Matipwilli, Tanzania: A heartfelt thanks!

It has now been a month since we returned from the first ever DWC trip to Tanzania. I have been participating and volunteering in these trips as a team leader for several years now, and I have traveled to most of the countries that DWC is representing. I have to say that this trip to Tanzania has been one of the most meaningful and fulfilling trips that I have participated in so far.

I would first like to extend my appreciation and thanks to all the participants that willingly gave of their time out of their busy lives to come on this adventure with me, having little knowledge of Tanzania or the trip that we were about to embark upon. The entire group performed incredibly well, even in the scorching Tanzania heat, while lacking electricity or running water at the Kisampa camp. Every individual contributed to making this trip an incredible experience.

The resort in Kisampa that we stayed at while working in the Matipwilli village is a first class facility. The owner, Rob Barbour along with his parents Jeanann and Richard, were very welcoming and were fantastic hosts. We were served great food, had great service from each and every staff member, and they all contributed to the ease and comfort of each participant. I was also exceptionally appreciative of our guides, Ashley and Raymond, who made discovering Kisampa and the village of Matipwilli such a wonderful experience for all of us.

The people in the village of Matipwilli completely warmed our hearts and became instant friends. From the dozens of kids that greeted us every day, to the local tradesmen and volunteers that assisted us, we were welcomed into their culture and accepted unconditionally.

As I reflect back on some of the amazing past experiences that I have had on DWC trips, for the first time ever I find myself wanting to go back to the same country the very next year. Because of the amazing experience that I had, I feel that I can now call Tanzania my own country, and that its’ people and culture have found a place in my heart and life, and I will gladly return to assist and volunteer my time again and again.

I would now like to thank each and every participant with a few short words:

Marianne: To a lady that decided a month before we left that this was a trip she needed to be on, you are a great new addition to our team and I thank you for all the efforts that you put in every day and the extra initiative that you took in doing the daily blog. This trip wouldn’t have been the same without you, and I thank you for sharing with me how this adventure has changed your life and I am looking forward to traveling back to Tanzania with you next year.

Brittany & Harley: What a breath of fresh air you two turned out to be! A great couple, so hardworking, and your interaction with the kids and the villagers was phenomenal to watch. I would travel and work beside both of you again without hesitation. Plus, it’s a great benefit to have a nurse and a boxer around when you are traveling the world.

Rick & Sandi: This being your second trip with me to Africa, it was great to have you guys back. Your dedication and work is a great inspiration to me and I’m looking forward to many more trips with both of you. We will try and keep you out of the hole on the next trip!

Ralph: You decided two weeks before our departure to Tanzania, to join this group. I have to say that I never really knew you very well before this trip, but it’s amazing how much you learn about a person and how great they really are once you have spent time traveling with them. Thank you for everything that you’ve done and for everything that you contributed.

Murray: To a man who’s never really traveled the world, you took a leap of faith in the summer to join our trip to Africa, not knowing anyone else who was coming, and completely leaving your comfort zone, all I can say is “Wow”. You stayed with us, worked as hard as anyone, and changed people’s lives. Thank you for coming, and I am very much looking forward to travelling with you again in the future.

Bill Clarke: First trip ever, first time on a plane, and leaving your family behind, I watched you change and grow so much over the two weeks that we were in Africa. Your tireless work and dedication to the project was amazing. Thanks for being you! Looking forward to seeing you in the near future and sharing stories. I will bet that the new dress you bought for that little girl will make her smile for years to come.

Mark McKercher: So good to have you back with us Mark! With all you’re going through and your busy schedule, it’s great to see your positive outlook on life and your hard work and dedication was felt by everyone. And we all really appreciate everything that you have done with your travel company to book an amazing experience in the Serengeti after our work was done in the village. I can’t wait to have you continue to travel with us on future trips.

Lan: It was great to meet you, and watch you learn new construction skills while working on the project. Although this hasn’t been your first DWC trip, I’m sure this experience changed your life. Your thoughtfulness and loving spirit and ability to learn the language so quickly inspired us all. So looking forward to keeping in touch.

Doug: What can I say? Your leadership and loving personality make these trips so incredibly meaningful and would just never be the same without you. We’ve shared many trips and I hope that you will be on every one of mine in the future. You have a special way of touching people wherever you go.

Ken (little buddy): You started taking these trips around the same time that I did. I still remember you sitting at the end of the bed on your very first trip and saying” What the [heck] am I doing here, this isn’t for me”. That was back in Sri Lanka so many years ago. Since then you have been on every trip with me every year and it’s clear and in your eyes and heart that you truly love this work. And I know that as long as we can walk, even into our eighties, we’ll be racking up our 30th or 40th trip together. I can’t express how much it means to me that you are with me on each and every trip.

