November 2

Election Day! Well, in America anyway. While everyone prepares to vote for Senate and whatnot, (I've tried to follow, but seriously the Republicans are back--who's Christine O'Donnell? And the lady who made Ebay is running for something, really?) today Tanzanians are awaiting what is pretty much the inevitable news of the presidential election--and that it's Kikwete's. After yesterday's showdown on the main road, I'm sure everyone maxed out their celebrations because it could possibly be the only victory for Chadema. In Mama Mary's house, everyone is just betting on what time the announcement will come in.

Nonetheless, today we were back in Moshono teaching at Montessori Infinity for another round of Agriculture brat boot camp. We're slated to talk about crop rotation and how to plant seedlings in a nursery garden. After I gave my blah blah, as they say here, the students sat deadpan, with no questions at all about why these vegetables are rafiki and adui (friends and enemies), one asked aloud in Swahili 'When is chai?' The others laughed and the counterpart motioned it was time for them to take chai. Even though I don't care for their attitude, I couldn't blame them. It was 9 a.m. and we were talking their ears off about how potatoes and tomatoes aren't friends when they haven't even taken breakfast. Besides, we needed a break too.

After chai, they returned for us to give more increasingly pointless lectures and then we went to their garden to demonstrate how to plant seeds in a nursery garden. The Bio Intensive way of making a nursery bed, is sort of similar to a raised bed--but you dont have to double dig, instead just till a foot deep and raise and loosen the soil with a forkhoe, spray some woodash and sand, mix and then even out the inside of the mound. It was fairly simple and it seemed they were following as I taught. Just in case, to engage them I motioned how to make the indentations for which to plant the seeds. Conveniently, it was a peace sign--also the Chadema sign. They all laughed at I was able to make them help out making indentations in the nursery bed so we can plant the seeds.

Our female volunteer made some observations about the behavior of some of our counterparts towards us, as women and as Americans. She feels that they have been treating us differently, perhaps because of our gender. I'm not surprised--it's a part of the culture that when a man says something--it has more bearing than when a woman speaks. I've had my share of frustrations in getting my ideas across with some counterparts, but I assumed it was my almost invisible influence, as a volunteer and not staff. As she's been showing me examples of her hypothesis, I've also come to realize that this may be exactly what caused most of my frustrations at the start of my program. I often felt like the counterparts favored the other two male volunteers at the start, one my age and another 70 year old man. It was awkward in the beginning to not have any of the counterparts talking to me, but now I realize why. I should have noticed this earlier, especially in the habits surrounding when its time to eat. Today at lunch, I was waiting to wash my hands in the restaurant. Typical in most restaurants and even in households, there is a handwashing station made from a 20 liter plastic bucket on a stand, fashioned with a spigot cemented on the bottom and a bar of soap on the side. I know Tanzanians dont like to wait in line, but all three of our counterparts skipped me in line to wash their hands. I am notorious for having a big mouth and being cheeky, but I told them I was waiting. They very casually said that men wash their hands before women, especially when the food is already at the table. Since I made a comment, they let me go ahead. At the table, our other female volunteer was in the restroom when orders were taken. When she arrived back, the food was on the table and everyone was eating. Our counterparts, all male and the only Swahili speakers, didn't even respond when we motioned the waitress over to take her order. It was as if all was well because they were eating!

Eventually that afternoon, we found out Kikwete had won re-election and pretty much nothing unusual or of a celebratory nature was going on in the streets. However, that night as I was watching television with my host family I parted to get ready to shower and prepare for bed. As I got up, there was knocking at the gate and everyone stood up to answer the gate. When I got out of the shower and bid usiku mwema (good night), Irene told me that a friend of Rachel, who is 15, came knocking at the gate to seek refuge because she had been beaten. Apparently, this friend is commonly in the streets with men and casually sleeps with men in the neighborhood. She was in a situation where she was beaten, and Mama Mary's husband being a pastor she came to their home to stay the night. Mama Mary and the daughters took her in and put her in a spare room in the side of the house, but I never got to see the girl. However, Rachel tells me this girl is also afraid she may have contracted HIV from one of her partners and is afraid to get tested, which the family is trying to urge her to do. I wished I was able to see her, but as the family was very concerned with her well being I didn't want to impose. You always hear of these stories in case studies, magazines and literature about HIV/AIDS and sexual activity in Africa, but its shocking to hear it could come close to home for even good kids like these girls. But it was promising to know that they didn't stigmatize her and made her feel welcome, and also knew better than to follow this kind of behavior.

Tomorrow we'll be back in Moshono, again. This should be one of the last trainings and we will finish by Thursday. However, I'm planning a safari that day! I hope to continue learning about Tanzania, its people and learn even more Swahili all this last week. I really dont want to leave!