Letter from Mwanza – No 2

Jane and I did our first walk into Mwanza – it took us about an hour, so we figure it could be about 3 – 4 miles distance. What struck me was how much human activity there is on roads here (and in Africa generally). Of course there are lots of cars, dala dalla’s (mini busses) bicycles, buses and lorries; but also they are the arterial routes for people walking, pushing and pulling things and selling goods. The choking fumes of the speeding vehicles don’t seem to inhibit the ant-like movement of the people, sometimes with their goats and cows.

We still haven’t negotiated how many cows and goats we got for Jenny!!

Smartly dressed children move into and out of class. In many cases the school buildings are used twice a day for separate school groups. Markets are set up at the side of the road moving into the hinterland depending on how large they are – shoes neatly laid out, piles of belts and clothes are piled in a colourful mosaic. We meandered along and followed a couple of Masai chaps (or tried to) how is it they walk so fast so early?

Most of the walk was on (or should I say beside) the main road from Mwanza to its airport, so like most places on earth it will be tarmaced and made to look good for any dignitaries who visit the area. However, only so much can be done and afforded and for 99% of the time when no one of political importance arrives, the road is for us all. What struck me was the diversity of buildings (and activities) that line the route. Smart villa like houses juxtapose with shanty like dwellings, large churches sit rather grandly next to small missionaries. Hotels can be smart 50 bedroom establishments with restaurant and bars or a one-roomed hut, and all are passed by on this road. Is this a sign of social cohesion where all can co-habit and co-exist side by side whatever wealth, status, religion, or other distinguishing features?

However some of these buildings lock themselves up (like the one we are living in) with Askaries (guards) and often dogs to protect themselves from the outside? Is it, like in any society, where a few bad apples will always try and take advantage, or is it necessary because there is such a divide between the “haves” and the “have not’”? Perhaps we can probe into this further later. What is apparent is that people of all types are thrown together closely, and it is very difficult for people to cut themselves off from the realities of living. What we all do about this is another question. It certainly feels uncomfortable that our Masai Askari sits all night on a plastic chair watching the locked gate, whilst we sleep inside our locked up house.

We start our induction tomorrow (18th Feb) at 9am, but we got a taste of some of the realities we will face when Joey took us on the way back from our luxury weekend in the Serengeti, to an orphanage he is working with. He, together with one of his volunteers, had built (but still not finished) some further rooms and a kitchen for them. As we were passing Joey had bought some rice, biscuits and washing powder for them. This was fortuitous, as today they had no money left to buy food for the 25 or so children there. Some donors in Mwanza have set it up, and various people have raised money for it at different times. The big and difficult question is how can funds and organisation be consistently given or earned over a long enough time scale. The setting up is one thing, but the effective running is another. This seems to be a microcosm of so much of Africa. Overseas aid, loans, self-sustainability, economic co-operation, industrialisation, charity, governmental and business efficiency and so many more words are the ingredients needed to make up the ‘fruit salad’ we call Africa. Unfortunately the dish has been and is often spoiled with the sour cream of corruption, greed and foreign self- interest.

What a shame the Arusha Declaration of 1967 and the development of Julius Nyerere’s Ujamaa (a form of socialism which roughly translated means “family hood”) concept didn’t or couldn’t work – perhaps more about that later when I get a clearer view of the best ingredients in the next month or so.

Kea heri for now - Donald