The Sacred in the Natural World

Some Sunday morning visitors at the TEMBO Guesthouse.

While there are other guesthouses opening up in Longido now that the District Government is located here and the road between Nairobi and Arusha is completed, none compares with the TEMBO Guesthouse. Not by a long shot.

All the others are located on the highway, so welcome to noise and busyness. The TGH sits at the foot of Mt Longido, surrounded by lots of open space, trees, and so many different kinds of colourful birds that you quickly lose count. Welcome to tranquillity.

I sat outside early this morning with my press pot of hot strong Tanzania coffee, partially facing the mountain where the mist was still rising to reveal more and more of the mountain top; and partially facing the land on the other side of the dry river bed, where Maasai cattle were slowing making their way to the water trough for a morning drink.

So many sounds filled the air: roosters announcing that the morning had arrived; the rattle of cow bells in the distance; donkeys making their donkey sound; and the distant songs of the Sunday morning choir coming from the Lutheran Chruch. But it was the near songs of more than a dozen different birds in the trees surrounding me that provided the constant backdrop to every other sound.

A lot of these beauties are
frequent visitors to TEMBO.

I did not have my camera with me, or a bird book, and this was good. I could focus on what I saw and take it all in without being distracted by composing a picture or applying a name. Bursts of colour shot up everywhere then disappeared: teal blue, fluorescent blue, French’s Mustard yellow, oranges, muted reds, rich blacks and dusty blacks, and soft browns streaked with white.

I watched a weaver bird make numerous trips to the TGH garden to pick up one piece of straw at a time and take it to the nest.

In another spot the birds made their way over to the dripping tap coming from the large underground water tank that supplies mountain water to the TGH. A metal tray catches the drops so precious water is not lost.

The TGH is situated off the road
and is surrounded by the natural world.

Inside the guesthouse Carolyne is preparing soft chapattis for the guests and Ashura is passing a wet mop over the floors she has just swept. Oyaya has just come on duty as the daytime watchman replacing Sanjoy who was the night watchman. Here the staff are like family to each other and those who stay here are invited into that warm comfortable circle.

There are so many places in the world to experience the sacred this morning. I am glad I am experiencing it in Longido at the TEMBO Guesthouse. What a gift it is to be here. 

Good-bye to an Old Friend in Arusha

The Everest Chinese Restaurant and Inn has been my home in Arusha for the past number of years. And not just my home, but others, too. Canadian Directors, sometimes TEMBO staff from Longido, even some visitors with Travelling with TEMBO have stayed here.

Nicely set back from the street behind a wall.

The Everest Chinese will be closing this weekend after nearly 15 years in operation. What a loss for me - I know everyone might not share this sentiment - the accommodation is very basic and no where near 5 Star. Okay, it's closer to 2 Star. Still it's clean, central, safe, has internet access, electricity, running water, and it's quiet. Good Chinese Food, too.

Most of my visits have been spent in Room 1, located at the far end of the strip of 6 rooms, away from the activity. I've written a lot of reports and blog posts in that room. I have seldom turned on the TV.

Met a lot of interesting travellers here.

Mr. Liu Songfu is the Chinese-Canadian owner from Toronto. He and his family have taken turns managing the Everest over the years, including his mother, now in her 80's, in China. Liu says Arusha is changing and the world economy is playing a bit part. The economic crisis in Europe is causing people to cut back on travel or spend less when they do. The Arusha War Crimes Tribunal, once a large employer of many people from around the world, now has only a skeletal staff. The Arusha-Nairobi Road is now complete after being under construction for - what? - 6 years. A lot of Chinese and their families were here for that big road project, too. Now only a handful remain to take care of road problems that might occur over the next 3 years.

Luckily, Liu says he has managed to secure jobs in other hotels and restaurants for his current staff. If Liu is right about the Arusha economy going into a period of decline, there will be many Tanzanians negatively impacted for the next few years. Liu sees the signs and is choosing to leave before the situation worsens. Given the luxury hotel boom around Arusha, it seems not everyone sees the situation the same way. Time will tell. It always does.

Many dinner guests served  at welcoming tables over the years.

Thanks to Liu and his family, and all the staff at the Everest Chinese, for their warm hospitality...and for giving me a space where, from time to time, I could not only shower off the Longido dust, but also feed my soul.

The KWGP: A Really Big Small Project

A KWGP second level member with her children.

Wednesday, September 26: Mornings like the one I had today nourish me for even the most difficult of times. It’s why I, and many others in Canada and Tanzania, spend countless hours working hard so that TEMBO Trust can grow and succeed. Our commitment is to educate and empower girls and women and to develop the capacity for this work to be sustainable.

