Last night in tanzania

We finally have internet access and it is our last full day in Dar es Saalam. We saw four of the big five, on the safari, missing only rhinos.  It has been a blast but we are ready to head home. We leave tomorrow at midnight.

Last night in Dodoma

Hello everyone. Well, it is our last night in Dodoma and we are leaving for the Safari early tomorrow morning. We have been quite busy touring around since our windmill has been finished. For those of you who may be wondering what we have been doing, I will say that there has been almost too many adventures to name! We spent a day at Mother Teresa's Sister's of Charity compound where the sisters look after orphans, as well as physically and mentally disabled people. Many of these people have been abandoned. The sisters will actually go out and look for those who have been left, just like Mother Teresa did. We also went to a leper colony in Sukamahayla, and  the birth place of the CPPS Mission, which is a town called Manyoni. The CPPS brothers run a trade school to train young men in mechanics, autobody and carpentry.We traveled with the Kamloops group to a town called  Iyumbu. This group had built a windmill system in 2005, so they wanted to go back to see it. A few years after they had left, the village built a medical dispensary(clinic). You can see how the village is flourishing. Many of the houses have been replaced with brick houses and many people have gardens.  We were also able to go see a very intense soccer game just down the road from the compound the other day. Last night we had a special mass for BRO and a wonderful supper, celebrating his 65 years of service as a Brother. So, as you can see, the building of the windmill and providing water for a village was obviously the focus of our trip, but there has been many more opportunities to see other areas where people get help from the CPPS Mission (delivering rice, cornmeal, clothes, medicine to those who need it).
NOTE: The last pictures we posted were primarily from the windmill celebration we had when the Bishop came to see us. It was a wonderful celebration. The Bishop spoke and the village women danced for us. And as you can see, the girls all got a chance to try out the drums. Roxanne and Vanessa kept busy with the babies as you can tell. And the village presented us with a goat as a gift, which in this culture would be seen as very special!
So my fellow Canadians, hopefully we will have more time to blog in Dar es Salam.

Last day in Dodoma!

Well it's our last day in Dodoma. On Sunday we all went to mass at the local parish and were treated to African music and really cool liturgical dancing. Yesterday was Bro's 65 anniversary of being a brother with CPPS and we all laughed and shared stories. Tomorrow we head to mikumi national park to go on safari. Internet may very well be spotty but I'll make sure to post once in Dar. Pray for our safe travels. Mathew

Celebration of ~ people helping people help themselves ~ handing over the well to the village

Our windmill and water tanks ~ a life time of water for Chihoni

Bishop Albert enjoying a tour of the Compounds with Brother Anthony in his Bro Mobile

Exciting news

Well it's another beautiful day here in sunny Tanzania. The rest of the group to a trip to the great Rift Valley and the leper colony and will undoubtably blog about that when they get back. I stayed behind to write this blog. We had an earthquake at 2:15 yesterday and I kept with tradition by sleeping through it. Had a little ice cream as a treat, am waiting for the group to arrive back at the compound.

Today, I am the student

Hello everyone. I hope you are enjoying our blog. I have come to realize that since I have been in Africa, I believe the Tanzanians have given me more than I have given them. Yes, I have helped raise money and helped provide them with clean water for many years to come. But when I prepared for this trip, I did not realize how much they would teach me. These are my lessons today:

  I have realized that hugging,touching and holding hands is a wonderful way to show love and affection and respect.Tanzanians are extremely affectionate.  Do we hug our children enough? Do we hold hands with our mothers?Our fathers? Our grandparents? 

   The Tanzanian children have NOTHING, but they create games, they make toys out of nothing, they run, and laugh, and run and shout and run some more!  Do our children have imaginations to create fun from a few sticks and rocks? How often do our children get bored when there's no TV, video games or other such stimulation? 

    I have witnessed 3 and 4 year old children hauling huge rocks at our worksite. I have seen young girls carry 5 gallon pails of water on their heads for miles.  They are learning how to help and contribute to their family and village.  How often do our children want something in return for their work? How often do they complain when we ask them to do a few chores? 

   I have seen what some villagers eat. Our daily rations of beans and rice I realized, is actually a treat for them. These people eat to live, where we tend to live to eat!  How often do our families complain if they run out of milk for the day, or they don't get desert, or they have no more ketchup for their French fries! 

   I have listened to some young women talk about how they have worked hard and saved money to help their parents, or to help put their younger siblings through school. I have listened to them talk of what they have given up to care for others in their family. How often do we put ourselves first? How  often do we push our kids out after graduation because we have this crazy idea that they don't need us anymore? Or we put our elders in homes because we don't have time to care for them? 

