The Toa Nafasi Project

Happy weekend, all! It's just after the Thanksgiving holiday over here in the U.S. and that means it's getting to be time for me to get my booty back over to Tanzania!!

Typically, my yearly term in the States lasts from Labor Day through Thanksgiving, but this year I will extend to just after Christmas in order to see my good friend (and fellow Moshian) Shay Bell in her home state of Florida before we both head back to the Motherland....

Still, that doesn't mean "outta sight outta mind" - obviously, since I have been in New York, I have been thinking about Toa Nafasi constantly: fundraising, administrating, and networking.

Now, I am starting to figure out the lay of the land for when I get back - how we'll start the new year in Msaranga, prepare the additional schools for our infiltration, and resign myself to enduring the frustrations of living and working in a developing country. (That last one has typically been a bit of a challenge for me!)

One big change for all of us living in Tanzania is that we have a new president! I blogged in October about the political campaigns of the various players, but now that it's all over and the dust has settled, John Magufuli has defeated Edward Lowassa to become the fifth president of the United Republic of Tanzania.

It's unclear as yet how this new guy will affect the daily lives of his constituents, but I gotta say Johnny Pombe might be my new hero! If he's serious about what he's saying as per the article below from The Citizen, I think I might actually be down to get down with a Tanzanian politician - cue up the flying pigs here. He seems to be inclined to cut down on the crap and beef up the beneficial. I know it's still early going, but let me be cautiously optimistic and say, Hongera sana, Bwana Rais! (Many congrats, Mr. President!)

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Magufuli Demonstrates He's Not a Joker, Means Business

Public servants have been put on notice: change and serve the people or go. Only three weeks after being sworn in, President John Magufuli has already made clear that when he preached 'work and nothing else' in his campaigns, he meant it.

Though heads have not yet started rolling, the directives which he has given in his first three weeks in office have sent a clear message that the 'business as usual' syndrome will not be tolerated by Dr. Magufuli's government. And for people who think that it is those politicians from the opposition party who are going to suffer from the new no-nonsense head of the state, indications show that the first culprits of Dr. Magufuli's quest for change will be those working in his government.

For one thing, Dr. Magufuli has already indicated that he will not entertain spendthrift government. His decision to cut foreign travel by public officials except with permission from his office, as well as the slashing of the parliamentary 'cocktail budget,' has clearly shown what he meant by 'cost-cutting measures.'

Dr. Magufuli reinforced his message in his inauguration speech in which he outlined what he intends to do in the next five years. In the speech, Dr. Magufuli showed the challenges which the country faces, but he went further to draw a road-map showing how the government will tackle the problems.

Dr. Magufuli listed corruption as the first problem which he encountered during election campaigns. He told the Parliament that in all the areas where he went during campaigns, corruption topped the list of people's complaints.

He also said citizens are dissatisfied with the performance of the Local Government Authorities (LGAs). Areas which he cited as most wanting in LGAs' performance include revenue loss, failure to collect revenue, misappropriation of public resources, and poor implementation of some development projects.

On issues pertaining to land, Dr. Magufuli said conflicts between farmers and pastoralists should be resolved, the double allocation of plots should be stopped, people who horde large lands which they have not developed should start to think on how they are going to develop the land, municipal authorities and councils should start implementing land plans immediately, and people who have invaded open-spaced and other reserved areas should start parking now. In fact, in Dar es Salaam, demolition of houses built on open spaces has already started and television footage has shown some of the posher houses being pulled down with their owners witnessing. This could not be imagined in the past regime.

The Head of State also indicated that he wants to see corruption, theft, and bureaucracy at the port become issue of the past.

Dr. Magufuli has also put the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) on notice. In his speech he said TRA should find solutions to thorny issues including tax evasion, corruption among its officials, bureaucracy, and revenue loss to list but a few. He indicated that his government would not tolerate any TRA official who will impede government resolve to collect enough revenue, especially from large businessmen.

The power utility firm, Tanesco, was also given a task to ensure that intermittent power cuts be addressed and power rationing should come to an end.

Noting that some government officials participate in poaching, Dr. Magufuli asked the Tourism and Natural Resource docket to find lasting solutions to the problem which has tarnished the image of the country abroad.

"How come elephant tusks are impounded in China or Europe while they passed at the port of Dar es Salaam? Something should be done to make sure that this situation does not recur," he said. But he also asked the docket to address perennial conflicts between villagers and national parks and forest reserves concerning revenue loss.

On health services, Dr. Magufuli told Parliamentarians that the government would do everything possible to make sure that health services are made available in all villages in order to reduce congestion in the few existing health facilities. He also said it is his resolve to ensure that cost-sharing is moderated so as to remove all unnecessary contributions which patients have to make. One solution he proposed is ensuring that all people are enrolled in health insurance schemes. This will also address the problem of the shortage of drugs in public health facilities.

Immigration is also on the President's radar. He said that the haphazard issuing of work permits should come to an end, and the department should also be prudent in issuing residency permits and closely follow what the foreigners who have been granted work permits are doing. He said he wants to end the trend where foreigners have been engaged in activities which locals could handle easily.

On education, Dr. Magufuli said it is his dream to see that the government addresses notorious problems in the sector such as the shortage of learning and teaching materials, removal of unnecessary contributions for guardians and parents, unending teachers' complaints, poor learning environments, and lack of teacher houses and others.

He said that he recognizes efforts taken by the Judiciary to address problems under its area. But, he said more needs to be done to ensure that cases are heard quickly.

On mining, he said his government would make sure that locals benefit more from Tanzania's God-given resources by - among other things - ensuring that small-scale miners are allocated areas for their activities and they are facilitated with equipment and markets.

Generally, Dr. Magufuli showed that his government is ready to work together with other stakeholders to realize his government's dreams. And the way he has been executing his duties, Dr. Magufuli has started to endear himself to many people, earning accolades from even some of the opposition politicians who were critical of him during the campaigns.

Kigoma Urban MP, Mr. Zitto Kabwe is one of the opposition politicians who have bought into Dr. Magufuli's promises in tackling corruption, especially at higher levels. The ACT-Wazalendo national leader says he has decided to support Dr. Magufuli on those issues because in the last ten years, the country has been rocked by a number of grand corruption scandals.

"Therefore, it is only logical to support someone who has shown determination to deal with that situation," says Mr. Zitto adding, "We have built a strong opposition based on a grand corruption agenda. Now we have a president who has decided to join us in this crusade. Why should we oppose him?"

Mr. Ramadhani Dau, the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) director, is one of the people who have been elated by Dr. Magufuli's speech in the Parliament. He said that for years the NSSF has been working together with the government in the improvement of social services.

"We are now more than ready to work in assisting the government to achieve its dream of reviving and strengthening industries in the country. We are ready to venture into this area with the government because we believe that industrialization would solve several problems facing the country currently," he said.

It is now clear to everyone what the fifth phase of Tanzanian government wants to do to advance the country and improve people's lives. The problem at hand is whether Dr. Magufuli will have competent and committed people to assist him carry out this responsibility.

For the targets to be achieved, there is one major obstacle which the country needs to overcome and that is the mindsets of most Tanzanians. Over the years, Tanzanians have been molded into a certain type of social-political-communal mode of living. The public service has also not been spared in that trend.

Looking at what Dr. Magufuli wants the government to achieve and the way he wants it to do that, and his hint that he would need a lean cabinet, it points to one obvious thing. He will need a team of people who are ready and able to do things differently. A minister who only relies on what has been written in books when dealing with emerging problems will not fit into Dr. Magufuli's plans.

Hello, friends, and welcome to Winter! It's now December on the East Coast of the United States and the temperatures are showing it. As per usual, the first signs of chill and frost and my patriated African blood can't take it - I'm sick!! Fortunately, it's post- most of the important events of 2015 like the Toa Nafasi Friend-raiser and most other Toa tasks, so I can afford to take a few extra days rest and park it on the couch a hot minute.

Speaking of the annual Friend-raiser, we held it last week in Washington at the home of my parents. It was a smaller gathering than in previous years, but it was a nice turnout with lots of friendly and familial faces to buoy our spirits.... and fill our pockets!

But because I'm feeling under, I'm gonna let the photos do the talking and just caption the whole damn bloggo, "Like Whoa," for Black Rob's eponymous song about all that is awe-inspiring and amazeballs.

As in Stacking dough in DC is like whoa....

Indeed.

Guests in the living room.

My dad standing behind longtime Toa supporter, Lee Lockwood.

More guests.

The guy on the right is my GE hookup. Love him!

That's me. Blathering on.

Blather, blather, blather.

My Momager running the projector.

Board member Romana Li says a few words over the shoulder
of one of my besties, Nia-Malika Henderson, of CNN fame.

Mugendi Andrew Zoka from the Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania repped his country.

Coincidentally, Zoka is good friends with one of my good friends

in Moshi, Noel! Zoka brought his wife Winnie to the party

and my childhood bestie, Lesley Devrouax, attended as well.

Lesley visited me in TZ in 2009 well before I started Toa but when she was there, she met Noel, so all four of us thought it would be a hoot to take a selfie and send it back to him in Moshi!

Zoka gets the last word.

It may have been a little overwhelming

for his first Rosenbloom shindig, but I think Zoka was impressed. He ended the night's remarks with a short speech

about the new President and how perhaps his inauguration

might usher in a new age of inspiration and action.

Amen to that!

I chuckle wryly kidogo as I post this blog entry because it touches a nerve that was just recently exposed, although in kind of a reverse order as in the article below.

I've been having a bit of an issue lately with some of the parents in Msaranga not wanting Toa Nafasi services for their children, feeling it differentiates them (Negatively? Unfairly?? Or is it just bad enough to be "different"???), and it has been a real struggle to try to convince them that a.) their child does need extra support, b.) it's okay to need said extra support, and c.) said extra support will be provided at no additional effort or expense to them except to open their minds to the idea.

Rather than lackluster teachers and a broken system holding kids back (as described below), in our case it's stubborn parents unable to make the leap from what they know to what Toa Nafasi is introducing. I get that it's new and slightly scary, but we've really gone out of our way with some of these parents to put their minds at ease that just because a child is working with Toa, it doesn't mean he's bad or shameful, he won't become any "worse" by playing with more severely impaired kids, and we really are trying to provide a service that, in addition to helping individual children, also benefits the community at large.