Just as the sun was about to rise behind Mt Longido, Sanjoy, Lesaloi, and I were already on the road to Kimokouwa about to pay an early morning visit to some of the women in the KWGP – the Kimokouwa Women’s Goat Project. It is one of the activities I most look forward to whenever I visit Tanzania. We travel by motor bike since the bomas of the women who care for the goats are scattered over many kilometers of very rough terrain. The only roads are the ones we make.

Sanjoy, one of TEMBO's two good shepherds.

For our visit today, Sanjoy has chosen two women who were original members of the group in 2010, and two members of the second level – women who are now in the KWGP because of goats they have received from the original, or first level members. Sanjoy and Oyaya make weekly trips to visit the women to record and help with births, deaths, sicknesses, challenges, and successes. They have basic training in veterinary care and are able to vaccinate the goats and treat minor illnesses. Lesaloi came along to act as translator for me, since he speaks three languages well: Kimaasai, Kiswahili, and Kiengaresa or English.

One of the drought tolerant Isiolo goats with
a tag in the right ear.

The air is fragarant with earthy smells as we drive off the highway and into the countryside, waving and honking at the other early risers we pass along the way. You never pass a person in these parts here without greeting them in some fashion. 

Lesaloi with Mt Longido behind.

It’s the dry season and we arrive at the first boma early or we will miss seeing the goats. They have to travel long distances now in order to find food so they must get an early start. We meet one of the original members who lives on the mountain side of the highway. She has been very successful. No deaths due to disease and one stillborn. Her goats now have ‘grand goats’ and as soon as the young one she points at is weaned and given away she will have met the conditions of the program. She will be free to sell both male and female goats and keep 90% of the selling price. Until now she has had to give her two firstborn females to other women - that's how the program becomes sustainable. She has sold males for 60,000 TZS or about $45.00 CAD each. And she has had milk from the goats each day for her children. Sanjoy is beaming as he relates these details to me through Lesaloi. His pride, understandably, cannot be concealed.

Before the goats go out to graze they are given some food to get them started. They are eating dry seeds that have fallen from the acacia tree (like elongated maple keys). Lesaloi explains they are full of nutrients. He says, “Nature is very intelligent. In the rainy season there is plenty of green food to eat. In the dry season there are leaves and seeds to provide nourishment.” The KWGP goats are easily identifiable as they graze, wearing blue or green ear tags sent from Canada and affixed by Sanjoy or Oyaya when the baby goat is old enough.

Two young shepherds at rest.

Time is passing and we travel on to meet some of the other women in the program. Every woman's story is similar. Everyone is very grateful to TEMBO. All the goats look healthy and well fed. Everyone feels well supported by Oyaya and Sonjoy.

Next week I will sit with Oyaya, and Sanjoy to do a full review of the KWGP. Sanjoy says the goat project is 'just beginning' and that great things lie ahead. He adds, "This will be very big and it will be very successful". He and Oyaya, themselves goat keepers, have taken such a sense of ownership of and pride in the KWGP. I also anticipate great things ahead under their leadership and guidance.

By 10 a.m. we are back at the TGH in time for staff chai. I am dusty, smelling of the earth, hungry, and very happy.

Violence: The Uninvited Guest

Everyone knew the uneasy calm of yesterday was very fragile and by mid afternoon the dukas in Longido had closed again. Shopkeepers were preparing for a second straight day of angry protests engulfing the whole town. Just before 5 p.m. the geologists staying at the TGH left for Arusha saying they would return once the unrest died down. The staff were on edge. As she held her baby, Angela, Carolyne wondered what she should do – stay or go home. She has a husband and two other young children – what about them? I offered all the staff the option of having their families come to the TGH until the situation settled.

Baraka Mark David, a Maasai friend from Kimokouwa I have known since 1998, called from Maasai Radio wondering how events were unfolding. He said meetings were being held at the highest levels with the Regional Commissioner, District Commissioner, the MP, village leaders from areas where the unrest had already spread, and the tribal leaders. A peaceful solution is being sought. He added that “grazing rights” seemed to be the issue. The Larusha were bringing their cattle into Maasai territory to find food, knowing well that some lines should not be crossed.

Nusra atop one of the water tanks
trying to see what is happening on the road.

We could hear the noise coming from the paved road but could not see anything. Suddenly we heard a gunshot. It was ominous, but welcome, because it signalled that the military were now on the scene. Everyone stayed put. Carolyne’s husband, Simon, who usually wears Western-style clothing, arrived at the guesthouse wearing his traditional Maasai clothing, knowing he could be targeted. A few World Vision workers were already inside the TGH gates. Lesaloi, the daytime askari, remained and was joined by Oyaya who came early for night duty. Sanjoy also showed up later in the evening.

