A Glimpse of my Africa

I am at the office today and thought I would take advantage of it and upload some photos. Naturally I am not in any of them :) and I have not edited any of them.

  

Learning how to make tering ropes.

 

 

Everyone is signing together to encourage those who are 

pounding in stakes with rocks (aka Jodi's Hammer).

 

The women are digging planting stations. 

We set up a timed race between the men and women. 

 

The mens' turn showing how fast they can dig planting stations.

 

Two of my favorite little girls and Don.

 

Group photo from when we finished planting one of the 

nine demonstration gardens. 

 

One of the many mommas who have welcomed me.

Those in this village have already given me a Swahili name,

Mamma Mamvula. It more or less means Women of Rain.

Ma is almost the same as women and mvulu means rain.

They gave me this name because it had not rained for a month prior to my arriving even though it is the rainy season right now. Within 2 days of me coming to Dodoma it rained everyday for 6 days. 

I am honored to have already received a Swahili name from one of the 

communities that I will be working with.

2 little boys who followed us everywhere as we were discussing
with the village group the best place to build the next sand dam.

The picture below is the view up-river of where one of the

sand dams will be built this year.

And that is a quick glimpse of Africa for you.