Now, no matter how often I have to make this little speech nor how many times this same issue arises, I will never become *that* teacher as the parents are described in the article: demanding, annoying, angry, unrealistic, unreasonable. It's simply not productive in a community without our Western viewpoint of special needs (only recently acquired ourselves), but I did feel this story resonate with some recent emails back and forth between me and Tanzania this Fall. Hopefully, when I return in a mere ten days, I can gather my forces and go back in, armed with as much information as possible. Once informed, it will be up to the parents to have the final say in how the child proceeds in his studies.

Check out this article just posted on The Huffington Post blog by Early Childhood Development expert, Laurie Levy: "How School Systems Create *That* Parent for Children in Special Education." As a strong believer in diversity and the rights of children with special needs, Levy seeks to empower parents and educators, and create caring and just communities.

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Demanding. Annoying. Angry. Unrealistic. Unreasonable. Every teacher, principal, and school district administrator knows *that* parent. In special education, there are much greater numbers of *that* parent, and I'm sure school systems feel irritated and challenged by the threats of law suits and seemingly endless fights over Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goals. But do they realize their role in creating *that* parent?

In an earlier post, I begged teachers not to force parents to become *that* parent, explaining that all parents, and especially those of children with special needs, want to be liked and work in partnership with their children's teachers. The incident I cited was the failure of a special education teacher to communicate with the parents of a non-verbal child, or even to answer their emails asking about the child spending time in a "quiet room" and the lack of a behavior plan for its use.

After five emails, the teacher responded and offered to meet. The meeting consisted of her pulling the child's mother aside during pick up time to reassure her that the room was actually more of a closet with a door that didn't lock, that the child chose to go to the room, and that it helped to regulate his behavior.

These parents are so polite and accommodating that they accepted the explanation and decided to wait a few days before requesting a more formal meeting. They had arranged for a visit from a specialist in teaching reading to non-verbal children, and she was coming that week to train the special education classroom teacher. These trainings were part of the child's IEP. Except the training didn't happen because the school failed to arrange for a sub. Instead, the school district special education department suggested a classroom aide could be trained. But it is not legal for anyone other then a special education teacher to carry out the instructional minutes mandated by the IEP. So no, that didn't happen.

Now the parents transitioned from being nice to being extremely angry and frustrated. Now they became *that* parent. Yes, they admit their child can be difficult and they are aware of his behavioral challenges. But they also know their child is capable of learning and can actually read. His capacity to learn is demonstrated in private therapy and at home. Just not at school. In short, he has been deprived of years of education by a school system mainly focused on his behavior and managing it.

In her blog Let's Be Blunt: The Illusion of Inclusion, Karen Copeland writes about how parents of children receiving special education services evolve into angry parents:

"We are told we need to stay calm and polite in meetings in order to be respectful. The challenge is that these very systems have set us up and created us to be these angry parents by virtue of the fact that we have had to fight so long and so hard to get our children and families even a fraction of the accommodations and support we need."

Copeland shares the journey of many parents of children with special needs in our public schools:

The frustration of not being informed about or consulted when important decisions are made for their children, despite assurances at IEP meetings that they are valuable partners.

The need to advocate constantly for the extra support their children require, the support promised to them by law under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The isolation their families experience in the school setting as parents of typically developing children ignore them and complain that their children are taking too much teacher time and too many resources.

The lack of appropriate support and learning adaptations for children placed in general education classrooms without access to resource rooms and specialized teaching.

Like all parents, those of children with special needs want their kids to succeed and live up to their potential. They also have dreams for their children and believe their children are capable of learning at their own pace. Like the parents of the child spending time in the "quiet room" closet and being denied appropriate educational interventions, they try to supplement what the schools fail to provide.

Copeland reminds us that schools should never give up on a child regardless of age. "How many people would write off their own child if he/she was different?"

A school psychologist commented on my earlier blog, "Please be *that* parent. Your child deserves no less, and your special education team needs the feedback to support your child's success." Speaking on behalf of all parents of children receiving special education services, I am asking school districts to collaborate, communicate, and consult rather than evade, fight, and blame. Try it. I'm sure fewer folks will become *that* parent.

As Christmas approaches in New York City, the seasonal festivities reach frenzied levels: Christmas music blares from speakers in stores, on the radio, in one's head of its own accord; the streets are lined with pop-up tree vendors, plying everything from the traditional balsam and Douglas firs to evergreen and pine; cafes and restaurants offer sweet, seasonal treats made from pumpkin and apple, cinnamon and spice; and primetime television stations air the annual roundup of holiday programs that they've been doing, certainly since my childhood, and probably even before that.

One such show, which I watched last week, is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, created in the 1960s and voiced by Burl Ives as the narrator, Sam the Snowman. It's one of those relics from my youth that both reminds me of the tenderness of being a kid at family holidays as well as how much time has passed since then and how much the world has changed since "claymation" was considered an acceptable form of entertainment.

The story chronicles the experiences of Rudolph, a young reindeer buck who was born with an unusual luminous red nose. Mocked and excluded by the other young bucks because of this trait, Rudolph is initially shunned by the clan and sets out to find a place where he fits in, only to return after various trials and travails to save the proverbial day.

As I watched Rudolph for the umpteenth time, I was struck by the emphasis the show places on Rudolph's social rejection by his peers and his decision to run away from home. His being different is initially intolerable to the other members of society including his parents who try unsuccessfully to hide his affliction. Of course the truth is unveiled, and it is because of the group's intolerance to Rudolph's individuality that he decides to leave the village and find a place where he fits in.

Rudolph is accompanied by a similarly outcast elf named Hermey, whose dreams of becoming a dentist are mocked by the other elves. Depressed about being discriminated against, they team up with the idea that they're both independent, and that they should be independent together. Along the way, the duo meets Yukon Cornelius, a boisterous prospector whose one desire is to find silver and gold.

After run-ins with the Abominable Snow Monster and a stint on the Island of Misfit Toys (home to toys with multiple "defects," for example, a polka-dot elephant and a cowboy riding an ostrich), the trio ends up back in the village as wandering heroes. They have tamed the monster and convinced Santa to find homes for all the misfit toys. But suddenly, a huge blizzard comes and Santa asks Rudolph to guide his sleigh with his shiny red nose lighting the way. Rudolph agrees and is finally treated better by his fellow reindeer for his heroism, due to his "defect."

A great story about how we are taught and expected to conform to social norms, as I watched Rudolph this year, I could not help but draw parallels to the Toa Nafasi kids back in Moshi. Are they not each a Rudolph or a Hermey? Trying to fit in, but perhaps with a quirk here or a foible there, something that makes them different?? And are they not shunned, at least initially, if not outright ridiculed? Teasedand made to feel "other than"?? And might they not, if given the chance to showcase their quirks and foibles, prove themselves just as capable if not more so than their peers, the other reindeer bucks and elves-in-training....? Toa Nafasi certainly thinks so.

Our whole ethos has always been about inclusion and how, although we are a grouping of diverse and dissimilar characters, we each carry within us something very special. This Christmas seems like a perfect time to remember and even celebrate that each one of us is unique. AND THAT IS A GOOD THING. After all, if a scarlet-schnozzed reindeer and an elf with a dental desire can subdue the Abominable Snow Monster, liberate the Misfit Toys, and save Santa's bacon, I'm betting our kids with Toa Nafasi can do anything they want! And Toa Nafasi will help them!!

Pole sana, dear readers, I have no original content for you guys on this first day of the new year, 2016. Having been delayed briefly in New York, I am waiting out the next three to four days until my new flight which is scheduled to have me in Kilimanjaro the evening of January 5th. While I'm delighted to have a bit more time with family, friends, and food delivery, I'm also keenly aware of a now loudly ticking clock. Must get back to Tanzania! STAT!!

Until then, have a gander at this article from The Daily News titled "Bidding Farewell to 2015, Mathematically Lucky Year." Kind of a cute little piece....

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A lot of things have been said about mathematics over the years. Some have found it a difficult subject and have gone to the extent of disliking it. A number of people have found it useful when they need it to solve different types of problems such as monetary and economic, statistical and research-related, and geological.

Many professionals have seen mathematics as part and parcel of their occupations as engineers, scientists, and surveyors. Yet there are people who like mathematics because of the joy it provides to them with patterns. This year, 2015, people are saying something different.

They are seeing it as a special year for mathematics. Not that the performance of mathematics has improved or deteriorated, but mathematics has produced a president of the country. And it is a mathematics teacher who has been named President of the United Republic of Tanzania.

Dr. John Pombe Magufuli is the first mathematics teacher in Tanzania to become the head of the nation. It is a very rare occasion for a mathematician to vie for the presidency and win, but Dr. Magufuli has broken the jinx.

While the late professor of mathematics, Leonard Shayo tried and failed miserably, a number of people have seen the new president as man of action with typical characteristics of many mathematicians.

The number of actions he has taken in the short time he has been in office is encouraging. The Mathematical Association of Tanzania (MAT/CHAHITA) still remembers his prompt response in 2009 when the association invited him to be the guest of honor on Pi Day and he agreed.

The celebration was held at the Tanzania Institute of Education. Dr. Magufuli expressed his love for mathematics and even told the crowd listening to his speech that he used mathematics to capture illegal fishermen. By then, he was Minister of Livestock and Fishing.

At the end of the ceremony, journalists surrounded him asking him to disclose the formula but he declined to do so because the case was still in court. Recently, the chairman of MAT/CHAHITA, Dr. Said Sima expressed his pleasure of Dr. John Magufuli being the fifth-phase president of the nation.

He congratulated the author of this article for involving government officials in Pi Day celebrations. Apart from Dr. Magufuli, Dr. Sima cited the Hon. Kassim Majaliwa who was the guest of Honor in the 2012 Pi Day celebration held at Jangwani Girls Secondary School. Hon. Majaliwa was Minister of State in the Prime Minister's office (TAMISEMI), responsible for education.

Another senior government official was Dr. Mohamed Bilal who was invited to the 10th Pi Day celebration held at Jangwani grounds in 2014.

At that time, Dr. Bilal was Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania. "It has been a lucky year for mathematics," claimed Dr. Sima.

"You have succeeded in inviting the current president and prime minister -- so far so good! We hope for the best, and praise MAT/CHAHITA, the president, and all his ministers' hard work in making mathematics a subject liked by all.

