Asante Mama Africa, Mungo Ibariki Tanzania!

Misty, chilly morning along Tan-Zam Highway in the Southern Highlands

Spring flowers in Katavi National Park

It has been months  that I left the beautiful African continent exactly at the strike of midnight of May 30, 2015  that the Emirates whisked me from the Swahili Coast of  East Africa for home that I can now  manage to say " asante Tanzania, ta rudi!".  Up to the least minute, I can say that my time in Tanzania is time well spent. A time that teaches me to be humble, patience, resilient, optimistic and to face life challenges with  more courage, a time that inspires me more and best of all, to appreciate more  the beauty of life. 

 It was a seven fruitful years of learning and sharing, building relationships and most of all meeting people of courage and inspiration despite of what they are going through, they manage and still inspire to be better and better. Tanzania, is one of the most peaceful countries in the world that the crime rate in New York City or other cosmopolitan cities around the globe with eclipse it. However, the African brand of negativity persist due to the a negative pre-conceived idea of Africa, bleak, black, disease laden, conflict and chaos! The world must know that it is an opposite,

Tanzania in particular is now one of the leading countries in the continent with a stable and secure government where everybody aspires that this nation will be a major global player. We have lots of things to learn from Tanzania. Tanzania has it all, from the azure coastline of Zanzibar, to the plains of the Serengeti, to the fertile highlands of Iringa and the snowcapped Mt. Kilimanjaro, to the waters of  Lake Victoria that serves as the source of great Nile River, or canoeing in one of the largest and deepest lake in world, Tanganyika or simply  walking in the vast expanse of  natural gardens of  Kitulo or just resting with the with animals of Ruaha, you will always encounter a welcoming Tanzanians.

Privilege enough, while in the Pemba, i am well taken cared of Said Daudi who is untiring always to see that I am well and my guests are well taken cared of,  my Filipino friends were always amaze how he will cooked sinigang, paksiw, abodo and  pakbet, as he regaled them also by his pilau, mzuzi and kamchumbari. Baba Seif and Kamis, who were always there for me, to keep my bustani ( gardens) and to secure our house after the eleven house break in. In the town of Wete,  I am always surrounded  not by people but a family. Bi Fatma Mageni for his motherly advises, The Razaks Family especially  Ma'am Rita always make sure that I have the best  food, sending Mohammed, Abdul, Sameer or Anil to my house carrying a heaps of delicious dishes and Indians sweets. And nobody will forget Hajj Hajji who always serve as a big brother to any guys who get lost in Pemba! Of course where on earth you will find the best seafoods, from the mud crabs up to all kinds of fishes, but you will be amaze by the taste of supu ya pweza! But as always, Mr Sharouk and Bi Kamaria  I am forever grateful, they were my fortress in the island. It was an amazing for years in the Isle of Zanzibar!

But the call of duty brought me  to the mainland  Tanzania and privilege enough to work almost all over the country but the Southern Highlands serve as my residence in my final years in the country. With  workload that almost will not allow you to stay home   even for a week, I am forever grateful. My stay in the stay in the town of  Iringa, I know further how the  Tanzanians take care of others, they treat you like  no other except as a family member, there  was Kadugo, a very brave and courageous  Masai  who always make sure that safety and security is in place,  Not everyday is a Sunday though but Mama Lemeka always serves as an inspiration and a source of joy nourishing  me not only of her delicious cooked food but always shares encouragement  to feed my spirituality since I am not religious .My few days off in Iringa, Shaffin and his Mom and sister Zainab, make sure I am rested and feed with their delicious food. The Roussos Family, especially the family of Griet  and Nikko and three wonderful children always welcomes in their vast farm that reminds me of home back in the Philippines.  But Dar es Salaam,  the place where my weary soul always stuck, living in city is not complete every time  I am there in residence as I divide my time between work in the field and in the city, Hafidh Issa, Baba  Rajab and Kaka Rasta make sure that I am on time in my appointments  by untiringly navigating the snaking traffics of the capital. It is through them that I am always on time in the JKNIA, Port of  Dar or in Ubongo bus station.

