May 2022 – AfricaEddie

Pedicure, Haircut (and Colour) and a Wedding

A week of work ends with a wedding Tanzanian style

This week has been a focus on a few treats for me. I found a barber shop where pedicures were advertised and it was not bad. My feet which have walked through dusty roads since my arrival and dried out soles needed a good scrub and scrape. So for $12 it was great value. Mind you the original quote was $10 but after having my feet in hot water for a few minutes suddenly the Engish of the lady scraping my heel managed to tell me 20,000TZS, not the 15,000 I had quoted. I would have tipped her the additional 5,000 so no great loss.

Next day a haircut. Back to the same hairdresser for my $2 cut (tip last time was $2) and I am sitting there the young girl who sweeps the floor, does the hairwashes and other sundry tasks, opens a cupboard and takes out hair dye. Now everyone over here has black hair. The guy out the back who has his hair being dyed has black hair. How ridiculous I thought, only to be told a lot of guys like it darker. So after ascertaining it was only a three minute job ( I forgot to ask how long I had to stay in the chair) and a price of $7.50 I thought why not.

Well putting the dye in was three minutes but waiting for it to dry and then washing my hair was about another hour. Now to my eyes it was very dark. However I have been told by many here they like it. In fact Bishop mentioned to me if I was marraiageable, I would not be turned down! I am not sure it has made me look that much younger.

Work this week was again busy and frustrating. Seeing people working on computer systems where there is no internet, no way of readily sharing documents and even getting a letter written and scanned for the bishop since Wednesday wasn’t finished by Friday. Staff here work very hard.

I was asked by a staff member when “do you rest.” Not satisfied with after work and weekends she persisted and I understood that sometimes people have a break during thier work day even if they don’t leave their desks.

Most mornings we have breakfast before heading to the cathedral for morning prayers and then to the cafeteria where staff enjoy a subsidised breakfast at 8am. I usually go and have a coffee (Vittoria Coffee bags brought with me from Australia) , chat with others and get in by 8.30am. On Thursday I decided to have a chipati and had to wait so went out the back to see how they were preapred. The pictures graphically tell the story.

One morning I walked the long way to the office from the cafe and saw girls from the sewing centre playing a ball game before class. Netball would do well over here. Monkeys were spotted on the roof of the cafe that morning.

The Bunda Bible College has its graduation on 11 June and given my past role with Anglican Aid and helping support students there the college will graduate the largest number of graduates in living memory of any Anglican Church of Tanzania College with forty graduates at certificate, Diploma and the extension (remote) course. As a result I have been invited as the speaker on the day so one evening was spent preparing that talk. As I edited it Saturday, I translated it into Swahili and had a go at speaking it. Not sure I can speak 1500 Swahili words efficiently but will have a practice run through with some poor soul to tell me if it is worth pursuing.

Friday was the PTC graduation in Sydney. I was able to tune in online. Friday afternoon I faciliate the English Bible study. Only two people thiss week.

A Tanzanian Wedding

Bishop told me one of the pastors asked him if he could marry about six weeks ago just after he got a yes from the bride to be. This is a formal process and because she was not a confirmed Anglican and her family wanted the wedding in her town and church, his feedback was that he had to marry in an Anglican Church as an ordained clergy.

So imagine organising the wedding in six weeks. Well it went off on Saturday and was interesting to observe it all. We arrived at the cathedral at 8.40am for a 9am start. Not a soul around. Ten minutes later the groom and best man emerge through the closed doors of the cathedral. They came to see what was happening which was nothing, other than our arrival. at 9.03am still no one. By 9.15am a small number of people started arriving and then a rush.

Both are employed att the local Anglican School and as the adults started increasing in number, a wave of primary and kinder kids from about three years old streamed in. The cathedral was fairly full by 9.30am as the briadal car arrived. She did not emerge till after 10am, by which time a few choirs had warmed the congregation up, the groom had addressed the people inside and most guests were seated making meaning the cathedral was 75% full (about 300 people).

As her entry was announced a choir led singing and people lined up in the aisle. She stopped just inside the cathedral doorway and the groom and best man made their way down the aisle and stopped 1.5m from her. The dean made an announcement,there was a response from the groom, people howled, ululated and cheered and then the groom lifted the veil of his bride to be. Together they commenced walking down the aisle together to deafening ululations and cheers.

