Views of the Dormitory Area

Engineers and architect meet just outside the boys' dormitory:


Below is the boys' dormitory -- 4 students per room (bunk beds -- or double-deckers as they are known here), 20 rooms per hall, 4 halls per wing, 2 wings. You can do the math:
The matron/patron residence is for all practical purposes complete. The Ivrea sisters will stay in the residence on the right. The patron (yikes! still to be hired!) will live along with some of the single male teachers on the right.

Scenes of the Multi-Purpose Hall

This first snap is from the perspective of the Jesuit Residence:

This one is of the preparation of the terrazzo -- the second floor you see with the rails is an indoor recreation area, located over the kitchen.
You can see folks with a grinder in the upper right of this picture, polishing the terrazzo. The building is very light and airy (this picture was taken on a cloudy day) -- we'll very rarely have to use lights.

Video Update on Construction

Who's to Complain?

Well, me. Some weeks back I asked folks to join me in praying for a rainy season that is actually rainy. We’ve had three good rains. Yesterday I mentioned to someone that we could use more – and soon. Well, it arrived this evening, starting with thunderstorms and now just a very steady, soaking rain – the kind farmers love.

But our books are supposed to arrive from Dar tomorrow and access to our temporary library will be super lorry-sinking muddy. Be careful what you pray for.

I’m going to have the books stored at the warehouse of our friends Mungwe and Andrea, who direct an ngo that’s been helpful to us: the Poverty Eradication Network Trust.

This is the latest in quite a journey for these books (and 40 desktops). The most recent incident was at the Dar port, where they arrived before the New Year. The container did not show up on the ship’s manifest. It was there, clearly, but there was no accounting for it. That problem was cleared up today.

My friend Franck kindly had his clients donate to St. Peter Claver's account at Books for Africa at Christmas. Their generosity combined with the generosity of Toledo friends and the Andrews McMeel Universal Foundation means that we will have another partial container on its way very soon! Our library will be well-stocked – and I guarantee it will also be well used.

Mungu Ibariki Tanzania

Since New Years Eve I have Tanzania's national anthem in my head.

It has to be among the most beautiful national anthems. Part of its beauty is not only the tune but that it is a prayer that Muslims and Christians regularly pray together. Pretty cool.

God Bless Africa

1.

God Bless Africa.
Bless its leaders.
Let Wisdom Unity and
Peace be the shield of
Africa and its people.

Chorus :

Bless Africa,
Bless Africa,
Bless the children of Africa.

2.

God Bless Tanzania.
Grant eternal Freedom and Unity
To its sons and daughters.
God Bless Tanzania and its People.

Chorus :

Bless Tanzania,
Bless Tanzania,
Bless the children of Tanzania.

Testing

Today I tested three students for our remaining places. Two of them made it.

I promise to catch folks up on all our happenings (not completely halcyon happenings) ASAP.

In the meantime, Laura has provided us with some snaps of our second testing day.

Not as many students as we'd hoped for, but there were enough students who did well to help us on our way to our goal of 140 students.

Teacher David Mukasa (history and geography) keeps an eagle-eye on the students.

After the exams we took some desks outside and corrected the mathematics portion of the test (Laura and Sean had already corrected the English and Kiswahili).

You'll note in the pictures of the students taking the examinations that there were two nuns. Often times sisters here in Tanzania enter the convent only as Standard Seven leavers (primary school graduates). The sisters you see in the picture are in their thirties. Unfortunately, we could not offer them a place but we hope to help them prepare for next year's examination.

My dream would be to have a convent for sisters in this situation so that they would not be subjected to the indignity of having to live in dormitories with 14-year-old girls as one among them (which is the common practice here). I know that is a little projection re: cultural values, but at its root is a respect for women religious.

Heri ya Mwaka Mpya

Happy New Year!

I've been without internet since early New Years Eve. I'll catch people up on the Dodoma doings as the opportunity presents itself -- very busy these days.