The last few months have been exciting and a bit
tumultuous, filled with several unexpected events. In June, my supervisor in Tanzania approved me to be a
program manager on my final evaluation, however positions were quite limited this
year within the agency due to a shift in company strategy, to more of a
business model with less positions available globally for ex-pats. So since that time, I've been
making contacts and putting in applications for public health work with other
NGOs in Africa, mostly focused on HIV, child health, nutrition and disability
oriented projects... and I'm still looking. Later in June, I visited friends in Dar and also went to the
field to participate in a workshop for community health workers on nutrition and the benefits of the orange
flesh sweet potato for children (OFSP-especially vitamin A for vision). I had a chance to enjoy a bunch of
different OFSP products -cooked up by the participants, including
juice, chips, chapattis (tortillas), and rice, among others. During June, I also worked as a volunteer to assist the manager
of an orphanage with his fundraising strategy and spend more time playing football/soccer with the kids.
In July, I supported my colleagues with another
training on the economic and health benefits of the Moringa tree and continued
to assist with budget and evaluation activities of the OVC-orphan vulnerable children-project focused on
strengthening the household economy. I also had the opportunity
to visit a traditional dance event near Mwanza, watching young Sukuma warriors
(the local tribe) do an incredible choreographed number--which is usually done with
a large snake, but I missed that one-- where dance circles would form with the
local people gathering around to see the different patterns of dance and
costumes of their people. Just
near the dance session was a Catholic church called Bujora, which I visited,
illustrating the blend of modern and traditional cultures in the homily and the
architecture. The Sukuma people
are one of the biggest tribes in Tanzania and are mostly peaceful farmers
(however many have jobs in the city now), practicing modern and ancient
traditions, as well as having a deep respect for the forces of nature and their
ancestors. Most of the
people I worked with in the field were from the Sukuma tribe.
July was actually a very difficult month for
me. Not only was I dealing with
uncertainty around my job situation, but also both of my dogs died! The older
male dog “Crocodile” caught a really bad airborne virus and just was not strong
enough to fight it off. He was
already 10 years old. The other
dog “Cheetah” died from poisoning, supposedly by thieves who threw a piece of
poisoned food over my fence as part of their master plan to break in the
house. Actually, the day that Cheetah
got fatally sick was when the thieves had cut another large hole into my fence
the night before (for the second time), likely when my security guard was
sleeping or collaborating with them.
Needless to say, he was fired and nothing was stolen. But it was unnerving to have this
happen twice and my second dog die within weeks of my departure. Very sad. My gardener and I buried both dogs in the backyard and said
a prayer for their entrance to doggie heaven or wherever their spirits go. This was at the same time that one of
my colleagues from Geita, a 36 year old mother, passed away from complications
due to a blood clot in her leg--- much too young to die, but only
God knows why that happened. My
supervisor and team went to her funeral in another part of the country.
After filling out those incident reports, low and
behold about a week later, 2 thieves broke into my locked car and stole my
backpack, which had my work computer, my house keys, my iPod, and a few other
electronic items. I had parked on
a major road during daylight hours and went grocery shopping, and came
back 5 minutes later to see that my door was busted and my backpack was gone. I was so mad and shocked, and asked the
local storeowners if they saw anything, but not a word or a witness! No doubt these guys were tracking me. So I went with a coworker to report it
to the police and of course to my employer, but felt it was pointless since
many police officers are corrupt anyway.
Since the thieves stole my keys, I was locked out, so I crashed at a
hotel that night. Over the next
few days, I figured the computer, with all my important data, was gone and I was
trying to grieve these losses one at a time.
Amazingly, about a week later, the lead investigator, who is a local cop
with a super tight puma shirt and a big potbelly, promised me that he and his
team would find the guys who took my bag.... and they did! They actually took me to the police
station and brought out the 40-year-old poor dude who stole my bag... a raggedy
thief and looking clueless and guilty.
I felt bad for him. I had
no words. So they put him in the rear
of a land cruiser and cuffed him to the car seat as we went looking for the guy
who bought and re-sold my computer.
Me and the puma-guy and his team went in and out of the shacks within
inner-city Mwanza and found the mom and sisters of the buyer, trying to
convince them to hand over their guilty relative, as they pointed to me, the
do-gooder white guy in need of his stolen laptop! It was like out of a
movie. A series of other events
happened which eventually led the cops to find the laptop from a forth buyer
about 100 km away, but my belief is that the police had the laptop the whole time...
just waiting for my USD$200 tip.
The cop actually described how the computer was stolen, step-by-step and
the thieves only sold it for $250! He also told me how many murder and theft cases
he cracked, boasting how good he was. Anyhoo, the cop gave me the re-formatted laptop and luckily I
had backed up most of my data.
What a crazy experience! I
learned the importance of always being aware of my surroundings and sadly, that
sometimes a little “incentive” helps to get the job done in working with a
corrupt institution.
Of course these were isolated negative events which occurred in succession, for which I am not casting blame or hatred, but accepting that the bad comes with the good anywhere on earth at anytime. Its just part of life. I hold my time in TZ close to my heart as a positive experience.
Of course these were isolated negative events which occurred in succession, for which I am not casting blame or hatred, but accepting that the bad comes with the good anywhere on earth at anytime. Its just part of life. I hold my time in TZ close to my heart as a positive experience.
During the first part of August, I mostly spent
time with my Tanzanian friends, enjoying the moments which remained and also
visited a field site north of Mwanza to observe how another US-based NGO is
using USDA funds to implement a school feeding program with local partners,
training teachers and parents to carry out healthy food preparation and
organize the people to build new classes and buy books for the kids. Very innovative work for sure! I had a chance to do some shopping, say
goodbye to friends, and come back home in mid August, just in time for a big
family reunion-which is what I was longing for. I was able to stop in Nairobi on my way home for informational interviews
and also visit some of my childhood spots like my old house and school. Honestly, I am very happy with the work
I was able to accomplish: assisted with the management of 2 health projects,
visited various communities in the field at least 15 times to assist with multiple projects, built capacity of a
few local co-workers on evaluation methods, assisted with proposal writing and strategic planning,
wrote technical reports, and learned about budgeting/finance. I also hiked to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro,
visited beautiful beaches and the Serengeti, formed meaningful relationships with
Tanzanians, and fell in love. I
learned how to live in the moment, appreciate the people and events around me,
and make the most of each day.
I am now staying with my family in Martinsburg,
West Virginia (eastern tip just near DC) for the time being as I search for
another international development job that is a right fit for me. I'm hoping to return to the field as
soon as possible, preferably to Eastern or Southern Africa, to continue building
my experience as a public health technical specialist. I've had a few interviews and I turned
down what looked like an offer because it was not the right job for me. So as I part of my selectiveness yet
openness to work and travel, I know there are inner tensions I must deal
with. It's an uncomfortable and uneasy place to be for sure. I knew that with no
guarantee of employment, the next step would not be automatic, so that
realization is helping harness my patience.
With patience and consciousness, I am trying to
accept the present uncertainties, trusting God has a plan for me and is
continuing to inter-work that plan through my life, using those setbacks and
challenges of the past as I put in my effort and live with passion and
focus. I know this is a
temporary state right now and I have faith that the goals I have in mind for my
future will somehow come to fruition, learning to be grateful for the good
times I've had, for what I've been given, and to simply keep looking and moving
forward. I know there are a
lot of people out there in my position, so I'm thankful to have support of
friends and family to help get me through this tough time. It helps me to remember this Buddhist
quote: “If we are facing in the right direction, all we
have to do is keep on walking.”