We also hope that the Minister of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology, and Vocational Training, Prof. Joyce Ndalichako and her Deputy Engineer, Stella Manyanya will support our activities."

This lucky year has also witnessed an increase of participation of primary schools in MAT/CHAHITA activities. For example, in this year's annual seminar and general meeting (AGM), held in Moshi early in August, more than 80 primary school teachers attended.

This year has also witnessed a very special three-year-old child perform mathematical operations and algebra extraordinarily. We have also been informed of a girl from the southern part of Tanzania (nicknamed makalkuleta), doing multiplication and division of large numbers quickly and accurately.

This luck has been completed by President John Magufuli appointing Prof. Joyce Ndalichako as Minister of Education, Science, Technology, and Vocational Training.

Prof. Joyce Ndalichako is a mathematics teacher. She is among very few women mathematicians who have served the nation in various positions including that of Executive Secretary of the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA).

She has been set to work with Deputy Engineer, Stella Manyanya. The year 2015 has certainly been a mathematics-lucky year!

Greetings good people, and many salams from Moshi, Tanzania! I arrived late Tuesday night after 24+ hours of travel to an electricity-less house but safe and sound and super-excited to be back "home." (Everyone had been telling me that electricity has been a big problem here in Moshi since before the elections and now with Magufuli's austerity plan, I think it has continued into his first term, but – knock on wood – since that first night, it has actually been pretty good in my area, so you won't get any complaints out of me!)

I was definitely working the over-tired mania thing when I arrived, having slept very little in the days leading up to my departure from New York, and then not at all while in transit, so I was super-amped when my good friend picked me up at the airport.

After a wee bit of shida at customs (I needed to come up with a good reason why I had three pieces of luggage each about the size of my whole person and each weighing 50lbs), we made the dark drive from Kilimanjaro International Airport to my house in Moshi's "Shantytown," ironically named since it's actually one of the nicer neighborhoods. I talked nonstop the whole ride, asking questions without waiting for answers, pausing only to take sips of my beer which my friends had thoughtfully stopped to get as a welcome-back libation.

After they left me at home, I was wide awake and wanted to start the major unpacking process (150lbs of luggage? Shiiiida!), but it was pitch-black and even with candles lit and a torch strapped to my forehead, it was impossible. Not to mention hot. So, I went to "bed" around 11pm or so I'd say. Wide awake.

At 1am, I heard that gorgeous click which signifies the electricity is back on and jumped out of bed. It was like the starting gunshot and I was off to the races in an unpacking bacchanalia. I had music going at top volume (mostly Taylor Swift), and my hair off my face with a bandanna Tupac-style, and was running back and forth the length of my house, putting things in their proper place, inspecting here and there, and just generally settling in.

I managed to stay up all night and into the next day, organizing and reclaiming my territory. Wednesday afternoon, I was still wide awake so I went to Vodacom to hook up my phone and the bank to get some shillings. I had dinner with my friend Shay and her friend Elena who is visiting from the States. Still awake. WIDE. AWAKE.

Three glasses of red wine at dinner did nothing to wear me out. I talked a blue streak and we had a very pleasant meal at one of our fave restaurants in Moshi. Bear in mind that at this point I'd been sleepless for like two and a half days, but I was really hanging in there! It was my new superpower – I don’t need sleep!!

Wednesday after dinner I came back home (electricity aplenty!) and watched some dvds while waiting for sleep to take over. Hamna. I had not the slightest bit of inclination to close my eyes. I had planned to go to bed between 10pm and midnight, but I couldn't bear the thought of just lying there, so I decided to help nature along. This was a mistake.

Two Advil PMs and I was out. Like, oooouuuutttt! Not only did I sleep Wednesday night, but also Thursday morning, afternoon, and evening, and all through Thursday night!! I calculate I slept around 32hours, which for an anxiety-ridden, Type A/OCD, insomniac New Yorker is like an eternity. It was like sols on Mars; I was in another dimension….

Today, Friday, I woke up around 6am and felt fine. I still had electricity then and have it now at 5pm-ish. THRILLED with that. I met up with some dear friends in the morning, did shopping kidogo, and am off to dinner at Shay's in just a bit, where a whole group has gathered for Friday night dinner. Not Shabbat, but still....

This weekend, I'll be getting myself together and hopefully onto a normal sleep track. Come Monday, it's back to work in Msaranga for the first day of school. It's gonna be utter chaos, so I better get a really good night's sleep on Sunday. Pray for me....

At any rate, that's all I got for the mo'. Once again, happy new year one and all, and more Toa news to come shortly. Oh, and a special asante to Adele whose hit song provided the title of this post.... ;)

This is FANTASTIC. Please take a minute to check out this open letter to the new Education Minister, Professor Joyce Ndalichako, written by the media consultant for the Daily News. I've never once in my nearly nine years in Tanzania read a piece this candid nor articulate. Hongera sana!

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Dear Prof. Ndalichako,

Allow me to congratulate you on your appointment as the Minister in charge of Education in the 5th phase government of the United Republic of Tanzania.

This is no normal appointment as you have just been thrust from the world of a mere educationist into the world of managing a nation's transformation via education.

In normal circumstances, there would be congratulations and champagne on your appointment but in this case, there shall not be. There is no other way of referring to this new appointment other than as "baptism by fire."

It goes without saying that you earned yourself much respect when you refused to be party to a decision that was to affect the results to the benefit of the ruling class and detriment of the masses.

We know you are aware of the brick-and-mortar problems facing this sector in addition to shortage of teachers; lack of teaching aids, desks, and even classrooms; long distances from villages to schools; and general apathy of educators. But the biggest challenge to this sector is the lack of skills imparted to the learners.

As for education curriculum reform, it has been obvious for a long time, not just in Tanzania but in East Africa in general, that growth in quantity has not translated into improved quality of our education system.

As a consequence, we have university graduates who are either underemployed or completely unemployed on the one hand, or on the other hand and even more worrisome, graduates who are not worthy of the piece of paper on which their qualification is certified.

In relative terms, it can be easy to deal with unemployment in and of itself, but it is very difficult to deal with the reasons that cause our graduates in their millions to be unattractive to the employment market.

The thing is that ever since East Africa became independent, we have failed to find the much needed political courage and goodwill to reform our education.

As a consequence, our education in 2016 still serves the needs of the colonial government. It still produces card-carrying loyal chaps who roam our cities in search of someone to empathize and give a blue-collar clerical job.

Our education still produces rote machines who want to be led rather than thinkers who want to provide solutions. Are we surprised that our universities are more famous for strikes over food provisions than for producing solutions to our water problems? It is not too difficult to establish how bad the situation is if one is an employer.

The responses one receives and, even worse, the obvious lack of depth in the candidates leaves one breathless. Dr. Ndalichako, that you chose to visit both Tanzania Education Authority (TEA) and National Council for Technical Education (NACTE), is a clear indication that you know where the problem is.

It is not the numbers of candidates who pass Grade 7 at the end of primary school, or Grade 12, or even Grade 14 that matters. It is the skills that candidates gain when they exit at whatever stage of formal schooling that ought to matter. Where we went wrong in the past was to allow political interests to dominate the discourse about education. The 2013 results which resulted in your resignation is such a case in point.

When politicians step into the fray, the argument gets lost in partisan interests. Such interests are normally myopic, short-term, and meant to serve interest of none other the politician's ill will.

It is a disgrace to a nation to have to sit down and readjust pass mark percentages in order to look good in the eyes of the public. Times have changed, Dr. Ndalichako.

There was Tanzania that was myopic, inward-looking, and obsessed with the self. Then there is Tanzania today. We are confronted with all manner of challenges, most of which we have no control over, seeing as how the world is a global village since the advent of the World Wide Web (WWW).

Our education must give our learners skills to match the very best globally while meeting the national interests of our local technocrats, technologists, craftsmen, and agriculturalists.

The era of clerks and messengers is long over. No one is better placed than yourself to etch your name into the annals of Tanzania's modern-day history by doing what is right (and what should have been done three decades ago but was not).

To reform what we teach, how it's taught, and by whom it's done, and evaluating the success of education not on numbers alone, but on the outcomes of the learners and their capability to cope with modern-day challenges, this is the challenge waiting for you to confront.

There will be many more challenges, not least of all answering to those who have benefited from the inadequacies of the past. But to the masses, take heart, there is a new sheriff in town. At the end of the tunnel is some light.

You are in luck that in the State House, there is a new President in Dr. John Magufuli who is neither interested in fame nor obsessed with looking good.

Take advantage of that and give Tanzanians something to smile about in a content-reformed education system. It is the only weapon for prosperity in the Agriculture, Science, and Technology sectors, all of which make up the premise of a better Tanzania.

Happy New Year, Dr. Ndalichako, you have your job cut out for you, and many Tanzanians as well as this columnist, we not only have faith in you, but we also wish you all the best in this onerous task.

Well, I've been back just over a week and I've already forgotten what it was like to live in New York! Africa will do that to you, it's all very full-on, all at once, both the personal and the professional, the strategical and the logistical, it's.... a lot....

Monday I went to school as planned and met up with Hyasinta, Mwalimu Mshiu, Mwalimu Temba, Headmaster Kennedy, and the whole Msaranga Primary crew. I also got to meet my six (!!) new hires, a bevy of beauties who have been in training with Hyasinta since October. This will be the first month they are full-time Toa teachers, and we have planned to observe them next week as well as to show them how the assessments are done.

Since the 2015 Toa kids were only tested once last year, we have to do their second assessment so we can see their progress. Hyasinta assures me they are all doing great, so we can use this small cohort, maybe 50 kids or so, to help the new teachers practice assessing. Then the real work will come next month when we test the new class of Standard One students at Msaranga, probably about 150 if past years stand as example. After Msaranga, there's Kiboriloni, Mnazi, and Msandaka, the three additional schools. Hyasinta has already created teams of the teachers so we know who will go where. She and I will float from site to site, keeping things under control (as if!). Already we have a slight problem at Msandaka which is both a bit far and also in quite a poor state. For instance, we don't have a classroom to use there! The headmaster suggested chini ya mti (under a tree), but when the rains come, that ain't gonna fly either. Not entirely sure what we'll do, but that bridge seems far in the future, we'll cross it then.

