A certain curly, red-haired young man challenged me to write a "Top 10 quirks of Tanzania". I don't know why I never thought of it before. So I started. But then I realised I had never really spent all that much time on the mainland. As I am sure all of you are exhausted of hearing, I love Stone Town, Zanzibar. So i thought I would be more qualified to write "Tope 10 quirks of Stone Town". Here it is:
The ten observed quirks of Zanzibaris in Stone Town
1. Mwah! Making the long extended kissing sound that in many countries would be a perverted call to sexy women, but is actually the sound that vendors make to advertise that they are selling water or peanuts etc, or as a way to tell people to move out of the way, especially if they are on a whizzing bike cruising down the streets of Stone Town
2. Looking away as the way of answering no (so that it seems as if they are just ignoring you)
3. Phone ringing = give the passengers on the dala dala some music to listen to. Many people on the island (and I am told, on Mainland as well - hell, even in Malawi) let their phone ring for a good 10-15 seconds before they answer it. Often the ring tone is the latest Bongo Fleva sound track. In my time in Zanzibar it was most definitely the song "hakunaga".
4. Salaam Alaikum! As children walk from school to home on their regular route, there will be people whom they know who work/own the shops and businesses that they pass. And so if you find yourself in a shop and school has ended there will be at least one, often up to three children whom will file into the shop, will very seriously shake hands with the owner and then with you as you are the guest in the shop and then will walk out. Or they will come in and will have long teasing chats with the owners, sometimes being allowed to be quite cheaky and telling the adult off. And then they leave again only for it to be repeated the next day and the next…
5. Karibu chakula. Always, always willing to share their food. People whom you may have only met once will walk past you in the street and offer you some biscuits or fruit. Even people whom you just happen to be sitting with while drinking coffee on the side of the road will offer to buy you another cup of coffee or will offer you half of their doughnut
6. And speaking of food – I have never seen so much eating on the road. People can eat all their meals on the street – there are huge amounts of chapati, uji, urojo, kachori, bajia, chips, mkate wa ufuta etc etc sold everywhere for people to buy. And they are bought. Men congregate around tables selling pieces of octapus and they stand in silence stabbing up pieces of meat dipped in piri piri (pronounced pili pili) sauce. Similarly children sweep past stabbing pieces of cucumber or pineapple with tooth picks and dropping a sticky coin as payment.
7. The hood, yo! The young children rule the streets. In gangs. Enough said.
8. Baby-sitting. If you are sitting on a dala dala and you close your eyes or dose of for but one second you may wake up with an unknown child, baby or piece of luggage on your lap. When a parent gets onto a dala dala the cild is just handed to the first pair or hand they find. Sometimes they remain on the laps. The parents don’t really mind. The know that at some point in the journey the child will be passed from one to another and will find its way back to the owner. Sometimes there is no immediate available hand and so you will at least once witness a hangling baby in the centre of a dala dala.
9. Chocolate Zanzibar pizzas! (sorry no space to explain a Zanzibar pizza) There are disproportionate amounts of Nutella to people on sale in Stone Town. You can find it everywhere, even in shops that seem to sell only soap and dusty flour and sugar.
10. Piki-piki and keep-lefty. As in "so I suggest you catch a ride on a piki-piki taxi and then at the second keep-lefty you take the third exit and you will see the market on your right". Translated (for you mere non-Zanzibar mortals), "So I suggest you take the scooter (or motorbike) taxi and at the second traffic circle you take the third exit and the market will me on your right".
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
"Do white people drink milk?" "Yes, I think they do."
Or as Alice said to me, Alice who has lived in Nkhata bay for the last 4 years, who speaks Tonga almost fluently and who is married to Kumbu (a local celebrity there),
"Oh cource we do, don't you know this is how we keep our skin so white??"
We had to laugh. We were walking back from the Nkhata Bay hospital. One of the volunteers had strange blister growths on her hands and feet and we took her to the hospital. It really is funny to hear locals talking because they can sometimes say the most random comical things. And not for one moment do I think the sayer of this was truely ignorant of the fact that white people drink milk. It was just comic and funny to make that statement in the moment.
