The Last Week

The last week was the hardest because of the feeling of finality. I was certainly not ready to leave and this made saying goodbyes and wrapping up my experience very difficult.

On Wednesday, I made a crossword for my students using ideas that they should have known from all of the things I had taught them. This activity expanded into two days because they had never seen a crossword and struggled with the format. Had I put the questions into fill in the blanks, they would have had no problem, but the crossword was a bit much for them. We managed though. After class on Wednesday, Amani and I went on another home visit to Jumani's house (the man with late stage AIDS). We were accompanied by some people from a local NGO that is supporting Jipe Moyo so there was quite a group of us in his one bedroom house. It was cool to be able to visit the same man three times and to get to know him and his mama. Amani was able to sit him up in bed which Jumani wasn't able to do at the previous visits.

On Thursday, we continued with the crossword during class. We found out that the mama we had visited a few weeks earlier that had her leg amputated had passed away. This was upsetting, especially knowing how different the whole situation would have been in America. Because of this, the women were going to attend the funeral the next day and skip our last day of support group. On Thursday evening, a bunch of friends and I went out to Rau village to go to the local bar out there, Dao's. We had a great time hanging with the locals, although I was sad because it was my last night.

Friday was an intense day, to say the least, and my last in Tanzania. I had gifts for each of the students, bracelets for the girls and marker pens for the boys, and khangas (fabrics) for the main two women and a calculator for the group. I brought with me sheets of construction papers that i had made into "postcards". They were to draw a picture on one side and on the reverse write me a letter about themselves and anything else they wanted to tell me. I told them that this was how I was going to remember them. When we got to placement, we discovered that the cellphone tower project had taken over most of Mama Zainabu's yard and we were displaced to Mama Bruno's veranda. This worked out pretty well because she had a table for the students to draw and write on. They were excited for another art project but were sad that I was leaving. I had grown pretty attached to my students and they were pretty attached to me.
This is Mama Olivia, me and Mama Zainabu.

The main two mama's of Jipe Moyo, along with some of the members, surprised me by showing up with a gift. They had purchased me a new khanga, which they lovingly wrapped around me. A khanga is a long piece of fabric with a message on it that is the main piece of clothing worn by the local women. I was completely shocked and so flattered that they would give me a gift. They had no resources as a group or as individuals and I certainly didn't feel worthy of such a present. They thanked me for working with them and the kids. Later, a mama who was my student, gave me a card and a khanga as well. This was a used one and is soft and dirty, and I love it. I was again beside myself that this mama would give me something that belonged to her. She had wrapped it in wrapping paper and made a big show of handing it to me. It was an incredible moment. I gave them all their presents and some candy and got myself out of there before I could have a royal breakdown. I think about my students all of the time and continually hope for their success.

About half of my students and I on Mama Bruno's veranda. I have no idea who the kid is on the bottom right hand corner.

I am wearing the khanga Jipe Moyo gave me, the fabric above me is what the mama on the right gave me as a gift.