Chagga

Every two weeks we venture about an hour from the village (I have the unique opportunity to go on this adventure a few times being that Tanzania will be my new home for the next few months). Our journey entails heading to the black smith, the market, Chagga huts, Chagga tunnels, making FRESH coffee - naturally I plan on bringing back a few bags - and hiking to a waterfall.  

THE BLACK SMITH: It is deserted. We have arrived early and the black smith is not ready. Our arrival causes a quick bussel. Suddenly, the spears are out and the fires are lit. We have a chance to try out our black smith skills...some what successfully. The trick is to open your hands while lifting the bags up to let the air in.

It wasn't all work and no play, I made a new friend!

 

THE MARKET: The outdoor market is bursting with people and goods. There doesn't seem to be enough space for both the merchants and the customers. The merchants are mostly women peddling everything from house hold goods like cloth, food and chickens to food for livestock. It feels familiar. Quite similar to an American farmers market, only most of the goods are displayed on a blanket surrounding the vendor.  

CHAGGA: Shortly, we arrive to the Chagga hut and the tunnels. The huts were surprisingly spacious inside, though they needed to house both the family AND the livestock. Aside from the massive huts, what is really impressive is the strategy behind the Chagga tunnels. The tunnels were built as a defense against the low land, nomadic tribes. When the tribes would come to attack the Chagga people, the entire village - livestock included - would go underground. The tunnels had passages and rooms all the way to the river. When the enemy would funnel into the tunnels chasing after the Chagga, they would be attacked and released into the river in the middle of the night. The passages from room to room were in a zigzag pattern to decrease any chance of an echo and allowing the enemy to locate the rooms from above. Each room had a vent that led above ground to allow both light and air in. The vents were covered by vegetation that would not attract animals or insects however, the surrounding plants were either poisonous or attracted undesirable animals and insects; making the vents difficult for the enemy to discover. Had these vents been discovered the strategy would have collapsed. I know...MIND BLOWN!  

CHAGGA HUT

 

CHAGGA TUNNEL

 

COFFEE: Instant coffee is a thing of the past. Once you have separated your coco beans from their shell, roasted them, ground them...there is no turning back. And to think it all started with this little tree...

 

KILASIYA: A picture is worth a 1,000 words...

Getting to know the Karanga Village

I could keep my excitement at bay no longer. At 6:30am I threw the curtains back to get my first glance at Mt. Kilimanjaro. The towering mountain greeted me with clouds and has been evasive since my arrival. I have been in Tanzania for a week now and am living in the Karanga Village, along the Karanga river. The country is covered with corn and sunflower fields as far as the eye can see, with rivers and waterfalls tucked along side the road in Mt. Kili's shadow.

It is quite an exquisite sight, though Tanzania's true beauty lies in the people. The people are filled with such a genuine joy it is hard to put into words. I have recently spent time with a man and his wife who have taken children off the street and provided shelter, food, clothing, and placed them in school. What is most remarkable is that this couple has given these children a loving family. They are currently 35 children strong (ages 5 - 19) and receive no stipend or any form of payment. The children are smart, full and happy. At first they were timid, but then greeted us with songs and radiating smiles. As is part of the Tanzanian culture, we brought food - bread, cooking oil, corn meal, etc. The man showed us around his home, after which we left for the fields to play games with the children. The girls sat around chatting and braiding some of the volunteers hair while others left to play soccer. The field was lined by sunflowers, the black dirt was hard and riddled with rocks. They used large boulders for the goals and many of the children played in flip-flops. They were amazing (me...not so great).

On Sunday, we were welcomed into their church which they are currently rebuilding as the wind took it a few weeks ago. The man said something that stuck with me. He told us that it is his choice to be happy and while he does have good days and bad, life is short. It is his choice that he is happy and that is the life he wants to live.