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.