Once, while in a dala dala in Tanzania the bus conductor leaned out and asked one of the ladies walking "mama unene*, nenda Bububu?" Fat mother, are you going to Bububu? KiSwahili is rude and direct in its simpleness. You gotta love language in Africa.
*nene may be the wrong word for fat, but it is something like this. My dictionary is far from me!
"Oh cource we do, don't you know this is how we keep our skin so white??"
We had to laugh. We were walking back from the Nkhata Bay hospital. One of the volunteers had strange blister growths on her hands and feet and we took her to the hospital. It really is funny to hear locals talking because they can sometimes say the most random comical things. And not for one moment do I think the sayer of this was truely ignorant of the fact that white people drink milk. It was just comic and funny to make that statement in the moment.
Once, while in a dala dala in Tanzania the bus conductor leaned out and asked one of the ladies walking "mama unene*, nenda Bububu?" Fat mother, are you going to Bububu? KiSwahili is rude and direct in its simpleness. You gotta love language in Africa.
*nene may be the wrong word for fat, but it is something like this. My dictionary is far from me!
Friday, January 20, 2012
On Revolution Day and running away (from police)
In Stone Town, people know how to celebrate: Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Tanzanian Independence Day, Christmas, New Year, Zanzibar Revolution Day. And that was just in the five months that I was there. There are still seven months of celebration in Zanzibar that I have not been witness to.
I arrived in Unguja, Zanzibar near the end of Ramadan. It was a hungry 10 days. I will always remember where I was at the end of the fasting. It was Forodani Gardens, at the night food market. There were people everywhere, eating much food after a day of nothing. Ramadan ends when the new moon is sighted. It had been seen in Malaysia. People were excited, and full of food. No moon was seen that night. The next night again the market, lit by gas lamps that swarmed and shimmered with people. The message spread again: they'd seen the moon in Dar es Salaam, surely now it was a mater of minutes. And then the call rose up from the middle of Stone Town and people in Forodhani cheered and hugged each other. Fourty days of fasting was over. The next three days were celebreation days. The streets buzzed with exquisitely dressed women and children - new dresses of blues and red and yellows, flowing chiffon, lace, bling. Thick make-up. Men and boys clean and smart. The day time for visiting friends and family and eating. The night time for night markets and street games and general celebrations.
The second Eid, Eid al-Adha, is supposedly the biggest Eid but it snuck up quietly and suddenly we were told that tomorrow and the next day and the next day there would be celebrations. This time I was involved and I went house to house visiting friends, drinking litres of chai and eating what seemed to be whole cakes and kilograms of biriani. It was like the first Eid but it lasted more days. It didn’t seem as festive as the first one but that may have been because at the first one people were hungry and so their happiness seemed larger as they suddenly had boundless energy from the regular meals they had been eating.
On Independence day, to be honest I didn’t do much. But I know there were celebrations on Thursday and Friday night.
Then came Christmas and never before have I have I been in a place where Christmas is not only celebrated by opening presents and being with family, it is CELEBRATED on the 24th, the 25th and the 26th (regardless of whether you are Christian) with music and dancing and many parties, out in the open for all to join. And New Year, well, in all the markets and in all the dance halls and beaches and in all other public spaces, everyone together to count down to 12 midnight. Everyone with everyone, it seemed as if no one was by themselves.
My final celebration and my actual point of this story was Zanzibar Revolution Day. It was on a Thursday. At 12 midnight on Wednesday night, air-raid sirens began wailing around the town and the sound of machine gun fire echoed off the stone buildings. If you did not know it was Revolution Day you would have thought the island was under siege. Glowing “bullets” were being shot and they arched over Stone Town and neighbouring Maisara. The sirens and gun fire continued for a long time, interspersing the impressive and very loud fireworks display happening in Mnazi Moja show grounds. The air lit up and would explode into hundreds of coloured lights and then du-du-du-du-du-du-du, more bullets were shot.