Soldiers looking for ringleaders.
They are separated from the TGH by a dry riverbed.

Gun shots rang out intermittently for the next hour. I was told the military were firing into the air to disburse the crowds. We saw some young Maasai running in the areas around the TGH and on the other side of the dry river bed. An army truck filled with soldiers followed in search of the instigators. The staff were on cell phones getting information from friends in other parts of town. We were told the ringleaders were being taken to the Police Station.

A military vehicle passes by the TGH gate.
They came prepared for violence and, luckily, little force was needed.

We knew we were safe where we were, within the TGH perimeter. We sat outside listening and watching until it was clear the situation was under control. Just before dusk Carolyne, Simon, and Angela left for home to be with their other children. Nusra and Mama Ali prepared dinner and decided to stay for the night. World Vision field workers arrived back from Ketumbeine about 9 p.m. Longido town was quiet and the tension that had filled the air earlier had dissipated.

Though lots of activity had taken place all around us and on the highway, we saw very little since the TGH is set back from the road. Throughout, traffic never really stopped on the Arusha-Nairobi Road. Once it was evident the military were present I had a feeling the situation was changing and the unrest would quickly die down. It did. At the TGH we were never really threatened or in danger.

Carolyne, holding Angela, and her husband, Simon,
wait out the unrest at the TGH.

Rosie arrived for work this morning saying she was “not good.” I knew it was about all that has been happening. Everyone will finish their work then have the rest of the day to be with their families. Einoti, also a Maasai, says this unrest and “tribal conflict” is unheard of here and this is why people are noticibly upset. They point to places in Kenya where deadly tribal warfare is known to happen. “What is happening to the world?” she asks.

For today, everyone waits and hopes. What will dialogue and listening bring?

An Uneasy Peace in Longido

Travelling back to Longido from Arusha yesterday I was struck by the number of young Maasai men our vehicle passed along the way – groups of them – crossing dry barren fields or walking along the roadside. It was an unusual sight and I concluded there had been a ceremony somewhere.

When I was dropped at the roadside in Longido, on my way to the TGH, I passed TEMBO Housekeeper, Rosie’s home, and asked about her weekend. “Too many Maasai in Longido,” Rosie replied. When I arrived at the guesthouse I got the story from Carolyne and Nusra.

Longido, with hydro wires in the background and a finished road.
Development is changing the town, yet an uneasy peace is felt today.

It seems there has been a dispute going on for quite sometime between the pure Maasai and the mixed Maasai in the towns and villages here in the north of Tanzania. The mixed Maasai, also called Larusha, have moved to areas where farming is possible, so they can grow crops. They bring their cattle to the pure Maasai for grazing and keeping. The pure or traditional Maasai have retained their practice of keeping herds of cattle and moving the herds around to find food. Nusra used Sanjoy as an example. “You might see that he has 50 cattle but they are not all his. Maybe only 10 are and he is taking care of the others for grazing.” The Maasai have asked for food from the Larusha in exchange for taking care of their cattle and they are refusing to return the cattle until they receive food. The Larusha are retaliating be cutting the water lines, since they claim the water belongs to them.

As a result of this, violent disputes are rotating throughout the north. Yesterday the disputes moved to this area. Hundreds of Maasai warriors armed with pangas and spears descended on Longido and other towns threatening the farmers. Nusra said the shops in Longido closed in the afternoon and no one ventured out of their house after the sun went down for fear of being harmed. Carolyne heard that people had even been killed down the highway at Oldonyo Sambu during the weekly Saturday market. Here at the TGH, one of the guests was hit with an iron pipe.

Today there are still groups of armed Maasai here in town, though I have not seen any disturbances and people are cautiously going about their work. There is, however, an atmosphere of fear pervading the usual “laid back” atmosphere. Mama Nai was just at the TGH and said she was also afraid and wanted to return to her home as quickly as possible. Mama Nai added more information about the happenings on Saturday at the Oldonyo Sambu market. The Larusha stole cattle, goods, and money from the Maasai who had gone to the market to sell. Now the Maasai are threatening revenge. The local police are only a handful of people and they, too, are afraid to get involved. Mama Nai feels the Military Police might need to be called to monitor or intervene in the situation.

Children, like Rosie'd daughter, Noella, are kept out of danger.

It’s difficult to tell who is in the right and who is in the wrong. I don’t know enough about the situation. It seems there is some relationship to water underneath it all. The harsh reality is that water is scarce and getting scarcer, and the short rains are not due to begin for many weeks, if they come at all. 

A Day Around the TEMBO Guesthouse

Wednesday, September 19:  The TGH (TEMBO Guesthouse) is such an integral part of the workings of TEMBO Trust. Through the TGH, TEMBO is developing the capacity of many local villagers who work here doing various important jobs. And guests who stay here have the satisfaction of knowing that besides excellent accommodation and food, they are supporting TEMBO programs designed to help girls and women in Longido and Kimokouwa.