Karen: My beautiful wife, I have an appreciation for your patience and understanding more than you’ll ever know. To watch you work and put everything that you’ve got into each and every day inspires me. More importantly, the love that you show and the attachment that you make with the children is incredible to watch. I’m always looking forward to our next adventure together.

Again, a heartfelt thanks to all of you that came. Our trip next year will be from October 28th to November 11th for the work project, and we are also planning an extra few days for another amazing trip for those that are interested.

Rick Kurzac
DWC Team Leader
Tanzania 2010

Matipwilli, Tanzania: Reflection

After returning back to our reality, I have taken the last two days to reflect on the last two weeks experiences. Not only was this the best experience of my life, it was a phenomenal learning experience as well. The giving to the village was not only about physically giving a home we built with our hands but the experience of living in their foot steps and sharing experiences together as one. I am torn understanding who learned more from one another until remembering what Mother Teresa once said “The poor give us much more than we give them. They're such strong people, living day to day with no food and they never curse, never complain. We don't have to give them pity or sympathy. We have so much to learn from them.”

I must first thank our amazing Developing World Connections Team Leader – Rick Kurzac who lead our team from preparing for the trip and the trip itself. Rick made the trip seam flawless to all by his countess hours behind the scenes planning and the countless hours during the trip even before our day began and the hours after our day ended. I am sure it was not an easy task managing us all and keeping us all happy. Thank you for allowing us to share in your vision and valuing our contributions. Thank you for your daily goal setting and guidance to the team. You are a true leader!

Thank you to my teammates for participating on the journey we just embarked on. The majority of us met for the first time half way around the world as strangers to one another. With a common vision, we became a team. Caring and supporting one another through the journey. Inspiring one another. (Who would of thought I would be teaching the children cartwheels and dancing with the locals at the final ceremony.) Even though our time in Tanzania had ended, as we said our bond of friendship has just begun. A true friendship does not consist of a huge number of friends you keep but it is valued by its worth and capability to hold you and stand by you in all phases of life. I feel honored to have met you all.

Thank you to Kisampa, Dr. Rob, Jeanann & Richard, Sarah and James, Raymond, Ashley and the entire Kisampa team. What an incredible sanctuary you have built. Words cannot describe the experience to live under the stars with the wild life so close and no running water, electricity and walls. Your hospitality was first class. At times I am sure it was trying to please us all (especially Kenny and Mark! LOL) and deal with us on our “on” nights and the new animal noises that could be heard from afar (hmmm…sounds from Doug and Ralph’s banda)! Adjusting your schedules so we could have an early start on the jobsite and ensuring we had lunch packed. Jeanann & Richard you should be congratulated on the fine individual you raised in Dr. Rob. He is an inspiration to us all. Thank you for sharing your vision with us and allowing us to contribute in building a sustainable future in the village of Matipwilli.

To the village of Matipwilli, thank you for welcoming us into your village with open arms. Thank you for allowing us to build the much needed doctor’s home for your village. Thank you for allowing us to learn from your tradesmen. The passion they have for their craft was evident. Thank you for allowing us to learn about your culture and language. Thank you for allowing us to love your children during our stay. They have touched our hearts more than we could ever imagine. To see them waiting for us each morning as we approached the jobsite and watch them waving profusely as we left each day will be a memory we will never forget. Thank you for the beautiful ceremony thanking us for our contribution and for asking us to come back again to your village.

Thank you to my family, friends, Alexandria Moulding and my colleagues who supported me on this journey. Thank you for your well wishes and the inspiring e-mails during my trip. No matter how sore the muscles were, your messages encouraged me to work harder.

Giving back is an area too many of us do not excel in. It is the understanding that experience teaches us to pay life back along the way with small acts of kindness. It is a reciprocal arrangement with the world, give a little and get a little. It keeps the blur of the world in focus. Giving back keeps your mind in tune with others, our perception of ourselves and how others view us.

Business, like life, is a reciprocal arrangement. You have to give something back in order to makes things move ahead. A constant attitude of "taking" leaves emptiness with all parties, whereas "giving" translates into concern and effort for all involved. It provides a mutual success that is reciprocal. Be vigilant watching for ways to give back in those chosen areas of your life. The rewards will be many because inevitably, you get back what you put in.
Our intent was to leave a small foot print in the village of Matipwilli but with the feeling that I have in my heart from this experience I feel that we left a larger foot print than intended. I know that I am a better person today because of this experience. Thank you!!!