The rest of the week, I was here, there, and everywhere! The bank (multiple times), bureau de change, motor vehicle department, car insurance office, and other delightful places like that. I actually accomplished quite a lot although of course, quite a lot still remains to be done. My mother will be here in two weeks, so I'm saving the really crappy tasks for when she gets here!! Tanzania Revenue Authority, here we come!!

On Wednesday, I met up with Mongi, Vumi's husband, and we had a tender moment. He admitted it has been hard without her and he is planning to move from Msaranga to Mjohoroni so as not to be reminded of her constantly. I also saw Grace, Vumi's daughter, who just turned five years old. She got tall these past four months while I was gone! She looks like a little lady, so much like Vumi, it's scary, with her upside-down teardrop-shaped face and wide-set eyes.

My mom and I had ordered a doll for her when I was in the States and I brought it with me in the box and everything. (Rarely do Tanzanian kids get brand-new toys or books here, so I wanted G to know that this gift was especially picked out just for her.) We had gone back and forth about the doll for a long time. If you Google "dolls for children of color," you get a wide array of variously offensive objects. I thought about an American Girl doll and I know they have brown and black ones, but to bring something of that size over, I probably would have had to buy it an actual plane ticket! My mother was adamant that the doll be soft so G could cuddle it and she was keen on a teddy bear, but I thought Tanzanians don't really know what bears are, so I nixed that idea. We finally settled on a Madame Alexander doll with a soft plastic face and lots of black curly hair. Her body is pillowy and brown and she is wearing an Isaac Mizrahi leopard print outfit (oh, how the mighty have fallen, Isaac!) and Rayban sunglasses. She kind of looks like me, actually. G loved her at once and named her Angel.

The following day, I returned to Mongi's house in order to escort G to her new boarding school in Holili, near the Kenyan border. I had suggested we keep G in Kilimanjaro rather than send her to Dar es Salaam, which was the original plan, where she would have lived with Mongi's relatives. I don't know what kind of school she would have gone to but certainly not one as nice as the one we found for her here. I also felt (rather strongly) that she should remain where we are: her dad, me, Hyasinta, everyone in Msaranga who knew her mother. Grace now knows that Vumi is gone, but I don't want that to signal the end of her relationship with her. I have so many photos and videos and funny stories from these past 8+ years to share with G when she is ready. I want to keep Vumi alive; for Grace, for me....

So, Hyasinta, Mongi, Mongi's sister Christina, G, and Angel the doll all piled into the Roller Skate (nickname for my tiny Suzuki) and we headed off to St. Ritaliza, a boarding school about an hour north of Moshi near Taveta, Kenya. The place was actually quite beautiful with well-kept grounds and good buildings. I had pre-paid everything in full from school fees to the dorm stuff she would need, so I thought we would be in and out fairly quickly. Not so....

Typically, there was no formal registration process and so we waited perhaps an hour and a half to enlist G. Hyasinta knows me well enough to know I don't do the Tanzanian version of a queue - pushing and sweating amongst the masses in utter chaos - so she was good enough to do the dirty work. Below, you can see a sliver of Hyasinta as she got close to the front of the "line": she's the flowered pattern between the two stripes. I had anticipated some back-and-forth over money, and so had steeled myself to fight the good fight, but actually there was no shida with that at all.

The real shida came with the matron who we had to see after registration. She needed to go through G's things to make sure she had everything she was supposed to have. Fine, fine, until.... the bucket. Oh, the bucket and its many issues. Apparently, girls were supposed to come with blue buckets, but on the forms we had received from the school, it was just listed "1 ndoo" or "1 bucket." No mention of color, shape, size, etc. Just a bucket.

I had been standing off to the side rather than being all up in the matron's business, so I missed the initial part of the conversation that Hyasinta, Baba G, and Baba G's sister were having with her. Playing with Grace just seemed more fun. However, once it was clear that there was some problem and having witnessed some words being exchanged, I came over to check out the situation. It took me a moment to process: Grace can't go to school because her bucket is the wrong color? Yes. But, it's just written "1 ndoo" with no mention of color, how were we supposed to know? Ask other parents. But, this is our first year, Grace just turned five and is starting nursery, there's no precedent, and we don't know other parents yet! Arms crossed in signal of resignation, tutafanyeje? (What will we do?) I started to raise my voice to say we'd bring the right color bucket another day, for the moment orange would do, but of course I knew this wouldn't fly. Unwavering adherence to the smallest rule is the Tanzanian way!

Just when I thought we were gonna have to turn around and head back to Moshi with our shameful orange bucket and our tails between our legs, Baba G's temper started to flare. I'd never seen him this way! I liked it!! I mean, the poor man has been widowed six months, he's just trying to do right by his kid, we had paid EVERYTHING in full, could this crazy matron lady not work with us to solve the all-important bucket issue? We were ten minutes from the Kenyan border with nothing around us but tumbleweeds and the blowing wind, no bucket shops to speak of. If the matron had her way, we would still be sitting there, staring at each other unable to come to a conclusion.

But after some strong words, Baba G went running down the hill, presumably got a ride all the way back to Moshi to get the requisite blue bucket. I actually didn't stick around for the exciting conclusion to this storyline because the crowds for Grace to get a uniform, mattress, sheets, etc were crazy, and I would not have returned to Moshi until nighttime so I left shortly after Baba G peaced out and Christina stayed to wait with G and settle her in.... So truthfully, I don't know if the bucket was actually procured and was the right shade of blue....

At any rate, G is now a nursery student at The School of St. Ritaliza of Mt. Carmel, and I'm just praying I made the right choice in keeping her here as opposed to sending her to Dar. I really just wanted to do right by Vumi and give G the best possible chance for a successful future. That I am able to do this financially is obviously hugely gratifying to me, but I do hope I'm not applying my mzungu sensibility to a Tanzanian problem. Mongi and Grace are not the first father/daughter team to lose their matriarch but I hope I'm handling the situation appropriately. It's a fine line to walk, but I feel Vumi would give me a sign if she was displeased. She is ever-present.

At any rate, what's done is done. Mongi is VERY happy, says I'm Grace's mama now, but we know better, I'm just her crazy auntie!! G is in school until vacation in March, so we shall see what her first term brings. As for me, I'm back to Msaranga Primary, doin' the down and dirty with the village kids. More to come on that next post. Until then, have a peek at G's new digs!

Hello. It's me. I must have called a thousand times.

Just kidding, enough with that darn song! (But it's soooo gooood!!) Here I am, back again with an update from Moshi, Tanzania.

Busy these last couple weeks with the requisite chores in order to make my house once again habitable, car drivable, and life generally livable, I have finally cleared my schedule to be able to spend more time at school, meeting the new teachers and seeing all my former students. It's definitely more fun than renewing car insurance.

However, my most prideful achievement during this "settling in" period has definitely been the set-up of my new printer (well, it had been sitting in its box since I got it last year!) and I sense a real life-changer in this little HP 3-in-1; I'm feeling extremely satisfied with myself, working away in the early mornings and late afternoons at my dining table and spending the middle of the days at school and then in town running errands. With, of course, time for a proper workout on my Tanzanian elliptical machine, still functional after all these years. It's a nice, simple life that I'm enjoying with a sense of calm and contentment. We shall see how long this lasts!!

After greetings and introductions to the new teachers, I have started (with Hyasinta) to observe their work and make notes on their strengths and weaknesses. So far, I am impressed! They have been with the Project since October as teachers-in-training (during my absence) and January is the first month of their appointments as true Toa Nafasi teachers, so I was curious to see how it would go, but Hyasinta has stepped up and trained them well. Which means Vumi trained her well. Which means this Project has a future and our little team is flourishing into a real workforce. It is very exciting to watch!!

Since the school year has just started here in Tanzania and the climate is a bit chaotic, we are waiting until the beginning of next month to start working with any new students. We will continue these next two weeks to tutor the 2015 cohort and then to test them for the second time. The second test was meant to happen in August before I left, but we were all too exhausted from the events of last year to carry on and so must do that now. It's actually working out well as we can use these guys as a sort of practice for the new teachers to get used to the assessment period. We can work out the kinks on these guys and then be ready to test in earnest the 2016 groups once we get the go-ahead from the schools.

Our hope is to enter into three neighboring public primary schools and start the process of replicating the program. The work will be substantial and laborious, but we now have the manpower, and if we can keep our hopes high and our stamina strong, I do believe we can succeed. Which is not to say there won't be hiccups and snafus along the way – I expect to be writing some very interesting blog entries this year! Check out the original "girl squad" below.

On the administrative side, my right-hand man, Gasto Lekule continues to be a vital member of our team, handling the local aspects of running the organization: the Tanzanian board of directors, financial accounts, governmental powers-that-be, etc. But my Gal Friday, Rhiannon Chainey, has left Toa Nafasi in order to head up another organization here in Moshi and we wish her well with that. Unfortunately that means I'm down another staff member and in need of a new hire. So, anyone out there looking to do grantwriting/fundraising and publicity/social media for a tiny NGO in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, send me your resume! I'm also starting to think about recruiting some Western volunteers to help the teachers make learning materials for each of the new schools (perhaps I will be brave and pull my laminator out the box this year, as well as the printer!!), but what with the new Tanzanian government just settling into place, there are some immigration issues to be dealt with first.

Speaking of visitors, Carla is set to arrive at the end of the month for her second year of service with Toa Nafasi and I am excited to have my mama back in the Motherland! We had such a great time last year and it was so gratifying to be able to share my Tanzanian life with her…. And for her to really "get" the way things work here: the good, the bad, and everything in between. She will stay for one month during which her friend and former colleague at the University of Maryland, Barbara Finkelstein, will be joining us as well for the last two weeks. Both Barbara and my mother have places on the Toa Nafasi board in the U.S., so it's important that they see firsthand the way the Project works and can explain to others back at home. Their endorsement will help to entice other friends and donors to the Project, and also to document our evolution and improvement. Karibuni sana, Carla and Barbara!

Last but not least, I thought I'd share some video from the classroom. These will give you an idea of the conditions we are working under. The first video is barely audible due to the massive rains we've been having in Moshi this year. They are very early and quite torrential. I am terrified of another car-in-ditch-sitch (http://toanafasi.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-sunll-come-out-tomorrow.html), but what can I do in the face of Mother Nature?

The second video however gives another example of how the teacher's voice can get muffled. Next door, the chekechea (nursery school) kids go nuts until about 11am when they close up shop. In addition, today, on the other side of our classroom, someone had decided to keep a pair of goats for the day, so we could hear alternately a deep-voiced BAAAAH and a higher-pitched baaaah, and thank the good Lord that Mother Nature did not spur those two on to doing their goat thang!