The towering Jacaranda Tree now blooming
scatters soft purple blooms transforming the dusty streets.

As I write this blog post this morning the place is filled with activity – it has been since 5:00 a.m. There are a lot of guests here right now and that makes for long days and creative sharing of space to meet everyone’s needs.

World Vision Tanzania is a regular visitor and TEMBO is grateful for their support. There are about 28 of them here for meals and as many of them staying in guestrooms as can be accommodated. TEMBO staff has helped the overflow requests find other lodging in the village. World Vision makes good use of our large inner courtyard that doubles as a meeting area. Their work during this visit is to map the World Vision project area with hand held GPS units. They are doing this for World Vision Canada, their funders.

Three of the guest rooms are accommodating some prospectors looking for gold in the area. They are working with a major geological company and have been here for awhile. They have set up a small area at the back of the TGH property where they bring their samples, sift them through a screen, then analyze the contents with a very sophisticated portable hand held unit. Everything in the handful of “dirt” registers and is named and the percentages are recorded. One of the prospectors tells me he found a large deposit of uranium on another expedition he was on near the Indian Ocean coast of Tanzania.

In the kitchen Nusra, Carolyne, and Mama Ali are preparing dinner for the crowd of 33 who will show up hungry in a couple of hours. Whenever there is a crowd at the TGH, Nusra and Carolyne need extra help, and Mama Ali provides some ‘casual help’ and works efficiently alongside them.

Mama Ali cleaning fish for dinner.

And outside, on the TGH patio, sits one of the Maasai cocos or grandmothers holding Angela, Carolyne's 3 month old baby daughter. This coco takes care of Angela when Carolyne is working and brings the baby to the guesthouse to be fed during Carolyne's shift. Angela is a very content baby and already has beautiful curly dark hair to complement her soft skin.

Coco with baby Angela.

And in the TEMBO Trust office, at the front of the TGH, Paulina, Mama Nai, and I sat with an elder from Kimokouwa Village and his daughter. He brought his daughter to the office to explain why she wanted to quit school. The father wanted to be sure we knew he was not the one wanting his daughter to leave school. His daughter is in Form Three and not doing very well academically. Our counselling did not pay off, even when we offered to try to enrol her in a Vocational Program. It was up to the girl to make a choice. She wanted to go back to the village. Before they walked away the father told us what we already suspected: his daughter would now be married.

Sometimes things just don't turn out the way you'd like them to.

In My Second Home

It's been too long since my last post. So much to do before leaving Canada.

It certainly is good to be back in Tanzania after an absence of a whole year. I was warmly welcomed by everyone - familiar faces in Nairobi, where I landed - to the staff and villagers in Longido. The trip is a long one and my sleep pattern is still adjusting to the 7 hour time change. During the flight from Amsterdam, I sat next to a 2016 Olympic hopeful- a young Nairobi policeman who is a marathon runner. I will follow his progress with interest. One of the nicest things about travelling is the people you meet.

One of the colourful shuttle buses. I can't disagree. 

It's September and Longido is dry. Mt Longido does not have a lot of water to share since it has not rained in a while. The TGH - TEMBO Guesthouse -  is ordering a truck full of water this afternoon in preparation for the houseful of guests it will accommodate tomorrow. We're fortunate to be able to do this. Most people simply have to get by with less water when there is so little. Some turn to the open wells of unsafe water that is shared by the animals.

The internet connection at the TGH is intermittent right now so today I have come into Arusha for business. I was the last person on the shuttle so the driver brought me right to the Everest Chinese  Inn where I will spend the day working in my room. He made up for the not-so-nice shuttle driver that brought me to Longido from Nairobi and left me one the roadside rather than at the TGH door. This fellow was the exception in my experience.

On the way to Arusha we stopped at the bustling weekly Saturday Market that was just setting up in Odonyo Sambu. We dropped people off who added their hoping-to-be-sold goods to what will be hundreds of people selling anything and everything to thousands of people from miles around. The driver needed to do a quick tire exchange on the back right.

Market place setting up.

The staff in Longido were anxious to hear news about TEMBO co-founder, Marian Roks' year of cancer treatment. As I talked, I was only too well aware of how absolutely fortunate I am to live in a country like Canada. TEMBO staff, Mary Laiser, listened intently then told me about a woman from the village who had cancer. I looked at her and said, people here just die, don't they? Every single thing here related to health care and treatment costs out-of-pocket money. Most people do just die.

This week will be busy and I will be collecting stories everywhere I go. They are everywhere.