Expansion

This past week I decided to accompany Erica on an expansion trip into the Kilimanjaro region. After five years of serving the Arumeru district in the Arusha region, Support for International Change (SIC), has decided to look for other districts as prospective areas to offer their services. SIC has been providing HIV education campaigns, mobile voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), peer education programs and community health workers in rural villages surrounding Arusha. Field Officers continue to follow up on different communities, in order to manage sustainable on-going HIV education, patient support, and testing. In these next few months, SIC plans on finding on a new district, in which to expand and develop their programs. Through the volunteer program, SIC is able to continually train and provide schools with HIV education. Volunteers live with their respective communities' homestay families and do a six week awareness campaigns with local Tanzanian teaching partners. The volunteers become involved in their communities and organize big testing days. Just recently SIC broke their own record and tested 200 people at the Ngorobob Market in Mateves. With such programs on-going year round in different communities, Field Officers and staff counselors are able to continually provide services, when the volunteer programs are over. I hope that when most of these volunteers go back to their homes, albeit the United Kingdom or the U.S., they know that they made a real and sustainable difference in their communities. One more person listening to teachings or getting tested, is one more person educated about HIV and their status.

The expansion project involves going to new areas and meeting with government officials about their service needs and gaps. Erica last week had gone to Babati, and gathered that the district's existing HIV services, appeared to be far from complete. The government officials welcomed SIC and their programs with open arms.

Erica and I set out to Moshi to meet with relevant government officials, including the TACAIDS Kilimanjaro Regional Facilitating Agency (RFA) and the District Medical Officer (DMO). On our drive towards Moshi we saw a piece of the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro peeking through the clouds. Moshi is about 1.5 hours away and has an amazing view of Kilimanjaro. In addition, Moshi has good coffee shops and I enjoyed a delicious crepe for the first time in a while. I would like to mention that 'Indotaliano Restaurant' is exceptionally good in Indian and Italian cuisine. Our meetings unraveled that Moshi Rural has many services, and the DMO confirmed that there were a number of organizations attempting to link HIV services to the rural community. Nonetheless, the trip proved to be extremely informative. Many areas besides government facilities are also shadowed by private religious hospitals offering similar health services.

Early the next morning we were off towards the Rombo district. Our drive would lead us towards the Kenyan border and present us with a view of Kilimanjaro without cloud coverage. As we drove, an amazing panoramic vista of the summit of Kilimanjaro and Mt. Mwenzi appeared. We cherished this view that seldom gets seen, unless you happen to be driving to the border or to Rombo. After missing a turn and actually hitting a customs check, we redirected ourselves towards the mountain. Rombo lies at the base of the north-eastern slopes of Kilimanjaro. Our Land Rover took a beating, but the area was lush with exotic fauna, colorful red dirt, and Chagga people. We had seen only a handful of Maasai people. We eventually made it to the District Hospital and spoke with the DMO. He explained that the region was being serviced by a Belgian NGO and Mildmay International (an International Healthcare NGO). Both organizations seemed to be building a plan to cover the area and according to the DMO, he was hoping there would be no service gaps. For a variety of reasons, including ease of working conditions and existing infrastructure, this region seems to attract a lot of international attention. Hence, SIC's presence was much less needed around these parts than what had been experienced in Babati. After a long day, we dropped back down several degrees into Moshi. Moshi tends to be five degrees hotter than Arusha, and I could tell. Even though SIC most likely would not be coming to Moshi Rural or Rombo, it is reassuring to know that people seem to have the opportunities to get the services they need. The clouds would stay heavy over Kilimanjaro, and we would enjoy some excellent coffee...