The service used the Anglican Prayer Book for weddings so I could follow what was going on. The Vicar General spoke and received a note from the bishop which I was later told “time is not our friend.” He completed his address shortly afterwards. The couple were married, resumed their seats, communion was taken and then back up the front for the binding of hands with the bishops scarf as he prayed for them (words about whatGod has joined let no one separate).. The register was signed and out we went about two hours after the bride made her entry.

Asking a number of people if this was a long wedding, I was gobsmacked to be told this was very shrt at only two hours. The couple were heading to Mwanza (four hours away) for the first reception with her family and friends. I will be at the Musoma reception Sunday night at 7pm. All in all a wonderful experience.

Jonah of Tanzania and My Busiest Week

I mentioned in my last blog a visit to a village on Saturday where the Bishop was speaking on Saturday afternoon and going back Sunday for confirmation for those ready and able to demonstrate they understood its significance. While there I met Pastor Francis whose story I tell because it describes so much that challenges Tanzania economically and the church in particular.

On arrival we were met by a group of church leaders and taken to Francis’ home to be welcomed officially. He is sixty three years old and has been pastor in this village for seven years. He has one wife (polygamy still exists so this is to clarify) and ten children. His monthly stipend is usually about 10,000 TZS or AU$6-7 but may sometimes be double that. So he farms to feed his family.

Apart from the village I am in, he also has four other congregations that he is responsible to pastor, supported by catechists (non-ordained pastors who may have some theological education). So he visits each congregation monthly to do the priestly thing about communion that non ordained pastors cannot do.

As I was asking him about his family and time in ministry he told me he went to Bible College in the early 1990s but was not a Christian at the time. We ran out of time at this stage so I had to continue a few hours later after all the activities we were there for had concluded.

He went to Bible College as a young man, enthralled with the vestments and ceremony of the Anglican Church at the time. He actually completed three years of college and was sent to villages to start new churches, something many do which is a tough gig. He eventually moved on to another community after establishing a new church and found life a bit tougher there. Many would say to him “you will die poor. Why don’t you get a job and look after yourself.” Not really having had a “call” he eventually left life as a minister and went fishing in Lake Victoria where many at the time were making excellent income from huge catches as large numbers of fish populated the lake and excess catches fed an export market. The boat was incidentally owned by his father.

From my stays in a hotel at Mwanza overlooking Lake Victoria, the distant lights at night tell the story of the fishing industry. Small lightweight, canoe style boats for 2-3 dot the darkness of the night as these men, the equivalent of sustenance farmers eke out a livelihood on Africa’s largest lake.

After some years, one night out fishing wth two older men a storm commenced. He suggested lowering the sail and they argued. One of the men mockingly suggesting if he was scared to walk across the lake to land. The boat capsized. All three hung onto ropes attached to the boat.

The sun rose and as they awaited their fate, poisonous snakes popped their heads over the boat looking at them. He prayed for safety for he and his colleagues from the snakes and did not see them again. The day became night. He prayed for his colleagues that they would survive. He had concluded he was responsible for this situation because he had left the ministry and he did not wish his colleagues harm.

As he kept praying aloud, they told him to stop praying as he might disturb the sea ghosts. “Sea ghosts” I asked. He explained these men were pagans who believed in evil spirits which lived under the water. He kept praying. Day turned to night and night to day.

On night three they saw distant lights and began shouting. Eventually the boat came closer and three bedraggled, naked men emerged for rescue. He saw his father and told him he was never going fishing again and saw the bishop of the area and returned to pastoral duties. After some years he again went to Bible College at Rorya for three years and became ordained as a priest/pastor.

When asked why he was foing to the Anglican Church, which people from his tribe equated as the church of the Luo, he recounted to friends that when his father was sick in hosptal it was the church that helped his father with fees. When he died the Anglican Chrch paid for his funeral as he was penniless.

While he has never equated his experience to that of Jonah who spent three days in the belly of a whale while running from God, the parallels between the expriences of Francis and Jonah are recognisable.

Francis lives very simply. He has a house made of mud bricks and a rough uneven floor. There is electricity for lighting and limited power. I ran into his daughter with Bishop later in the week and she send money home. She works in Musoma with the local soccer team.