After the fireworks, the crowd turned and began the walk to The Traffic Circle (or as it is called in Zanzibar, The Keep Lefty). Here there would be lit up water fountains. But people were really going there because this is where cars would take it in turn to race around the circle and the more daring of the crown would try to jump on the vehicles. Dala dalas, trucks, scooters, Jeeps, minis, all these and more took their turn to drive. And as the night wore on the driving got more daring. Of course this is illegal. Up until 12:30am the police were there, closing the road, preventing the cars from entering. And then the game began.
It would have been boring for the police to stay there the whole night, both for the crowd and the police themselves. So the police leave, knowing full well that the cars would arrive and the people would get slightly out of hand and slightly dangerous. And then I can just imagine the police saying to themselves, "man I am bored, do you think we have waited long enough, I want to join the fun”, and then when they thought they had left just enough time for things to be getting a bit crazy, the would come roaring down the road, lights blaring and they would skid to a halt and armed reinforcement would spew out of the back of the vehicle and begin the chase.
I was with my Danish Tanzanian friend, watching the cars from a distance. And then there was a shout and another and we turned to watch the spotlighs blaring down on us and then the crowd started running and so we joined, running, running away from the cops, laughing at being chased and then stumbling to a stop and watching and waiting for the police to leave again, giving us space once again to get a little reckless so they they could play again and come and pretend to chase us away.
It was a big fat game that the police and the people played that night. It did however somehow prevent the drivers and the audience from getting too dangerous as each time they came to chase us, the level of recklessness dropped and as far as I know, no one was killed…
Three days later I left Zanzibar, the island of celebrations. The thing is with Zanzibar, they know how to celebrate, to celebrate out in the open, for all to join. And this makes the whole event all the more festive and you, the celebrator feels part of something bigger, really part of a town who knows how to have fun and does so at any excuse.
I arrived in Unguja, Zanzibar near the end of Ramadan. It was a hungry 10 days. I will always remember where I was at the end of the fasting. It was Forodani Gardens, at the night food market. There were people everywhere, eating much food after a day of nothing. Ramadan ends when the new moon is sighted. It had been seen in Malaysia. People were excited, and full of food. No moon was seen that night. The next night again the market, lit by gas lamps that swarmed and shimmered with people. The message spread again: they'd seen the moon in Dar es Salaam, surely now it was a mater of minutes. And then the call rose up from the middle of Stone Town and people in Forodhani cheered and hugged each other. Fourty days of fasting was over. The next three days were celebreation days. The streets buzzed with exquisitely dressed women and children - new dresses of blues and red and yellows, flowing chiffon, lace, bling. Thick make-up. Men and boys clean and smart. The day time for visiting friends and family and eating. The night time for night markets and street games and general celebrations.
The second Eid, Eid al-Adha, is supposedly the biggest Eid but it snuck up quietly and suddenly we were told that tomorrow and the next day and the next day there would be celebrations. This time I was involved and I went house to house visiting friends, drinking litres of chai and eating what seemed to be whole cakes and kilograms of biriani. It was like the first Eid but it lasted more days. It didn’t seem as festive as the first one but that may have been because at the first one people were hungry and so their happiness seemed larger as they suddenly had boundless energy from the regular meals they had been eating.
On Independence day, to be honest I didn’t do much. But I know there were celebrations on Thursday and Friday night.
Then came Christmas and never before have I have I been in a place where Christmas is not only celebrated by opening presents and being with family, it is CELEBRATED on the 24th, the 25th and the 26th (regardless of whether you are Christian) with music and dancing and many parties, out in the open for all to join. And New Year, well, in all the markets and in all the dance halls and beaches and in all other public spaces, everyone together to count down to 12 midnight. Everyone with everyone, it seemed as if no one was by themselves.
