Folks at Kiwanja cha Ndege

Here are some of the folks I interact with every day. Below is Malasi, the scholastic working on the OLQP project, with Gladys, the parish secretary/bookkeeper.

Above is Regina and Christopher. Regina works in the office and is also a catechist. Christopher is a parishioner working as a temp.

Teaching Positions

That's our advertisement for teaching positions in the bottom right corner. Published Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week in The Guardian, one of the two major English papers in Tanzania.

District Inspections

Inspectors at the district level (the level of local government between municipal and regional) were on campus this morning. They were pleased with what they saw.



Below you can see the progress on the foundation for the next wing of the classroom block.

Lions on the Move

That's the title of a recently published study of African economies conducted by McKinsey & Company.

The report states that

While Africa's increased economic momentum is widely recognized, less known are its sources and likely staying power....While poor government policies,war, and other events could disrupt growth in individual countries, our analysis suggests that Africa's long-term economic prospects are quite strong.

Among the conclusions of the report -- actually more than a conclusion, a refrain:

If Africa can provide its young people with the education and skills they need, this large work force could account for a significant share of both global consumption and production.

Readers know, however, that I'm not a proponent of education simply as a contributor to development. There are great examples of educated folks who are evil and corrupt. What is needed is an integral education -- an education that is concerned not just about information and skills but about living an upright life, about caring for the common good, etc.

Hongera Sana

Hearty Congratulations!

Those were the words this morning of one of the sisters who attends daily Mass at the parish church. She was -- hard for me to believe -- complimenting me on my Kiswahili (I celebrated the Mass this morning). When I protested -- si kweli!, that's not true -- she insisted. I guess my reading and pronunciation are getting better.

I do in fact feel more and more comfortable using the language. I venture out more alone -- today to register my SIM card (a new law) and to get a haircut. I used to find these sorts of things difficult and would rely on Malasi's help, but I feel more and more comfortable on my own.

The phone registration, however, was a bit embarrassing. There was a long line, and I joined it like everyone else. After fifteen or so minutes one of the employees came up to me (who stood out -- white and about six inches taller than the next tallest person) and invited me to step into an office to get the registration done. I protested that there were so many people ahead of me -- but just for a moment.

On Friday folks from the education office at the district level (a district here is between a municipality and a region) will be visiting the site on Friday.

I'll get some pictures up soon.

Upendo

That's Kiswahili for charity. Today I celebrated Mass for the Missionaries of Charity -- the brothers. In Dodoma they devote themselves to the care of mentally and physically disabled adult men.

I knew the contemplative sisters in Chicago, and I have some friends here who are former sisters, and the brothers often are at the outstation for Sunday Mass. But this morning was my first visit to them. Why did I wait so long? It was a wonderful morning, and they do wonderful work. And as one would expect -- with a lot of joy.

It's hard to say "no" to Bro. Getacho, so I expect I'll be there again sooner than later!

Excitement in Africa

World Cup Schmerld Cup!

I'm talking about the arrival of Loyola Productions, who arrived in Dodoma yesterday. Eddie Siebert and his crew were busy all morning interviewing folks. We then went to mnadani, the goat market for lunch. I was a bit disappointed because folks weren't so keen to have any filming done. But we had a nice time even so. In a few minutes I'm taking them out to the OLQP site.

Okay, okay; so the World Cup is causing a buzz, too...

Optus Secret Training Camp from Paranoid US on Vimeo.