Week 1: Mon 27th June - Sun 3rd July

Wow we have been in Mtwara for two weeks! Yah it does seem like two weeks. It has have been amazing though. Yesterday was a really chilled day, went out for breakfast at the nearest cafe. Which is alright I suppose, though am not that much of a fan. On the way, I wanted to buy some peanuts from the little boy walking past. With my very limited Swahili, I ended up with a bag of them when I only wanted a handful (I really need to learn Swahili). Saturday was a beautiful day: took a day trip to Makindani which is a small town/village. It was beautiful. Walking past the huts, feet dipping in the soft sand, Wow what a soothing feeling. When you stopped to take a look back, the view was spectacular. The radiating sun glistening on the green palm trees and the clear blue sky reflecting on the ocean really made me appreciate nature. I mean we were in one of the poorest towns in Tanzania so, alongside nature was reality. As we walked on people stopped and stared and went about their business. Some children would run past shouting “how are you” which was lovely and made me smile. As usual, we got lost and so we stopped to ask for directions and the women was shocked that I couldn’t speak Swahili (I get that a lot) .So now I really need to get my Swahili on point. Am even scared to walk somewhere alone because people just talk to me and all I can do is sense the atmosphere and say ndiyo or hapana (yes or no). Am truly blessed to be here. I am really enjoying Mtwara, the food, the people. This will definitely be a summer to remember!

Rute

Week 0: Mon 20th – Sunday 26th June.

Late on Monday afternoon, we were finally joined by the girls – Vita, Faaria and Rute – making our team complete. There was much anticipation of their arrival, from staff, students and Iain and I alike, as it meant that we could at last get ahead with our many projects, and begin to explore Mtwara as a group!

And so the week set off into motion: we took the girls out on a small tour of the COTC compound, introducing ourselves to the staff here, and we also took a stroll into the quaint town Mtwara hosts. We had our first meeting with the COTC principal – a warm individual; glad to hear us formally introduce ourselves and our projects to him. Our networking with more and more students here was pushed to new heights, establishing a much-needed base of connections: invaluable, what with our limited grasp of Swahili! Work on our projects began, but come mid-week the internet supply at the COTC had cut-off ... a massive hindrance!

Come Friday evening, the five of us and a few of the COTC students headed off to Makonde Beach Club (a new, outdoor bar along Shangani Beach – popular with expats here) for a well-deserved night out. Saturday was mostly spent lying on the beach, but we were also invited to another case-based presentation by a few of the second year students which went on until late in the evening; the commitment the students have to their course, proved by all of these sessions, genuinely is inspirational. A lazy Sunday saw us wander out into the markets in town, stocking up on our favourite chai’s and fruits and finally end with us showing X-Men: Origins in the dining hall to a handful of students.

All in all, a great start and I look forward to seeing the project develop!

Shirwa Ali