Jiendeleze Women's Group... by Jenny

            Hello everyone who cares enough about us to read this blog. Jenny here giving you the word from Moshi Tanzania. Today started much like the rest. We had an early wake up call for 7 o’clock in the am and were eating breakfast by 7:10.  For the first time in days no one was so sick that they had to stay back so we were all piled into the dolla dolla and on our way to the orphanage by 8:15. We arrived to Upendo and immediately started playing with the kids. We did not stop until noon when it was time to leave. We then smashed ourselves back into the dolla dolla and headed back to the lodge for a much needed power nap and some food. We all changed into our work clothes (which really need a wash) and headed off to Jesca’s woman’s group for our last day of manual labor with the local ladies.

Since it was our final day working along side the women, I was given the task of explaining what our over all mission was and our results. There were initially two projects we were to lend a helping hand in. One was to help them reconstruct a small, abandoned building into an office they can use to sell their goods on a main road. On the first day six students were chosen to go to the “office.” The very first task that was given to us was to sand down all the walls. Each person was given a (roughly) 4x4 piece of sand paper to scrape everything down. Our throats are still hurting from that one. They then smacked the walls with pieces of cloth to get some of the dust off and immediately started with the primer. This is when we all came to the realization that they do things a little different here. We all wanted to wipe down the walls and get the think layer of dust that was on the floor out of the room before we even thought about cracking open the primer bucket. Instead we said Hakuna Matata and did as we were told whether it was to paint the walls with layers upon layers of primer or to carry more sand and water to the concrete spot. We did different little painting and fixer upper tasks for the next two days and every day Jesca needed less and less people to go. On the fourth day she only brought three of us to help the hired guy spread rocks to level out the ground, lay and even out concrete, and apply the sealant all over the floor. There was not much we could do because we were not properly trained for laying concrete and none of us wanted to screw it up. We were not needed for that job on the fifth day and were brought to the second job with the others.

The second of the two jobs was a little bit rougher on everyone. Its harvest season here in Tanzania so it is only fitting that on the first working day the others harvested corn. They cut down the entire corn stalk with machetes and put them in piles vertically. They cut for the entire four hours and complained about how itchy and rough they had it for the next four hours. The next day they started hoeing the fields with what seemed like 19^th century hoes, in fact all the tools they used were either makeshift or positively primeval. They uplifted the packed dirt all day. This, they told me, was the easiest day. On the third day they hoed some more and got ready to plant by making rows. The fourth day was the most fun day:D. You guessed it, fertilizing day! I was told in graphic detail about the smell, warmth, and freshness of the pig dung but I don’t think you want to hear about that. They were happy to shower when we got back to the lodge. On the fifth day all of us went to the fields. We accomplished various things. Some people kept hoeing and making rows, some passed the time by pulling weeds, others planted Chinese cabbage, and Skimmy and Gardetto watered. Much was accomplished on this day. Jesca and Mr. McMorrow seemed very impressed. We accomplished all of our tasks surprisingly quickly and efficiently.

These women come from the toughest culture I have ever witnessed. Many of them were BeBes (Grandmothers) and they were doing backbreaking work without gloves or shoes like we had. They did not have time to take a water break and were using tools that our great grandparents would have used. These women slaughter the pig, bring home the bacon, fry it, and wash the pan. Everyone on this trip has all the respect in the world for these women. They taught us so much in a few short days and will never be forgotten by these lazy American teenagers.

            -Jenny

Ps. Everyone misses you guys at least a little bit.