06/18 - Chicken, Human Rights, and me on Tanzanian Radio

Today was probably the best day in Africa to date.  A lot happened so bear with me for a slightly longer update.

Ok so after meeting with the wrong person yesterday...big miscommunication...our actual supervising attorney for the week Constantine came to the hotel last night to meet us.  He was exceedingly gracious and has our entire week mapped out for us.  They are so excited to have us here.  We will be working in several different locations over the course of the week, helping a variety of people.  Mwanza is called "rock city"

Random landscape picture on the way to our meeting

We started the day off today with some meetings at the University here.  We had the opportunity to meet with Dean Kalinga (yet another very impressive academic here).  He is not only the dean of the school of law here but also currently serves as the President of the multinational African Commission on International Law (AUCIL).  He was very receptive to our visit and interested in ways we may collaborate.

Gretchen and Dean Kalinga

Outside the School of Law

After meeting with him, we visited the human rights center on campus and met some of the nicest attorneys we have met since our arrival.  These people are working on issues that it is difficult for me as an American to even understand.  There are many mines and the abuses faced by the locals who are forced off their lands or work the mines in unimaginable conditions (some of the mining here use arsenic somehow to harvest the minerals causing severe health consequences and death for the workers).  They showed us the photos from one village where a few years ago more than 50 women were killed after being accused of witchcraft.  Through a campaign of education, the number has been reduced more than 90% as of last year.

Amazing collaboration

At the end of this collaborative discussion, one of the attorneys shared that they had reserved a slot for us to speak on a live radio program that is broadcast essentially across the country later this week, and for some reason, he was fascinated and insisted that I should talk about my topic on the air.  I feel a little uncomfortable as my topic is very controversial here, but I think it is important so I have tentatively accepted.  Later tonight, they shared it is a call-in show so there will be likely some animated phone calls back from local residents who feel very strongly about the subject of LGBT rights in Africa and the United States' threats to withhold foreign aid based on these abuses.  As one of the attorneys we met said, it is one of the few things she has seen that unifies the people of Africa in such a strong and negative way.  It sounds completely cliche, but one of my goals that put down on paper when I signed on for this trip was "to make a real impact on one person."  Maybe, this is it?

After leaving the meeting, one of the women said she wanted to show us a place.  It was just before noon so we loaded in our convoy of cars and headed out.  The roads we took were dirt and rough.  The cars frequently had to weave from one side to the other where one side of the road was impassable.  After maybe half an hour of dirt road and beautiful countryside in the middle of nowhere, we pulled up to this place on the shores of Lake Victoria.  The views were surreal.  Postcard perfect.  See below.  After moving together some tables under a gazebo to accommodate our party we sat under a gazebo by the lake and ordered lunch.  I ordered chicken.

Amazing view from lunch at the "farm"

After everyone had ordered, the female attorney who had suggested we come there, got up and walked away from the table and said "Come" and motioned for us to follow her.  We walked in our suits across a dry dusty field, full of guinea fowl, turkeys, and pigeons all pecking at the ground before we came to a gate.  It was the entrance to the farm.   We stepped inside and looked over a wall and there were pens full of chickens, rabbits, and roosters.  She looked at me and said "Pick yours."  I asked her what she meant, and she said "choose a chicken."  I passed but they choose for me.  They lopped the chickens head off and went to work.  We walked on up the hill to a field of goats.  There was a goat pen and outside there was a mother and baby goat (see picture below)  I commented about how cute the baby was and the woman misunderstood and said "OH you want the goat???"  I managed to clarify before that became a reality though.   One of our more adventurous group members did order rabbit, and also tried some goat that one of the local attorneys ordered.

At the farm (before I lost my innocence)

Adorable baby goat that I was almost served by mistake. 

We returned to the table and after awhile, lunch was served.  Lunch was actually an intense, but amazing afternoon.  We spent more than 3 hours there talking as friends with a group of interesting local people.  For one of the first times since arriving, I did not feel like a total tourist.

Lunch tomorrow?

We finished the day with a drive to one of the other resorts in the area to check out the building that is going on there.  On the way back, we saw the sunset on Lake Victoria.  What a beautiful day.

Sunset on Lake Victoria

06/17 - Interesting Sunday

All the travel yesterday was truly exhausting.  I fell asleep last night in my room working on research for my project.  It was also the first night I've spent sleeping under mosquito netting.  The mosquitos in Mwanza are a little out of control.  We are all on malaria medicine and coating ourselves with bug spray so hopefully that will help.  The views are beautiful here.  

Outside the restaurant

Lake view from one of the rooms

Near the city center

 We were actually planning on a low key Sunday, but instead we got a call from the supervising attorney for our work here in Mwanza (or so we thought).  We took taxis from the hotel to a building in the center of town.  I still have trouble getting over the attorney offices here.

We have met with some quite prominent attorneys and their offices are always in small buildings or nondescript suites above other places.  We walked up stairs to the fourth floor to meet with Gaspar today because there were official looking signs taped across the elevator door written in Swahili indicating it was out of service (or condemned or whatever they do with scary elevators).  After waiting almost two hours, we were invited into his office.  

