'This is Me!'

 

‘I am not a stranger to the dark,
"Hide away, " they say
“Cause we don't want your broken parts"
I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars
"Run away, " they say
"No one'll love you as you are"’.

( ‘This is me’ from ‘The Greatest Showman’)

One of the difficulties that poor, developing countries such as Tanzania have is caring for the less abled members of the community. (This would have been the same in the UK until the 20th century). For poor, struggling families,  every member of the family including children have to work to raise enough food to survive. The birth of a child with a physical disability, or caused as a result of common childhood disease such as polio, measles or rubella, is a catastrophe here. Such diseases once feared in the west even a century ago are now rarely a problem in the UK as a result of health care and vaccination. In countries with limited and unaffordable health care they are seen as a curse, and families will often hide the affected person to avoid shame. A disability is seen as preventing someone contributing to their community and supporting themselves. To survive the person often has to resort to begging.

It was to help those with disabilities to earn a living, and to demonstrate to the Community that they can contribute to society that Ben and Katy Ray came Tanzania to take over the management of a workshop and café in Iringa employing about 100 adults with physical or hearing disability. Staff have worked at Neema Crafts for several years and most now own their own homes, and are now welcomed into shops when previously they would probably have been rejected. (See our blogs from previous visits to Tanzania in 2017/18 and 2019 for further information)

About 3 years ago Ben and Katy and family moved to Arusha to set up a similar charity (SAFI – Seeing Ability First International) which currently employs about 25 adults and growing.

The newest ‘business’, opening just before Christmas, is a café which is mainly staffed by those with severe hearing problems. All the waiters, cleaners and reception staff are deaf as are several of the cooks. It offers good quality European style food which is attractive to middle class Tanzanians, ex-pats and tourists.

Last weekend the school that Ben and Katy’s children attend held a sports day. The whole family is extremely athletic (unlike Malcolm!). Ben and Katy both won their respective 'Sprint' Triathlon events (500m swimming, 15km cycling and 5 km running) crossing the finishing line together. The eldest son, Zaki came third in the age 7-9 team Triathlon and Alessia second in her team event.

One of the refreshment stands at the event was operated by SAFI staff, serving large ‘Smash burgers’, cakes and coffee. Adolf is the café’s cooking teacher, and Gloria and Rahel are 2 of the waiters. The stand was so busy that they didn’t even have time to eat their own lunches!!

On the last day of term the school put on a version of the Musical ‘The Greatest Showman, which is loosely based on the life of PT Barnum. One of the core messages of the show is that everyone is of value no matter their ability. The opening quotation to this blog is sung by the circus’s Bearded Lady and the other ‘Freaks’ who make up the cast of the circus.

To empasise the need for inclusivity, as part of the School production the children were taught sign language . They were joined on stage by two of the waiters from SAFI, Gloria and Laide singing and signing the show’s song ‘This Is Me’. The chorus is:

‘When the sharpest words wanna cut me down I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown 'em out
I am brave, I am bruised, I am who I'm meant to be,

This is Me.

Look out 'cause here I come And I'm marching on to the beat I drum
I'm not scared to be seen, I make no apologies,

This is Me

There were many comments on how moving the song was.

Finally, as it is Easter the staff of SAFI enjoyed a meal of their usual rice, beans and spinach but with the addition of half a chicken and a soda!

 

Have a great Easter

From Waste to More Productive Things

 What a waste!!!

 Last week Malcolm reported that the ‘Maji Taka’ was needed to clear a cooking fat burg from the septic tank (he also was misled by Google Translate. Instead of the whimsical ‘Water Taxi’ Maji Taka actually means the more earthy ‘Sewage’!).

 When staff arrived at work on Monday the septic tank was once again full – this time with rainwater. There had been very heavy rain over the weekend and rainwater had seeped in through the cracks in the concrete side walls of the tank. Time to call out the Maji taka again, but first to dig out the surrounding earth to repair the tank walls.

 

Enough of Sewage (at least for the time being). Onto more productive things.

