Straight from Animal Planet...

It’s impossible to believe that I’ve only been in Tanzania for one week. I feel like I have seen so much in the short time that has passed but at the same time there is so much left to see and do. Before I talk about my volunteer work, I must first share my weekend adventure: a safari to Lake Maynera and the Ngoragora Crater. Without question it was one of the most fascinating experiences of my life and even now it does not seem real. Our guide told us it was one of the best weekend trips he had seen this year because we saw so much.

Nearly all of the other volunteers from my homebase went on the safari. We left on Friday afternoon and drove a few hours to a lodge where we spent the night (we “roughed” it, however, in tents). After dropping off our bags, we drove a short distance through a very rural area to a Mesai village. This tribe is still very dominant in Tanzania and continues to practice nearly all of its original traditions, including polygamy and female circumcision. I think it’s important to note that we were only welcomed to their village because we paid, but the experience was well worth the minimal fee. As we neared the small village, a cluster of ten or twelve huts surrounded by miles of open land, it looked like the cover of a travel magazine. The entire tribe lined the entrance, with the men divided from the women and children. They were dressed in the traditional clothing, with jewelry slung around their necks, earrings stretching their lobes, and heavy bracelets that clanged to the beat of their dance. They chanted and danced in a rhythmic display as we all watched in awe. As the sun sunk below the mountains, the backdrop looked like a painting. Despite my protests, I was one of four girls chosen to join the line of Mesai women. They draped beaded neckwear on me and held my hand as they jumped, chanted, and danced. Most of you are well aware of my inability to dance, and although I could not understand their words, I was well aware of the laughs as I miserably attempted to keep the rhythm. Despite my poor performance, the experience itself was unreal.

We got up early (5:30 in the morning) on Saturday to head into the first park, Lake Maynera, by sunrise. Most of the animals are most active in the early morning before the temperature gets too hot. I am sure most of you have the same image of Africa that I did: vast, dry lands with little green. However, this park could not be farther from that. The park was a dense, lush forest with amazing wildlife. The last group of CCS volunteers did not see many animals when they went to this park but our expectations were far surpassed. Never did I expect to have a beautiful, docile elephant with her young baby emerge from the thick brush next to us or three massive “teenage” lions lay warily on a thick tree branch directly over our trucks. We saw many animals, including giraffes, gazelles, hippos, warthogs, just to name a few. This park is also one of the few breeding grounds left in the world for flamingos, and the lake itself was a sea of pink. The sight was breathtaking. It’s difficult to describe the day because even now it’s unbelievable that we saw these animals in their natural homes.

We departed for our second campsite in late afternoon and again the landscape was unlike anything I had seen before. We were ascending some smaller mountains and as I looked out the window I felt like I could see all of Tanzania. Neither pictures nor words will ever do justice to this experience. When we reached one of the highest points, the trucks pulled over to let us take in the view. Below us was the famous Ngoragora Crater, a vast flatland home to all of the Big Five among many other species. Again I am at a loss of words to describe the scene. We spent the night camping on the rim of the crater, a night I will never forget. I was startled to see massive piles of poop (to be blatantly honest) all around the circle of tents, indicating that the land was a frequent grazing area for the wild animals. We saw a small herd of zebras only ten feet away, undeterred by the human guests interrupting their dinner. I will admit that I slept lightly that night and woke up far too often to the grunts of a warthog, snorts of the zebras, and who knows what other noises. I doubt many can say they spent a night with wild animals, at least not those species found only in our zoos. Certainly it was a once in a lifetime experience (although hopefully I will be back again!). The crater was much different than the other park, and there were very few trees or brush for animals to hide in. We saw huge herds of buffalo, wildebeest, and zebras. We saw a pregnant female lion that had left the pride to give birth, a huge male lion within a foot of our truck as he roared to signal his pack, and a female lion with her cubs. To top the day off, we witnessed a hunt, a very rare occurrence on a safari. Although the two lions ultimately failed in bringing down the massive buffalo, the scene was straight off Animal Planet! The weekend was incredibly successful, and we saw four of the “Big Five” animals (all except the leopard, which is more common in the Serengeti).

Let me reinforce, however, that it is not all fun here. TAFCOM keeps me busy in the mornings as we plan this giant fundraiser for them. We are very optimistic that we can make it more successful than in the past but it is definitely difficult to plan an event here due to the language barrier. We have established many helpful contacts, however, that have been of immense help. I went on my first home visit this week. One of the main missions of the organization is to provide continued support to the families affected by HIV/AIDS in the small region of Pasua. This is done through these home visits, where we check on their living conditions, provide emotional comfort, and also financial support when available. I realize this blog entry is quite long, so I will only share the story of one woman we met. She was a new client, referred by another family who is supported by TAFCOM. A single mother, her life was dramatically transformed in one short year. Her husband, who had been continually ill for some time, was eventually diagnosed with HIV. However, with no medication, he quickly passed away. A few months later she was diagnosed as well, and only five months ago she lost a daughter to the disease. She was forced to leave the lifestyle she had grown accustomed to (a home with water and electricity, ample food, and a secure job) and is now living with her only other surviving family member (a daughter) in a very tiny dwelling with no amenities. She was not only depressed but also hopeless, and her eyes were sad, her shoulders drooped, and her entire body crying exhaustion. It was one of the most humbling experiences of my life, and I spent the rest of the day feeling a sense of guilt. Her rent was only 5,000 Tsh a month, less than ten dollars. It is in instances like this that you, as a volunteer, feel that your impact is so minimal. However, it was relieving to return home that night to the support of the other volunteers, and as we shared our stories about our day’s work, it was invigorating to realize that even the short time we spend here makes a difference in at least one person’s life.

The internet has not been working since last week at the homebase so my access has been limited, but I hope to update this blog again before the weekend. I could write for hours about my time here, and I hope to use this blog as my form of journaling. Thank you all for the messages of love and support. It is so uplifting to log on for a short time and have so much to read. Hope all is well back home!

Oh, and I wouldn’t mind a few sports or news updates from time to time. I still don’t know who won the NBA finals…