Hakuna Matata.

It means no worries, and I tell myself that everyday I am here - for several good reasons.

1. The past week I have noticed what I thought appeared to be several bug bites on my lower left back and left butt cheek. Wrong. I found out on Saturday from three of the housekeepes that I had mango flies (not sure how to spell the damn things...) in my skin, thats right - burrowed in my skin laying cute little mango flies. How delightful! I was so proud to be supporting a few African families all at the same time. In all reality it was probably one of the worst/funny/horrifying experiences of my life. It all started with me being pulled into one of the bedrooms and told to drop my pants. Then a fellow volunteer, Megan, came to my rescue with a tweezers rather than what the other women wanted to use, a toothpick! I was akwardly bent over the side of the bed and instantly screaming in pain. I can't count how many times I yelled certain words, and how drentched my shirt was with sweat, but I can tell you that it was an hour and a half of operating that I will never forget. It now appears that the wounds are healing and there haven't been any recent bugs needing to be removed - I plan on visiting a docotr to double check when I get home.

2. I recently got tested for malaria and found out that I had a high count of parasites. Luckily I hadn't been feeling too sick from it, and I just finished my last dose of antibiotics. Needless to say it's been a really good week for me.

3. I experienced my first earthquake on Monday morning at around 5 am. I woke up to a small shake and fell back asleep thinking it was all just a dream. I soon found out that many others felt the shake and that it was a small tremor, nothing to worry about.

4. After taking my braids out that were in for over two weeks, I managed to also loose a good chunk of my hair - luckily it grows back. No worries...

I'm not sure what is in store for me next, but my last weekend will be spent visiting Stone Town and the beaches in Zanzibar. I am really missing the kids and mamas at pplacement (I haven't been able to go for the past two days due to my malaria). I don't know how I feel about leaving, but I do know that I miss my family and friends everyday that I am here. I can't wait to get some hugs and show my battle wounds on my rear. There is always so much more to say, but I need to get some work done and probably take a nap if I want to kick this malaria.

I will attempt one more blog before I leave. I hope evreybody is well and in good spirits, the summer is here. Well, officially on June 21st, but hey - no more snow?!

Looking forward to so much more ahead of me...

Tembo Everywhere.

This past Saturday I went on a day safari to Lake Manyara, where we saw even more elephants. There weren't as many animals there as my other safari, but it was quite possibly one of the most peaceful places I have ever been - and I mean that. The morning of was a bit of a rough start for me, as was this morning. I didn't want to travel too far from a toilet, so I wound up staying home from placement. I am starting to feel a bit better, but am trying to avoid anything in excess. Yesterday a bunch of us helped out a fellow volunteer who works with White Orange Youth, an NGO that educates people on HIV/AIDS. We helped set up a few tents, and played with some of the cutest kids I have ever seen! I wanted to take them all home with me... Once the event got going, there was music, dancing, speakers, and tents set up where you can go to get tested - which I was very proud to do. I was almost 100% sure that my results would be negative, which they were, but I still thought it was important to know how it feels to get tested before telling so many people to do it themselves. It was a very personal test, and I was greatful to have shared it with a little girl who sat on my lap with me. I had the doctors tell her what they were doing (since my Swahili is still a bit non existant...), and thought it may help her better understand that all people should be tested. After that I took a nap that lasted a few hours - I needed it. I am starting to feel a bit sick, and hope it's not malaria - only time will tell (and a trip to the doctors if I don't feel better by tomorrow). But hey, hakuna matata, there is a very simple 3 day medicine to take if I do have it. After the long nap we helped set up the clandle light memoral that was held at one of the local roundabouts. It was very meaningful to the small number of people there. It is true that people still think you can contract HIV/AIDS from kissing! After a short educational film we had a group disscusian where we shared stories, ideas, questions, and answers. It was amazing how much people will open up if you just listen with an open heart and mind.

Now on to a new development. This morning one of the students at Jipe Moyo, Agustino, wrote Melissa and I a letter asking for help paying for his schooling. Just a re-cap, I don't work at a school - it's just a group of people of all different ages and genders that want to get help with English and other things. The cost is about 400 Tsh, which is about 370 USD. I'm not asking for donations, but rather putting it out there incase anybody would like to help. We alone won't be able to pay for it, but know with help from others we might be able to. Agustino is a very smart young man with a lot of potential - if you have any other questions about it just shoot me an e-mail, amberj4s@hotmail.com.

I am really wishing I could put photos up to share with you all, but you will just have to wait!

Hope everything is well with everybody - keep me posted!

Much love.

Pole Pole.

