First Week in Bukoba

02/08/2011
Late last night we met with William who seemed very friendly and helpful and offered to assist us as we started meeting various officials.
This was great as we literally walked straight into the REO's office and not only managed to piece together our missing information but also provided us with the promise of a letter for immigration and the opportunity to introduce ourselves to the various DEOs and the work we were doing with Read.

Unable to visit immigration as anticipated we headed over to the library project which we would be refurbishing.  Like the house, the school was set on the hillside overlooking the lake.  Such a beautiful view!
The school was very new, only 2 classes but with a view to expansion into 4 classes as they progressed.  The staff were very welcoming and friendly and definitely happy that we had chosen them for the project.

The room we are completing the library refurbishment in is completely empty, but in a great condition.  It doesn't seem like much really needs doing to the room - just a case of getting in furniture and painting.
It's a really exciting project to be part of.

In the afternoon we texted around all the long distance schools that we wouldn't have been able to visit on pre-distribution, compiling a list of questions in order to complete pre-distribution in these schools.
We also arranged a meeting with the District Educational Officer for Bukoba and also the Headteacher at the library school (Kibeta Secondary School).

In the evening William took us to see his local football team play.  The match was entertaining to say the least and I definitely lost track of the score, not least the number of fouls and diving that took place.  Definitely not the best match I've ever been to. By a mile.
The biggest cheer was when we walked into the stadium and stood out like a sore thumb.
Our arrival caused a fight (over us) between some of the locals.

All in all, it was an interesting evening.

03/08/2011

Today was a very busy day with more communications with the District Educational Officers and headteachers to obtain key information for distribution.
Some responses were instant which was brilliant.
Mid-morning we met with the headteacher from Kibeta Secondary School to discuss our plans for her library. Obtaining quotes for furniture and working out measurements was very time consuming and we must have been there about 4 hours planning and editting with her slightly weak English and the fundi's lack of English.
The library costings were considerably more than we had anticipated and one of our major concerns lay with Read's approval, who had been most unhelpful thus far.  Jash's advice on our guideprice was that it was all too expensive and that another group had got it for £80 with no indication as to what they'd got for £80 and what she would do either.  Useless.
So demoralising. We were all feeling really tired and annoyed - partly a result of the rooster, which had kept us awake ALL NIGHT, waking up every 10 minutes.

Hopefully it will be a bit quieter tonight...dammm chicken.

04/08/2011

I'm going to have to start writing less, or buy a new diary in Australia as I'm rapidly getting through pages and pages of this.
Today was no better on the chicken war.  In fact we have decided that it is either mentally disturbed to be waking up at 4.45am every day or in agony.
It is plain irritating.
Today was the first day our team split up as some of us headed to the library whilst myself, Amy and Sarah went on a pre-distribution mission, visiting the DEO for Bukoba municipal.  This meeting was quick and easy and the DEO was really friendly, introducing us to a number of his colleagues.  He quickly arranged transport for us so we could visit schools on the same day, so rapidly we began to tick off our pre-distribution numbers.

We met with the others at mid-afternoon who had had a fairly successful day, but found Lydia the headmistress very trying.  Either way they had managed to negotiate a fundi and order a number of items.  However, Lydia seemed adamant not to have paint because the library would be temporary.
Equally the idea of fixed shelves seemed a bad idea to her. All this was very demoralising as we knew how much work we had to do and how many other schools would appreciate the money for the library.  We wondered why Sam had chosen this particular school if it was only to be temporary.
It all seemed very silly.

05/08/2011

Separate ways again as four of the group visited Muleba to complete pre-distribution in four schools in this region. Myself and Karina waited to see if our confirmation came through from the District Education Officer for Rural Bukoba, so visited the New Rose Cafe in the interim period. Whilst we were waiting there we were met by three British travellers who had clearly just arrived. We presume by ferry.
It was so weird to hear English voices - we were surprised by the numbers of Mzungus visiting Bukoba; far more than expected.  These intrepid explorers were off to Rwanda, which if I could I would be sorely tempted to do.
We didn't have to wait long for our confirmation to come through and were quickly met by our 4 x 4 for the day.
The first school we visited Nyakota was an all boys boarding school and one of the oldest in Tanzania.  The English levels were great and we were pleased to be able to run activities with the boys, who seemed very friendly.
After this we stopped for lunch when we discovered that our next schools would be about 100km away.  We hadn't prepared ourselves for such a journey and wondered if we'd reach both schools.
Aside for the extreme bumpiness of the roads, the journey was lovely - so scenic and beautiful.  I tried to take pictures but they just couldn't capture the stunning scenary well enough.  When we arrived at the first school, the students were incredibly welcoming and provided us with gifts.
We had to do a speech in front of the whole school and the headteacher was keen for us to "inspire his students to achieve and work hard."

The second school followed a similar pattern, although I found it less warm, and a bit more rehearsed.
On the way home we stopped off at a pineapple farm and tasted some delicious, fresh pineapple.
We then began preparing for Amy's birthday which was on the following day!