We met with him for some time discussing both our project here in Mwanza drafting wills and our independent projects.  He shared with us his feeling that African's are still hesitant to draft wills as a group for a multitude of reasons.  He kept repeating "So if I understand my tasks for you..." and then telling us what he understood he had to do to help.  When we left his office, we were all feeling a little disconnected as he really did not seem terribly prepared for our arrival.  

After arriving back at the hotel, we got a phone call from one of the attorneys in Dar.  She said the attorney that was to help us was very excited and had everything arranged.  All of the sudden, we realized why Gaspar had seemed so clueless about our arrival and visit.  He was not our contact here.  There had been a miscommunication between the local attorneys and they sent us to the wrong guy.  So basically, a guy who had no idea who we were and why we were here sat and listened to us for an hour and then tried to figure out "his task."  LOL  Still, he was an interesting man.  During our meeting, he talked to us some about the mining industry here and how it is effecting the locals.  He also managed to work in a Shakespeare quote, and ask a couple of questions about attitudes toward lawyers in the States. 

It is evening here, and we are getting ready to meet with our actual contact here.  He is coming out to the hotel to talk to us.  It should be a good night.  Tomorrow we meet with the Dean of the law school here, and if all goes well, we will be drafting wills on Tuesday!   Below are the pictures from Gaspar's office.  

The group going into Gaspar's office building

In the hall outside waiting

Waiting a long time to meet Gaspar

06/16 - Mwanza

We left our hotel in Dar this morning.  Its hard to believe a week has passed already.  The Serena hotel was a beautiful, albeit somewhat sheltered way to spend our first week.  The staff all spoke English and I picked up enough swahili to at least make them smile.  (Its amazing how far a minimal amount of effort and a little deference towards the culture goes to make people happy).  

We got to the airport in Dar early.  After going through the two security stations, similar to the US, we waited at the gate.  The slogan on the side of the jetway/walkway leading down to the planes was something about "so fast it will blow you away" but I think it was for an internet company.  I still  couldn't help but think that might not be the best choice of slogans at an airport these days, but hakuna matata.  

Mwanza is a little over 500 miles from Dar, so the flight was only about 80 minutes.  It is the second largest city in the country, but has a completely different feel from Dar.  It is inland on the edge of Lake Victoria.  When we landed on the runway, the plane turned around and taxied back down the same runway (apparently its only one strip).  We pulled up and I literally could not see a building anywhere that looked like anything I would have recognized as an airport back home.  

We got off the plane and got on buses and went to this small series of buildings.  There was no baggage carousel.  They drive up and push the bags up onto a platform and people just rifle through to find their luggage.  I noticed a board like you see in the states for arrivals and departures but when I looked up, it was cycling through local mosque locations, pages of them.  

The "airport" in Mwanza

Our fearless leader is still smiling :-)

Luggage

First view of the Lake as we drive into the city

After we left the airport, we headed into town.  It is much more rural and green than Dar.  The air is cleaner.  Dar has sort of a haze that hangs over the city and everything is bustling.  It is definitely a more agrarian economy.  The driver told us there are 5 major fisheries in the city.  Our hotel is right on the edge of Lake Victoria.  

Street picture in Mwanza

I cannot say for sure, but it would seem we are in a more touristy area than we were in Dar.  I saw two European girls walking down the road leading to our hotel in shorts and sunglasses.  (not something I saw at all in Dar).  We are staying at Hotel Tilapia and it is "quaint" and more importantly, secure.  They have gates on the street that they open every time a visitor arrives.  I posted a few pictures of the room and grounds below.  The prices on food and drinks here are much more reasonable than they were at the other place as well.  

We put in a phone call to the dean of the university here, but have not connected yet.  We will try again later.  No one here seems to use voicemail.  You just call back later.  Such a different attitude and approach than I am used to.  Anyway, this is going to be an interesting place I think.  Some sort of local street band just went by and roused everyone from their rooms.  We are going to check it out!  

Our Room

Entrance to the hotel

Random Rolls-Royce and other classic cars sitting outside

"The African Queen"

Outside for dinner

  

06/15 -City Tour of Dar es Salaam

We did the "tourist" thing today and took a city tour with our tour company.  I included a lot of pictures today so I apologize, but there were a lot of things to see.  I also tried to post my first video (group of women who did a tribal dance for us).  

We started off with the fish market.  You could smell the place from a couple of blocks away, but the level of activity was amazing.  There were people yelling and pushing, buying and selling, cleaning and cooking...and the guide said that it was not very busy.  I saw giant barracuda, prawns, lobster, and a hundred different types of fish I could not name fresh out of the Indian Ocean.  

I am still a little cautious about eating local food based on the sanitation conditions.  Not sure I would ever get used to some of it, but my stomach is definitely not ready now.  We were the only obvious tourists that I could see there at the market so we got a few looks from the locals as well.  One man actually became very agitated because our guide was showing us a giant stingray (see the picture below) in front of his area and we were taking some pictures.  He stood up on a box and began shouting in Swahili and waving a machete.  It was very uncomfortable.  People stopped what they were doing to watch.  The discussion escalated and a second person joined him yelling, but our guide was able to diffuse the situation or at least calm them down enough for us to move on.   

