed and bring back to them so that
they can have a nice picture of their family. This was one of the first days I
truly felt as though I am in Africa. It was a humbling and enjoyable experience
that I would do over and over again.
Friday was a non-program day and we got to learn how to make
batiks, which are African wax paintings. We got to experience all of the hard
work put into creating a single painting. We made the smallest size and it took
nearly 4 and a half hours. The artist told us when he does a large painting it
can take up to 3 days, but he can sell it for nearly 100 US dollars which is
about 162,399 Tanzanian Shillings. When we get them back we will upload
pictures of our artwork!
After batik making we had the rare opportunity to go to a
nearby tourist lodge and go swimming, essentially squeezing Spring Break 2013
into a few hours, but it was a very refreshing break from the heat and
schoolwork.
Today we visited a Maasai Boma where we got to learn about
the Maasai way of life, learn some dances and songs, and take a tour of a
Maasai home, which are tiny structures made of acacia branches and cow dung.
This was another humbling experience. I really value the opportunities to
immerse myself in the many cultures here.
I have been trying to upload as many pictures as possible
with the tricky Internet that we have here so stay tuned for updated pictures.
Asante! (thanks)
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