This is a quick post to indicate we’ve arrived safely in Musoma. We arrived mid-afternoon on Saturday and spent the night at the Mennonite Center in Musoma, a hostel run by the Mennonite Church. Today the students had breakfast at the center and then we traveled to the…
It has been a busy end of the week as we prepare to leave Dar. On Wednesday we had our last unit house meeting and shared the highlights of our time in Dar, in addition to discussing how to prepare for the service section of SST. On Thursday…
On Monday we visited Benjamin Mkapa Secondary School in Dar es Salaam to better understand the educational system in Tanzania. We met the principal, several teachers, and a group of about 30 secondary students who were willing to stay after school to chat with our students. It was…
It is time to share with our family and friends how we’ve shed our Mennonite propensity to sing standing still! We’ve exchanged it for the rich Tanzanian (if not African) desire to move when singing! We were treated to a wonderful presentation on Tuesday by Dr. Mathayo Ndomondo,…
Friday the group was treated to a visit to Nyantira Mennonite Church south of the city. We boarded a rented bus and traveled about an hour to the church. Our group was hosted by Pastor John Wambura, who also serves as our SST country coordinator. John serves as…
Mothers at the clinic receiving their nets On Tuesday morning we switched the morning and afternoon routines. Instead of Swahili in the morning, we rented a bus to visit the Mennonite Economic Development Association Tanzania offices on the Msasani Peninsula. We were warmly welcomed by the TZ…
Today we were honored to have the opportunity to visit with the top Islamic leader in Dar es Salaam, Sheikh Alhaj Alhaad Musa. We first visited Sheikh Musa in his office in Kariakoo and spent 30 minutes in conversation as the students were invited to ask questions about…
While most of the United States was watching the Superbowl, we had the opportunity to watch a “football” match as most of the world knows it! As a group on Saturday afternoon we went to the national stadium for a soccer match between Simba and JKT Oljoro. Simba devoured…
Pastor Blandina This week we have been dealing with some pretty weighty issues as we explore the opportunities and challenges facing Tanzanians post-independence. On Thursday we heard from two Lutheran pastors, both women, on their work in promoting gender equity. Pastor Itiku (YWCA) and Pastor Blandina…
Joseph Butiku – Director of Nyerere Foundation After a wonderful weekend at Bagamoyo, we resumed our normal routine of language class in the morning and presentations or site visits in the afternoon. This week we began exploring the legacy of Tanzania’s first president Mwalimu (Teacher) Julius Nyerere,…