Hello, dear readers, and many greetings from Moshi! Mama has arrived in town and I have been busy the last couple days settling her in and accommodating her needs. Because she has been here many times before, it's not so difficult, but I have not had time to write up any original content for this week's post, so instead I am reprinting an article from the Guardian about Magufuli's plan to remove foreign teachers from the Tanzanian school system.

Ostensibly a good idea (the promotion of the local population into important and consistent work is always great), the general consensus from the masses is that Tanzania is not quite ready for such change. The country still needs the guidance of foreigners in such positions as English teachers because our own workforce is not yet competent to take over.

Ain't no shame in this game, but perhaps Magufuli would be best advised to set up a system in which Kenyan and other East African teachers in Tanzania were able to support their Tanzanian counterparts, get them up to speed with the language and any other subjects they might not be fully adept at, and then have a schedule whereby, polepole, the foreigners made their exits rather than all at once, and under such negative circumstances. Check it out!

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The country's education system is feared to plunge into darkness following the government's decision to send packing foreign teachers employed in private English-medium schools.

Various education stakeholders interviewed by the Guardian on Sunday expressed their fears, warning that the sector would deteriorate further because few Tanzanian teachers were capable of teaching in such schools.

In recent months, the government has been deporting unskilled foreign workers, including teachers employed in various private schools in the country, in a move calculated at freeing up the jobs for locals.

However, several education stakeholders said this would affect both students' and schools' performance, making it hard for the country to have quality experts in the near future.

According to them, private school owners had no option but to hire foreign teachers due to the acute shortage of local teachers qualified to work in English-medium schools.

Tanzania Association of Managers and Owners of Non-Government Schools and Colleges (TAMONGSCO) Secretary General, Benjamin Nkonya, told the Guardian on Sunday that the decision to deport foreign teachers would have serious impact on private schools.

"The decision made by the government will have a major negative impact on private English-medium schools since many Tanzanian teachers are not competent in English and Science studies compared to foreigners," he told this newspaper in an interview.

He said teacher colleges in the country did not train enough primary school tutors who focused on English studies, rather most of them prepared tutors for history and geography studies.

According to him, Tanzania had a shortage of teachers as there were currently only 27,000 employed local teachers, which was equivalent to 40 percent of the actual demand, adding that the deportation of foreign teachers would compound the situation.

He said that up to December of last year, about 3,500 teachers from Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, and Zambia faced expulsion in a crackdown on illegal immigrants in the country, and the number of tutors who volunteered to leave the country had now reached 5,500 by January of this year.

He also called on the government to reduce fees imposed on foreign teachers to work in the country, citing Kenya which allowed teachers from Tanzania to teach Kiswahili in its schools without charging them residence fees.

Nkonya said most private schools could ill afford the $2,000 fee for a two-year work permit and Tsh2 million charged for work permits for foreign teachers.

Bonaventura Godfrey, a program manager for research and analysis at HakiElimu, said the challenge in education was how to get Tanzanians who could teach a child to understand, write, and speak fluent English and do well in science subjects.

He said although the government had heavily invested in increasing the number of teachers, many teacher colleges in the country focused on geography and history studies.

"Deportation of foreign teachers will gravely affect many private English-medium schools since there are no substitute teachers in the country who can teach English language. If we don't have the requisite expertise inside, we must import from outside," he said.

He said that other countries with similar economies as Tanzania imported teachers from outside because it would require a huge investment in order for local teachers to become competent in the English language; failing this, Kiswahili should be used in all the subjects.

"The government and private school owners must sit together and look into how they can solve this crisis and identify the actual needs. Since they have taken the step to deport foreign teachers, there must be substitute teachers to train the pupils," he said.

For her part, Tanzania Education Network (TenMet) Coordinator, Catherine Sekwao, said although there was shortage of science and English teachers in the country, it was not a good enough reason for Tanzania to allow illegal immigrants to work without permits.

She said deportation of foreign teachers would not affect all the schools in the country. However, most private English-medium schools would be affected as they mainly hired foreigners, adding that even some Tanzanian teachers from public schools were competent in the English language.

"Primary schoolteachers are supposed to learn and be able teach any subject, depending on the directive from their supervisor.

Due to this, it is possible for some of them to be incompetent; however, some of them are very fluent in English and they are in public schools," she said.

Commenting on the issue, Tanzania Teachers Union (TTU) President, Gratian Mukoba, said it was advisable for the government to go slowly on the matter because Tanzania is a signatory to Commonwealth and East Africa Community agreements which require member states to exchange experts.

He said the shortage of English and science teachers was not in their numbers alone, but that most were incompetent.

"For instance, a certain school may have more than three English teachers but none of them can write one good, straight sentence," he said.

Mukoba said that before the 1970s, Tanzania had competent English teachers, but later on the number decreased due to the adoption of jargon words. He said currently there were few teachers who could write and speak fluent English.

"We are not against the government decision to deport illegal immigrants but, in the education sector, if we want to have children who are well-trained, there is a need to have foreigners who will help us to teach the future generation," he said.

Hi everyone, and hope this blog post finds you all well. This past week has been one of the busiest of my ENTIRE life, I think, as Mama is here and I have been spending time with her everyday, but also because we started the Kipindi cha Utafiti (Observation Period) at Msaranga Primary School.

After re-testing the kids in the program from 2015 for the second time (nearly all 50+ of them have made dramatic improvements), and using that experience as an example of the Assessment Phase to the new teachers, we started the process of the Project anew with Phase One - Observation - of the Standard One students for the academic year 2016. Again, we are using Msaranga as an example so the new girls can watch and learn from me, Hyasinta, and the others who have been around longer.

We went in and first took down all the kids' names and then had them stand for photographs so we could more easily identify each child by face and designation. This seems a simple task on the surface, but actually here in Tanzania, it's not such an easy feat.

Names are a very interesting concept here, a fluid one, whereby a child might have multiple names and multiple ways of spelling each. Rather than first name, middle and last, people are known by first name, jina la baba (father's name), and jina la ukoo (clan name). Because there are relatively few clans in Kilimanjaro (maybe 20 or 30 really popular ones), the clan name is not such a great differentiator. You hear these same names over and over again - Ngowi, Kessy, Macha, Swai - kind of like in Korean (Kim, Lee, Park, etc) and Chinese (Wang, Chung, Chu, etc.) cultures.

So we like to go off the child's first name followed by the name of the father. For example, if I was a Tanzanian, I would be Sarah David rather than Sarah Alix Rosenbloom as I am known in America. I have tried explaining to Tanzanians that Rosenbloom is not a clan name and rather a family name, but this distinction is difficult to explain and I'm not sure anyone cares.

Problems arise for various reasons while we are doing this census-taking, many of them revolving around this issue of names. The kids are unused to the primary school classroom, having just entered in January: wearing a uniform, being away from home for the whole day, under the supervision of new teachers with big sticks and lots of others in the room, making noise and creating a lot of confusion, expected to do tasks that they are unfamiliar with. Then, we come in, a bunch of other Tanzanian teachers and some weird mzungu (me!), asking a lot of questions and doing things that are even more unexpected. They tend to clam up and speak in fearful whispers, or they act out and try to get my attention, anticipating zawadi (gifts) from the white girl. It's hard to observe them naturally as my mere presence in the classroom is unnatural.

If we ask them their names, we usually get a slow-blinking, open-mouthed gape followed by the tiniest whisper which of course leads to mistakes and confusion. Jennifer becomes Janet. Barnaba becomes Baraka. And on and on. In addition, checking against the teacher's logs or seeing what the parents have written on their children's notebooks may not offer the clarification one might think. Written language is fluid here and names can have multiple spellings. Jennifer --> Jenifer --> Jenifa --> Jenipha.

Then, even if we say a thousand times that we want their first name and their father's name only, we will get a lot of crazy answers. Sometimes the names are simple like "Alex Emanuel." We have had two of those in the past two years. Other times, names are more exotic as in "Kelvin Kidogola" and we have to determine whether the child has given us some foreign clan name or if the baba has a more locally derived first name.

There's also the issue of the kids having more than one name themselves. Lots of families give their children two first names, one for home and one for school. And to make things even more confusing, these names might be very similar. This year, we have a "Jordan Bariki" whose school name is "Jackson." To heap another bewilderment on top of the pile, Jordan/Jackson is a twin. The brother's name? "Johnson Bariki." Not sure if that's his school name or home....

Finally, kids loooove getting their photos taken so if we go in one day and do the rounds, the next day when we come back, we ask if we had missed anyone the day before and the kids love to trick us and say they didn't get their photos taken so we have to do it again! This creates confusion and frustration for ME as the picture-taking is not meant to be fun and games but rather a comprehensive way of knowing how many and who we are dealing with. But since they're kids and they're cute as hell, they get a free pass on this bad behavior. It's just annoying after a long day at school, and then attending to my mom, to have to go through 150 or so photos to make sure there are no duplicates and no one has pulled the wool over my eyes!

After matching up the kids' photos and names, we then try to observe each child individually so we have a clue of what we're working with prior to assessing them. Sometimes, the Standard One teachers are able to point out who they have identified as a slow learner or who doesn't hear or see well. This year, we have a few kids who will definitely need the support of the Project, either via our pullout program of extra tutoring or through referral appointments at the eye doctor or hearing clinic.

With forms in hand, we make the rounds in the classroom, looking for issues with motor skills, behavior, adaptive skills, self-management, and social skills. If a child shows up to school very dirty or is quiet and keeps to himself as opposed to playing with friends, we might make a note of these red flags as well as the child's academic proclivities. We have pretty much finished this process at Msaranga Primary so this coming week, Hyasinta has divided the teachers (my Taylor Swift girl squad!) into small teams, some of whom will go into the new schools to do Observation there, others who will remain with us at Msaranga to begin the next step, Assessment.

