Back after a long deserved break!!!

Hi Everyone!

Wow, I feel like everything has been non-stop since my last post!!! We've done many more teachings in our village and we have our testing day set up. Then we embarked on a week-long break from the villages. I went on a safari to Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater, then bussed 24 hours through Kenya to Uganda to bungee jump and raft the Nile!!! AMAZING!!! Will update in 2 weeks with pics!!!


Much love,

Veronica

In Sangaiwe village

So I have been in Sangaiwe village for 10 days. And we packed it full of stuff to do!!! M-F we had a 2 hour block to teach at the primary school. We taught Standards 4/5 together then 6/7 together. For the most part, nearly everyone knew about HIV but transmission, progression and testing subjects needed to be taught. We also met with the village leaders, and everyday, after our break for lunch, we would have our third teaching to a type of community group. On Tuesday, there was a mother/child wellbeing checkup and I spoke about Mother-to-Child transmission to a group of about 60 mamas and their babies. Then on Thursday, we were invited to speak at a village meeting where there were 100 people present. We fielded some challenging questions about stigma and the reason why Americans are in Tanzania doing this work when HIV is also a problem in America. Luke, another group member answered really beautifully: "There are NGOs and other programs helping out in the U.S. We are here because we felt the call to serve our Tanzanian brothers and sisters." 

My homestay family is great. They are super Catholic!!! :D I went to Mass with them last Sunday and we were introduced to the congregation. I teared up during Mass a couple times. I was in awe of the atmosphere in the church. There is only one priest for the Mwada Ward so the priest only comes to Sangaiwe once every 5 weeks. And so the people only receive Communion once every 5 weeks. And yet they come week after week, full of song and praise. It really made me appreciate how I can go to Mass weekly at home and now I will definitely not take that fact lightly!!!

So I'm in Babati for just the weekend, then heading back to Sangaiwe in a few hours. I hope to update the blog in 10 days!!

Alex pumping up the class

Crazy giant beetle in my room

Beautiful dusk

Sunflower fields

Sangaiwe Mountais

Nikki, Glory and I walking to the lake after a busy week

The crown came in use!!! On Friday with the students at the primary school

Termites

Last Day of Orientation!

Practice Teaching Session

Mwalimu Kessy and I on our last day

Lake Babati

"D-day--Draft day--when we find out which village we will be living and teaching in..."

 Today we sung our Swahili swan song to Mwalimu Kessy (teacher Kessy), received our certificate of Swahili course completion and our final teaching group/village assignments.

Of Mwada Ward, I will be in the next closest village to Mwada, Sangaiwe. Apparently, it is very picturesque. There will be a lake and mountainous views! My homestay is with Mama Siana and my roommates are Nikki from Harvard and Glory, a Tanzanian Teaching Partner. I'm very excited about my teaching group and finally putting our training to action!!! There is one primary school in our village so that is my main demographic. Outside the school, I will have community group teachings. So this is the last of web access for a few weeks! See y'all!!! :D