The workers at SAFI comprise of some paid employees, but also trainees who are developing skills to set up their own ‘micro-enterprises’ - Independent organisations of 2-4 people  who, once trained, will run their own craft businesses. They may then use project facilities as a place to work, market and sell their products. In total there are about 25 employees and workers that rely on SAFI for their income. The day starts witha staff meeting for a short bible study, prayers and notices for the day

The paid staff include Jema and Grey. Jema is the finance manager, who in addition to running the finance office also has a range of other responsibililities such as handling personnel issues, and liaising with the tax authorities. 

Whilst here Malcolm is spending most of the time working with Jema to help develop the financial reporting systems.

Grey is the tailoring teacher. Though not deaf his skills include knowing sign language to communicate with the trainees who all have hearing/speech impairment.

One of the main objectives of SAFI is to enable disabled adults to earn a good living through employment, or by building up their own businesses / ‘micro-enterprises’. 

One of the ‘micro enterprises’ is called ‘Zawadi Toys’ which is run by 4 people. One of their main products are dolls including a mermaid with long, flowing hair. (Readers will realise that mermaids are difficult to see, but Malcolm is hoping to take a photograph of one before too long!)

Another ‘micro-enterprise’ is ‘Land & Coast’. The 2 ladies make a range of intricate jewellery. As with all the craft products made at SAFI, these are sold through the shops on site and at Slipway in Dar es Salaam.

The project also has a Carpentry workshop. One of the specialities is to make a range of furniture, such as tables and chairs. These are often to order, though they are also available through the Slipway shop. The workers include John, who has hearing impairment, and Elenadje who has a physical disability.

Most of the workers at SAFI are deaf, including the support staff, such as the cooks, who make meals for the workers. 

Though they appear basic, being located in a partly converted container and covered area part funded by the church Malcolm attends, the staff facilities are good by local standard and each work-day produces nourishing meals. 

Tanzanians rely on a simple diet such as rice, beans and spinach or ugali (cooked maize), beans and spinach. For many Tanzanians meat is a luxury reserved for special occasions such as Easter and Christmas.

Although Malcolm usually eats at SAFI, either a staff meal or one from the commercial SAFI café, on Sundays when the project is closed alternative arrangements are necessary.

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Last Sunday Malcolm went with Ben and Katy and their family to a local Tanzanian buffet (help yourself) restaurant where he enjoyed a luxury meal of fried chicken, chips, rice, water melon and matooke (a stew made from savoury matooke bananas (known as plantains in the UK).

Hey ho! Hey ho! Its off to work we go

 

Last week Malcolm mentioned that the dog Forest is enough of a puppy to play with the younger Smash. However, he gave no photographic evidence ……. Until now!

The home of Ben and Katy’s family is just over 4 miles from the workshop and café – close enough, sometimes, for Malcolm to walk there.

The house is located in a large estate with scattered houses. One of the larger properties has rescued some wild animals. These include small herds of gazelles, elands, wilderbeests and zebra.

There are also 2 giraffe who roam around, bush pigs and occasional hyenas…...

 

Not to mention the termites and large snails!

On the way Malcolm passes the former Arusha Polo Club. The Club’s building still exist, a number of residents keep horses but sadly Polo is no longer played.

The route passes the Usa River station. This modest building is on the main line between Arusha and Dar es Salaam; a journey of over 500 miles. The good news is that tickets only cost from about £5 single for third class. The bad news is that there are only 2 trains a week each way and the journey takes over 18 hours overnight, if you are lucky. Still, that is less than 30p an hour and 1p per mile and saves on paying for a hotel – what do you expect for your money?

The journey to the workshop by road is about 4.5 miles, and takes about an hour and a half. There is a short cut frequently used by locals along the train track which, with very few trains is extremely safe, (almost!). However, this involves crossing ‘the Bridge of Death’. This is a 20 yard, narrow, piece of track carried only by steel sleepers with intermediate, semi rotten pieces of timber to partly fill the gaps which crosses a river about 20 yards below.

There are no guard rails or safety nets!!