Marianne
DWC Participant
Tanzania 2010

Matipwilli, Tanzania: Departure Day

We woke to say good bye to this amazing sanctuary where we stayed and to our wonderful hosts.

Our departure from Kisampa was a different experience than the 5 hour trek in by road. We are flying out on a charter plane back to Dar Se Saleem.

Kisampa's dirt road runway was built by hand. As we gained speed down the runway, some baboons crossed in front of us. A sight not seen by many.

The view was beautiful. We could see the Indian ocean out the left side of the plane. What surprised us was how many remote houses there were and not in close proximity to water. We also saw so many foundations built but not completed as we got closer to Dar.

From wheels up to wheels down our flight time was 25 minutes.

It was here where I said good bye to the rest of the team. They headed on a 5 day excursion to the Serengetti and the Crater and I was embarking on my 40+ hour trek home.

Until we meet again...safe travels my friends!

Marianne
DWC Participant
Tanzania 2010

Matipwilli, Tanzania: Our last night...

Our night began with a traditional celebratory dinner which is eaten by hand sitting on the floor. After dinner we gathered around the fire and brought out the talking stick like we did most night to share experiences from our day. This night though was more about sharing the entire experience.

Many of us shared the stories of the little one's that captured our hearts. Bill (from Kingston, Ont.) talked about a special little girl named Shan and the opportunity to meet her father. Before we left the village Bill ordered the local seamstress make two dresses for her.

We came from different parts of Canada barely knowing each other to come together, unite and help to build a sustainable future in the village of Matipwilli, Tanzania, Africa with the goal of only leaving a small foot print. We have enabled the village with the foundation of a brighter medical future. Not only did we physically build a house but we built friendships with the community and amongst ourselves. These relationships have just begun and won't end as we depart...

Marianne
DWC Participant
Tanzania 2010

Matipwilli, Tanzania: Our last day of celebration & reflection

Driving into the job site this morning was a much quieter ride than usual. I think we were all reflecting in our own way the past couple of weeks and what lied ahead on our final day.

We knew it was going to be a day of many emotions. We knew that we worked hard over the last two weeks on the job site but the project for the doctor's house was enormous and we were unable to finish it 100%. Even though we had regret of not completing it entirely, the village was elated with our contribution and the opportunity we brought to this small village in remote Africa.

Our morning consisted of cleaning up the site and sweeping out the house. We then had a meeting with the local village construction crew that worked by our sides during the build. We thanked them for their hard work and supporting us coming into their village. We shared our appreciation for them teaching us their craft and their patience while allow us to learn even though they knew they could probably get it done faster. To us, many of their building methods seemed primitive but we had to remind ourselves that we were there to build using their tools and methods. For a by stander watching from the sidelines, they would not have seen any language barrier between us and the workers. Despite some of their hesitation in the beginning, we became a solid team and friendship bonds were built.

Shortly after lunch was the ceremony with the village. It was much larger than we anticipated. The entire village came to a stand still and gathered together for the ceremony including the school. The ceremony began by them entertaining us with music and dancing. They encouraged us to participate in the dancing so I give it a shot. (Boy was it harder than it looked.) Each of the village community committee members spoke expressing their sheer gratitude for our work and the opportunity this house will bring to their village. Without having a proper residence for a doctor, there community has suffered by not being able to ensure they have a fully trained physician to aide them. The current local resident doctor's training is not much more than the first aid training we are familiar with back home. Our Developing World Connections team leader Rick Kurzac then spoke on our teams behalf thanking them for the opportunity to come and work in their village. We then proceeded with showing the village the donation we brought as well. From soccer uniforms and balls, toys, clothes to school supplies, the village applauded with appreciation. The young children tried their best to get as close as possible to the donations. Their facial expressions reminded us of our children on Christmas morning. The village committee will disburse the donations to the villagers in a fair manner ensuring those in most need are helped first.

Once the ceremony was over it was time to say good bye to the village and the people and children whom we have gotten so close too in such a short time. It was at this moment when we realized we were going to leave a much larger foot print than we intended. This experience was live and there were high fives, hand shakes, hugs and tears. When we drove away the children were waving good bye and we wondered if they realized that we would not be back in the morning. We wondered how many would go to the job site the next morning out of routine as they were always there every morning to greet us upon our arrival.

As we drove out of the village our guide Raymond had arranged a special treat. The Maasai people put on a special dance just for our team in their traditional dress attire. It was an amazing sight to watch.