  One more: The women here respect themselves by covering up, and not showing off their bodies in inappropriate ways. Since women breast feed their children for about two years, you will often see them feeding their babies any time, any where. It is so comforting to know that women here can be free to do what God has created them to do; feed their young.  Isn't is ironic how we at home, do not always dress respectfully, and we sometimes show off our bodies more than we should, but when it comes to feeding our babies, we are embarrassed, we are ridiculed, and we are taught to hide ourselves in public?

OK, so I could go on, but I 'll close by saying that we need to be careful that we do not make assumptions about what we could do to help and teach others. We may very well become the students, with many things to learn. And today, I am grateful to be the student. Take care everyone and God bless, Roxanne (sorry it's so long but lots of emotions and thoughts go through my head here!!!!)

Life as it is

We have all seen the World Vision commercials on T.V. showing the poorest of the poor and images of crying children in despair. In my time in Africa so far I have not witnessed the stereotypical children that they have portrayed to audiences. A few days ago a part time worker at the compound named Veronica allowed us to see into her family's life. She was left by her husband with four children ages 16, 13, 10 and 1 &1/2 whom she lives with in her mud brick house. Within this house there is a single bed in which they all share, there food is kept in the same room so that it does not get stolen. Each day Veronica walks one hour to work and back and than she picks up her bucket from home and walks half an hour to fetch murky water from a hole in the ground. Some days she makes this trip twice, each time asking for aid to lift the bucket onto her head as one of her hands doesn't work properly. Although she is struggling and is on a list to receive a monthly ten pound bag of corn flour and doesn't have two fully functional hands, she raises her four children and she is happy. She is happy for what she does have, even if to use it seems like little to nothing. I see our daily waste, like a lid bringing joy to a small child he uses it as a toy he can run around with, the plastic bags we use everyday that you throw out constantly being used as a soccer ball bringing hours of fun to the many children living here. Even though they doo not have games systems or fancy toys they are happy because they have each other and value even the simplest things life has to offer us.

A visit to the brothers of charity

Yesterday we went to the compound of the brothers of charity. We brought them some clothing and five 100pound sacks of rice. The Brothers of Charity care for mentally and physically disabled men and boys. These people have been abandoned due to their disabilities. The brothers care for them as best as is possible. I was reminded of Faith and Light back home. When we arrived our group was a little shy but one man, his name is Joseph grabbed and held my hand as we toured the compound. When we arrived at their dormitories we saw many disabled people. After handing out some candy we were treated to many songs including Frere Jaques. It was incredibly sad to see so many suffering, and knowing that there are others without the comfort of the brothers of charity.

Today we returned to the village to paint the cisterns. After we finished Jamie and I played soccer with the kids. I suspect that a few of the children were playing hooky. I taught a group to play hop-scotch and to count to ten in English. Playing with the kids is one of the most rewarding parts of the trip. Found a scorpion today. And I carried a hedgehog, he was much friendlier and gregarious than Hobbes. Bishop arrives in Dar tomorrow and will arrive at the compound Saturday. We pray for his safe travels.

I am starting to hear the odd longing for ice cream from the group; but the food I miss the most is hot wings. Call me crazy!

Roxanne's thoughts

Our daily drive out to the village of Chihoni, Nala has been one of my highlights. We sit in the back of what looks like an army truck, so we have a clear view of our surroundings. The African life is SO different than ours in many many ways. In the capital city of Dodoma, people set up small spaces where they sell anything they can; bananas, nuts, sandals, sweet potatoes, clothes, sugar cane, lentils, etc. We also see several motorcycle repair shops. (I have never seen so many bikes in my life!)
Sometimes we feel like we are in a parade, as many people wave at us, especially the crowds of small children.
It is truly amazing how the children will find anything to use as a toy; a plastic bottle, a tire tube, a cap from a spray can, etc. When you see this, you realize how spoiled and materialistic many of us have become at home. When I look in their eyes though, I see something I do not often see at home. These kids spend the majority of their time together, and they are really happy. They play together, and create games together, and I wonder sometimes whose children really have it better!??!!
As we leave the city and head out to the country, I notice things are a bit different. The busyness decreases. I see some families who can afford it, with concrete brick houses and metal roof tops. Most in our village have traditional mud houses. From what I can see, most of their time is spent hauling water, laundry, cooking, tending to children, and the few cows or goats they may have.
It is insanely dry here, so there is a cloud of dust wherever you go. Tanzania gets 4 months of rain and 8 months where it is completely dry. Not much grows here right now, but the rains will come in December.
When we get to the village, many of the women are very willing to help us mix and carry cement. Father Tim says when they work alongside us they take much more ownership of the well project, and take pride in it. So we have been encouraged to let them work as much as they want so it is seen as more their  project than ours. Today we finished up the holding tanks and cleaned up the worksite for the Bishop's visit on Sunday. More about this later! Until next time, Roxanne