Slowly, slowly - that was the way my weekend hikes were, yet my actually weekend went by quickly, quickly. On Saturday a group of us did a day hike on Kili, which was beautiful - yet still too foggy to see any amazing sights. We managed to finish our hike up in 2 hours rather than the usual 3 - we then payed the price for it. I am happy to wait another year or so before doing the whole climb - I need to get in better shape (also the altitude is what really got to me...). Yesterday I went with another group of people to a beautiful waterfall and learned how to roast coffee beans (which of coarse I didn't drink in the end due to my lack of interest in the taste of coffee). On the way to the hike our van could no longer make it up the muddy hill, so we hiked to our hike. It was really fun going though a town that we would normally just pass through. It was a Sunday, so we heard lots of singing coming from churches and people dressed in their Sunday's best. Not only did we Shikamo many elders, but we also had a group of at least 50 kids following us for sometime up the road - they are all so cute and friendly! The hike was slippery, so I was thankful to have a hiking stick. The waterfall was beautiful (pictures when I get home), and the water was freezing! I was shocked by how cold it was, but of coarse it was nothing to a cold day at Temperance or in the Lake Superior. I don't think that Zanzibar will happen this weekend, maybe a walking safari instead? The weeks go by so quickly and we always have so much to do. I need to get some lessons planned for the week and start working on Jipe Moyo's laptop. We are trying to better organize their work, but in a way that the women will still be able to access and understand it. It was Bob Marley Day on Saturday, so that was fun hearing all of the music on the streets, cars, and peoples homes. Today not many people showed up to class, probably due to the thick and sticky mud that covered the streets. Melissa, Amani, Living, Oliva, and I still trudged through the mud to go do two home visits after class today. We ask how they are doing and what medicines they are on and if they are taking them properly. Everybody is doing alright other than some people seem to be getting malaria (even at the CCS home base!).

There is always a load more to write than I do, but there is always so little time to do so. I'm sorry that the photos won't be up and ready for viewing until I get home...

As always - have an open mind, lend a helping hand, and love with open arms.

I hope to post again soon, but for now I need to go and journal while I am waiting to get my hair braided - yes, braided...

Pole Sana.

Wow – there is so much to say! I have been in Tanzania for two weeks and feel like I could spend so much longer than the six that I will be here. Not only is the scenery here beyond words, but the people have such beautiful hearts. I have been busy with placement at Jipe Moyo, where I have decided to spend all six weeks, rather than change placements for the last three. My fellow volunteer there, Melissa, is amazing. She is so sweet and is helping me get adjusted to teaching, the women there, and TFT (Tanzanian Free Time – people are late all of the time, and it doesn’t ever matter…). I have been working with three boys (Jumane, Ditopile, and Simoni) during the first hour of our day, and then the second we either spend doing home visits to members who are sick at home (due to HIV/AIDS), and other afternoons with our meetings (financial and support group work). We are trying to help the women understand that they need to fundraise for the money they need in ways that don’t rely on Mizungo (white people) money. They have a chicken project, but it isn’t enough to support them every month. There is also a problem with people not showing up on time (TFT), which can also be due to the rainy season which causes roads to become extremely muddy or even flood their homes. There is so much to say about what needs to be done to help the people here, but it is ultimately up to the people themselves to decide what it is that they need in their lives to make sure they are happy and healthy. Speaking of health, I got my first chance to visit a hospital here in Moshi the other day. It broke my heart entering the ICU knowing that we had just put up the first sign even identifying the room as the ICU. I also had a hard time because I had been picturing my brother having needed his medical treatment there and how different it would have been. It was sad, but at the same time we were there for a good reason. A past volunteer had been working there and decided that they need a good organizational boost. She had another placement sew together some material that would hold information at the end of every patient bed and also identify the ward and bed number. We also went around putting laminated signs stating what ward number it was and to what treatment was being done there. It is amazing how all the little things add up and help so much…

Now on to a few weekend excursions. Just one week ago I went on safari to the Serengeti and Ngorogoro National Park. Once again, words cannot describe what it was that my eyes saw. The air was something I had never smelt or felt, the animals were so wild and unforgiving, and the sky was like a blanket of comfort I had never felt before. Our group was lucky enough to have seen the big 5 (elephants, leopards, rhinos, water buffalo, and lions). Not only did we see them, but lots of them! We saw lions mating and giraffes attempt! We saw tons of elephants, and even had a stand off with one of them (some of the most frightening minutes of my life). In the crater we saw over 25% of the rhino population there (six), and got to see two leopards and three cheetahs. Overall it was an experience that not even my photos will be able to describe (you need to go!). This weekend I am doing a day hike on Kilimanjaro (I am heading back to do the whole thing another time), and then going to a beautiful waterfall on Sunday. Our group got to visit a local market and experience our first waterfall the other day. It was so refreshing being able to swim in such a setting, although the hike down was something I will never forget (muddy and steep). The next plan I have is to join two other girls on a flight over to Zanzibar where we will get to enjoy the beach, stone town, the beautiful doors there, and Freddy Mercury’s old home.
There is honestly so much more to say, but the internet café is probably the last place I want to spend a sunny afternoon! I hope you are all well and I send my love. Please if you get a chance, stop by my home and give my brother the biggest hug for me – I can’t explain the loss I feel not being by his side day and night.

Four more weeks to go, so I will try my best to write on this once a week.
Sending my love and fantastic Tanzanian vibes.