Look closely...those are the stingrays on the ground

Squid (I think)

the "shopping carts" for the market

Boats coming in on the beach at the market

Lots of people.  Boy carrying eggs

Kelsey and I outside

Biggest prawn I've ever seen

The roof was on fire!  they were doing a
 bucket brigade up the ladder to put it out

The gentleman in the white hat about
60 seconds before he was waving a
 machete at us and screaming in Swahili

After leaving the fish market, we made our way past the Presidential Palace.  We could see a little of it but not much from the street and they do not take kindly to pictures being taken for security reasons.  I will say though, it was a big white compound and there were peacocks and antelope grazing on the lawn.  

From there, we went to some sort of village cultural history center.  This was actually pretty cool.  They had different huts from a number of different tribes as you would have seen them in the past (and in many cases still today).  Tanzania has over 120 different tribes so there is tremendous diversity.

One of the huts

After we left the tribal cultural village, we went to a place called Mwenge market.  It is a local marketplace a little off the beaten path.  We were immediately spotted when we got out of the car and the shopkeepers all started trying to call us into their individual booths saying "Mambo" or "Karibu" (it means you are welcome).  I bought a couple of small souvenirs (after Gretchen talked them down on the price a ridiculous amount) and they were all happy.  

Mwenge Market

Gretchen and Stefan shopping

We finished up the day at the Level 8 bar on top of the Kilimanjaro Hotel (the Hyatt).  The views were amazing.  I attached some pictures.  It is right on the Indian Ocean with a view of the city from all sides.  The security was intense.  When we pulled up in our van, there was a barricade and a man in uniform walked around the car looking underneath with a mirror on all sides checking for bombs under our vehicle.  It was the perfect end to a long day of sightseeing.  Tomorrow, we take off for Mwenge where we will start our clinic work.  

On the patio at Level 8

Chip and Seth

The group

06/14 -Last day at the University

Ok so first off, today I fell into a ditch by the cafeteria at the University.  I was walking across the paved courtyard area, looking at the cafeteria and out of nowhere there was an uncovered drainage ditch which I did not see as I was trying to decide if I wanted to go inside to get a soda.  I am not hurt (just bruised my ego a little) but I did learn to watch where I am walking in Africa.  The sidewalks are just as bad as the roads.  

Today we spent our final training day at the University drafting practice wills. It is a bit different here than in the U.S. in that Tanzania has at least 3 different systems of law at play.  There is customary law within the tribes or groups.  There is common law or statutory law (a hand-me-down from the European colonization of Africa).   There is Sharia law (more than a third of the population is Islamic).  What is difficult to wrap my mind around, as an American, is that with this type of legal pluralism, it is not so much where you are (like in the U.S...what state am I in?) to determine which is applicable, but more the circumstances and to whom you are working with.  They have choices of law and courts in many cases depending on the beliefs and lifestyle of the individual involved.  All that being said, it is fascinating that with all these cultures intermingling, Tanzania has been peaceful for almost half a century since it was created, unlike almost all of its African neighbors.

Billboard on the campus at the University

There was also some discussion between our group and the faculty about the role of women in the households here.  One of the instructors shared that he believed that they viewed love differently in Africa.  Marriage is for life, etc.  But in the same conversation, he shared about a woman he represented who's husband chopped off both of her hands because the meat for dinner had gone missing (presumably eaten by the dog) before he got home for dinner.  (No one is allowed to touch the meat before the husband returns home from work for dinner).  This woman did not wish to leave her husband or to even have him imprisoned because then she would have been unable to provide for herself and her children.  I did not find this a very compelling argument that they marry for life because they love differently.  That being said, there is some progress being made in these countries through education for the women here.

After leaving the University, we went to visit with another amazing woman Jane Magigita, who is on the board of an NGO (non-governmental organization) called Equality for Growth.  This organization is doing some amazing things for legal and human rights for the women who work here in Tanzania.  She was a very helpful person to talk to and provided some excellent insights about our individual research projects in addition to sharing about her experience here.  

At the Equality for Growth office

We took a different route with our driver today.  I continue to enjoy seeing the sights of the city although it can definitely be a bit overwhelming.  I will attach a few pictures at the end of some things I found interesting on the car ride today.  One of the military jeeps we were behind was carrying a tiny casket in the open trailer bed and a single man in a military uniform sat next to it.  I tried to ask our driver about it in a respectful way but although he has been very helpful and talkative about just about anything else, he would not say much about this.  Tomorrow, we are taking the day off (mostly) and doing a city tour!  

Random pictures from the day (P.S.  thanks for the camera dad!)

They like Glee!

Random fruit market on the side of the road

Butcher shop.  Not ready for this adventure yet.

One of the Maasai tribe members I mentioned in a previous post.