While the village is generally poor, there are signs of increasing prosperity in some of the houses. We had lunch in a room of a house under construction for ten years. The owner is a teacher and buys materials and labour when he has savings. Dinner was at another older church member’s home in a small compound that suggested some improved economic circumstances. Bishop mentioned it was good to see wealthier members of the church providing hospitality as this was an indication they had hosted the meal.

In speaking to Pastor Francis, he appeared content. He was preparing for retirement in a few years but expressed satisfaction with his life since the near drowning. He is thankful that God spared his life, although there were no bargains made at that time. He was just praying and asking if he died that his body was found so he could have a burial.

The rest of my week was busy and this was the busiest so far. Lots of admin work, video meeting with Anglican Aid and staff from here to discuss a building program and in between training people on Google drive and discusssing a newsletter with a young guy who is going to produce it.

All in all an amzing week

Aussie Visitors and a Sheep Story that only the photo makes believeable

A wek of contrasts in Musoma

Sunday started with Anglican Aid staff member Chris Cooper coming down to preac at the Cathedral here in Musoma. Tim Swan the CEO was speaking at Rorya Diocese’s Cathedral about an hour an a half away.

After church Chris and I went back to where I am staying, walked to Lake Victoria and met Tim Swan and then went to lunch at Matvilla with three bishops. All six of us had Tilapia (I am sure that came as a surprise). It was a working lunch of sorts as various issues were discussed. We then drove to Bunda where the three Aussies stayed at the home of a retired Australian missionary who has been unable to get back since 2020. The whole group of about a dozen had dinner while the locals went off to their accommodation. Alpha Lugoley, the principal of Bunda Bible College stayed back at my suggestion as Tim and Chris’s visit was about visiting BBC and discussing scholarships and the development of the college. This allowed an opportunity for Alpha to explain issues at the college as next day will be busy.

Monday started early for the 7am chapel service which was excellent. Students even had an Anglican Aid song they composed. Video and lyrics Then after “chai” we walked the grounds of a college spread across sixt acres and the Anglican Aid people discussed the infrastructure needs and locations. Tim left Chris while I accompanied him to Shalom Primary School, constructed by Anglican Aid since 2017. The development since my last visit here in 2019 has been astounding and the school looks great. Met the builder who is onsite constructing a classroom and had a chat to him and commended him on the quality of their work.

Principal Alpha, Chris AA(L) &Tim Swan CEO AA (R)

Then back to college for lunch before a visit to Bunda Girls School. A real flying visit as Tim and Chris had a three hour drive from here so time very limited.

From BGSS we made a quick stop to the Girls Brigade Sewing Cetre which explains what it does. Village girls come in for a year and from never having touched a sewing machine are sewing within two months as some of the examples we were shown testified. This helps girls who may not even have been able to start secondary education and be destined to early marriage and life in a village with no skills to at least have a chance of earning an income. Apart from sewing they are taught the basics of business, keeping records and pricing work.

After the formalities, Tim was presented with a cake to mark his visit which he duly cut. The girls then asked if they could sing a song which being acapella was displaying the natural ability of these girls’ voices and rythm. After what was a rushed visit Tim and Chris bade us farewell as they headed to Mwanza to arrive before dark.

The rest of my week was flat out. On Wednesday I have the morning off for a retirment course I am doing on Zoom back home. I got into the office at 11.30am and asked to meet in the Bishop’s Office with the Link Officer and Bunda Bible College principal. Three international students have run into visa issues and were going to be deported. I did assist them to find a solution.

Bishop and I visited a former disability program about 8kms south of Musoma which is a white elephant. After operating since 2003 and the Dutch funders building a massive complex to provide community based support to children and adults with all sorts of disabilities, the centre closed at the end of 2014 when funding ceased. One of my tasks is to assist the diocese find a solution. The buildings have not been repurposed as the bishop wanted to ensure the funders are involved in any decisions about future use. I have a meeting with the national coordinator coming up to discuss the options.. Truly depressing when I have seen a similar program Anglican Aid established on the western side of the lake which meets so many needs for families with children with disabilities.

