Day Trip to Santa Barbara

I had a full day on Monday. I headed up to Santa Barbara, where I was a guest in my friend Paul Orfalea’s class at UC Santa Barbara. I was supposed to go up on Friday, but a wildfire there (called the Jesusita fire after the trail it started near—which trail I used to hike when I lived in Santa Barbara) kept me here in Los Angeles. The dean emeritus of UCSB’s Gervirtz Graduate School of Education, Jules Zimmer, was a guest at the class as well. Paul’s very excited about my heading off to Dodoma and asked me to speak for a few minutes about Our Lady Queen of Peace Educational Centre. He’s keen on forging a relationship between the centre and the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies at the university. Mark Juergensmeyer, director of the center, and I had only a brief chance to chat – we discovered that we have a mutual friend: Fr. John Coleman, SJ, who taught me at JSTB and until recently held the held the Casassa Chair in Social Values here at LMU. It was an interesting class. Afterward we followed the custom and went as a class to Freebirds for the world’s best burritos (Mark Orfalea, Paul’s cousin, is the restaurateur).

I have to say, though, that for me Paul’s taking me over to the offices of Direct Relief International was the highlight of the day. They provide “medical assistance to improve the quality of life for people affected by poverty, disaster, and civil unrest at home and throughout the world” and “work to strengthen the in-country health efforts of our partners by providing essential material resources – medicines, supplies and equipment.” The director, Thomas Tighe – a Bellarmine College Prep alumnus – was very generous with his time. He kindly introduced me to the folks most involved in their work in Africa, Paul Thompson and another of his colleagues (whose name – I’m sorry – I’ve forgotten) who had just returned from Tanzania. Thomas wants to help in any way they can. He suggested as we look forward to opening the two-year post-secondary program that we consider a program for health technicians (whose roles in Tanzania are very expanded), sorely needed in Tanzania. I’ll be in touch with these good folks when I return from my trip in June.

The day ended with a chance to spend time with my friends Jason and Carla and their daughters, Sela and Lilia. The trip back to Los Angeles provided me a chance to reflect on just how generous folks are.

Malkia wa Amani: Utuombe.

Flipping over Flip

I purchased a Flip. It is as easy to use as I've heard. I purchased it so that I can conveniently share videos with the readers of this blog. Let's see how easy it is to post a little more than a minute's worth of video.

Sunrise, Sunset

Folks are intrigued by the proximity of Dodoma to the equator and what that means relative to length of day etc.

For comparison's sake, you can follow these links to get a sense of the difference between Toledo, Ohio, USA (my hometown) and Dodoma. There are at least a couple of things to notice: (1) just how brief dusk and dawn are in Dodoma, and (2) that the longest day of the year in Toledo has about four more hours of light than the longest day in Dodoma. My friend Martin Chase,sj, who spends quite a bit of time in Copenhagen might be interested in the even greater difference between there and Dodoma.

Incidentally, the stress in the word Dodoma goes on the penultimate syllable. I've been told that this is a pretty invariable rule re: pronunciation.

Three weeks from today I'll be in the air to AMS en route to DAR via KIA. I'm spending a couple of days in Amsterdam before heading to Tanzania. My sister Michelle and her husband, Jerry (a USAF colonel at NATO), will come over from Brussels to help me celebrate my birthday on May 17.

Inspiration

I've been in San Diego and Anaheim, splitting my time between the annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association and the National Catholic Education Association. I had a chance to catch up with Aiden Downey, my friend and occasional (too occasional) writing partner, at the AERA conference in San Diego. In an email to me trying to figure out when we could meet, he wrote the following about what I'd shared with him relative to next year:

This may sound silly but I am so proud of you, proud to consider you a friend. This is deeply meaningful work, and that you have the courage to do it inspires me to try to do the same.

I told Aiden how hard it is for me to read those words. I certainly am getting a lot of attention as I talk to more and more people about what is probable re: next year (and I've discovered that what they say about the Internet IS true -- quite a number of folks are finding this site, though I've only told a few about it), but here's the thing: What I'm doing really isn't that special. Most of the time, given the opportunity, folks do what they can. What inspired me as I first heard of OLQP was the story of the Doherty family who have partnered with the Jesuits of East Africa to start this amazing project. Reflecting on the story of their generosity, I found myself in prayer saying those very words "people do what they can." I cannot give substantial financial backing to this project as they can and have, but I can do what I can: I can offer my skills, my training, my experience and go to Dodoma. And there are others who can do neither, but they, too, will do what they can: pray for its success, for instance.

So, don't be so proud of me, Aiden: We're all managing to do what we can within our own contexts. And we all can inspire one another in this regard by sharing the stories of what matters to us and how these passions urge us on to do what we can.

Malkia wa Amani: Utuombe.

