Our last week in Mwanza

Yep – we are in our last week. We fly to Moshi on Friday, spend a night at Honey Badger and then go off for a few days Safari. When we return to Moshi we will be in full wedding mode – staying at the hotel rather than Honey Badger and awaiting the arrival of family and friends from all over the world.

Yesterday was my last day at my placement – Joey had planned to come in to take the last filming (for my DVD) but I decided to go in before him, rather than going with him and Donald to Samaritans to watch their filming. So off I went on the Dala Dalla – and – got a front seat this time. Gosh I thought, great, - space and comfort, ie no ones armpit in my face, and a view so I can see where I am going. However, then got going and thought maybe I would be better in the back. The door I was having to lean on, because the woman who was also in the front was not of small proportions, was not secure and rattled badly and so I had to hold onto the handle on the roof in case it opened on its own. Also the driver was a bit enthusiastic when it came to stopping to pick up passengers. The windscreen was already pretty cracked, and of course, no seat belts – other than for the driver!!!! Anyway, got there OK and walked through to TACOPE.

Glad I decided to go earlier than the boys, because they had made plans. They were all there, Mr Messo, George, Telly (my co volunteer – his name is Telly Belly – Did I already tell you that? Some Tanzanians have trouble with L’s and R’s, and I thought that his name was Terry, but its not it is actually Telly Belly) plus Konda and more. In fact the ‘office’ was packed. “Welcome welcome”, was said “such a sad day, your last day!” The plan was to take me to see someone at the Ward office (smaller than district, which is in turn smaller than the Council) who had been in before and invited me to go to see her office.

So we (five of us!) walk down the street and around the corner, through some muddy side streets – don’t know why they were muddy as it hasn’t rained here for 5 or 6 days – through a market and into the courtyard of offices where we went to look for computers. One small office there was the ward office, but the person we went to see had gone out! So long chats to discover this and then long farewells, and off we go. But undaunted, Mr Messo then leads us unannounced into the Co-operative Bank. The Manager was very welcoming and we were all invited into his office, signed their visitors book, and Mr Messo asked that he explain their bank us.

Customers who want loans (small loans ranging from 60,000 Tsh = £30 for school fee’s etc up to 10,000,000 Tsh = £5,000) have to join the co-operative and pay fee’s. So its 12,000 pa subscriptions, this can be paid at 1,000 per month. If this money is left in the account for three months, then 10% interest is paid on it. The joining fee is 30,0000, and they have to put in 40% of the money they want to borrow !!!!! They are then charged 20% for the loan. They also have to have some collateral – which can then be taken from them should they fail to make the required payments, and there is no protection like we have in the UK, ie anything/everything can be taken. However, apparently some 99% of the loans are paid back in time. At the end of the financial year there are dividends paid out to members who have more than 5 shares!!!

This, says Mr Messo, is why TACOPE are trying to set up a credit finance project, which gives loans to people who want to set up their own small businesses. You need money to borrow money from the co-operative, but the credit finance project is less stringent and more user friendly, and will be sustainable, as the repaid loans can then be loaned out again. I didn’t need convincing, but we do need to get donors to support the project – which is what we have been searching for.

So then back to the office to find Joey and Donald waiting there for us, plus 4 or 5 other guys who seem to have come in too. Filming and farewells took place, and then I was getting ready to go off with J & D, but they said no you can’t go yet – it was only 11.30, so I agreed to hang on a bit and meet Donald in town later. We then spent some time taking photo’s and I put them on the computer, and then Mr Messo walked me to the end of the street to say bye. Hope that we will be able to meet sometime next week for a drink, Joey may try to arrange this, but otherwise I will pop in when I am next in Mwanza to see how they are going – not sure much will change – but they are a group of well meaning and hard working people, its just that the pace of work and life is so different out here.

All in all, I hope that I have helped a bit, I think I have, if only by setting them up with a computer, getting together some information that they can send out to donors easily and the knowledge of how to put together letters of enquiry etc. They are sending these out to big donors at the moment, President Clintons fund, Gates Foundation and USAID, which is Bush’s fund – but hopefully they will be a bit more selective in time and possibly get some successes – we will see.

On my walk up the road this morning I saw my first snake (Sorry Mark!) well it was very small, almost a big worm, and it was dead, squashed by a car, but it was definitely a snake – I have been terrified that I might see one. However, I also saw two mongoose’s (mongeese) run across the road in front of me, so that may be why I haven’t seen any snakes – they eat them!!

Donald and I spent the afternoon on Friday at the hotel, The Tilapia, which is the best one in town. Very much a mzungo hang out and also used by the miners – so not Jen or Joey’s favourite place, but as I think I have said before it is a perfect spot and very nicely set out. But the mzungo community had a hell of a shock on Thursday, two guys, one from the UK and one from Australia (24 year old), who were pilots for a small charter company who do a lot of work for the mines etc were killed when the plane they were flying crashed just next to the airport. There were just the two of them in the plane. As I have said before the mzungo community is quite small and therefore quite close, and most know each other if not reasonably well, then definitely on nodding acquaintance or from parties etc. So everyone here is very subdued and shocked by what has happened.

So we hung around with the guys for a bit but then left them and came home by taxi. When we got in, we could hear some wonderful choir/church singing going on – this was at 10 pm on a Friday night (not Easter either). There was obviously a church full and when the singing stopped, the preacher

/priest, started and was in full swing getting everyone responding to him etc etc. I realised why it sounded so loud. Most churches look half built, ie no windows etc, and that is obviously so that there is more air moving around, but it also means that the sound travels further. We also have some windows which have no glass in, and so the music was load and clear in our living room. It was still going on at 1 am!!! Really still in full swing and loud and clear at 1 am – I think I fell asleep to it, so not sure when it actually finished. Obviously something needed to be celebrated, remembered or worshiped, but I have to say I was surprised at the timing.

So today, Saturday, is the day that the dress making fundi is working on Jen’s wedding dresses and mine!!! We have 5 days before we leave and 7 days before Jen & Joey leave – nothing like leaving things to the last minute. We then have to work out who is taking what. We will be packing to leave here and J&J will be packing to leave, get married and go off for their honeymoon, so a bit of organising to be worked out. But sure it will be worked out, eventually.

OK – think I have updated you sufficiently – will be in touch again soon.
Lots of love
J

PS HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sheila and Linda