On Thursday I arranged a meeting to discuss the development of a newsletter for overseas partners to tell of the many things happening in Mara Diocese. It has the approval of the bishop so the link officer and Diocesan Secretary were involved in how to get it up. The website is down so Bishop rang a young volunteer who maintains it. While on the phone the error message changed to site down for maintenance. He came in later in the day and I met him briefly. He was to return Friday for a meeting to discuss the newsletter and website further.

Musa the Bishop of Rorya turned up as arranged for a two hour lesson on Google Drive and how to make best use of Google features. That was time well spent.

The week finished with a meeting to discuss the farm with the Manager Annarose. She is also responsible for parents in their nineties who want to return home to their village. A real difficulty for her given both have had strokes in recent years and mum requires total care. The farm issues a re being slowly addressed. Sunflower harvest looks good and she has lots of ideas about progressing things there.

And Friday afternoon was spent with Mwita the young guy who will work on the newsletter. I went through the various things that should go into it. He will not only do the graphic design but also the reporting by interviewing the staff and getting the stories. I left him at 4pm as I am facilitating the English Bible study each week. It had it largest attendance since I have been here. It is alerting me to many issues that need help in the church here.

He is 28yo, graduate of a university in graphic design and unusually knows Apple products.

As I type the weekend is coming to a close. Saturday was a visit to a village where 25 people has been baptised in the morning after a week of evangelism. Bishop goes out on Saturday afternoon to do some teaching and be a presence among the local community. Sunday he goes out to confirm any who are ready and teach again.

Lunch on Sunday with Sange Wangoya and his wife Mary. A beautiful couple, each with amazing stories. I will post about them on Facebook.

I heard what sounded like a baby crying as I was typing and after searching the house went to the window in my room to see a sight I won’t see again in my life. Gifts are never knocked back. I got given a chicken once in Congo but they did swap it for something I could travel with. Too much to write about here so hopefully a separate blog. The photo tells the story of the village showing appreciation to the bishop.

Yes this sheep and a goat stood on a thirty minute journey on rough rural roads on top of the vehicle to come home with Bishop.

Just Like That a Month Has Gone!

The three English GOMAD volunteers were there and we talked about COVID and two of them have had COVID three times, …..

An interesting, peaceful but very busy week. Church as usual on Sunday. It was a shorter service than usual as the main choirs were away singing at a fundraiser. After church as I was speaking to people a man who was born with albinism approached us, bent over and out of his gumboots pulled an empty tube of SPF60+ sunscreen, seeking donations to buy more.

Albinism is seen in adults who survive childhood without being kidnapped and butchered by witch doctors Well what can you do? The TZS 10,000 is a lot of money for people who may only earn 400,000TZS a month (AU$225 is a very good income) so it was nothing to give him the $6. I saw the same tube later that week sheltering from rain for exactly TZS10,000.

Lunch on Sunday was at Afrilux where I have eaten each Sunday since arriving but this time with Bishop away, I took the pastor of the English Service and his wife to lunch and had, as usual tilapia but baked which had a tomato based sauce on it. Not as good as fried tilapia.

Bishop was away at his village after getting a call from his dad who wanted to see him. He mentioned Monday and Tuesday were public holidays so I started working at home Monday in preparation for the workshop I was presenting at on Thursday and Friday on strategic planning. I rang the Diocesan Secretary about some issues about the workshop as he was translating, only to find out the holidays were Tuesday and Wednesday so off I went. I located what must be the only locksmith in town to get a key cut. Enroute the public reserve was populated by hundreds of Muslims bowed down under large tents in what I understood later to be the beginning of Eid at sunset that night.

Monday flew and before I knew it, the workday was over after 5pm. I walked home and found a hairdresser and had a cut for 3,000 TZS or $2. I left a tip with both the cutter and the woman who massaged my scalp with oil after the cut.

Tuesday and Wednesday were holidays for the Muslim festival of Eid which celebrates the end of Ramadam.I went into the office late morning as Max was working and I needed some assistance from him Lunch was at the Serengeti Resort, a bar that serves food. A muslim man was there with a bottle of red wine and a bottle of coke. He was alone – it was apparent after sometime. I saw something I have never seen before: the Coke was a mixer for the red wine. I saw it with my own eyes!

