Biogas

I never thought I'd be thinking of such a thing, but...

A lot to report from recent days. On Thursday we went out to the site to meet a gentleman from Caritas in the Tabora Diocese. Until yesterday we still had not made a determination regarding how to treat our wastewater. His organization has built ecological sanitation facilities for the last thirteen years. It was an excellent presentation, and it helped us to make our final determination to go with the anaerobic design. Not only will we conserve land by not having to devote space for oxidation ponds, we will also have the benefit of fertilizer, water for the irrigation of our trees and playing fields, and methane for cooking. It is exciting.

Speaking of playing fields….We went to the part of the site where they will be located. On the plans the area looks like a little peninsula, jutting from the rest of our property. The plans don’t have the scale written on them, and so every time I am in such a situation I am surprised: The area is huge. Preparing them will take a lot of work because we chose a site where there would be the least amount of impact. For years this part of the campus was quarried by individuals, so it will be a matter of using fill from other projects on campus and doing some cutting and filling at the site as well. The added benefit is that it is downwind, so that any dust that is kicked up will not affect us on campus.

I head out on Sunday for a tour of schools in Kenya and Tanzania. Sunday we’ll (Fr. Joe Kiarie, SJ, and I) travel to Arusha and then continue on to Nairobi on Monday. Monday afternoon I have a meeting with the provincial. Tuesday and Wednesday will be spent visiting schools. Tuesday night I’ll have a chance to meet up with a friend from JSTB days, Gabriel Mmassi, currently the rector of the Jesuit community at Hekima College. Thursday-Saturday will be spent in Moshi/Arusha. We’ll travel to Dar es Salaam on Sunday. The visit to Dar will include visits to Loyola High School, the Tanzanian Institute for Education, the US embassy, and a couple of other schools. We’ll return to Dodoma on Wednesday, 10 March.

A video update of progress will follow soon!

Keeping Busy

We had a very productive advisory board meeting on Saturday. In addition to Sossy, Kiarie, and me, there were also Sr. Euphrasia, head teacher at Ignatius Primary School; Ms. Veronica Sarungi, a respected Ignatian educator; and Mr. Nicolas Buretta, director of secondary schools for the municapility of Dodoma. Our conversation was enriching and helpful as I continue planning.

Last evening, the provincial of the Eastern Africa province, Fr. Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, SJ, announced that he has appointed me to serve the province as the assistant for education and convener of the education advisory board. I look forward to working with him and serving the Society in this additional role, which includes the following in addition to serving as the convener of the advisory board:

1. Coordinating the educational apostolate, facilitating the sharing of information; networking and developing best practices with due respect for the unique identity of each apostolic institution or work in the field of education; and
   
2. Facilitating the promotion of Ignatian pedagogy in all our educational apostolates.

Simba Rock

Simba Rock is a local outcropping that is well known among people in Dodoma; it is within walking distance of the Jesuit parish. The view above is toward Ihumwa, where OLQP is located -- impossible to see in any detail from the rock.

Yesterday three of us Jesuits, two of our volunteers, and a parishioner hiked to the top of the rock. What amazed me was not only the beauty of the vista -- especially how green everything is now -- but how incredibly agile Michel is. He was like a mountain goat both in racing up and in coming down. I have to think where to put my foot for each step -- his thinking is in his feet as he climbs.


Here's a picture of Kiarie, Michel, Aloyce (parishioner), and I -- those clouds in the background got more menacing as the shadows lengthened.

Ash Wednesday at K/Ndege

The church -- that thanks to the kindness of partners on the other side of the world -- holds well over 1,000 people -- was overflowing.

If You're in the Neighborhood

Have you ever heard of the "Great North Road"? It also is referred to as the Cape (as in Capetown) to Cairo Road. Well, it goes past the Jesuit parish here -- though its route through Tanzania is disputed, and Morogoro also claims that it goes through that city. In any case, it is paved in front of our compound, but about a mile away it turns into a horribly pot-holed road -- not so great except the size of the potholes.

It is amazing to think that I live on the same street as someone in Capetown or Cairo.

If you happen to be traveling along the road... Karibu sana!

Jealousy

A friend recently wrote to ask if I was "jealous" regarding all the fundraising for Haiti. He didn't mean it as such, I don't think, but I found it offensive -- at least really inappropriate.

Well, I just did have a tinge of jealousy. Why can't my favorite musician have a benefit for OLQP?

Licence to Drive

I asked on Tuesday night what it takes to get a licence to drive. The answer: “Oh, just give Mzee Januari two passport photos, your present licence, and 10,000 shillings (about $1.50 USD) and you’re set.” I was worried I had to surrender my California licence. “Oh, no – they just want to know that you’ve driven before.” So I gave Mzee Januari (Mzee is a term of respect for an older person; Januari is a factotum who has been a long time collaborator of the Jesuits here).

This is another thing to like about this country! No DMV!

My asking about a licence opened up the conversation to traffic laws and traffic police. Many of the tales had to do with being stopped by the police and entering into a conversation such that the officer forgets why he/she originally had you pull over (they stand on the side of the road and motion you to the shoulder). One of my companions mentioned being pulled over because he was not buckled up. I said, “But the daladalas have no seatbelts, and they drive so carelessly. Why aren’t they pulled over?” “Oh, because they’ve already paid in advance.” Foolish me.

This is what a driving licence (notice, folks, that I'm trying hard to use British spelling conventions) looks like (It's a little red book -- no Maoist aphorisms, though):

Fauna

What I've seen during recent visits to the campus: puff adders, mongooses (or something mongoose-like), and scorpions. Oh my.

I've made an addition to the Student Handbook: "Students are to remain on cleared paths."

Colleagueship

I've written about it before, but I experienced it anew last evening. The people who work here at the parish all came together last night for Mass and a party. After some great food was eaten -- and some drinks were drunk! -- the dancing began. As you can see, fun was had by all -- even Horace, the young son of the parish secretary turned his frown upside down.

There were problems with the cd player. Finally, we found a song that didn't skip: pole, samahani -- so sorry, please excuse me. I thought the words were, pole, samaki -- so sorry for you, fish. "Pole" is a great expression; it means "sorry for you," distinguished from the "sorry" meaning "I apologize."

Spes Gregis

A little Latin for a change: hope of the flock.

Students from Standards IV and VII at the Jesuit primary school here in Dodoma, St. Ignatius Primary School, recently visited the OLQP site.

I didn't accompany them on their trip (this photo was taken by Claire Ball, and English volunteer who arrived just about a month ago), but from all reports they were very excited.

A Video Update on Progress at OLQP

I headed out to the OLQP site today, expecting to be slip-sliding in mud because we had such a heavy rain last night. They didn’t get as much rain at the campus (which is about 10 miles away from the Jesuit parish, where I live). A lovely day. Here are some videos that capture the progress. Petit à petit l’oiseau fait son nid – that’s’ French, not Kiswahili: Little by little the bird makes its nest.

While on the campus I was particularly struck by how “chirpy” the birds were. As Bart Murphy told me in Morogoro after a few rains brought out the green and the buds, “It doesn’t take much for nature to be thankful.” Incidentally, I saw some spectacular birds – all we manage to see here at the parish (named for its ward kiwanja cha ndege -- ndege being the word for both bird and plane), really, are sparrows.