Our drive back to the Kisampa camp was one of reflection. We shared the stories and experience of the day with one another and we were looking forward to our last evening together as "Team Kisampa" in Tanzania, Africa.

Marianne
DWC Participant
Tanzania 2010

Matipwilli, Tanzania: An amazing sight

Oh my gosh...the only animal we wanted to see during our stay was elephants. We saw elephant dung many days but no signs of them. Tonight while enjoying a pre-dinner cocktail or two we finally saw 3 elephants heading to the river!

What an amazing sight!!!

Marianne
DWC Participant
Tanzania 2010

Matipwilli, Tanzania: Last full day on the work site

Today was our last full day on the job site. The weather cooperated a bit better than yesterday. Today at 5:30am it was 25 and this afternoon in the shade it was 37 degrees.

Our focus today was finishing off the roof cap, continue the parging on the interior wall, concrete block making, installing the door frames and adding concrete block to the back of the house.

It was a good work day but we were a little tired due to yesterday's heat and long day.

Murray (the retired helicopter pilot from Kamloops) had fun with a little guy who decided to impersonate his walk and physique on the job site. There was a few laughs had by all.

We had a visit to the house by the doctor who will reside in the house we are building. Ken (from Kingston, Ont) showed her around and helped her on ideas of furniture placement.

In the pictures you will see the shirt Harley had made by the local seamstress and the remaining fabric was enough for a wrap for Brittany. The fabric cost 7000 schillings ($7 USD) and her labor cost 5000 schillings ($5 USD).

Knowing that tomorrow will be our last day in the village, there was a lot of time spent with the children.

We are looking forward to tomorrow as we will present the house to the village managing committee just after lunch, there will be a ceremony to present our donations that we brought for the village.

Marianne
DWC Participant
Tanzania 2010

Matipwilli, Tanzania: The roof is completed!

It was a hot one today!!!

Despite the 48 degree without humidity temperature, we accomplished our mission for the day.

Our focus was installing the roof trusses, installing the metal roofing and continuing the wall parging and concrete block work.

As a team we rocked, despite our many road blocks throughout the day, we worked until the metal roof was installed. Our bet did not pay out as they said we did not complete the roof in our normal work day hours!! More negotiating to be had tomorrow!

Today we learned many lessons working with the village workers. Patience for one was huge for us as they work at a much slower pace than what we are used to. The village carpenter wanted to be involved in all aspects of the roof construction. We had to convince him we could do the same work on the other side of the roof and complete it faster. But to him more time earns more money.

We have a lot of building knowledge on our team and we want to share this knowledge with the local workers but they only want to do it the way they have been used to. When questioning why they do it a certain way the response is "I do not know why we do it that way. It is the way we have always done it."

On some aspects of the construction building the locals are very detailed and thorough but when it come taking measurements it is done by eye and many mistakes are made and we just have to only shake our heads and respect their methods.

In a couple of the pictures, you will notice a construction meeting with the locals where we have to draw out what we are trying to show them and vise-versa in order to understand we are on the same page of the task at hand. You will see how we cut the metal roofing by using a machete to cut each edge and then put a 2X4 on top and use this as a straight edge to rip the roofing sheet.

You will notice a photo at the end of the day when a few team members are playing with the children. Harley (our resident boxer from William Lake, BC) is handing our stickers to the children. Karen (Kamloops, BC) is rolling a rubber tire back and forth with a child. Others have some of the special ones on our hips giving them some well needed affection. No wonder they are at the job site anxiously awaiting our arrival each morning.

Tomorrow we anticipate to be another long day as it will be our last full day on the job site. This week is passing by so quickly for us.

Marianne
DWC Participant
Tanzania 2010

Matipwilli, Tanzania: "Getter Done"

Our drive to the job site this morning was eventful. Unfortunately it was not due to the sight of any fascinating animals. Thanks to the sharp ears of Rick H. he noticed a sound coming from the passenger side back tire. Our tire was barely hanging on by 4 loose bolts. Luckily we were not detained too long and we were back on the road.

Today's primary focus was building the second gable, installing another row of concrete block on top of the bond beam, parging on the interior walls and adding another row of concrete block to the back portion of the house.