Bishop was back Tuesday and it appears his father is having some health issues he wanted to share with him. Over one of our regular after dinner conversations he mentioned a building the diocese owned which had been vacant for years since his arrival which previously housed a disability program supported by a Dutch NGO. The upshot of that discussion was to arrange a call to the disability program on the western side of Lake Victoria which coordinated 21 disability programs for the Dutch rather than them setting up an office here to see if this program could be kick started again.

After breakfast we had a long conversation with Aggrey from the Karagwe Disability Program. He was confident this program could be supported again by the Dutch and he will arrange an introduction to the new manager there as he has retired.

I had given Bishop an old phone and we spent time this morning putting the Google Fit app on it and showing him how it worked. He is very health conscious and has stopped using sugar since I commeneted on its negatve effects. We decided to walk to church for the 3pm Wednesday service and walking home were caught in a torrential storm. It rained during the service, stopped, we then got to the shoe repair guy on the street outside the cathedral where he had his shoe repaired. It rained there again as we waited so we sheltered under the shoe repairer’s shelter, had a corn on the cob from a young student he knew who sold these for some extra money (TZS 200 = 12 cents!), then made our way to town when it poured again while we were in another shop. After stopping Bishop then found a milk vendor. Street vendors purchase from suppliers and pasteurise it on the street over charcoal stoves. The milk is warm as it is poured into an empty water bottle. TZS 1000/Litre or 65 cents.

When it stopped 30 minutes later we walked across to another store to buy a pillow and the heaviest rain of the day hit with thunder and lightning. The power went off briefly. After about 30 minutes when it eased off we just walked in the rain to the amazement of locals under shelter. Bishop mentioned they are more scared of rain than motor cars.

POLIO

While polio is unknown now in Australia, I do remember at primary school kids with leg irons who had polio in the late 1950s. The evidence of polio here in Tanzania is evident in a number of people I have met who are pastors at the cathedral who still limp or walk with difficulty, all the result of polio in their childhood. All in their forties which suggests polio was still rife here in the 1970s if not later.

The photo above of the shoe repair man is a good story. Afflicted before five with polio, he survived and is now married with children. He had a shoe shine business and in 2019, a visiting Englishman provided capital for him to make sandals as well as repair shoes and keep shining. So the covered area you see is his “shop” and to the left you can see his hand pedal tricycle which gets him around.

The Strategic Planning Workshop

This is the first pressure I have felt since being here. 28 Archdeacons and area deans were gathered to learn about strategic planning. Few had English so I was working through a traslator, Max, the Katibu or Diocesan Secretary. Google Translate has been my friend. It dawned on me Tuesday that my overheads could be duplicated then translated using Google Translate. This assisted greatly as Max was able to refer to the OHP while I had my tablet with the English slides on it.

We managed on day one to get through what components are required in a strategic plan finishing on the process of developing one and a visual of the matrix from vision to tactics which support strategy.

The big surprise of the day was the introductions which were just an icebreaker asking for tem to introduce themsleves, their area of birth, number of siblings and favourite food. The number of siblings was a shock as one after one identified 8, 9, 10, 12 siblings from one mother. One pastor was one of twenty born to one mother. Another was born to his polygamous father’s ninth wife and counted 32 boys. I asked later about the girls and he didn’t know but thought altogether there were over fifty children. His story will be a separate blog.

Day two started with them developing a personal plan to get some practical experience, then we did the SWOT Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and it highlighted the endemic poverty these men come from, their uncertain incomes where $40 is a good income monthly and their need to farm in sometimes harsh environments when drought prevails. However they did well to identify all the components of the SWOT analysis and a good morning from my perspective was accomplished.

After lunch we had the chair of Mothers Union address them on the trial of a successful program mobilising communities using the Church and Community Mobilisation Process (CCMP) which has been around Africa for decades and in Serengeti has seen eight savings and loans groups start since 2019 which operate like community banks. Two of these in a large town have 28M and 31M TZS ($19,000 and $21,000) in the economy providing loans for members. This has seen many small enterprises established and increased economic conditions for many.

Her session started with her bringing a wooden box about 30 cm long and 10 cm deep. It was a money box used by the village S&L Groups. It was at that point I understood this was starting something kids in Australia learned from Kindergarten which is how to save. Remember the Commonwealth Bank deposits and the weekly banking which taught us to save. As she spoke, I didn’t need Swahili to understand that most pastors found this something that would be helpful for them. We assume a lot and here I was witnessing many understanding for the first time about saving for the future and borrowing for investments.