Typhoid Marty

I had an appointment with an M.D. on Wednesday and received most of the vaccinations I need in preparation for my May trip to Tanzania: typhoid, yellow fever, tetanus booster, Hepatitis A & B. When I return in a month for the next round of Hep. A & B, I'll get the polio booster, too.

I was fine until Thursday mid-day, and then I developed a fever and had achy joints, which meant that I missed Holy Thursday doings. I went to bed at seven Thursday evening and slept most of the day on Friday; only this morning did I feel close to one hundred percent. I don't think I'll make it to the Easter Vigil tonight, but I'll be ready to preside at the 12:30 p.m. Easter Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Montecito, CA.

The doctor also prescribed a mega Rx for doxycycline, an antibiotic that prevents the development of the malaria-causing parasites in the blood.

Visit with Dick Twohig, sj

My visit with Fr. Dick Twohig, sj, who was the original principal at Loyola High School Dar es Salaam was very good, though I was less prepared for the meeting than I intended.

I taped the meeting so that I wouldn't be distracted by taking notes; however, my life has been so hectic the last days that I haven't had the opportunity to listen to and transcribe what I taped. Dick was very encouraging. He noted that he was able to devote himself wholly to the academic program because Fr. Louis Plamondon, sj (RIP) directed the project, taking care of the things a president of a Jesuit high school might in the USA. He noted how important a good team was for the successful start of LHS Dar.

Dick noted that his three years in Tanzania were the best three years in his Jesuit life. This is a pattern among those I talk to about living in Africa. A companion in my community here at Loyola Marymount University, Rui Nunes of the Portuguese Province, says the same of his time in Mozambique.

My visit gave me a chance to visit my mother, who suffers from dementia. She recognized me as someone in her life, but couldn't quite manage to place me as her youngest (and favorite, right sibs?) child. My sisters and brother and I can take such consolation in the care she's receiving at Sunset House which facility, however unfortunately named, is a wonderful, caring place that treats its residents with such dignity.

Malkia wa Amani: Utuombe.

Official Groundbreaking

On Tuesday, 7 April, Bishop Juda Thadaeus Ruwa'ichi, O.F.M. Cap., was present to bless the endeavors of OLQP on the occasion of the official groundbreaking at the campus.

What follows is an account of the project by Sosthenes Luyembe, published earlier this year in the Jesuits’ EAPNews (East Africa Province) Update:

As one of our Jesuit companions reminded us recently during the Province Assembly, "a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step". ... This project has been on the drawing board since June 2005, when the Doherty family invited the Jesuits to discern about the future of the children who would soon accomplish the primary education at St. Ignatius Preparatory and Primary School. The vision was to have more integrated educational facilities that will continue to form the future agents of transformation in the Ignatian heritage as stipulated in the "Characteristics of Jesuit Education." The Doherty family offered to be partners in this venture and they agreed to support this worthy endeavour with US$ 10 Million. As I write this note, the Doherty family, through their "Our Lady Queen of Peace Foundation Inc.," has already committed US$ 5 Million to this project. We thank them for their generosity, but more for their concern for the future of humanity. We all agree that education is a "basic need in most African countries," and as wisdom goes, it is a key to life. We believe that this worthy endeavour will make a great contribution to the future lives of the beneficiaries and the entire human community.

Where are we at this point? The signing of the contract for the construction of Phase 1A: The Jesuit Fathers Registered Trustees signed the "Agreement and Schedule of Conditions of Building Contract" with Afriq Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd of Dar-Es-Salaam on 23 December 2008. Finalization of signing the contract was done on 7 January 2009, when the site was handed over to Afriq Engineering to start mobilizing themselves and carry out the construction as agreed in the Bill of Quantities. The buildings to be covered at this stage are as follows: Boys Dormitory and Laundry - ground floor; Girls Dormitory and Laundry – ground floor; one Staff House Type II, Gate House and Power House. The completion period of the work is to be 36 weeks. Today, 19 January 2009, the contractor embarks on the site clearance. And so the journey continues! Pray for this ongoing journey! The centre is earmarked to comprise three learning institutes: the High School, the Vocational College and Teacher's Training College.

On 9 February 2009, the Jesuit Fathers Registered Trustees signed the "Agreement and Schedule of Conditions of Building Contract" with Afriq Engineering Co. Ltd of D'Salaam for phase 1B - Our Lady Queen of Peace Educational Centre. This phase will include construction of the Multipurpose Hall and Kitchen, one complete Classroom Block (one storey building with 12 classrooms and four offices for teachers), Laboratory - Ground Floor and various external works - the service roads and soak pits.

The construction period for this phase is about 40 weeks. The specifics for the schedule of work are under preparation and will be posted once they are ready. Construction of phase 1A and 1B will go on concurrently. We thank you for your prayers that have taken us thus far! We continue to be united in heart and mind.

Malkia wa Amani: Utuombe.