Ol Tukai and Tarangire

This year I turned "ishirini na nane" 28 years old on October fourth. We had a blast at Stiggy's Restaurant, where our roommates played some good music. It was an evening of good food, good friends, and my performance debut of the Swanglish smash hit- "Samaki in the Bahari". As a memorizing mechanism towards learning Swahili, I have begun to write Swanglish educational songs. These songs incorporate the best of what someone would need to know to walk around town and communicate. Nonetheless, it was nice to have a wonderful birthday out in Africa. After a long week, Erica and I decided to head out to the bush and camp. Our first night brought us out to our friend Corbett's conservancy area in Ol Tukai. The Ol Tukai Conservancy is a small, focused, and effective conservation organization designed to protect and conserve a vital wildlife corridor in the Tarangire-Manyara Ecosystem of Northern Tanzania, while simultaneously benefitting, empowering and educating the people of the Ol Tukai community.
The area is amazing and full of palm trees, hence the Masai word for palm tree- 'Ol Tukai'. We called our guide Balozi to take us into the conservation area. The drive passed Masai bomas, some schools, a dam, and eventually out to edge of Lake Mayara. When we landed, I felt as if I was on the beach somewhere. It was such a breath of fresh air to be by a body of water. We parked our Land Rover next to two towering palm trees, as this was going to be our designated camp site. It was truly gorgeous, no one around and the cool breeze blowing into our hair. In the distance were pelicans sunbathing, as their comrade flamingoes were away. This year the lake had come up too high, so flamingoes had flocked elsewhere for this part of the year. Normally, game travels through the area, however, the area was a bit dry. All regions have their dry and wet seasons, and we happen to be at Ol Tukai during the dry season. Nonetheless, we set up camp and built an outdoor grill for our dinner. Balozi continued to tell us about the area, explaining how the conservancy had helped fund and build some schools in the area, and bought a vehicle to help against local poaching. Soon the sun was beginning to go down and we watched a beautiful sunset and pelicans float by with the current. It had been a while since I had seen the sun go down over water, perhaps the last time was Venice Beach, California.
We made a tomato, artichoke heart, and avocado salad medley with balsamic vinagrette. Our grill worked out perfect for our apricot-marinated rib-eye steaks. The Chilean bottle of wine some friends gave me complemented fabulously. We ate and laid down and starred at the stars for hours beside a nice camp fire. When we awoke in the morning and I pulled back our tent door, I could have sworn we were on the beach. I thought we were beach camping, and the breeze blew nice during the dawn hours. We got up and packed up our camp site. Balozi had come back to take us to his family's boma in the village. After a short drive, we arrived at his place. We were greeted with traditional Masai jewelry and met his family and children. It really had been a pleasure to meet him and Israel, our other guide. Unfortunately, on our way back to the main road, we got a small tire puncture. Some of the Masai women we were giving a ride to showed us the way to a place that fixed tire punctures. The main road was a place that many safari vehicles travel, thus, this was the perfect place to find a tire fundi. The next couple of hours we spent waiting for our tire to get fixed.
Luckily we were only 7 km from the gate of Tarangire National Park. Tarangire is home to the largest concentration of elephants than anywhere else in the world. Inclusive, the swamps are green year round and are the focus of 550 bird varieties, the most breeding species in one habitat anywhere in the world. The strong sun sucks the moisture from the earth and turns the ground a dusty red. No matter what time of year it is, wet or dry, there is always water in Tarangire. Thus, thirsty predators and migratory wild life know to come. Tarangire also has some rare antelope such as the oryx and gerenuk. We drove all day, as it was my first time in the park and Erica hadn't been inside the park in three years. We encountered a lot of elephants, but unfortuantely, did not see any predators. We took a nice break at Sopa Lodge, which has a swimming pool and a nice deck to grab a drink from the bar. After seeing an alpha male baboon attack a tourist to get his food at a picnic site, we decided to make some ham and cheese sandwiches in the car. Rule number one, if there are monkeys around, close the windows if you're not in the car, because they will come in at will to find food, especially if you have bananas.
The view from the picnic site was really spectacular. The panarama of the river presented us with a view of drinking elephants. We could hear some folks telling the baboons to get away. Honestly, baboons are no joke and they can be aggressive, do not take their presence for granted. We ultimately, did have a wonderful day inside of Tarangire. It's nice to know that it is only 75 miles from Arusha, not far at all. Not bad for 'jumapili'- Sunday.. We drove towards Arusha before it got dark and encountered vistas of Mt. Meru behind coffee fields and blossoming purple jacaranda trees. What a pretty place..
I encourage any and all of you to check out Ol Tukai Conservancy (www.oltukai.org), educate yourself or perhaps donate to the cause. If you plan on being in the area, we can help facilitate a trip there and experience a special place. If you would like to go on a luxury safari, I mean the real deal, mobile tented camps getting set up in the middle of no where and private chefs, please visit (www.cbsafaris.com). I'm sure Corbett can accomodate your customized safari or Kilimanjaro climb.