The response to her teaching was overwhelmingly positive and hopefully there is a takeup for MU to train people in many villages in the concept.

I concluded with a hastily developed evaluation in Swahili, the main question being what will you do in the next two months as a result of this workshop. The translated responses will be interesting.

Day one I was absolutely wrecked and not so much after the second day as I was more confident. However overall a fairly positive outcome.

Saturday as I write this was a quiet morning then off to lunch at Rehema Cafe which is only open by booking and ordering ahead by Friday. The three English GOMAD volunteers were there and we talked about COVID and two of them have had COVID three times, both early on and prior to vaccinations being available. Apparently it is rampant in England at present. Hannah the 19 yo nurse saw a colleague aged 19yo die in April 2020 within three days of being vaccinated. She was the only one of the three not to have had it.

Late afternoon was spent at a Bible Study the bishop attends. Very formal structure and this week was a sort of time of rememberance for one of the members whose father in law died two months ago and a gift of cash being provided as a means of showing their support and affection for her and the extended family.

Tim Swan CEO of Anglican Aid is visiting and I catch up with him tomorrow at Bunda as he visits the college there and also the secondary and primary schools.

A busy but satisfying first month.

Life in Musoma

Routines

After three weeks my routines are fairly well established. On weekdays the bishop and I rise for an early morning “walk” with his dogs which are alsatians named Tiger and Simba. They are really Rin Tin Tin I and II on steroids. Rather than us walk the dogs they run us. 2.5kms in less than 20 minutes is faster than I have run for years as these dogs drag me along. My heart rate reached 179 on one run and consistently is above 160. I have learned how to control the dogs and am getting a consistent pace of between 140-150 on average. Saturdays is dog washing day and there is a public government run dog wash where you dip and wash your dogs in a chemically treated bath to kill parasites, fleas and whatever else dogs need to be treated against. I went the first Saturday but told Bishop I needed a sleep in. About 80 dogs a day go through so he likes to be first so there is no waiting. A good service for about 30 cents AUD for a dog.

After walking the dogs we are back for a shower, breakfast and off to the cathedral for morning prayers. I did bring my stove top espresso maker with me for real coffee (there is only so much one can do without). Well it has been a hit with Bishop and Mama Bishop when she was here the first week. So the usual routine is while I am in the shower, Bishop is feeding the pigs, puts the eggs on and I put on the coffee and toast and by the time Bishop is out all is ready for breakfast and then to the cathedral for 7.30 am morning prayers for all staff.

My 20+ year old pot has travelled with me before – 3 months in South Africa in 2009.

After prayers everyone lines up. It has taken me a few weeks to realise that the order in which people line up is heirarchical. So the Canon of the cathedral, other canons and lay canons, followed by senior staff, other staff and the students from the vocational college all line up as I follow the bishop in greeting them all. So after three weeks I have learned enough Swahili to say good morning or how are you and the appropriate response. However it is not automatic yet and the canon who follows me sometimes prompts me as I am thinking. The girls from the college were laughing at me one day this week as I responded “shikamoo” to one of their responses – the greeting from a younger person to an older person to show respect. Repeating greetings to 50-60 people daily has helped.

Staff then head off to he hostel for a subsidised breakfast. I usually bring a coffee bag (Vittoria) and have a coffee while Bishop has something else to eat. Occasionally I will have a chipati or chicken broth.

Anlican Retirement Village clothes go a long way

The workday commences at 8.30 and concludes at 4pm. All staff are given an hour daily to pursue income generating activities, in recognition that church slaries are minimal.

Monday of week three had me start work on a presentation for week four on planning and community development for all senior clergy to encourage their communities in developing income generating activies to lift their communities’ incomes and alleviate poverty. It will also assist pastors who get barely AU$30 monthly to look at how they can establish income activities.

After only 18 days my data package of 37gb ran out. I went to the Vodacom shop to get a new bundle and walked out with an MPESA account. This was developed by Africans, in Kenya I think as a money transfer system using mobile phone technology. It has revolutionised African economies. I loaded funds into my MPESA account, bought my bundle using it and left funds in there to buy my next bundle. It was interesting seeing ANZAC day in the news on Monday and how it has returned to pre-pandemic times.

