Hakuna Matata...it really does mean no worries and people say it often. Is it bad that I'm dying to watch the Lion King again after this trip? A few things I learned on safari:
1. Warthogs really do walk like
Pumba from the Lion King
2.
Simba means lion
3. Herds of zebra and
wildebeests travel together because they have symbiotic relationship. Zebras eat short grasses and the wildebeests eat longer. (I may have gotten that backwards) And they warn each other about predators, such as simba.
4. Lions spend about 15 hours a day resting
5. Ostriches mate for life
6. Hipos are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa
Needless to say, the safari was awesome. I can't decide what was my favorite animal. The giraffes (twiga), the zebras (punda milia), the elephants (temba) and of course the lions (simba) were fantastic. But so were the hipos, wildebeests, gazelles, monkey and baboons. We also go to see two cheetahs. The only disappointing part of the trip was that I didn't get to see any National Geographic style carniverous animal action. Oh, well hakuna matata--it was still amazing. I took about 600 pictures. The internet connection is too slow to post them, so I'll have to do that at home.
On our way out, we stopped at a Massai Village. It was interesting but also very touristy and odd. I'm not sure how representative of a real village it was. There were about 50 people there. Apparently, it was one man, his seven or eight wives, and then all of their children. They did a traditional dance for us and showed us into their huts. They make the huts out of cow dung and they last about three years. The huts are nearly pitch dark inside. Each wife lives in the hut with her children and the husband takes turns visiting the wives. If his stick is outside the doorway apparently, don't come a knocking.
But enough about safari (which actually just means trip), more about my placement which is the whole reason why I'm here. Slowly but surely it's getting better in terms of maintaining the classroom. They are only three and four years old , so I don't blame them for being antsy sitting at desks all morning. Around 10:30, we serve porridge which is sort of like oatmeal, but I think made with corn flour. I think it's the only meal many of the kids eat all day. After we finish serving everyone, they can come up for seconds. Many come up for thirds, fourths, and fifths and it hurts my heart to see them so hungry. On Monday, one little girl was sitting by herself looking sad and tired. I asked her why she was so sad. The teacher came over and talked to her. She hadn't eaten since Saturday and was about to pass out from hunger. She ate three bowls of porridge and probably wouldn't eat again until the next day. She's probably four years old. Can you imagine what that would be like?
As I've said earlier, the kids fight to hold our hands when we walk around the playground. They'll fake tears so we'll pick them up or let them sit on our laps. Part of it, I think is the oddity of these strange white people who come to their school a few weeks at a time. But I also don't think they're getting much affection and attention at home. Their parents are mostly focused on being able to feed them rather than being able to play with them and hold them. Most of them walk to school on their own and it can be a few kilometers. The oldest of students at the school are about 7 years old and they have to cross a main road, a paved two lane highway which is a Tanzanian equivalent of a freeway.
We're not supposed to donate to the school, but the school has absolutely no resources. I think the supplies they do have come from volunteers. It's a tough balance between sustainability and using resources I have available to me to help. I'm not sure what's right, but I know they need pencils and paper and probably wouldn't have access to it without us.
Well friends, I've been a bit under the weather for a few days, so I'm off to bed. Hope this finds you all well.