'Tuko Pamoja'- We are together... 'Usiogope Ufahamu'- Knowledge is power...

Two Years Prior

Two years prior, I had flown up to Kenya from Durban, South Africa. During my stay in Durban, traveling around the coast and Mozambique had inspired me to explore more of Africa. I had been lucky enough to see game in the local parks, but I wanted more. The pictures of Masai men in their traditional bright red attire and knives intrigued me. Where was this land? I learned that most Masai men and women lived in East Africa. The area where Masai's and animals co-habitated was the Masai Mara in Kenya, as well as the Serengeti.
After some deliberation, Seth and I decided to take a trip up to Kenya on safari. Since time was of the essence, we thought it would be best if we flew in. It would in turn give us an extra day of game viewing. We flew into Nairobi and then caught a charter flight into the bush. These planes are fun, but if you have flying anxiety, then they are nerve-racking. On our way out, I remember the pilot pulled back full throttle right as we were about to land, only to say he apologized, 'there were elephants on the runway that had just come out from behind some trees.' Our tented camp was incredible, two beds, a bathroom, and a shower. Game drives every morning at dawn and dusk, feeding times. Our mess hall tent served us five-course meals breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Our drives were plentiful, cheetahs roaming on the plains, herds of elephants, and prides of lions. Up to this point, lions were a rare sight. Here, the lions were seen every game drive. Our bush experience had reached a whole new level, something people who live in these areas, take for granted. One morning we pulled up to two male lions sleeping next to a huge buffalo. We had missed the take-down by half an hour. Their breaths were deep and they were wiped out from taking down the huge animal. They would lie there all day, and only move if another predator threatened to take their meal away. When we returned later that afternoon, one of the males was eating the buffalo. The other lion had been eating already and laid to the side, full and tired. The sight during the dusk hours was spectacular. A lone male lion next to a watering hole, eating a buffalo. I was thrilled and flabbergasted. For me in that moment, this was life at its most simplest form. That afternoon was powerful and the sound was enormous coming from that lion and his kill. For some people this is disgusting, to me, the bush reveals life.
A week seemed like months in the bush. Every game drive had different pleasures and ultimately, I did not want to leave. Seth had to get back to South Africa to attend to his restaurant, "Taco Zulu". Later that day, we caught a flight out of the Mara and back into Nairobi. Seth would head down south and I would continue on to Tanzania. I spent the night at the Impala Hotel in Nairobi. Under normal circumstances, I was planning on hydrating and eating, because I was going to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in a couple of days. My body had other plans.
That night in Nairobi, I got awfully ill and began uncontrollable and freguent trips to the toilet. I began to worry when blood appeared in my stool and I was throwing up. Every ounce of my body was exploding. Lying on the bathroom floor was exhausting and seemed like an eternity. I never even made it out of my room until the next morning. I had already booked a shuttle into Moshi that day. My concern was making it out of the hotel and into the shuttle without a trace of total embarrassment. I quickly devised a plan from the bathroom towel- 'a diaper'. My solution was a make-shift diaper in order to protect myself from releasing onto myself. I luckily made it to a pharmacy/clinic that happened to be in front of the shuttle. The clinician said I must of gotten some bad food poisoning and blood just meant the lining in my stomach was tearing. He handed me five days worth of medicine and told me to take some right then and there. The pills would kill whatever bacteria was living in my body.
The shuttle ride was long, but I made it to my hotel. The following day I was supposed to start climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. I was able to put down some soup. After some needed rest, I met my guide who already knew I had been feeling a bit ill. He asked me if I wanted to go through with the climb, and I responded that I definitely did. Even if I had to stop every five minutes. So, we set off on our journey up the tallest free- standing mountain in the world.
The first day was a bit rough, moving the body was new and required a lot of energy. The first day was hiking through the rain forests up to Machame Camp at 9,000 ft. That day's lunch was the first bit of solid food a had eaten in two days. My porters stopped and ate with me, asking if I was doing alright. My spirits were up and I tried to teach them some English for some Swahili. My guide would repeat, 'Pole, Pole'- slowly, slowly. I knew that as long as I put one foot in front of the other, I would eventually make it to the top. My dinner that night was a thick beef stew with vegetables, I needed the energy. I went to sleep early for the next day.
Day two, I awoke a new man. Solid stool, no body aches, and a new vigor for life. Perhaps, the mountain air or my food was spiked, but I felt better. Hiking that day was fun, and my attitude about the mountain changed. We would ascent to Shira Camp at 13,700 ft. The morning brought us to the heath region and out of the mist and fog that clings to the rain forest below. We kept walking up and out to my left side was Mt. Meru above the clouds. I could feel we were gaining altitude, not really in my body, but in the landscapes and vistas. I remember seeing the last bright colored plant. I starred at it for a moment and took a picture, and continued on. This day we got to camp faster and we actually hung out a bit longer. I met some counter parts who were doing lone ascents as well. At Shira Camp, we saw a magnificent sunset. At that altitude, the colors were deeper and the shadows from Mt. Meru juxtaposed the sky's canvas. That evening was Zen, starring out into the distance, the air getting cooler, I thought of nothing but those peaceful moments. As soon as the sun dropped, I got into my tent, only to come out for dinner and then to sleep.

