Ken's Journey to Tanzania: Journal Entry #2

Ken Russo is spending three months this winter volunteering at The Baobab Home, an orphanage in Bagamoyo, Tanzania that provides care for children with HIV/AIDS. He is documenting his fascinating experiences and sends us periodic updates from his journal.
Here is his latest entry. Read about his whole journey starting back at the end of January ...

Hamjambo! Hello Everyone!

Monday, February 1
After the clinic breakfast we took a dalla dalla (van bus) back to the orphanage. We had a vegetarian lunch there and after playing with the children I headed off on my own to find William, the cook at Francesco’s. Everyone you meet (and you literally see hundreds of people no matter where you walk) you are greeted with Habari (hello) or Mambo(less formal) and smiles. The streets are dusty and goats and chickens compete with piki pikis (motorcycles) pedestrians, dalla dallas and the occasional herd of cows. I rendezvoused with William at the massive Monday market. He took me to see his home which was a cinder block room near the market with a poster of a Caribbean beach scene on the wall. It had one tiny window and even though I found it dark and depressing I enthused about it because he was so proud of his space. We took off to find mangos and a knife which we found with no problem and then walked to the beach. William is 28 and was a cook for a safari company near the Serengeti. He was also a guide for hikes to the summit of Kilimanjaro. His dream is to have his own safari company and I believe he will. We arrived at the beach where we shared the 2 most delectable mangos I have ever eaten just as the sun was setting. He walked me to Terri’s where I borrowed her son Justis to help me order dinner. Justis is 4 years old and is fluently bi-lingual in English and Swahili. The people at the restaurant all know and love him and it was so much fun to have him as my interpreter. Back to the guesthouse and a well needed cold water shower.

Wednesday, February 3
Yesterday Terri and I visited a woman who is bed ridden with an inoperable tumor on her spine. She lives in a traditional mud and stick hut with a palm frond roof. No plumbing, no electricity, and she shares about 100 sq. ft with her mother, sister and her sister’s two children. The floor is dirt and there is light in the room only when the door is open. It was surprisingly cool inside while it was 92 outside. She greeted us warmly with karibu (welcome) and a huge smile. She has a home made wheelchair which is a white plastic lawn chair with 2 bicycle tires. She and Terri had a 15 minute conversation in Swahili and I was able to pick up bits and pieces. Terri said woman never complained and was most interested in her family and mine. As we were leaving she said we cannot leave her home without a gift. She gave each of us a hard boiled egg. The whole family waved goodbye and said baadaye which means we will see you soon.

Later that day we met Halima a large, handsome grandmother who has worked in conjunction with Baobab Home as a foster parent. She has had an incredibly full and interesting life. Halima fought in the resistance against Idi Amin in Uganda and was also a police woman in Bagamoyo. She is now a spirited environmentalist and is working to have a garbage dump near her home closed. She now has 3 small boys who are developmentally challenged due to malnutrition and the boys be tested soon for HIV. They were in their school uniforms (even in pre-school they wear uniforms) pressed white shirts and blue trousers. They obviously love her and she is incredibly affectionate with them. I will be walking them to school and back on the days that I’m not working at the clinic. I will send a picture of the boys and Halima in my next email. They are the sweetest little kids and they are so excited to be spending time with a very tall and very old (they have great respect for the elderly by the way) Mzungu (white person).

Today at the clinic is children’s day and there are approx. 150 children of all ages. Some will be tested for HIV, others will have t-cell counts done and all will receive medicine for the month. I have brought art supplies and games as they may have a long wait. We (Katie another volunteer) and I will serve them a multi-grain porridge with honey. The number of children infected at birth is staggering as is the number of children who have lost both parents to AIDS.

Kwa heri (Goodbye)

Ken