News for end of September 2002
Dear all,
It was a privilege to attend the wedding of an ex KIST student this weekend.
The event took two days to complete. The bride looked emaculate. It is
amazing how 'poor' people such as these rural Tanzanians living in mud
and thatched houses have an incredible eye for beauty! The highlight of
the event for me was a drama on a 'hen-pecked-husband'. His friend advised
him to fight back, and that did not work at all. It was only when the
preacher-woman finally sussed out what was happening and told the couple
that the man should be the boss in the home, that things finally went
into the 'and lived happily ever after' mode! This was a warning for the
new couple not to make the mistake of the couple in the drama. Please
pray for Juliana and Ibrahimu as they start their lives together.
I am pleased to say that I have now found some 'proper accommodation'.
As from saturday evening I now have a room in the home of an African family
for all the time that I will actually be staying here at Babati. I am
staying with an amazing couple. Her ancestors migrated from Iraq, and
his from South Africa, so they have met in the middle in Tanzania! It
is an African home, but with a number of mod-cons such as electricity.
They are a very friendly couple and it has been good already to talk and
discuss over many things.
Tanzania is a very impressive country to work in. Although slated by some
for having been socialist, the late-President Nyerere certainly brought
in a number of very good policies that have given the country a good foundation
to build on. The Swahili language is even more widely known in Tanzania
than in Kenya, giving the country a unity based on an indigenous language
greater than that of any other African country that I am aware of. Nyerere's
effort at discouraging great inequalities in wealth and excessive inflow
of foreign influence and ideas have brought a deep valuation by the people
of their own country and culture that should continue to prove a great
foundation to future developments.
On the 'down' side, there are a lot more Muslims here in Tanzania than
in Kenya, and their influence has been much deeper and more profound.
The potential for conflict between them and the Christian population is
great, although they currently live side by side successfully without
agression. It is amazing how deep a rift the Christian/Muslim divide has
brought socially, considering how integrated people are geographically.
"A two roomed thatched hut is to be my accommodation for the five
days of this seminar. The first room is for women and children to cook,
sit, talk eat sleep and hang out in. The second room, seperated from the
first by a sheet in the doorway, is for visitors to eat, sleep, talk and
hangout in. I share the bed, with a half-inch foam matress, with the local
church overseer. Chickens and chicks sleep under the bed. Two bags of
maize, some rough benches and my bicycle share this uneven mud floored
room with us. There are no doors fitted in this house, and it looks as
if 'leaking roof' would be a problem if it rained. The bathroom consists
of dried-grass stood up in a circle alongside another house. The is a
pit toilet, open to the stars."
Best wishes,
Jim