Habari za Marekani? How is America?

We are getting along well here after our first full week of village
life. The floor of the classroom we are constructing is nearly complete. Everyone is developing strong muscles from hauling buckets of water 150 yards up a hill in order to mix cement! The fundi (foreman) has been teaching us the art of pouring cement and creating a smooth floor. We are hoping to begin work on the roof by the end of this week! Also, we have been teaching English classes daily to the
local students.

This weekend we went for a hike to a beautiful waterfall at the base of Mt. Meru. It was approximately five miles roundtrip. The last portion of the hike was a steep downhill into a stream and then we walked a half mile upstream to a majestic viewpoint of the falls.

Afterwards, we went into Arusha town as a group. Everyone split into groups of 4 or 5 and spent a few hours exploring town and bargain hunting. For our evening meal, we went to Pepe's Pizza Place and enjoyed some Indian and Italian food. The evening culminated with ice cream and watching a local dance group take the stage with amazing acrobatics and fire tricks. Everyone was quite impressed by their
performance.

On Sunday, we traveled to another village similar to Kidinga called Bangata. Francesca's homestay family lives there and they welcomed us into their home for the afternoon. We all drank tea and coffee before taking a saunter through Baba Edna's (Father of Edna) farm. He grows coffee, bananas, maize, and cabbage. We spent time asking him questions and learning about local agricultural practices. They were extremely hospitable and would not let us leave without sharing some sodas and taking pictures together! Baba Edna told everyone they are welcome to stay with him anytime they are in Tanzania.

After departing Bangata, we went to Lake Duluti for a traditional Tanzanian meal for dinner. Our students were a bit apprehensive about eating Tanzanian food for the first time but it was a hit. Some people went for a row boat ride on the lake before dinner as well. All said, it was a busy weekend and everyone was happy to return to the worksite on Monday to continue working on our project.

All the best and siku njema (have a good day),

Barrett and Francesca