We are looking at another VERY busy week and I am both happy about that as well as mildly fearful. But I know that I am not alone, the teachers are behind me, and with Vumi guiding us from above, we cannot fail. In addition to observing at the new schools and testing in Msaranga, we have a child headed to Gabriella for Therapy Week and one of the new girls will go with him and his dad. Thursday, we have two kids to attend the eye clinic at KCMC and Hyasinta and I will take them along with their parents as we do not do referral appointments without the presence of a guardian. I think my mom will also come with us so she can experience firsthand the glory of the Tanzanian health system! (http://toanafasi.blogspot.com/2013/07/early-childhood-into-woods-and-baked.html, http://toanafasi.blogspot.com/2013/08/tx.html, http://toanafasi.blogspot.com/2014/09/its-fun-to-stay-at-kcmc.html, http://toanafasi.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-wax-pack-versus-babies-with-scabies.html)

For now, check out the photos and videos below of Observation from last week. Feel my pain? Just kidding, it's hard work, but soooo worthwhile. More anon!

In 2013, on December 3rd - the International Day of Persons with Disabilities - Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, stated: "Disability is part of the human condition; almost everyone will be temporarily or permanently impaired at some point in life. There are currently more than a billion people with disabilities around the world – that's around 15% of the population of the planet.

Many of the challenges for persons with disabilities are obvious, such as physical obstacles. But a major challenge is one that may be unseen and can, at times, seem almost insurmountable: the ignorance and misconception about disability that fuels stigma and discrimination.

Let’s focus on what many of us already know - that fairness to persons with disabilities is not charity, just good sense. Let's stress that they have equal rights and are valuable resources that are good for the bottom line. Above all, let's spread the word – that disability is NOT inability."

Two and a half years later, in this week's Tanzania Daily News, reporter Iddy Mwema reported: "The Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office responsible for People with Disabilities, Dr. Abdallah Possi has implored the media to ensure fair coverage on people with disabilities and avoid using discriminatory words against them.

He said people with disabilities have the same right to receive information as any other citizen in the country and therefore he directed television stations to provide sign translators during education programs and important events of national interest like parliamentary proceedings and the president's speeches.

He cited the Persons with Disabilities Act No. 9 of 2010 section 55 (1) which states that 'All television stations shall provide a sign language inset or subtitles in all newscasts, education programs and other programs covering national events.'

According to him, the Minister responsible for people with disabilities shall direct media houses to use sign insets and proper words that will not show any sign of discrimination to the group and requested the media to immediately start implementing the Act.

'Media houses have been champions in various group movements including the gender equality movement and the media should direct the same efforts as well by having a good number of education programs to educate people with disabilities and the society in general,' he said.

He referred to one report that showed a state of discrimination. This is when people with albinism fought at State House. 'I was there that day and what I saw was people fighting and not albinos fighting as it was reported by most of the media the next day. Why albinos? We should change this kind of reporting,' he said emotionally.

Hello, my dearest readers, and a BIG pole sana for not providing an original blog entry lately. I have been extremely busy in school and with Mama and her friend (and Toa Nafasi board member!) Barbara Finkelstein. It has been an exciting time, entering into the new schools as planned and hosting Mama and Barbara after hours, but also a bit exhausting. I have discovered that I am actually not Superwoman and have allowed myself a few days' off to rest and relax and gear up for what is bound to be another busy week.

Still, I don't want to leave my loyal viewers without any idea of what we've been up to in these parts, so this entry is gonna be Snapchat-style with a mishmash of our comings and goings, happenings at school and at home, and just the general shenanigans that we've gotten ourselves into.... and out of! Enjoy!!

Teacher Clara reads the *classic* Sungura ni Mbaya ("The Rabbit Is Bad") to a group of enthralled students. Check out the open-mouthed agog of the little bugger front and right!

Fridays remain "Fundays" in Msaranga. This week, I introduced the Etch A Sketch to which Mama Mshiu and Hyasinta took an immediate interest.

I think Teachers Imelda, Rose C., and Rose A. were more frustrated by the toy than anything else!

We also made paper crowns for pirates and princesses which the kids loved. So did Mama and Barbara and Barbara's "handler," Jackie.

Hyasinta gives Clara a break from the umpteenth reading of Sungura and takes on the task herself.

But not everyday is Friday. Earlier in the week, Clara taught new teachers, Rose C. and Sara, how to do assessments.

Meanwhile, in the world of politics, new president Magufuli made sure the public heard his stance on some matters of great importance.

And my mom bagged a giant bug.

Over a driving rain, Gasto played motivational speaker and talked to all the teachers, old and new, about the ethos of Toa Nafasi: cooperation, love of children, and strengthening education.

Last weekend, Mama and I went to Arusha where we heard famed primatologist Jane Goodall speak about her work with the chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park in Kigoma, Tanzania.

We also did some shopping at the Cultural Heritage Center where I struggled to pick out a "Pumba" to go with my "Timon." See: http://toanafasi.blogspot.com/2015/04/post-party-depression.html for point of reference....

I also had a hard time picking out a new Uru bracelet to go with the one I got last year after trekking Kili. I actually really like the way my existing one looks alone with my "Vumilia" bracelet which I had made for myself and all the teachers to honor Vumi.

Last but certainly not least, I have a new man in my life! His name is Drogo after the mythical warlord of Game of Thrones fame. We haven't known each other long, but we fell in love immediately. He makes me feel like a true Khaleesi! And Mama approves!!

That's the haps for now, kids, more next week!!

Hi everybody, hope all is well. My apologies again for the delay in posting but Carla and Barbara have just left and I needed to take some "me time" to put the house (and my life!) back in order!!

To that end, no original content for today's entry, but an interesting article reprinted from the Daily News titled "Too Much Politics in Education Will Not Do Tanzania and Its People Any Good."

Amen.

It is written by Dr. Gastor Mapunda, a senior lecturer in the College of Humanities at the University of Dar es Salaam, and I gotta say, he makes a lot of sense.

I can especially relate after last week when some of the wazee (old men) on my Tanzanian Board of Directors tried to say they should be involved in the hiring of Toa Nafasi teachers. Heck, even I don't hire the teachers; I leave that up to Hyasinta and Mama Mshiu.

Part of the successful running of this organization is knowing when I need to step up and do things myself, and when I can delegate the responsibility to others. Especially when those others know better than me what is necessary to complete the task at hand!

Is it a coincidence that one of these meddlesome wazee is a diwani (local councilman) and a low-level politician?! Methinks HAPANA!! (NO!!)

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It is generally understandable and acknowledged that the provision of education in any country is necessarily politically motivated and controlled.

It is actually surprising when people keep on saying that politics should not interfere with education - this is outright impossible. The role of politics is unavoidable in religion, in the army, in the economy, and so in education. What I do not condone though is too much politics in the aspects of education which are technical. Those should be left to the professionals, who are the technocrats.

To put my argument in perspective, I will give examples explicating how education should in a way be politically driven and motivated.

During the colonial times in Tanzania, the education provided was meant to train personnel in areas relevant to skills and attitudes necessary to the running of the colonial government, including their economy.

In this regard, both the content and the values inculcated were those that specifically painted colorfully the colonial governments and their homelands as the best on earth.

In the schools, children were made to sing "God bless the Queen;" in the literature classes, children were made to learn the Shakespearean literature; the history which was taught was that glorifying the might of Europe while at the same time denigrating Africa. But when the political landscape changed after independence, we saw how politics changed the educational outlook.

In the schools, even the songs changed, let alone the language of instruction and the content of some subjects. Examples of subjects whose contents were either changed or modified include History, Literature, and Geography.

In this regard, the role of politics is seen as that of aligning the education system to the national philosophy, policies, and development goals in the general sense.

The political direction after independence was geared towards decolonizing Tanzania. In this regard, Nyerere's regime worked hard to undo all the imprints of colonialism in education.

However, more recently Tanzania has witnessed political events in the education sector which negatively affect its proper functioning.

At the onset, my argument in this article is that while politics are unavoidable in education, they should be limited only to the more general levels, particularly regarding administrative levels, but not to the specific ones needing technical and professional attendance.

For example, for some reason, the government decided to make Standard Four and Standard Seven national examinations multiple-choice.

So candidates are expected to only choose the letter of the correct answer. In some schools, teachers are already seeing incapable pupils excelling in those examinations.

Some of the most serious problems with such examinations are that guesswork and peeping, among other practices, can easily be done. Teachers teach their learners how to arrive at the correct answers, and not just the answer.

So, within the multiple-choice mode of examinations is a political decision, possibly aimed at covering for the growing number of students against the number of teachers, which is small.

The solution cannot be setting all multiple-choice examinations, but recruiting more teachers. This kind of decision is an improper political decision in education.

Another inappropriate political decision in the Tanzania's education system, relates to the 2005 change in syllabi, from knowledge-based to the so-called competence-based.

When this syllabus was introduced in 2005 by the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), the overall reasoning behind the change was that learners were to show ability in applying what they learned in the classroom.

They were expected to be able to apply, not to simply cram and remember details. They argued that Tanzanian learners should be capable of competing with other learners in other parts of the world.

Generally, I have no problem with this decision; it would actually have been very nice to do so, if chances allowed.

But practically, the change was made prematurely and impressionistically, and Tanzania was not yet ready for the kind of change made. Such a decision should have involved a sizeable number of technocrats; not just the small sample of teachers involved.

The teachers who were supposed to implement the new syllabi, that is, the competence-based syllabi, were not trained to do so.

Besides, it was realized in a workshop held in Morogoro in 2008 that in some parts of the country, up to that year, that is 2008, some teachers had not yet seen the 2005 syllabi. This means that in some schools students were still being taught in the old syllabus.

Relatedly, if not, consequently, the year 2012 saw the worst ever performance in the certificate of secondary examinations. The more intriguing act of politics interfering with education was witnessed when the government handled the 2012 mass failures. Instead of dealing with the root causes, it decided to politically change the performance, in the guise of standardization.

This was followed by changing the examinations reporting system, from division to grade performance average (GPA), with a view to lowering the different categories. Superfluously, the use of GPA made Tanzanians believe that things were moving in the right direction.

This was, again a wrong political action regarding education. I would like to end my article by urging politicians to not jump into technocratic decisions without involving the technocrats. The consequences of doing so are terribly horrendous on the nation.

Greetings everyone, and here's hoping all of you are well. March has come in like a lion over here in these parts with the rains starting to fall and the heat of the "winter" sun finally abating somewhat.

We at The Toa Nafasi Project have been extremely busy since the beginning of the year, expanding the program into three additional schools as well as Msaranga Primary which remains our home base.