The first time Malcolm tried crossing it he took 2 steps and had to turn back. Fortunately a sympathetic local abandoned his wife to cross over and help Malcolm across.

The second time Malcolm tried crossing the Bridge of Death, he took 2 steps, went back to avoid passing out and gave up. He turned back, travelled about 2 miles extra to get around the Bridge.

He needed an emergency pick me up when he arrived'

The SAFI Café has a delightful open air aspect in an attractive garden. It is partly covered by a canopy (essential in the rainy season) with covered tents for private groups in the garden.

 

Malcolm is gradually working his way through the menu! The meals are varied and freshly cooked from locally sourced ingredients, and so far Malcolm’s stomach scores the food A***.

Despite failure at the Bridge Malcolm has had some success this week. He was part of the team (Where’s Mandy’s donkey) which won the Café’s first ever quiz night. The eponomous Mandy was delighted to accept the prizes on the team’s behalf (which includes a voucher for a free meal and hot drink as the café!). 

Malcolm would like to boast about how he helped the team with the answers but his knowledge is limited concerning African history, African Proverbs and Pop Music since the 1980’s (other than about Fleetwood Mac!) But who cares? He has the certificate!

Back to basics.

This week the Café had to call on the ‘Water Taxi' (Maji taka in Kiswahili). This name hides a dark secret.

 As there is no mains drainage here (which means here in Tanzania other than large towns) properties rely on Septic tanks for waste disposal. As in Britain sewers can get blocked by ‘fatburgs’ which in the case of the Café seems to have been caused by pouring used cooking oil down the sink. As a result, there was a bit of a problem so the ‘Water taxi’ was called to sort out the problem. Is this the fifth emergency service? (though with no vehicle recovery service, or emergency ambulance service maybe it’s the third after police and fire?)

 

Off to Places New

 

Whilst in Dar es Salaam waiting for our flights John and Malcolm visited Slipway, a shopping centre on the coast with views across the bay of Dar es Salaam. 

Here they enjoyed a tasty lunch, and Malcolm had the opportunity to visit the Safi shop. (Safi is short for ‘See Ability First International’. This indicates that its purpose is to provide work opportunities to people based on their abilities, and also means ‘clean’ in Kiswahili).

The shop was opened to market the items made not only by Safi, Arusha, but also Neema Crafts, (the well established workshop in Iringa that Ben and Katy Ray had managed for several years, and Malcolm and Irene had worked at on several occasions) and other craft makers. 

Here he met Ryo   and Gabriel who manage the shop, and was able to see the range of items made by the workshops. These range from small pieces of jewellery to large pieces of furniture, from bags to toys.

John flew on to spend a few days of relaxation on Zanzibar before returning to the UK, whilst Malcolm flew further north to Arusha, near the border with Kenya. On the way the clouds parted – is that the Island of Zanzibar, or is it Pemba?

For the first few weeks Malcolm will be staying with the family of Ben and Katy Ray, the CMS Mission Partners who have set up the Safi workshop in Usa River on the outskirts of Arusha. Other than passing through Arusha 17 years ago on the way to Safari this is the first time that Malcolm has stayed in the area.

As its the rainy season Malcolm has to get used to sudden downpours of warm rain, and power cuts!

Ben and Katy and family live in a single storey house in the centre of a large, largely undeveloped estate with lots of interesting animals. We will see more of these in later blogs. This week here are 3 that live in the house.

 

The youngest is Smash, a puppy  who one day turned up unannounced at the Safi workshop. He is a bit of a terror, and after terrorising the staff with his mischief, Ben and Katy decided it would be better to take him home.

The senior member of the house dogs is Rocky. He is clearly top-dog who doesn’t put up with any nonsense from the other dogs and will happily eat his own food, and then decide to finish of Smash’s.

The third dog is Forest who is a young, strapping hound who still enjoys puppy-play with Smash.

 

Next week we will look at what goes on at the Safi workshop. This is situated on a pretty site with views of the second tallest Mountain in Tanzania, Mount Meru