However, things will not be complete with out the people behind my stay in  Tanzania, my VSO Tanzania family,  blessed enough to work with two country directors during my stay, Kieran Breen and  Jean van   Wetter, they  are one of the most supportive people but also workaholic people that I meet that  you will inspire you more to do your best. My SPM Douglas Taylor, for the seven straight years he is not only a boss but a friend, where you can find a very busy family still manage to squeeze his  time just to bring  and surprise me with a Filipino food in my hospital of confinement? It is only Douglas  Taylor. To the PMs and Project Managers in the  Tanzania  my asantes for letting me work with you and for your trust, I am forever grateful, Delfina, Dada  Mina,  Rose, Rose Tesha, Imisa, Fortunata, Vero, Farida, Ronnie, Elvis, Frank, Aloyce, Lina, Haidari, Mariam, Mary, Flavina  but   my visit in the office is not always complete without  Mama Janet asking me,  unapendiza kahawa ndugo? while giving me a hug. Of course there is  kaka Tom whom I have rely on my logistics and house repairs while Kaka "chichino" Richard have to drive me   and regal me with his jokes especially when days were rough. To all of you asante sana.But in every place, you will find a home, I am forever grateful to the  Hassanali's for welcoming me in their home and for treating me as part of their family,  filling my homesickness  Baba Mohammed and Mummy Hussiena (Rest in Peace) make sure I am alright, thank you always not only for words of wisdom  but most  of all for taking me into your wings especially during one the lowest moment of my life. Mustafa and Durriyah, you guys are more a siblings but our adventure is not complete with out Fahim and Khadija and Hozefa, Adnan, Murtaza and  Abisek, Things are not the same without you guys.I left my heart in Tanzania. Africa, the joy of my grieving heart, I shall return,  I left  part of me there.

Tanzania in photos below.

A masai mama preparing  milk as a morning drink

Kadugo ( Masai) and Mama Lemeka ( Wahihi), two lovely individuals that makes my stay in Iringa a very lovely one.

My occasional house visitors and "family" friends, the blue vervet family.

Common highway incident in Tanzania highways,  road accidents.

Baobab forest  along the Ruaha River

Indian Ocean Coast of East Africa, Seacliff  in Dar es Salaam.

Flightlink Airlines in dirt tarmac of Sumbawanga Airport, sometimes I am a lone passenger.

Yellow mountain rock of the Roussos Family Farm

Crystal clear water of the Indian Ocean in Wete port.

Wading in the coast

Cycling in Kitulo National Park, Tanzania's only botanical park 

Simply bliss

Serenity

Plains of Iringa

Manual corn grinder is still used to make food among the Datooga tribe 

Mustafa clowning around in Natron Resto

Majestic ol donyo lenggai ( Mountain of the Gods)

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Cycling in the flood plain of Lake Manyara 

Visiting the Datooga tribe of Lake Eyasi

Goat whisperer...LOL

Wim Griep and me in Iringa Marsh

Iringa marshland

Children playing in my former house.

Calmy morning in the port of Wete

Freedom

Seacliff

Cooking  food in Tandala Teachers College kitchen

Carla Griep, goofing around

Sisters  acts when we are visiting schools... they walk faster!

At the Roussos tobacco farm

Welcoming Les Fry in Wawi Airport of Pemba in Chake chake

Academic gown 

Two punctures in less than thirty minutes

Bamboo wine is  common beverage in  Rural  Tanzania 

During one of the visits in Impoguso Teachers Training College

Clowning around with Carla Griep

Fishing in the lake

Bricks making

ah, kiti moto!

Delicious tomatos are freshly sold along the highways

Tea farm

Royal Family

Durriyah, my foster sister @ Lake Tanganyika

boating

Blissful morning

Bading goodbye to Judith Kok, one of our co-volunteers in the project

Sunset in Ruaha national  park

Buffaloes

Sahim

Pemban  bat

Cheerful masai mother and child

Talking and sharing a laugh with a Masai boy cow herder

 Sukuma lad herders in Lake Rukwa