Tuesday 26 April is a public holiday in Tanzania, remembering the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar making one country. It was a quiet day but in the afternoon we drove to the cathedral, parked and walked to Nyasho Markets where I got my shoe bargain the previous Saturday. Bishop didn’t know this market and was surprised at its size. Clothes, shoes and all sorts of household items. I went into one of the myriad men’s clothing stores and for 21,000 TZS bought a pair of jeans and two casual trousers/dockers. The clothes come in containers from developed countries and like the shoes make their way to the local markets from the capital. So people walking aroung in designer named clothes are not wearing Chinese knock offs but genuine brands, often almost new.

Wednesday was a meeting with Arthur the development officer and Martha the Mothers’ Union secretary to discuss funds available from Anglican Aid and encouraging them to plan priorities to request the use of funds. One of themusts I suggested was completing a fence for the girls’ hostel, opened in 2019 by the Archbishop of Sydney. The rest of my day was spent on developing the workshop material. at 3pm all are off to church for the Wednesday service before heading home. This was to be my last day in the office this week.

Food and Diet

Unlike developed countries, food is a necessity, not consumed for pleasure but to ensure life. So food is fairly basic and plain. Those who are aware will know I have been on a keto diet since 2019, which saw me lose 15 kgs. In this environment I went from a high fat, low carb diet to massive carbohydrates, low fat and enough protein.

For most rural Tanzanians a diet of ugali, a tasteless, odourless dish made of cornflour is a staple along with beans and greens. Meat is a luxury and will be usually chicken. Living with the bishop I am aware that he is providing more meat than he himself would normally eat. Christina the housekeeper is an extraordinary cook and I love her beans. Beans are a staple here, along with plantains which Bishop loves. Meat and fish provide additional protein and always there are greens. Dessert is fruits of the season. It was bananas when I arrived and now it is the biggest passionfruit I have ever seen. So I am not starving, despite Bishop’s wife who rings to ensure he is feeding me enough (he is). So far I am not aware of any weight gain.

We have managed to eat out a number of times since my arrival, after church on Sunday and occasionally during the week. Fried tilapia and chips is my standard meal out. It is a great fish.

Despite having gas, Christina prefers cooking beans on charcoal

Thursday and Friday were Diocesan Council and while I had much to do, was encouraged to attend and I am glad I did. While the agenda and business papers were in Swahili, Google Translate and Ezekiel, the English speaking principal of a school who sat next to me helped me follow all that was going on.

Thursday was a later start as staff from outlying areas, some three hours away arrived for an 8am service in the cathedral, prior to breakfast then a 10am start. The two days helped me understand better the structure of the church here and the many challenges it faces. Day one ended at 4pm, the chair indicating the agenda next day was light on and so this provided time for people to catch up with each other before dinner. Day two had another sheaf of papers on the tables and clearly there was a lot to discuss. Like till 7pm when the meeting closed and a number of staff commented to my astonishment that it was an early end! Apparently these meetings have been known to end as late as midnight and 1am. Everyone has an opportunity to speak and express an opinion. All in all very respectful, civil and democratic. Bishop is someone who clearly wants to hear each opinion and no one is rushed.

Sarah and Joyce are teachers I first met in 2014 when both were much younger. Since then Sarah was promoted to Principal at Bunda Girls Secondary School after the founding principal left during COVID as her husband moved. Joyce left after two years, returned to university to get her degree and returned to a primary school in Musoma before being promoted to principal of Shalom Primary School in Bunda. I was able to given them both Anglican Aid’s 20/21 Annual report which had a Bunda Girl on the contents page and a prayer diary that featured Shalom students on the cover.

Saturdays since I have been here are fairly quiet days. Twice Bishop has left me here alone as he went to villages overnight. I have eaten at Rehema Cafe each Saturday. It is the only western cafe between Mwanza (4.5 hours south) and the Kenyan border (2.5 hours north). It is located in the church compound and provides work for women as well as a sewing centre where I have had shirts made on revious visits. Its customer base has been shredded by COVID as most western people working in the area left to go home during COVID. Heather the English missionary is back and they are doing a menu on order so there is no wastage. Today was curried fish and a vanilla milkshake. Others had a wrap.

I walk to Rehema and this takes me through town and the central markets which are as interesting as any I have visited. The pictres tell the story.

