After a very bumpy bus ride and many hours of traveling we arrived late at night in Maruani. The following morning we had our orientation and had a lunch cooked by the “Mamas.” The Mamas are the women of the town who prepare our food, shop for us, clean the kitchen, and give us big hugs. In the afternoon we went for a walk and explored the surroundings of the town. It was our first encounter with the children when we walked past the school. When they saw us they came chasing after us with a fascination and curiosity about who we are. In the evening we hosted a party where we were introduced to the teachers and workmen of the community. Although there was a language barrier we managed to communicate through the use of phrase books.

On Wednesday we began working at the school. Our project entails building a veranda that will prevent rain from entering the classroom during the rainy season. After we finished work for the day we visited a local brick maker. Here we learned the process of building bricks and we became acquainted with and worked with the locals while their children gathered in the back of our Jeep. Later that night we had Swahili lessons taught by a local teacher and after we had a campfire in which we discussed and told stories.

Today, July 14, we continued work on the veranda. In the afternoon we learned how to batik with a group that came from Arusha. We each made our own small cloth with the batik method. Later on we had another Swahili lesson and nice group bonding. It has been a busy but amazing four days! Stay tuned!