Ngurdoto

VILLAGE LIFE
This week our Sustainable Agriculture team camped in a village called Ngurdoto. The village is located 20km away from Arusha and is divided into 5 sub-villages. Kati, the town center and where our team camped, consisted of two small shops, two local bars, a "bus" stop and a produce stand. Ngurdoto was not touristy or busy. Camping in this village was the first time that I had felt completely removed from Western culture and immersed in Tanzanian life. Everyone in the village was extremely welcoming and curious about our group. Unlike Arusha, children greeted volunteers by saying "Shikamo" instead of "Mambo." Politeness and respect were widespread. People spent time after work socializing in the town center--children, adults, and elders all sat together laughing and loving each other. Men played checkers and pool while women cooked and sat at the shops. To join the social hour, our group introduced Frisbee to Kati. We threw the Frisbee in a circle that consisted of 3 volunteers and 10 locals. Everyone present in the town center crowded around the Frisbee circle to watch this activity. People of all ages were very amused and delighted to watch. Mamas and dadas seemed too bashful to play but children and adult males were all about Frisbee playing.

CHICKENS
Our team consisted of 5 volunteers (Mary-Ellen, Brendan, Gabbie, Kristy, and me), 5 GSC staff members (Somme, Crispan, Harry, Javeson, and Tom), and 4 community leaders who GSC trained throughout the week. Our program this week involved vaccinating chickens against New Castle disease; this illness is the most prevalent and deadly among chickens in TZ. GSC uses a vaccination called I-2. This medicine requires a cool environment and one drop must be placed into the chicken, rooster, or chick-let's eye. In order to keep the medicine cool, each group wrapped a wet konga (or cloth) around the bottle and placed it into a whisk basket.

From 6AM to 10AM, our team split up into smaller groups to vaccinate chickens in one of the 5 sub-villages. Vaccinations occur early in the morning because families have not let the chickens out of their coup so it takes less effort to catch the fast-running animals. I was fortunate enough to work with Crispan (the director of SA), David (the town mayor), Peter (a village leader), and Kristy. The majority of our mornings included walking in the corn fields to homes, educating farmers about I-2, and dropping the vaccination into the chickens' eyes. At each home, a community leader recorded how many chickens were vaccinated, how many died, how many were eaten, and how many were sold. Upon completion, we all reconvened in a church to discuss challenges and questions. Javeson provided further information to the community leaders about the disease and strategies for sustainability.

I loved the process of vaccinating chickens! Before entering every home, it is polite to say "Hodi" or "May I enter." Then, it is important to say "Shikamo" to all elders and greet children. My Kiswahili has improved over the past few months so after the initial greeting I was able to interact with family members (particularly mamas and dadas) at each home. Along with socializing, I loved snatching the chickens and vaccinating them. At one home, I vaccinated 129 chickens!! The estimated cost of a single chicken is around 2,000TSH. Many times farmers sell the eggs or chickens to the larger markets for profit. The vaccination PREVENTS chicken death and supports families' income!

WALKING
After lunch every day I walked around the village. On the first day, Mary-Ellen and I walked and walked and walked and ended up getting completely lost. Villagers were more than willing to direct us. One dada climbed up a tree and picked 3 mangoes for us to eat on our long journey back to our campsite. Another day we walked until a rainstorm struck the village. When the intensity of the storm increased, we were immediately welcomed into people's homes. We ended up sitting at a home with a mother named Judith and her two sons. Judith, who appeared to be in her early 2os, was more than accommodating. She served us hot pouridge with sugar and insisted on us staying until the storm subsided. After the storm passed, it took every ounce of energy for me not to cry. This family offered me everything that they could possibly provide (shelter, food, kindness). I will be forever grateful to have experienced this kind of humanity.

Overall, my experience in Ngurdoto made me realize the potential for a close-knit community. Although poverty and illness and lack of education are widespread, people LOVE, RESPECT, and CARE for each other while using the earth's resources for survival.