We got up early this morning to pack all our things for the big day, moving from Dar to Kisarawe. Claire and Stephanie went out with us to introduce us to Weston, Wilson, and their other colleagues.
From Dar to Kisarawe is only about an hour and a half, but the difference is staggering. The people are just as kind and helpful as ever, but Kisarawe is much less developed. The small town consists primarily of one main red clay road, with one school, the Kisarawe hospital, small shops, and fruit stands. Honestly it’s quite a nice change of pace from the big city. It gets exhausting pretty quickly to always have to be on high alert in a bustling city like Dar. Here in Kisarawe I can walk around freely with a bookbag or purse on and not worry ever about it getting stolen. If anything, the people here look out for us, as word spread quickly that two mzungus and a chino were in town.
The people, especially the Tanzanian children are so curious! We even got stopped on the side of the street for some pictures! Tanzanians really like Chinese people for some reason, and I think it confuses them a bit that I look Chinese but speak mostly English. When we walk down the street many times we hear a mixture of “Mambo!” “Chino!” and “Hello!”
Katie, Nathan, and I got settled in our small guesthouse which overlooks the school yard, and during the day there are always children running around in their navy and white uniforms. We have limited running water, but we all have a small room light, and Nathan even has a working fan. We also got a quick tour of the Kisarawe Regional Hospital today, and will begin work tomorrow!
More pictures to come!
Cheers from TZ,
~Irene