When we first arrived on the job site in the village we were met by many with open arms appreciating our help in their community. However, we had a couple of men that stood back and had a serious eye on us. I made it my mission to put a smile on there faces and make them laugh. Thanks to Ashley (our guide) translating for me while we worked on planing door frames and building the roof trusses my mission was accomplished. Our new friend Abeli was laughing and smiling. (Probably due to the many times I missed the nail and hammered my thumb!) This morning I took about 20 minutes at the start of the day to show him pictures of the interior of homes in North American. I had explained during our time working together the interior trim we install and the terminology. He was fascinated when seeing the interior trim work. He had never see anything like this before. He was very curious on the process we use to make trim so tomorrow morning I will walk him through Alexandria's manufacturing process. I cannot wait to see his reaction when he sees the machinery we use. Here in Tanzania they have no power tools so all is done by hand and it would take many days to create a profile on the local wood for an entire home.

We brought some soccer jerseys, stickers and bubbles to the village today. The children were so excited making and chasing the bubbles. They were so amused by something so relatively small. They wore there stickers proud on their forehead. The little boys were so proud of there new soccer jerseys. They did not want to get them dirty. So ironic as they walk around all day in their bare feet on the dirt roads.

The temperature cooperated, slightly overcast and 38 degrees.

Our team leader (Rick K.) and foreman (Doug) made a bet with the locals that we would get the roof put on by the end of Tuesday. They believed we would not get it done to Thursday. If we get it done, we will get 17 flats of beer or we walk the 11km back to Kisampa. So tomorrow will be another "Work hard, play hard" & "getter done" day as we will not leave the site until the roof is on. :)

During lunch time the village was visited by a politician campaigning for the upcoming election on Oct. 31st. He arrived driving a tractor pulling a wagon blasting music. The kids came running from everywhere to follow the tractor through the village dancing to the music. Although we could not understand the speech given, the locals seemed quite supportive of the message/commitment he was delivering.

Ken and Mark had to move out of their "executive" banda to accommodate a new guest that just climbed Kilimanjaro. They took one for the team and moved into their new "tent" accommodations. Kenny woke to the ants tickling his feet and we could hear him giggling throughout the camp or at least we think it was the ants causing the giggling. His little buddy Mark's bed is now very close to his!

We are looking forward to meeting our target on day 7. We will only have to figure out how to get the beer ice cold! Anything ice cold is a challenge in Africa!

Stay tuned...

Marianne
DWC Participant
Tanzania 2010

Matipwilli, Tanzania: Our weekend adventures

During our drive to the river boat we passed Sea Salt Mine. Very interesting process. Ocean water is collected and separated into large fields. The water evaporates leaving a field of sea salt. (From the distance the field of sea salt looks like an ice rink) The sea salt is then collected, bagged in 25kg bags and they sell for $5 per bag.

The river boat cruise was a great experience. The breeze was wonderful and gave us some reprieve from the 40 degree temperature. As soon as we pulled away from the dock, we could see hippos cooling themselves in the water. As we got very close to them, they would submerge themselves completely under water. They kept popping up their eyes to keep an eye on us. We also saw to crocodiles, one was a baby and the other was about 9 feet long.

We saw lots an enormous variety of birds: Kingfisher bird, Grey Heron, Green Heron, Sacred Ibis, Secret, Mango Kingfisher and Woolly-neck storks.

After our river boat tour we drove to a village called Saadani and enjoyed lunch at the beach. We had some monkey friends who were waiting patiently for us to finish lunch in the cabana so they could find some left overs for themselves. There appeared to be a new washroom facility and as I walked closer to it I noticed the tile floor. Walked up the couple of steps and saw a wall mounted sink and had to try the tap to see if there was running water and there was! I opened the door to the toilet and I was so excited to see a flush toilet. This was the first running water tap and first flush toilet since landing in Africa 7 days ago!! Boy do we take running water and being able to flush toilets for granted in North America!

We decided to refresh ourselves by having a little swim in the Indian Ocean. The sand on the beach was very fine and the view was beautiful. The ocean was incredibly warm due to the lower tide level. The water was at least 90 degrees and seemed warmer than the air. We had to swim out deeper to get cooler water at our feet.

We then proceeded to travel through the Saadani National Park. The park covers 1100 km2. It is the only wild life sanctuary in Tanzania bordering the sea. About 30 species of larger mammals are present as well as numerous reptiles and birds. Saadani National Park is also known for its numerous giraffes which is the national symbol of Tanzania.

We first came across a group of 5 giraffes standing in the stand of a tree. They are very curious animals as they ducked their necks around the tree to look at us. During the drive we saw many Hartebeest, Read buck,White-bearded Wildebeast, Baboons, Bush bucks and Bush pigs. Many scattering away as we got closer. They are very shy as they are not used to too much vehicle traffic.

We all had an amazing day and our bodies appreciated the break!

Marianne
DWC Participant
Tanzania 2010