Saturday 21st March Mama Africa

You know, I’m really going to miss Sekei. I’ve said it before, but it has felt like home most of all this week. I have everything; a fulfilling job, a sweet house, friends within school and the community, and a sense of ‘belonging’.
One Wednesday the Hasani-Mkala double act came over to show us how to make bagir (like spicy donuts. Mama Mkala invited us to her house for supper saying we must cook it too, “Otherwise all you’ll do is sleep!” We spent a very enjoyable three hours cooking a meal which I cannot wait to replicate in England. We drank Chai, while cooking, and ginger-infused tea with the meal, which was a sort of bean stew called Ugali and hundreds of roast bananas which we took home.
Mkala’s house is tiny (two rooms) but she has built another two roomed house to rent, which she uses as her kitchen for the meanwhile. We sat around her small kerosene stove (a box about six inches square) on wooden stools draped in her Katenges so as not to get dirty, splitting beans and grinding ginger with a pestle and mortar. I mentioned that I wanted my hair put in corn-rows – the traditional African hairdo of plaits running in tracks the length of your scalp – “I go fetch Mama Joyce” she says and disappears. Soon I have two women tugging and tying my hair. I must say it looks brilliant and it only cost eleven pence! I am going to keep my hair like this until I leave because it is far more practical, especially with no water. I will devote a blog-post to water as this is such a big part of our lives.
I have another beautiful outfit too, that is perfect for teaching. I rarely wear western clothes these days! On Thursday I walked into the staff room in my outfit and freshly done hair and got a huge cheer and round of applause – “You are so beautiful, you are Mama Africa!” My new nick-name. I have helped to make the break-time Chai a few times this week, and Hasani taught me a fantastic hymn that got most of the teachers harmonising.
In terms of projects, I have got lots of interviews done with pupils, my extra desks arrived and I have written the relevant names on with pencil ready for painting, I should be talking to Fundi about my display board on Monday and we have set dates for starting work on the classrooms (28th March).
The whole school has mid-term tests all of next week, for which Pippa and I have written the English questions for standard six. I feel more nervous than the kids as it feels like a test of my teaching skills too, although I know it is not. It was a challenge doing a balanced revision session having just written the questions – Oh boy – I hope they revise this weekend! When I am not taking the tests, I will be invigilating, so no lesson plans this week – hurray!
Money evaporates as fast as water if you are not careful, and so I am monitoring my expenditure military style! I have allocated x-amount for certain things (30,000 for kitty, 20,000 for transport per week, for example) and keep a note of absolutely everything I spend. It all goes into a big table on my wall, from which I calculate the overall weekly costs and all of the sub-divisions. Over the top, I know, but I have to cut down the costs considerably. The group likes to go out for meals/swimming/clubbing a lot which I’m not that fussed about, so I am only going out once or twice a week and try to avoid going into Arusha as much as possible. I actually prefer it this way because I spend more time in Sekei and get some ‘me-time’ which I always enjoy.
I did, however, go to Via Via on Thursday night (a bar/club) because it was Tracy’s birthday and her parents were coming. I really admire Tracy; she is 37 and came to Africa with a bunch of teenagers to get more out of her life than her dead-end job offered. I thought it might be odd for all of us, but she’s slotted into the group so well.
We went to Mad’s on Friday to talk about our Safari trip. As it is out of season, we have been up-graded to THE best safari accommodation in Tanzania, full board! Apparently one hotel is right on the edge of the Ngorogoro crater with stunning views. We are getting many more opportunities for luxury than I was expecting – to be honest I have mixed feelings about it, but we do get plenty of the basic stuff at home!
Right, I’m off to do a load of washing by hand and bake a banana cake for Amy’s birthday.
Siku Njema (have a nice day)

L xxx