In all four schools, our work is in various stages of progress, with Msaranga leading the way as the teachers, parents, and community at large are already familiar with what we are trying to do. We have finished observing and testing all the Standard One kids and divided them into preliminary groupings so we know who we will be working with. The real findings will come once Angi gets her hands on the tests and can manipulate the results into hardcore data, but she does not arrive in Tanzania until May. So, in order as to not lose momentum, Hyasinta and I have gone over each observation form and test, and formed what we call vikundi or groups whereby those with no problems whatsoever continue on as they were; those with mild issues, we will start with a general tuition and see how they come along; and those who lack any foundation of the basic concepts whatsoever, we will enroll in Toa Nafasi and work with in small clusters or one-on-one.

We have done the same for the Standard One students at Msandaka and Mnazi Primary Schools as well, and at all three schools we have created teams of teachers to begin the process of tuition with these preliminary vikundi we've made up.

The teacher teams we also took care in devising with longer tenured teachers paired with newbies, and strengths and weaknesses divided. For instance, Teacher Dorcas is not a great assessor as she tends to extract the answers from the students and the whole purpose of the test is to discover the child's true capabilities. But she is AMAZING with the kids and they love to learn from her playful spirit in the classroom. So, we paired her with Mama Mshiu in order to offset Dorcas's young cheerfulness with some good old-fashioned ukali or severity which Mama has in spades!

The only school at which we have not even begun our work is Kiboriloni and that is because there was a delay in receiving the all-important kibali (permit) from the Moshi Municipal Council. We now have it but are still missing the even more all-important stamp on it so in due course, we will begin the same process there.

This past Monday at Msaranga, Hyasinta and I began the time-consuming and sometimes sensitive task of conducting parent interviews for those kids in our third kikundi, those whom we want to enroll at Toa. We have just under 40 children, by far the most out of all the schools, and sent letters home with the kids asking that the parents come the following day. This part of the task always takes extra time as many of the parents are reluctant to come to school, perhaps thinking that they will be asked for overdue fees or there is some other shida that they would rather avoid. In addition, to get a parent to take time off from work to deal with their kids' school issues is tough, especially now in the time of planting crops. Then, there is a sense that teachers handle the responsibility of raising a child at school and the parents do the same at home and that those two veins don't have much crossover. Toa Nafasi is trying to change this, but it's slow-going.

During the interview process, Hyasinta does the bulk of the talking while I take notes. (In past years, it was Vumi, who had developed a certain uncanny knack for the job, but Hyasinta is coming along nicely and we make a good team.) The questionnaire itself (also developed by Angi in addition to the assessment and various teaching methodologies that we use in the classroom) is a mishmash of inquiries ranging from whether the child can see, hear, and talk as well as use the bathroom, dress, and tell the weather unassisted. We then move on to how high the child can count, if he/she write or just scribble, and whether he/she can read. Next is the knowledge and avoidance of dangerous situations, ability to do various common household chores, and whether the child prefers to play with friends or alone. Finally, we come to some really interesting questions, which I find are often left unanswered in this Swahili context. Can the child engage in self-stimulating activities? Can he/she initiate conversation? Does he/she get frustrated easily? Does he/she show more than one emotion? Will he/she explore new environments? Good stuff like that.

This is the part I find most difficult because Tanzanians tend not to really think about these kinds of thing and are so literal that when you provide an example, they latch onto that rather than to the behavior behind it. Point in case: For the question regarding new environments, Hyasinta usually says something about if the mama buys a new pot for the house, will the child notice and say "Hey, where'd that pot come from?" Ummmm.... Then, the parent will respond, "Of course my child will ask about a new pot! IT'S A NEW POT!!" Errrr.... Then, I have to try to think of other, less literal ways of trying to get the message across, ones that have little to do with new pots as this example seems to really make imaginations run away. Plus, there's the fact that a pot is not really an environment, new or not.... unless you are a potato.

Another toughie is the question about whether the child can follow two-step instructions. Vumi used to say as example, "If you send your child to the store to buy salt and onions, will he/she come back with both, or only just one?" No-kay, but I was too tired/uninspired to ever really correct her. Now, with Hyasinta, I told her to try an example of a task whereby the child must accomplish Step 1 before even attempting Step 2. "Like what?" Hyasinta asks. I had a hard time thinking of something appropriate and mentioned following a recipe, like to cook beans, you gotta boil them first, then add oil, spices, and vegetables. "But kids don't cook beans," Hyasinta says. This is true. So, how about this: does the child know, when getting dressed, to start with his/her underwear and then work outwards to sweater, socks, and shoes? "OF COURSE MY CHILD PUTS ON HIS UNDERWEAR FIRST! OBVI!!" the parent will exclaim, looking around with a nervous chuckle as if we've discovered a whole gang of kids who wear their underwear on the outside. Again.... lost in translation....

The idea that the mfano (example) becomes the actual meat of the question is a telltale sign of how Tanzanian minds (at least in this tiny, remote village) have been programmed to work. There is very little exploration of connotation; rather, everything is taken at face value with no analysis, no discussion of meaning. This makes it tough for a champion expounder like me, who could go on for eons about the meaning of pretty much anything from the plot of Game of Thrones to the effect of a potential Trump presidency. (Actually, those two mifano are probably more closely linked than we all think.... "You know nothing, American public....")

Anyway, you get my drift. These kinds of mushy-gushy, touchy-feely questions are really tough to translate and it will take time for Hyasinta and I to develop a proper set of examples that will carry us through the years. For now, however, pots and panties will do just fine.

Lastly on the questionnaire, there is a space for the delicate questions regarding the mama's pregnancy and delivery, the child's milestones, life at home, and any other things the parent might want to bring to our attention. It's here where we find out whether Mama drinks, whether Baba beats her, if they're still together, if there's any illness in the family, and whether the child has any other atypical habits such as bed-wetting or thumb-sucking (NO JUDGMENT HERE: I sucked my own left thumb for ages, so I fully understand how delicious and hard it is to give up that short, stubby, opposable digit!)

Generally, the parents are cooperative and appreciative and usually I find that they think their kids know more than they do, so it's really good to show the parents the child's assessment and explain where exactly they are falling behind and could use our support. We also get a lot of good information about the kids. For EXAMPLE: This one is an orphan, left by her HIV+ mama and drunkard baba and being raised by bibi (grandmother); that one fell out of his crib at three months and was never the same after. Things like that. This information helps us to know what next steps to take.

Once all the interviews are done, we will know if there are any students who need referral appointments, whether it be at KCMC for eyesight or hearing or Gabriella for further special education assessment or behavior modification. We tell the parents that all costs associated with their child's care will be covered by Toa Nafasi but that they must communicate and cooperate with us if they want their child to receive our services. Hence, the slow and steady welding together of "school" and "home" in order to raise some healthy, happy kids!

Below, check out the hojaji (questionnaire) in Swahili and also our Swahili language brochure, which we give to each parent to take with them. All in a day's work!

This simple Swahili phrase has the general meaning of "It's time for hard work, nothing else." It was a campaign slogan employed by new Tanzanian President John Magufuli and it reflects his austere style of governance, namely that the time for meaningless and wasteful shenanigans is over, there's a new sheriff in town.

I personally love the phrase and Hyasinta and I often repeat it to each other with various inflections - righteously, indignantly, jokingly - depending on context.

Just as Magufuli is determined to bring about change for the nation with kazi tu, so are we, the teachers of Toa Nafasi, determined to bring about change for the Standard One students of Msaranga, Msandaka, Mnazi, and Kiboriloni Primary Schools.

I think we are on the right track. Though this year is still young and the process of expansion has uncovered fresh and frustrating new challenges, we now have the data from our colleague, Angi Stone-MacDonald, which reflects the results of the program on the Standard One kids from 2015.

Though they have only been tested twice and there was a gap of nearly a year between the assessments, due to Vumi's death last July, we can see that these guys are on the up-and-up, for the most part. Those who have not progressed much, approximately six children out of fifty, are either still enrolled in tuition or receiving services from the Gabriella Center. We are hopeful that by their third test, which will likely take place in June or July this year, they will have reached even further heights.

Vumi, wherever you are, be proud of the work you did with this last group. And know that we are carrying on, in your name and honor, HAPA NI KAZI TU.

Please take a moment to check out this magnificent photo-journalistic look at Tanzanian teen mothers and their children from Vice Media's new(ish) feminist channel, Broadly. The author, Rebecca Schiller, is CEO of human rights in childbirth charity, Birthrights, and writes about reproductive rights, parenting, and birth.

I realize it is only tangentially related to the activities of The Toa Nafasi Project, but sex education is education nonetheless and our girls with intellectual impairment are even more at risk than typically developed young ladies.

In addition, the photographs are stunning and it is worth even just a cursory glance: https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/ive-named-her-scholastica-photos-of-tanzanias-teen-mothers-and-their-babies.

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In Tanzania, girls are traditionally married off before they are 18. In childbirth, they routinely lack access to life-saving cesareans and medical treatment. Despite this, young women are daring to dream for more.

Eva Paulo wanted to be a tailor when she grew up. When I meet her, she is dressed in a floor-length pink gown - the kind of dress teenagers wear to prom, with a ruffle that trails behind her in the dust. She made it herself; it acts as a silky reminder of what she has lost. Like many young women in rural areas of Tanzania, the 17-year-old's greatest ambition is now survival.

Married at 14, de facto divorced three years later, Paulo is a single mother to a three-month-old baby. Her husband rejected her, so she now relies on an uncle for food and shelter. She has achieved a lot since then, not least surviving childbirth, the leading global cause of death for young women aged 15 to 19. She's lucky to live near to Uteshu, where Africa's leading health charity Amref Health Africa have overhauled the facilities to ensure women have access to life-saving cesareans, antenatal care and HIV clinics.

Paulo is the only woman I meet during a week travelling across the Shinyanga region of Tanzania who cries while telling me her story. The unfairness of her abandonment is too much for her. "Don't cry, don't cry," says our translator. I don't hush her; she seems glad of the permission to talk. "It's not that I want my husband to come back," she explains, "I don't. But it is difficult to be on your own. Raising a baby in this environment, in these conditions, is tough for anyone."

Though practices are changing, it's common for Tanzanian children to be married before 18. "We were too young to make marriage work," Paulo tells me. Tanzanian women start having children at age 19. Access to contraception is made difficult by long walks to health centers and a lack of local dispensary facilities. Many husbands and fathers-in-law have the final say about young women's reproductive futures, and they often say no to family planning.

