My time in Tanzania
Arrival
In April and May 2003 I worked for Light in Africa as a volunteer. I arrived in the very early morning of April the 2nd: tired after a night in the airplane, nervous because it was my first time in Africa and looking forward to meet all the children and Mama Lynn and her family.
Mama Lynn was there to pick me up, together with her son Marcus, nurse Grace, Anthony as the driver of the car and even one of the toddlers.
After a 30 minute drive we arrived in the children’s home. And I will never forget that first moment! All the young children where there to see me, to touch me and to give me hugs and kisses. The older children and the staff did the Tanzanian welcome-yell. I can’t explain it, you should just hear it……
My work
Every morning I became a primary school teacher. I looked after the children between 4 and 7. We played games, we sang songs, I read them a story or I was just sitting there with one, two, three, four, five children on my knees.
Most children have seen and experienced more misery than 10 grown-ups in Europe, but I think they are very happy now. They are laughing almost all the time and are very self-sufficient.
In the afternoon I walked to the house with the children between 0 and 3. At the time I was there, there were three 15-months old toddlers who had the age to start walking. But they needed just a little bit extra attention and encouragement. I tried to help them. After two months practicing one was walking, one was very enthusiastic in trying to walk and the last one could finally pulling herself up.
Outreach Programs
One of the outreach programs is the dispensary in Lerai, a Massai-village. Every week, the nurse of the children’s home takes a bag full of medication and she goes to Lerai. Together with two clinicians from the nearby hospital, she gives the people in Lerai medical treatment. For these people it is the only medical care they can get.
I assisted them a couple of times. I counted the right amount of pills and gave the children of Lerai vitamin-supplements. The Massai live a completely different life and sometimes you see children with severe illnesses. I experienced a complete culture-shock during my first visit. And even now I can’t understand some of the things I saw. But I saw the positive site as well: Happy children in the village school and people who were cured.
Bomangombe
The children’s home is located in Bomangombe, a village along the road from Moshi to Arusha. Boma has a lot of shops for all the basic needs like bread, fruit, sugar, tea, coffee, toilet-paper etc. There is a stationary-shop, a bank where you can cash your traveller cheques, an office where you can make international phone calls, a doctor, a pharmacy and some nice pubs.
Almost everything you need is there. And within 45 minutes you are in Moshi, a real city with internet cafes, souvenir shops and safari companies.
Goodbye
It was strange to say goodbye to all the wonderful children and people. I was looking forward to see my friends and family and it was hard to imagine that maybe I would never see them again.
And now, back home, I miss the children, I am wondering what happened with the seriously ill baby I saw in one of the villages, I compare my life here with living in Tanzania and I dream very often about the children’s home. So, you can really say that Light in Africa changed my view of life and the world. And I will never forget it!!!
Nienke Gravesteijn