Last tour of Bukoba

Monday, August 1^st, 2011

Today we are going back to the villages of Izigo and Kangabasharo. This area is so beautiful.   I am not a “nature” person but driving through all of the terrain is very beautiful!  I traveled with the Global Citizens Network (GCN) group that will be working with One Woman, One Goat to build a farm for several women to start this next phase of their business. 

Smart took GCN on a tour of all the regions that COSAD works with, much like he did for us.  It was fun to take new people to the school at Kiteyagwa and also amusing that the children remember me and talk about our time playing Duck, Duck, Goose or answering questions in the classroom.  The teachers also remember me and I enjoy working with them to get their profiles and pictures.  Many of the teachers are surprised and laugh when they see their picture on my digital camera.  I love the teachers at this school and they have been very welcoming! They are my people- teachers of the world unite!  They invite me into their lounge, poor me tea and willing to share even the little that they have.

We visited the COSAD resource center which is on the grounds of the Kiteyagwa school. The small building has four rooms, one for the CHI nursing office, one for TASE or the business office and then two for the education resource area.  There have been many books donated but I was still overwhelmed at the sparse selection, especially books for children to read. The fiction area seems to have higher level books like Harry Potter or Treasure Island but the level students were speaking English is lower, I don’t know where they are at for reading.  Smart hopes to have one of the rooms full of books- for teachers and students. The other would be a comfortable area with a table and chairs where people come and read or have a meeting.  Although it is so easy to donate books from America, they are also in need of books written in Swahili.


COSAD resource center



In the teacher’s lunchroom/office/conference room, there are only student desks in the classroom, is next to the primary school and all teachers use it to correct or do paper work.  There are no shelves and papers are piled on desks or the floor.  Teachers use this room for grading when they have their prep period and even make tea for each other.



teacher's lounge

After we left the school, we drove to Izigo and the COSAD office in town.  Several people met us there, some of the woman from the One Woman, One Goat program and singers from a choir in town (some of them are sewing singers) including Joyce and Jasper.  The choir sang for us and Joyce spoke to the group, explaining the program and what they hope to accomplice while GCN is in Bukoba. 



Meeting with Joyce, sewing singers and women from the OWOG program

One choir made up of mostly Sewing singers

 We walked to Joyce’s home (20-30 minutes) for lunch.  The farm that GCN is building will be close to Joyce’s house so she can provide water for all of the animals.  Joyce is one of the most amazing women I have met. Her husband is a teacher but she runs not only her own farm (of about 20 goats, 1 cow, and several chickens) but she also runs COSAD in Izigo and is the coordinator of OWOG (One Woman, One Goat where she personally visits all 100 women involved on foot).  She is involved in three choirs and participates in nine woman’s groups in town.  Obviously she doesn’t sleep but it makes me wonder what I would be capable of doing if I didn’t watch television or surf the internet.  She was a wonderful host for lunch and her home is quite beautiful.  I was also impressed at the fact that she is one of the few people I have seen with pets; she owns several cats that come inside and also has a dog.  While GCN was touring the site I took pictures of her family that I hope to print off and send back for her to have in her home. 

Walking to Joyce's home

 

Joyce's grandchildren helping with the goats



Joyce's farm



Joyce took us to visit several other women involved in the OWOG program.  This area is very rural and the “roads” to homes consist of a small worn path through the brush.  I am excited to see how this goat farm and enterprise benefit the women in this community!

We also toured Kangabasharo before heading home.  The walking tired me out and although I am truly enjoying my time here…I have the strongest craving for a cheeseburger.  If you are in town on Thursday afternoon look for me at Hoppers! I might even try the belt buster challenge if I really have a death wish. 

See you soon! Erika