At Uteshu, I meet three 15-year-olds, each recovering from an emergency cesarean necessitated by pelvises damaged by malnutrition. Their voices sound like elementary school children when I play my dictaphone back. Salome George tells me she likes being a mother, despite the pain from the scar across her belly. But she wants a gap between her children and knows she is likely to be back here next year.

In Mbiki village, Zena Bakari tells me that she had her first baby at 19, and says that there is occasionally still reluctance to move away from traditional birthing practices. Recently, a local witch doctor told her pregnant acquaintance, "You and your baby will die if you have a C-section."

When the woman went through obstructed labor, doctors and nurses tried to convince her to have a cesarean. She refused. Instead, she walked home and went to church. "Everyone prayed for her," says Bakari. "During the night the pains started again and she went back to the hospital. She refused the cesarean again and both she and the baby died."

Access to education is seen as key to making progress on reproductive and child health. Children are now legally required to attend school from age 7 to 15, though 15 to 20 percent do not. Many families still see a financial advantage in marrying girls young. Some young women are worth a financial premium; younger girls with the lightest skin and firmest breasts can earn their families up to 40 cows. These cattle can be exchanged for maize flour if the family's own crops fail, and can be used to pay dowries for their sons.

Eva has her sights set on more for her child. "I try not to have dreams for myself but I think of my daughter. What I want most is for her to grow up and finish school. So I've named her 'Schola' - Scholastica."

Projects like Amref Health Africa that focus on sexual health, reproductive education, and men's participation in women's health initiatives, are beginning to make Eva's dreams more of a reality. Technology may well play its part too, with texts being used to deliver health messages to remote communities. Despite not having access to running water or mains electricity, 20-year-old Mary Isaka is able to take a photo of me with her mobile and send it to her friends. She's HIV positive and waiting until she stops breastfeeding to find out if her baby is too. Thanks to new medical protocols and her proximity to a hospital, her child has a 95 percent of being clear of HIV.

When I see lines of teenagers pass my house on the way back from school each day, I now think of Schola, Clara, Maryam: the baby girls I met last month. In 15 years, they will hopefully be in their own schoolyards with their future in their own hands, motherhood safely awaiting them if and when they are ready.

Greetings from cold and rainy Moshi, Kilimanjaro! Spring has sprung, and with it, come the rains.... finally!! We are happy to, at last, have some relief from the intense heat that has plagued us all year, but at the same time, rain brings other troubles: cold and wet, mud and dirt, stuck cars and no power. Nevertheless, I have been told not to complain, that mvua ni baraka (rain is a blessing), so I guess I should just count it, and be done!

This past Saturday, we celebrated once again Siku ya Usonji Duniani (World Autism Day) with a march through downtown Moshi and festivities at the Gabriella Center, which is always a big contributor to the event for obvious reasons. In case you don't remember, we participated in the big day last year though not as actively as I would have liked, so this year I made a concerted effort to get Toa Nafasi into the mix properly. Under the umbrella of Connects Autism Tanzania, another local NGO dealing more specifically with autism than us, we were able to join in. Check last year's blog post here: http://toanafasi.blogspot.com/2015/04/usonji-day_16.html

We had a banner made with the "Light It Up Blue" theme for autism and arranged for all staff to wear their Toa Nafasi t-shirts. Nearly all of our wonderful teachers made the trek from Msaranga into town, and even the diwani (local councilman) came to represent.

After an abbreviated walk (RAIN!), we ended up at the Hindu Stadium for some speeches and a bit of drumming and dancing. In the last photo below, the kid in the middle with his head bent in concentration is one of the students that Toa Nafasi sponsors to board and study at Gabriella. He is definitely somewhere on the autism spectrum, but doing remarkably well at Gabriella and showing an amazing proclivity for drumming, something we never would have known had he stayed at Msaranga Primary! So proud of Danny!!

After the speeches and drums, the event was more or less over and the rains had started to come down in earnest. But, our day was not yet done. I had decided that because Toa Nafasi and Gabriella have developed such an incredible partnership, I would co-sponsor a lunch at the center for the kids, their parents, our teachers, and assorted guests and speakers. Well, this was a GREAT idea when we were planning it but when the time came to go, it was raining buckets of cold, wet, sloppy drops and I was wearing open-toed sandals and short sleeves. The mud was epic and the whole thing was a bit of a mess as the special guest scheduled to talk (some government bigwig) was two hours late and no one had eaten lunch! Now, looking back, of course I'm glad we stuck with it, but it was a bit uncomfortable at the time!! (And my car only got stuck in the mud once, soooo....)

All in all, I'd have to say it was a pretty great day and I am happy that Toa Nafasi was able to be a part of it. I think the teachers felt a bit special, that their work in a dusty little classroom in Msaranga is actually part of a bigger system and has a meaning beyond passing the hours and banking a paycheck. I had hoped for a bit more networking at Gabriella but the rain made it impossible. Plus, it's always good to have something more to strive for next year! Light it up blue!!

PS: The photos taken for this blog entry are by Marytza Leiva. Asante sana, Marytza!

WARNING: This blog entry has NOTHING to do with The Toa Nafasi Project. AND, the post's title is an indicator of both my age and weird musical proclivities. BUT, that doesn't mean it doesn't have interesting and original content, so please, DO keep reading....

Pretty much everybody who knows me knows that I am the archetypal "crazy cat lady," a badge I wear proudly and without discomfiture - although some of my friends might wish I showed a little more discretion when it comes to my feline fondness.

I have always loved animals and, growing up, the Rosenbloom homestead saw the comings and goings of various gerbils, goldfish, hamsters (I especially remember one lil' fella named Snoopy; even my dad shed tears when that critter passed on into the great Hamster Heaven), and of course, cats.

So, this blog entry is dedicated to my new bestie, Drogo, the most adorable kitten this side of the Equator.

Now, I know what some of you are saying: There she goes again, the crazy cat lady.... But come on, Droges is part of my life now, and y'all better be happy about that because he's totally keeping me sane! Not to mention, well-snuggled!!

Last week, I took Drogey to the vet for his second appointment since he entered my life and I thought, even if this blog post isn't about Toa, it IS about life in Tanzania, and one thing I can tell you for sure, is that going to see the veterinarians at Makoa Farm is VERY different than taking those spoiled New York creatures to West Village Vet.

For one thing, instead of sitting calmly and quietly in his box, Drogo insisted on riding up front with me. This proved to be distracting not only to the driver (myself), but also to the many traffic police who randomly stopped the car for inspection. Note: it is NOT allowed to wear sandals while driving in Tanzania, but operating a motor vehicle with a cat on your lap is totes cool.

Then, there was the actual trek out to the farm which is about half an hour outside of Moshi in a place called Machame. Thank the good Lord it was not raining on the day of Drogey's appointment, or we would have been in serious troubs. My car is notorious for breakdowns of every sort, but ESPECIALLY in the rainy season, my tiny toy Suzuki likes to crump out in the mud.

The main road from Moshi to Machame is tarmac but the rest of the way to the farm is mud, dirt, dust, and rocks. Uphill. So, the threats were various and many: armed police officers on the paved road doing the slow, scary circle around the car; or Mother Nature and her assorted perils.

When you first arrive at Makoa Farm, you are greeted by this character I call the "flat chicken." I have no idea how he came to look like this, but the vets, a German couple named Laszlo and Elizabeth, call him "Asterix." Word to the wise, he WILL peck your toes off.

Other fine, feathered friends abound at Makoa including a pair of geese and this ginormous vulture-y thing that made both Drogo and me a little nervous.

There's also a bunny hutch, a couple of mongoose (mongeese??), and a wise old monkey.

Laszlo and Elizabeth used to care for an injured cheetah, and Drogo and I met him on our first visit, but I found out this last time, that he just recently died of a cobra bite! Made me very sad actually, as they had completely rehabilitated the animal, but due to some bureaucratic red tape from the national parks people, his release back into the wild was delayed. Thus, he died in captivity from deadly snake venom.

Additionally, they just recently came into possession of a baby elephant whose mama was killed by poachers and was not expected to live. This, I was told later, as it appears I totally missed the "elephant in the room" though I was standing perhaps ten feet away from him. At least, prognosis is good for young Babar and hopefully when Droges and I go for our third visit, we'll get to peep the little guy.

At any rate, Drogo got his second round of vaccinations and I am so grateful to Laszlo and Elizabeth for their good care of him and all the other household pets in and around Moshi who can count on proper veterinary care in Tanzania.

Typically, Tanzanians are not much for animals: dogs are security hounds only and are generally treated quite cruelly; cats are simply pestilence. It's nice to be able to find someone to help care for and treat our animals the way we would at home. Even if it's about ten thousand miles and a few monkeys away from West Village Vet!

There now, you've reached the end of the "crazy cat lady" blog post. It wasn't so bad, was it?!

From a recent article in the Tanzania Daily News, check out the latest on relations between the United Republic of Tanzania and the United States of America.

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The Minister of Foreign Affairs, East Africa, Regional and International Cooperation, Dr. Augustine Mahiga, yesterday met with the United States Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr. Mark Childress and discussed bilateral issues among other important matters.

According to a statement from the ministry, during the meeting, they discussed an ongoing partnership including shared goals and continuing U.S. assistance to improve the health and education of Tanzanian people.

Ambassador Childress, who was accompanied by senior teams, spoke on promoting broad-based economic growth and advancing regional security in the spirit of continuing partnership and friendship between the two countries.

According to the U.S. Department of State fact sheet, the U.S. and Tanzania have shared a deep partnership characterized by mutual respect and interest, shared values and aspirations for a more peaceful and prosperous future.

The United States respects Tanzania's record of democratic progress, which has made it a model for the region and beyond and supports Tanzania's continuing efforts to strengthen the institutions of democracy.

The United States is committed to working with Tanzania on nutrition and food security, energy, women's and children's health, HIV/AIDS, and sustainable development, according to the fact sheet updated in August, last year.

The U.S. has provided assistance to Tanzania for development and capacity-building to promote transparency, address health and education issues, and target development indicators to sustain progress.

The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided funding to improve public health and quality of basic education, biodiversity conservation and natural resource management.

Feed the Future has provided funding to boost agricultural growth and productivity, promote market development and trade expansion along with equitable rural economic growth, invest in global innovation, and research and address mother and child malnutrition.

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