Skyeler sent us the following blog. He knows folks are excited for photos and says that unfortunately “We’re having a really tough time getting photos to load – the internet here is super spotty and several attempts to upload photos have failed.” They’ll keep trying!
Mambo Vipi, Y’all!
Greetings from Ulturoto, where the group is hard at work beginning Week 2 of our service project. One of our student jobs each day is “The Publicist,” who is responsible for all our PR for a given day, ie the blog. So the following is a little sneak peak into our last week through the eyes and pen of one student per diem.
Day 1: The first day at the work site was very productive! We moved cinder blocks and dirt, started building the walls, and mixed cement- all with the help of the local students. Mohamed, our Tanzanian leader, told us it was the hardest he had ever seen a Global Routes group work in his 5 years with GR!! Go Us!! (Nava)
Day 2: Day 2 proved to be as successful as the first. We continued to move dirt, assisted in building the bathroom walls with cement, and also performed our individual jobs such as “Chief Medical Officer,” ” The Comedian,” and “DJ” and many more! (Luisa)
Day 3: After our daily morning stretch we continued with dirt removal which we eventually completed by our lunch break consisting of ugali and beans. After lunch we carred more cement laying down a foundation in front of the bathroom structure. We also found other cool side projects to knock out like installing two irrigation systems that diverted excess water from handwashing stations into nearby flower beds! (Laura)
Day 4: After work on July 12th, we got an opportunity to play with the school children! We attempted to play soccer but there were too many kids, so instead it turned into a field of fun! Imagine 400 six-to-ten year olds all wearing purple uniforms screaming and chasing a soccer ball! Poa Ka Chizi Kama Ndizi! (Rebecca)
Day 5: Apparently we worked a little TOO hard at the beginning of the week, because by Friday we had gotten so far ahead of schedule we didn’t have nearly as much to do! It was a slightly more relaxed day, though we still accomplished a lot. The highlight being we began teaching in the classrooms! 8 students paired together and taught an afternoon of English in four classrooms. Curriculum, which was made almost on the fly, ranged from parts of the body to direct and indirect object pronouns! Not bad for our first day as teachers! (Skyeler pinch-writing for a student)
Day 6: Today was our first full Saturday in Ulturoto. We got to sleep in a little before meeting at the school to embark on a long hike. The challenging climb proved to be beautiful, as we experienced the green majesty of the valley and surrounding foothills of Mt. Meru. Our final destination was a 200 ft waterfall deep in a lush jungle! Some group members took a cold dip in the waters as others took pictures. It was a GREAT day! (Jordan)
Day 7: After being able to sleep in until 9:30 (!!!) our group gathered at the school to play a game & write a press release for the students and faculty of the school whom still may be unsure why we are here. Then the group walked to our Tanzanian leader, Mohamed’s, house where we had a delicious lunch and then placed orders with Mo’s wife for handmade bags & clothes. Meeting Mo’s wife and children was the highlight of the day! (Taylor)
All in all, it was a terrific week with an unbelievably hard working group who still found ways to make masonry and soil excavation a blast. Stay tuned for more students to share their publicity skills!
Team Muzungu 2012!!!
