Snows of Kilimanjaro

Go ahead and click on the pictures -- you might be able to make out the mountain -- taken just outside the Jesuit Community in Moshi.

(I just tried myself -- really, it is there, ghostlike.)

Some Religious Art

Above are some examples of nicely done religious art in Jesuit Houses in Nairobi. The crucifix is located in the community chapel at Mwangaza, the Jesuit Spirituality Centre in Karen, Nairobi (think Karen Blixen -- it's located on part of the vast farm she owned). It was carved by an Ugandan sculptor who used the wood from a tree on the property.

The two stations of the cross are in the chapel at Hekima (Wisdom) College. You can see all of them here. They were designed by Engelbert Mveng (Google translation here), a Jesuit from Cameroon.

Runs Like an Impala

I just arrived an hour ago to Moshi (at the foot of Kilimanjaro) after some days in Nairobi. Kiarie and I visited three of the most well-respected schools on Tuesday. By coincidence that was the day when the results of the national exams were announced -- you can imagine the excitement in the air. All very different schools with different philosophies. I learned a lot.
I've also learned that the road might be paved with good intentions but that the road to Nairobi from Arusha is not paved at all for much of it on the Tanzania side. Rough going on Monday when there was a lot of mud -- and dusty today on our return.
We have been warmly welcome by our Jesuit companions -- first the novices at Arusha, then the Jesuits at the provincial residence in Nairobi, and now this evening in Moshi.
In addition to seeing the school's mentioned above, we also spent yesterday visiting Jesuit (and affiliated) works in Nairobi, including our parish and retreat house and Nyumbani (at home) -- a place for HIV+ children. So proud to be a Jesuit. (Incidentally, our retreat house is beautifully set in the area called "Karen" because it was the farm of Out of Africa fame.)
Some pictures later (haven't taken so many).

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.