Day three, we would hike to Boronco Camp at 12,800 ft. Yes, we would descend almost a thousand feet. This was our acclimatizing day. We would make progress in length, but not in altitude. Our day was spent crossing the moorland region, volcanic rocks and senecios over our heads. These plants looked like palm trees, but are only native to this region on earth. In the distance were waterfalls that came out of holes in volcanic walls. The landscape was desolate, but unique nonetheless. A counter part began to feel the altitude and was getting headaches. I chose to take altitude sickness pills and made sure I kept hydrated. Another amazing sunset and as soon as the sun dropped, it was a bit chillier than previously, and I went into my tent promptly.
Day four, we would continue on to the Boronco wall and do switchbacks. This lead us through the alpine desert and to Barufu Camp at 15,000 ft. The desert was dry and during the day, the temperature was hot. I remember getting a bloody nose this day towards the end of the day. My nose had become runny and dry, eventually just wanting to bleed. Nothing serious and we continued on. This was the last camp before the summit, and we would wake up at 11:30pm to begin our final ascent. After a couple of hours rest, I awoke to drink some tea and eat some bisquits. I grabbed some power bars and water. The air was cold and I layered myself accordingly as the day's temperatures would change as soon as the sun came up. I wore gloves around my hands for the first time. My headlamp would guide me in the dark and I could hear the voices of my fellow counter parts up ahead. Their lamps cast beams on the dark face above. Through the night we trecked, one foot in front of the other, 'pole, pole'. Occassional stops for a power bar and water. The sky was getting lighter, a faint blue. We finally reached what appeared to be a summit, but it was only Gilman's Peak. However, this meant the summit was near. As I came over Gilman's, the sun was beginning to come up and the dawn was yellow. On my left I could see the enormous glaciers of Kilimanjaro. The sun felt so strong and penetrated the unprotected glaciers, its ice just evaporating into the air. I saw the sign, the highest point on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Even still I told myself, one foot in front of the other and you will get there, its too close now. I gave a high-five to a counter part and cheered for myself. This was an accomplishment that has no words, just joy of reaching the goal- Uhuru Peak at 19,340 ft. I took off my gloves and filmed a 360 degree of the summit and took some pictures at the sign. Something changed, my journey had taken my thoughts into so many levels of inspiration. The feeling only hiking can do, thoughts, a goal, survival, and natural beauty. I would be humbled forever on the roof of Africa...

