I am now in
Dar es Salaam with my colleague Fred Pond. Fred and I are getting ready for our debut meeting on Monday, March 17, with the library staff at MUHAS (
Muhimbili University of Health & Allied Sciences). Fred and I are spending two weeks at the MUHAS Library to provide training and support.
I've spent the last week living with the family of James Mazigo in Arusha, a city north west of Dar. James is married. His wife is Perus and they have a one year old son whose name is Allan. During the past week my wife Carol and I have visited a Maasai market and feasted on grilled goat (ribs and leg). We also visited leather products factory named Shah Industries where they manufacture excellent goods including chairs, purses, and belts. You name it, they make it! The proprietor of Shah Industries hires the most diverse group of workers I've seen anywhere. He could show hiring managers in other parts of the world a thing or two.
Carol and I also attended church services on Saturday, March 8, as James belongs to Seventh Day Adventist. I had purchased a video projector for his church. Carol and I were the "guests of honor" -- quite a reception. The choir singing was angelic. The sermon was energetic and in Kiswahili. The deal with the projector was that I buy it in the US and they reimburse me for half the cost when I got the projector to them. It did not take me long to realize that the right thing to do when they presented me with my half of the money was to turn around and donate the money back to the church. Well that set off a whole new round of praying. The pastor made some crack about praying for "mzungu" (white people)! Everyone got a chuckle out of it but it was still serious business. One of the elders, Sampson (sp?), accompanied me back to James' house for lunch, more greetings and to learn how to use the projector. The church will use the projector as a teaching tool including classes on HIV/AIDS. In the end, the events of the day were satisfying for everyone. In Kiswahili it could be described as "inashangaza". (Pictures to follow). Wasalam.
