OK, I Arrived in Africa...Now What?

Over Darfur!!!!

About to land in Africa!

Flying over the continent of Africa was surreal, especially at the moment my electronic airplane tracker showed we were above Darfur.


The volunteer house turned out to be more like a compound, enclosed by high walls and a newly installed electric fence. When I arrived, my housemates were all up and ready to greet me with smiles and homemade crepes. I had a wonderful first night's sleep on my mosquito-netted top bunk and then woke up on my first morning in Africa to the sounds of barking dogs and approximately one million roosters. I've been feeling somewhat disoriented since I arrived because so much is new and I'm used to being in control...now I'm on a new schedule with new food and a bizarre shower and a confusing electrical system...everything is unfamiliar. But that's the way it's supposed to be.

Just to give you an idea of what Moshi is like, here are a few of my first observations:

• It is very, very dusty.
• There is trash everywhere. Trashcans are rare and when you do see one, it is usually empty...with loads of trash on the ground just next to it.
• People burn their trash, so there is a constant smell of burning rubbish in the air.
• The produce selection is minimal, but beautiful...and everywhere I turn (and I mean everywhere), I see women selling a selection of carrots, tomatoes, avocados, onions and green peppers. (I've been making wicked egg scrambles in the morning!)
• There are also sewing machines on every sidewalk in town. Everyone sews!
• Pedestrians do NOT have the right of way.
• There is no such thing as personal space when riding a dala dala...They cram as many people as possible into a little minivan and riding in one gives me a giggle attack.
• People dress very conservatively, especially the women, and it's common to see people walking the streets in full Masai gear or Islamic outfits. Most women wear multiple layers of colored fabrics tied around their bodies.
• A view of Mt. Kilimanjaro is just outside my front door!
• I'm pretty sure I could find a husband here. 

I'm volunteering for the next couple weeks in a small, start-up school that offers free English and business classes to local adults. Give a Heart to Africa also helps the most motivated and needy of its students to actually start their own businesses. http://www.giveahearttoafrica.org/ Classes begin at 9am and are held right here on the property inside three small rooms around the perimeter of the courtyard. Most of the students are in their twenties, but some are much older (including a man who is almost blind and without teeth, but arrives on time every morning for school). It's surprisingly super organized and the students are wonderful. I’m one of four volunteers at the moment and am tasked with teaching the English classes. I love it. :)