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Africa Update

The first week in Africa has been interesting to say the least. I arrived in Nairobi, Kenya and a driver awaited my arrival with a sign leading me to the Heron Hotel. Unfortunately, my bags that I had checked in did not arrive. Not receiving your bags in Africa is never a pleasant feeling, especially when they contain your life. I knew that we would be returning to the airport a couple of hours later to fetch Erica's father from a later flight. When I spoke to the lady at the customer service desk, she infromed me that the bags would be coming in at 9pm. I would organize later. Getting off the plane from just about two days of traveling is like coming down off drugs, delirious and a bit out of reality. My first glimpses of safari vehicles and heavy diesel exhaust coming off of trucks were staple sights of Africa. I had been to Nairobi before, however, very briefly as a one day stop twice two years prior. I had flown into the Masia Mara with Seth and later would go on to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro across the border.
It was a lovely sight to see Erica in the lobby of The Heron. It had been at least five months since we had last seen each other. She showed me our Land Rover she had rented, so that we could drive ourselves on safari. We ran errands in preparation for our camping adventure. After a much needed nap, we went back to the airport to meet Erica's father and his girlfriend, we would all be going on safari together. I ran into the customer service desk and convinced a gentlemen to deliver my bags to The Heron. I would get them later that night at 2am and we were leaving for our trip at 7am. The timing was just perfect, but stressful. Our evening consisted of dinner at the Carnivore restaurant. This restaurant is unique to anything else, except for its sister restaurant in Johannesberg, South Africa, because of its menu. Guests sit down and receive an assortment of game meat until you say stop. Meats include pork, chicken, turkey, ostrich, crocodile, goat, and venessen. I felt the variety was better in "Joberg", but it was a fabulous dinner nonetheless.
The next morning we were off to the Masai Mara . The Masai Mara is an area of rolling hills, woodland areas, and plains with acacia trees that is the natural habitat of all of Africa's animals. The area is surrounded by the Mara and Talek Rivers, famous for the famous Wildebeest migration river crossings. The area to the far south extends into Tanzania's Serengeti. Fortunately, the migration was occurring in the Mara this time of year, which meant that the game would be plentiful. I was hoping to see a predator hunt and kill. The road leading out to the Mara would take us six hours, full of potholes and traffic diversions. When we got into the park, we set off to find our campsite and get our bearings. The drive to the campsite greeted us with Elephants and plenty of Ungulates (hooved creatures; Impala, Spring Buck, Gazelles, Zebra, Giraffes). As the sun was going down and a small herd of Elephant went by in the distance, I could only capture the moment by saying to myself that this was Africa. The feeling of the bush and animals all around you, it is absolutely breathtaking.
Our camp was cozy and everyone there was extremely friendly, including the other visitors. After preparing a meal and having some drinks, we could hear lions roaring in the backround to eachother, they were on the hunt. We decided we would have a local Masai, Edward join us the next day to guide us around the park. He had lived in the Mara for thirty years and spoke to other drivers who in turn would let you know about the days events, such as kills or leopard sightings. Our drives proved to be amazing. We were blessed to see plenty of lions, one pride finishing their meal, lioness' eating intestinal sacks. The migration would lead us to see the biggest herds of wildebeest I had ever seen, hills that stretched forever covered in black. We had pulled up to a river enbankment, and hundreds of wildebeest were on the brink of crossing, but they never went after waiting for hours. We had picnics along the river full of hippos basking in the water protecting their skin from the sun. Our highlight was spotting a cheetah with her two cubs on the hunt. They sat on a rock and were eyeing spring buck in the distance. We made sure to give them their space. After some time we had heard of a lion pride sighting and went to see them quickly. When we returned not too long after, the cheetah and her cubs had just took down a spring buck and were eating. Vultures circled in the air and others awaited in the wings. The mother and her cubs eat quickly, devouring their meal. I have included some of those shots, my favorite, the little cub with its bloody mouth. The