The nurses school does their washing on Saturdays

Sundays is church and all the music. It has been four hour services the last two Sundays and while this seems long, it is normal here.

Inflation

While news reports indicated Australia has an official inflation rate of 5.1%, here in Musoma prices are going up with each purchase Bishop makes. My guess is that inflation here is running at around 15%. Three purchases in the last week are the anecdoatal evidence that support this view.

Bottled water is bought in dozen lots for households. The recent purchase made resulted in the TZS 4,000 rising to TZS 5,000 or 25% up.
Cooking oil is a staple for most households and has risen from TZS 28,000 to 33,000 or 18%.
Gas for cooking has risen by TZS3,000 to 59,000 or 5%.

Petrol price increases have been blamed for these increases.

Transport

On my first visit here in 2014 there was little in the way of private transpory for most people. The better off may have owned a very late model Japenese car imported when 10-15 years old with very few kilometres on them. The lift I had to church this week owned a Rav 4 from about 2008 with 57,000kms. He imported it from Japan for US$4,400 but landed with freight and taxes he paid close to USD$11,000 for a car barely run in.

The big changes however came with the advent of cheap Chinese motorcycles which are owned by many. This has resulted in a proliferation of motorcycle taxis and groups of motorcyclists parked under the shade waiting for customers or like in Australia cruising the streets for a fare. Many people seem to have their preferred rivers and just ring for a lift. However these motor cycles act as couriers delivering goods for many businesses. It is not unusual to see them loaded up with goods for delivery.

Daniel travels 60kms on dirt to come to work weekly

Names and Heirarchy

EconYou will have noticed my reference in this blo to Bishop rather than the bishop. That is because over here anyone with a title is known by that title rather than by their Christian name. So Bishop is la proper noun ike calling someone Peter. If you don’t have a title you are generally referred to by your last name. So leaving church this morning, I asked Max (Katibu is his title) what was the first name of the assistant priest. He knew his last name but had to go and ask him for his first name (Fredy). So I am constantly called Lay Canon or Canon by people because that is how I am introduced. All sounds unusual but that is how society operates here in Tanzania.

Women are still very much down the heirarchical ladder here. In any queue they will always allow men to go first. In 2018, I was lined up at the tap waiting to wash hands talking to a woman who had returned from USA for her father’s funeral. As we arrived simultaneously at the tap, I beckoned for her to wash her hands. She declined and I insisted. I was shocked when a Tanzanian woman who has lived in the USA for twenty years said “No you must go first. In Tanzania men always go first!”

Church

The Anglican Church here maintains a liturgical approach to services in an African way. The formality is focussed on the ceremonial aspects of church in the vestments, processions and formality around communion. However, services are full of music with people who can sing both with music and acapella. The services are long and that’s not because of the preacher. At St John’s Cathedral it is usual to have seven choirs, some of which lead singing for ten to fifteen minutes. My fourth service was the shortest at 21/2 hours because most choirs were away singing elsewhere.

So life is fairly predictable. I expect there won’t be much change to routines. Work will be the major challenge as I work through the list I have been given pf things to look at review and deliver. This week I am doing a two day training workshop for senior clergy on planning with a focus on community development in the rural areas. I have also been ased to prepare a course on development for students at Bunda Bible College so that they understand how it all works and can assist their communities in economic development.

COVID-19

Early in the pandemic, after closing schools and various institutions, Tanzania stopped collecting data, testing people for Covid and kept the economy open. The former president understood in a developing country the economic damage could be worse than the pandemic. So after most foreigners left, schools and institutions reopened. Churches never closed even at the beginning. Anecdoatally it appears there were many deaths in the cities of Dar Es Salaam, Arusha but the rural towns and villages anecdoatally saw little COVID. Only one named death has been mentioned in Musoma, a businessman who contracted it in Dubai and brought it back with him. There are suggestions that herd immunity was established in early 2020 as the virus swept through the population and aged and vulnerable people succummbed. However the mean age of Tanzania is 18 years so it is possible many had a dose, were not sick but established resistance. Rates of immunisation are very low.

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A Tanzanian Wedding

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POLIO

The Strategic Planning Workshop

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Routines

Food and Diet

Inflation

Transport

Names and Heirarchy

Church

COVID-19

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