My final celebration and my actual point of this story was Zanzibar Revolution Day. It was on a Thursday. At 12 midnight on Wednesday night, air-raid sirens began wailing around the town and the sound of machine gun fire echoed off the stone buildings. If you did not know it was Revolution Day you would have thought the island was under siege. Glowing “bullets” were being shot and they arched over Stone Town and neighbouring Maisara. The sirens and gun fire continued for a long time, interspersing the impressive and very loud fireworks display happening in Mnazi Moja show grounds. The air lit up and would explode into hundreds of coloured lights and then du-du-du-du-du-du-du, more bullets were shot.
After the fireworks, the crowd turned and began the walk to The Traffic Circle (or as it is called in Zanzibar, The Keep Lefty). Here there would be lit up water fountains. But people were really going there because this is where cars would take it in turn to race around the circle and the more daring of the crown would try to jump on the vehicles. Dala dalas, trucks, scooters, Jeeps, minis, all these and more took their turn to drive. And as the night wore on the driving got more daring. Of course this is illegal. Up until 12:30am the police were there, closing the road, preventing the cars from entering. And then the game began.
It would have been boring for the police to stay there the whole night, both for the crowd and the police themselves. So the police leave, knowing full well that the cars would arrive and the people would get slightly out of hand and slightly dangerous. And then I can just imagine the police saying to themselves, "man I am bored, do you think we have waited long enough, I want to join the fun”, and then when they thought they had left just enough time for things to be getting a bit crazy, the would come roaring down the road, lights blaring and they would skid to a halt and armed reinforcement would spew out of the back of the vehicle and begin the chase.
I was with my Danish Tanzanian friend, watching the cars from a distance. And then there was a shout and another and we turned to watch the spotlighs blaring down on us and then the crowd started running and so we joined, running, running away from the cops, laughing at being chased and then stumbling to a stop and watching and waiting for the police to leave again, giving us space once again to get a little reckless so they they could play again and come and pretend to chase us away.
It was a big fat game that the police and the people played that night. It did however somehow prevent the drivers and the audience from getting too dangerous as each time they came to chase us, the level of recklessness dropped and as far as I know, no one was killed…
Three days later I left Zanzibar, the island of celebrations. The thing is with Zanzibar, they know how to celebrate, to celebrate out in the open, for all to join. And this makes the whole event all the more festive and you, the celebrator feels part of something bigger, really part of a town who knows how to have fun and does so at any excuse.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Permaculture Design Course at Butterfly Space, Malawi.
Facilitator: Tichafa Makovere
Dates: March 19th- March 30th
Location: Nkhata Bay Malawi
Venue: Butterfly Space
Requirements: A passion to help with food security in the developing world; strength of will and dedication; a previous PDC or experience practicing PC is not necessary though may come as an advantage.
Cost: $600
Included:
Two week accommodation at Butterfly Space, Nkhata Bay with breakfast and evening meal.
Two weeks Permaculture Design Course with Tichafa Makovere.
Lunch provided as part of the Permaculture Course
An amazing experience.
Tichafa Makovere will host a two week PDC at Butterfly Space in Nkhata Bay Malawi. In this first collaboration we hope to invite a mixture of International guests and Malawians to learn about the principles o f permaculture in a practical setting for rural third communities. The local community will be involved and areas linked to two local schools and communities incorporated within the practical’s. Other local schools also involved in permaculture will also be included in what we hope will be part of the on-going collaboration between Butterfly, local schools and the community.
The focus will be on appropriate technology, soil and water harvesting, indigenous knowledge systems and Permaculture in schools, since schools are a key focus point for the community, a chance to influence the coming generation to shift away from the mentality of dependence on aid towards self sufficiency and sustainable resource use.
Facilitator:
Tichafa Makovere grew up in a marginalised farming community in Shurugwi, Midlands Region of Zimbabwe. He developed a career in education over 30 years; 20 years as a successful headmaster in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Botswana. In June 1994 he participated in a PDC at the Fambidzanai Permaculture Centre in Zimbabwe sponsored by the SCOPE (Permaculture in Schools and Colleges Outreach) Program. He went on to take first prize for best Permaculture implementing school nationally in 1995. He sat as secretary of the Permaculture Association of Zimbabwe (PAZ) for 2 years from 1994 – 1996 and subsequently as chairperson from 1996 – 1998. He has produced handouts for SCOPE trainings which are still used by the SCOPE program in Zimbabwe today. Tichafa holds a certificate in synergistic agriculture from a course conducted by Emilia Hazelip of the Pyrenees, France in Botswana in 1995. Recently Tichafa did a Green Warrior Permaculture Field Trainer’s Course and co-facilitated with Steve Cran, the course focuses more on communities’ sustainability.