footage I got was spectacular. We were lucky to see such a sight. On our last day we dcided to stay at a lodge called the Fig Tree. It was stunning, tented rooms with tiled showers along a river where animals came to graze. Five course meals breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I would drive us back from the Mara to Nairobi, I quickly assimilated myself to left-handed stick shift driving. We eventually made it back into Nairobi before dark, after making a couple of stops for Erica to throwup. Her stomach had become a bit upset, and she started developing a slight fever. The first thing we thought was hopefully it wasn't malaria since she isn't taking prophylactics. More than four months of taking anti-malarial drugs is hard on the liver. She had mentioned that mosquitoes had bit her a bunch in a village recently where they were doing HIV testing. I thought lets get her to bed, and hopefully the body is going into a fever to kill the bacteria and perhaps just food poisoning. Food poisoning is extremely common, just because one doesn't always know if things are coming from a clean water source, similar to Mexico.
The next day we were off to Tanzania on a shuttle. After a border crossing and four hours of travel, we got into Arusha that afternoon. Arusha's climate is pleasant, not too hot. The house where we stay is in Kijenge with a view of Mt. Meru in the yard. It takes about twenty minutes to walk into the main part of town, a hill near the house reminds me of the stairs in Santa Monica as a workout, and a duka (store) down the way sells organic eggs. I would love to have a chicken that laid eggs, but Eduardo "Eddie", our cute mutt puppy would unfortunately terrorize the chicken so that it wouldn't lay. There is a plethora of animals, "Burrito" the original cat that looks like a Lynx, "Rocky" the other overly affectionate cat, and "Keelie" Eddie's mom, our amazing guard dog. We have fresh basil, corn, and chillies. I often times go buy fresh produce at Soku Ku, the main market in town to cook fiestas. I have befriended a produce stand and the local boys who harbor deals to get me everything that I want at a decent price. These guys watch my back and call me Franky when I enter their area- "simba's office". Aside from plenty of cooking, we also frequent the local Chinese restaurant "Dragon Pearl", "Big Bite" for Indian cuisine, "Nick's" a dive of charbroiled chicken and amazing garlic-broiled talapia, and "Stiggy's" a local Australian chef's speacialties. I often times drink Tusker, a Kenyan beer, which is actually really good. We still do Brian Kest's Power Yoga DVD.
I have been shadowing Erica and the work that SIC (Support for International Change/ www.sichange.org) does around here. A volunteer program was just ending so I had the opportunity to go to a couple of community days. These days are promoted for weeks and encourage people from the surrounding community to go and get free testing. Councilors are around so that people with questions may get information. Volunteers team up with teaching partners, so most of the students from the local schools come out. I befriended the DJ they hire and was able to play some Bongo Flavor, the local music of choice. All the kids go crazy and dance. We played a futbol (soccer) game last week and won. The next day my whole body was hurting, not as young as I used to be to play a full four-hour futbol match. Nonetheless, great time with the staff and the local high school kids. Everyday I push to learn more Swahili. My favorite thus far is "Tuko Pamoja"- We are together and "Parachichi"- avocado. The most recent community day was quite an experience aside from the HIV activities. A couple teaching partners took me to an area at the Matevas Masai market where they butcher goats. These guys kill the goats, skin them, cut them open and butcher them, and then another guy cooks the meat. I ordered two racks of ribs and ate some of the tastiest meat I had eaten. I did a short film called "Umbuzi" (Goat), the skinning, butchering, and eating of a goat. I hope to put this up soon.
In a series of meetings, I have slowly begun to develop ideas for a documentary on micro-financing. I have begun to conduct research on local people's business ideas and finding out about local institutions that foster these sorts of small business loans. One of SIC's staff councilors would like to open up a juice shop, which I have expressed much interest in. With some of the proceeds, HIV patients could be provided with juice and young coconuts. All in an effort to promote health. I have also spoken with the Kilimanjaro Film Institute, which provides training for local Tanzanians to become film makers, about helping produce some of these ideas. Moving forward, much love...

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