Deanna's message

The water coming out of the ground last week, establishing that the windmill worked was cool. The villagers rushed with their buckets to collect it and stayed up all night, not wasting a drop. This was not the true miracle or pinnacle, that occurred before we got here.
  Another village was designated to us who were desperate for water. They had three dry holes drilled. The mission was forced to pass by them and try at Nala. The first three holes drilled in Nala were also dry. It was this hole, the fourth that finally struck water. I would have loved to be there at that moment. The rest now is just work and we are just finishing up painting the holding tanks and filling in a trench. I cannot help but feel remorse for the village that had to be passed over.

The Village Of Hope - Morning visit

This morning we visited The Village Of Hope, this place is incredible! It started as a place for children with aids to die in loving arms and now its been blessed with the medicine that treats aids and runs as an orphanage, school both primary and secondary and a place were babies can be born without aids.

Quiet weekend

It's been a quiet weekend. We head back out to the well to finish it up tomorrow. On Saturday we went to the market in Dodoma and some of the girls bought kangas. The Kamloops group arrived and Bro arrived from Dar yesterday. Today was an admin day for fr Tim so we didn't go to the well but delivered some cornmeal to those in need; seniors without a family. Oh yeah, Vanessa, Danica and Katelynne made a cake... And it was excellent! It's late here. Blog more soon.

Bringing water to Chihoni, Nala! - written by the Team

The day began with finishing our first trench, digging the second, which led to the making and molding of the second holding tank. We had our usual lunch of rice and beans. We waited in anticipation as the pipes were connected and placed into the well. When the last pipe was connected, we all ran to the well to experience the moment. As the water was pumped to the surface, we all were impacted in our way;

  - As Fr. Tim let the water flow out of the pipe, and the windmill blades were turning in the wind, the villagers immediately started filling their buckets with the well water. A smile spread across Danica's face because she saw  the joy in the people's faces and she knew that she was making a difference in their lives.

  - Katelyne was filled with emotions. As she watched the villagers witness the water come out she was overwhelmed. Their excitement and joy was heartwarming. As tears streamed down people's faces she knew it was worth it.

  - Kayla was happy we got water today. She has enjoyed working with the villagers. It was  nice to see them getting this water. She feels grateful to be a part of this.

  - Nina missed the first burst of water, but she ran along side the villagers to see the second one. As it was coming out she watched the people's happy faces and was filled with an indescribable feeling of joy. 

  - Celine's experience was also a little different as she did not see the first water release. The moment which captured her heart was sharing the pure joy of accomplishment with one of the villagers. She stood watching joy spread across the crowds, as most have not seen this much water in many months.

 - Vanessa couldn't stop smiling because the water was finally coming. When she heard the water was coming she ran and was front and center to see what we worked for. As the first pump of water came out  her eyes started to fill with tears of joy. She found herself jumping around and spraying the people with water. Vanessa knew that this moment wasn't going to be her last, because she repeatly told us how much she loved Tanzania and CPPS water projects.

  - Roxanne stepped back to look at the fins of the windmill, as it spun around. When she looked up, she honestly felt something she never felt before. The setting sun was right behind the windmill. It was so beautiful. She took a step back to capture the experience in its entirety. As tears came to her eyes, she looked over her shoulder and saw Vanessa. They celebrated with a hug and a little happy dance. She knew she was experiencing something very special. 

 - Matthew felt that he witnessed a miracle; water in the desert. He felt like the group partially fulfilled the gospel, by giving water to those who have none. Watching the villagers fill their buckets with the well water gave him that sense of fulfillment. 

 -  For Deanna, the water coming out of the ground establishing that the windmill worked was cool. She did not realize at that moment that the villagers had every intention of staying throughout the night to collect every drop of water they could. 

 -  For Jamie, it felt like something had been accomplished. At the first meeting in PA, the culmination of our efforts seemed so small and insignificant, distant even. Here though, our small sacrifices and near endless preparation had come to a conceivable end. To her though, it didn't feel like the denouement, only a rising action to a climax yet to come. 

By: The 2014 Tanzania Mission Team!

                            Thank you to all those who helped make this possible! 

                              The first bucket to be filled with the water!

The villagers smiling faces.

