Tis the Season to Nourish Mind and Body

When I’m not busy facilitating science conferences, I’m spending my free time with camera in hand as I try to soak in and capture every memory possible. Spending time with the people I care about most in Tanzania, both PCVs and Tanzanians as it sinks in that my time here really is almost over. Three weeks from now, I will be in Dar es Salaam crossing T’s, dotting I’s and adding an R to my title as PCV.

When the rain stops, the green landscape turns to brown and everything dries out. This marks the beginning of harvest season, meaning the corn is dry enough to be picked, removed from the cob and then milled to make ugali flour, the staple food of Tanzania. 

This of course means that my students do not attend remedial classes, but instead do manual labor in the evening hours.  

Dried corn on the cob from the school farm is picked and collected in a pile, then put in guinea sacks

The guinea sacks are then smacked around with sticks with force to knock the kernels off the cob

Last month, my school received 10 student teachers that have been placed at the school temporarily to practice teaching while they await placement. Now my school is over staffed, and since I'm on my way out, I gave them my teaching periods. This means I have more time to spend with my favorite villagers.

Three families in particular have taken me in and treated me like one of their own. I can't imagine my service without them in it.

Mr. Salvatory Mwakapala, my counterpart

The most energetic 18 month old, Prosper Mwakapala, my counterpart's son

 Mama Joeli and Mr. Yamba, my closest neighbors

Joeli Yamba, my 3 year old neighbor. We get to play every day now that I'm not teaching

 Mama Grey and Mr. Mwinuka, my favorite villagers and second family

Holding baby Rose Mwinuka (named after me) and practicing writing numbers with her older sister Sifuni

Can't put into words the mixture of emotions I'm experiencing as I realize how close I am to the end. I know all good things must end and this chapter is over, but the people I've met along the way have been by far the greatest part of my two years spent here and saying goodbye is heart-breaking.