Where to start... all is going well in Longido :) School is great, I love the kids and am making progress,albeit slow progress, with my adult class. It is frustrating as some cannot write even in their own language so I have started extra literacy classes to teach them how to read and write. I can't remember what life was like before I came here, I am so settled and don't want to think about leaving (although I still have 2 months before I have to think about saying goodbye).
Last week my friend Bec came up from Arusha and together with my friend Rogarte (a Maasai / Rasta guide) we climbed Mount Longido which was very hard but rewarding. Had a brilliant night camping, singing round the campfire and trying not to worry about the elephants, lions, buffalos and who knows what else that were nearby!
The next day I watched my friends' football match - Longido Warriors -vs- Namanga. Was such an amazing atmosphere, the whole village turned out for the game and it went down to penalties... 2 of my students scored, was a great afternoon. And a beautiful setting for a football match - sunset over the plain was incredible and I had one of those moments when I realise how lucky I am to be here.
The only thing that I would change is the food... those of you who know me well will know that I am not fussy when it comes to food and will eat pretty much anything that is put in front of me. However, after a month of eating ugali, rice, beans, chapatti and goat, the club sandwich I have juts eaten in town never tasted so good!
Another thing is the personal grooming side of things...not normally one for being a girly girl, I am getting a bit sick of wearing same clothes day in day out - and never feeling clean no matter how many bucket showers I take! The dust is just everywhere... but it is all worth it. I have never been a meaterialistic person but here it is taken to new extremes. Most people have less than nothing. To give you an ide, today at school i gave out some little erasers to one of my classes. They were so excited and grateful, it would do children in the UK the world of good to see how lucky they are! Anyway, enough preaching... I am off to the hotel for a well-earned rest and hot shower.
Friday 21 August 2009
Thursday 6 August 2009
Life in Longido
Firstly I apologise for being slack with the blogging lately - reason being I am really settled in Longido now - very busy and happy with school, friends and adult classes so haven't had time to get on the internet. There are so many things that were alien to me when I arrived three weeks ago, but which are now normal, so I thought i would share some of them with you...
Longido is a really beautiful village overlooked by the imposing Mount Londgido, which I plan to climb when time allows and I have plucked up a sufficient amount of courage! It is extremely dry here, the region is experiencing a drought and it is having a devastating effect on the cows which are so important to the Maasai people.
The village is filled with the most incredible abundance of animals... donkeys, cows, goats, chickens, dogs and cats and geese. There are beautiful birds which I couldn't even begin to identify but the most amazing animals of all are the giraffes which roam the plains surrounding the village. I saw 3 whilst walking home the other day - there are also herds of elephants and buffalos on the mountain - you have to take a warrior guide with you when you go walking in case there are any dangerous animals, including king cobras. Luckily for me i have lots of friends who are maasai warriors so am safe :)
The homestay is great... a western style house but without all the mod con we're used to such as a kitchen, water, electricity, shower or toilet. Yesterday I spent 3 hours down at the 'bomba' -watering hole handwashing my clothes!
My kiswahili is coming along, and I am picking up some kimaasai too to enable me to communicate with many of the villagers (and of course little Issiah). I showed him my i-pod the other day and he was listening to the Beatles 'She loves you' so has been singing it non-stop ever since!
I have started a lunch club at school for the kids to have some fun - singing/drawing/drama and story-telling. They are enjoying doing something a bit different. I want them to use their imaginations, soemthing which isn't really a priority for children here. Children are meant to work, not play...fetch water, firewood, look after goats and cattle, cook, wash etc so I am keen for them to be creative.
Longido is a really beautiful village overlooked by the imposing Mount Londgido, which I plan to climb when time allows and I have plucked up a sufficient amount of courage! It is extremely dry here, the region is experiencing a drought and it is having a devastating effect on the cows which are so important to the Maasai people.
The village is filled with the most incredible abundance of animals... donkeys, cows, goats, chickens, dogs and cats and geese. There are beautiful birds which I couldn't even begin to identify but the most amazing animals of all are the giraffes which roam the plains surrounding the village. I saw 3 whilst walking home the other day - there are also herds of elephants and buffalos on the mountain - you have to take a warrior guide with you when you go walking in case there are any dangerous animals, including king cobras. Luckily for me i have lots of friends who are maasai warriors so am safe :)
The homestay is great... a western style house but without all the mod con we're used to such as a kitchen, water, electricity, shower or toilet. Yesterday I spent 3 hours down at the 'bomba' -watering hole handwashing my clothes!
My kiswahili is coming along, and I am picking up some kimaasai too to enable me to communicate with many of the villagers (and of course little Issiah). I showed him my i-pod the other day and he was listening to the Beatles 'She loves you' so has been singing it non-stop ever since!
I have started a lunch club at school for the kids to have some fun - singing/drawing/drama and story-telling. They are enjoying doing something a bit different. I want them to use their imaginations, soemthing which isn't really a priority for children here. Children are meant to work, not play...fetch water, firewood, look after goats and cattle, cook, wash etc so I am keen for them to be creative.
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