His activities at SCOPE, and more latterly ReSCOPE, as lead facilitator have included: Drawing up 1-week and 2-week programs for SCOPE, facilitating at both 1-week and 2-week workshops; producing training materials and handouts, making follow-up visits to schools after inclusion in the SCOPE Program; participation on the curriculum, training and fundraising committees for the advancement of permaculture in Zimbabwean schools; reviewing and monitoring workshops for expansion of permaculture in schools in 66 districts of Zimbabwe, representing SCOPE at international levels and reviewing books on permaculture before they were published.
In November 2008 Tichafa travelled to Ethiopia and took up the role of Resident PC Facilitator for Strawberry Fields Eco Lodge (SFEL) in Konso, where he has to date facilitated a total of 25 PDCs. He subsequently went on to spear-head the formation of the Permaculture in Konso Schools Project working in partnership with various NGOs such as Save the Children Finland, Mercy Corps, CISS Ethiopia, Ethiopia Permaculture Foundation as well as SFEL itself. In October 2009 Tichafa in partnership with Alex formed Permaculture Training and Consultancy (PERMATEC). In June 2010 Tichafa formed his own independent consultancy, Shumba Integrated Eco Designs (SIED) which is now active around Ethiopia with various GOs and NGOs. Tichafa coordinates Slow Food’s 34 projects in schools across the country as national coordinator.
In 2010 the regional Education ministry Southern Nations Nationalities People Regional States (SNNRPS) of Ethiopia recognised the impact of permaculture in two of the pilot schools and the permaculture teacher was given first prize for the drastic change of school environment. The teacher went on to win a national prize from Ministry of Technology and yet another national prize from the Ministry of Education. On the second pilot school, the teacher was invited to Rome to the Slow Food Conference to share the success of implementing the permaculture project in the school.
Butterfly Space
Butterfly Space is a unique community space aiming to bring together Passionate volunteers and the local community. Community self- sustainability and environment are amongst our central principles and we are involved in numerous projects within the local community including a nursery school, information room, and youth club. Tree planting and work with local schools has led to an increasing interest in permaculture and this is an area we seek to build on. For more information about the work we do please visit our web-site www.butterfly-space.com
Course Curriculum
Ethics and principles of Permaculture and sustainability
Ecological processes
Zones
Principles of permaculture design
Water harvesting
Situational analysis, transect walk and mapping
Soil improvement techniques
Integrated Pest Management
Animal integration
Nursery practice
Whole design care and management
Planning for implementation care and monitoring of sustainable permaculture project
Goal formation
Final design presentation
Character of workshop
Participatory, practical, hands on to balance with the theoretical background from the class. Group work will plan real permaculture designs which will remain a permanent feature in the schools and Butterfly
Certification
Participants, who attend, participate and complete the 72 hour PDC will be issued certificates which has the collaboration with the Green Warrior permaculture which is accepted in most permaculture circles.
Contact details
Postal Address: Butterfly Space P O Box 211 Nkhata Bay
Physical Address: Nkhata Bay Malawi
Phone Number: +265 (Ophanuel)
Fax: N/A
Mobile Number: Josie: +265 (0) 999156335
Email: josie.redmonds@gmail.com
Mobile Number: Ian/Enid
Email: enid_van_mierlo@yahoo.com
Mobile: Tichafa +251913544164 +263777626137
Email: bog55chimbwa@hotmail.co.uk
Deposits will have to be finalised by the end of February 2012 to ensure we can carry out the programme so if you don’t want to miss out on this unique opportunity please get in touch as quickly as possible. A minimum of 8 people are needed for the course to run.
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