             

                                   

                                             The amazing CPPS windmill team!

The fins of our windmill, painted with love!

Roxanne's Message

Hi everyone. I'm still using other people's blog account until I can get mine going. So we have been working hard at the village this week. I am so grateful that I have a chance to see with my own eyes what happens with these windmill projects. Kayla and I were asked by many people at home, if the Tanzania people had any input into the project. They wanted to know if we provided all the money, material and labour for the well. I hope my explanation will help people understand what it's really like here. Our group of ten raised the money and paid for the cost of the well and the windmill. BUT the main focus of this organization, I'm happy to say is education of the people, and giving them the opportunity to control their own destiny. All the workers here are local: the cooks, laundry, housecleaning, drivers, carpenters, welders, painters, cement workers, labourers, administration,etc. Some are Catholic, some Muslim. At the worksite many of the villagers, both men and women come to help mix and haul concrete. They want to help because they want to take ownership of this project. A woman named Elizabeth has been working here for about 3 years or so. She does a lot of things with the village people, helping them understand their responsibilities with the well after we are gone. Her and the villagers plan (more or less) is this: The village people appointed an agent who will be responsible for keeping track of how many pails of water he sells. It has been agreed that he will sell each pail for 100 shillings, which is about 7 cents. Please remember, this is fair, and what most people can afford. The agent must keep records of his sales as well as bank receipts. They plan to meet every month to discuss the financials and to see how it's going. The money they make will be used for any maintenance and repairs that may need to be done to the windmill or holding tanks. Any old or disabled people can get some water free. I also want to say that there is a small crew of very strong, hard working young Tanzanian men who work hard every day with us. They have been crawling up to the top of the windmill at very dangerous heights, bolting everything together. Most have been working here for a very long time, so they definitely are the professionals in the group! So it has been amazing to work side by side with these people. They have the will and the brains, they just

need the help to get the water out of the ground. Our well is 324 feet deep. Only a very expensive machine can do this. And if people could see what we see here every day it would not take much to realize that water IS desperately needed here.So our adventure continues. Bye for now, until next time, Roxanne Richards

Building the tower

The foundations have been set and we have just finished the tower. It's at least three stories tall. We placed the steel beams in the concrete foundations and then built layer upon layer. It is easily the tallest structure in the village. We used a winch to haul up the motor and some of the heavier pieces yesterday. And today we used a pulley and brought up the blades one by one. I'll have pictures tomorrow. We have also built one of two water tanks. We began by covering a mould made of burlap sacks with a clay made of... Then once the clay dried we covered it with two layers of refined concrete. We will build the second tank tomorrow. We brought some of Deanna's One World Futbols to the village today and played a friendly game of football (soccer). I made a dive for the ball and came up in a bramble of the worst burrs ever. I have a really bad farmers tan.

STOP AND BE THANKFUL

At the end of the day yesterday we gave our remaining water that we used to make cement to the villagers in Nala, where we are building the well system. This water is not drinkable but these people will be boiling it and using it for cooking, drinking and bathing. These people came from all over the village with their buckets hoping to get some cleaner water but in the end very few left with water in their hands. They are fighting for this water.. They were lining up, waiting for hours to get their hands on this water. In canada we line up and fight for the new gadgets, cellphones and video games... We take clean water for granted so much. We need to stop and be thankful for what we have.

-Katelyne :)

Why Mission Projects are important

 

Until you go see the world, see how little others have, see how happy others are with just each other, how kids can be happy with sticks and sand, see how strong they are and how much they have to endure just to get water,
Water.
When I speak water though it is not the clean drinking water that falls from your faucets, its not the water that you use to water your plants. No it is dirty water and its the only water they have ever known. Some people have to walk over distant mountain to get it because some people just can't afford to buy water off of a water truck for 300 Tanzanian shillings. It is 2014, I am 19 years old and I am making a difference in the village of Nala along with my 9 other mission teammates. In the picture below are some of the villagers who are smiling because some of them have not bathed in weeks and they are getting the water we did not need for building purposed today on the work site.

 

Sunday, a day of rest.

Well we are excited for another day of working at the well but yesterday we had a day of rest. In the afternoon we returned to the Village of Joy Orphanage. We played some football (soccer) and catch. We played cops and robbers, African style, we danced la bambs to homemade maracca's. We gave out piggy backs and put on a finger puppet show. A really cool thing was Danica letting the kids play with her IPhone, and they found out how to take pictures in less than ten seconds. Talk about easy accessibility.
Had one of my favourite gospel readings yesterday. With the seed scattered and grown among the rocks and the path and the thorns and the good soil. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.