Add a splash of rain, hand luggage arsonery, Melbourne event

Well, we're home back in 'Strayl-Ya, after a huge fortnight in Arusha Will Push Ya. The bus trip from Arusha up to Nairobi was even more hair-raising than the one down. We added rain onto the already jampacked recipe for disaster: pit-holed roads (built in WW2 and not ever refurbished, so the legend goes), speeds of 120km plus, talking-on-mobile-while-approaching-oncoming-traffic drivers, and cramped, omigod-why-dont-you-people-ever-open-a-window seating conditions. Somehow we survived.

I'm not quite sure how Daz survived the hand luggage check-in at Dubai though, given he seemed to be trying to break some world record for the largest number of potentially dangerous instruments packed into a single day bag ever. First the customs dudes query his PH balance (imagine a 15cm screw driver with a box on the handle end. Same thing). Then they have problems with his penetrometer thing (imagine a big chrome pencil with a 5cm diameter, pointy end, sharp like a pencil) and then... oh no, we don't think you'll be taking this chrome shifter on board either... "It's not sharp, what could I do with it to hurt someone?" Monotone answer: "Hit them on the back of the head". I'm crabbing away like I've never laid eyes on Daz before, wondering at which point he received the labotomy that has so clearly taken place. I mean WHO packs things like this into their hand luggage when, all over the world, airports are up in arms about nail scissors and liquid containers that exceed a 50ml measure? Eventually, they take all his lethal weapons from him and somehow grant him passage. When he finds me, I calmly enquire as to what as-yet-undiagnosed medical condition may have enduced him to pack his bags in such a peculiar way. He laughs and says, "I forgot they were in there. I put them in yesterday when I went out to the land, and when I packed this morning, I didnt see them, so didn't know they were there." I'm instantly relieved. At least he's not crazy, just forgetful.




We arrive home to find that Gypsy The Spoilt Seven-Year-Old Siberian Husky has been causing havock. Our backyard is a torn up rally way, see photographic evidence of bed and digging, with long cream fur scattered all over it. Escaping has been the order of the week, as housesitter Les and a host of abusive phone messages (yes!) from the local pound later inform us. We decide that we'll somehow have to offload (to a permanent, loving family) this pretty, but high-maintence, pooch before we head back to Arusha. We were hoping Les might take her on, but it's clear by his stories, that he's run his race with her. She was fun while she lasted, but he ain't about to line up at the starting gate with her again! I feel like she needs a visit to Africa to see all the Santa's Little Helper cases. One look at these little dogs that eat plastic cause there's nothing else, dogs that have bones poking from their ribs... well, she'd surely change her tune. Spoilt girl!

I'm yet to write a to-do list for arriving home, but these next two months will likely involve some big jobs. Things like: GET THE NEW WEBSITE UP (almost there!), GET CORPORATE SPONSORS ON BOARD (on hold till I sort out first job!), MOVE HOUSE (hmm. Too frightening to even think about just yet!), HOST SYDNEY ART EXHIBITION (with Luke's awesome pix), BUY UTOPIA BLOCK (while negotiating with Nolasco via email), FINE TUNE COSTS (yep, ongoign job that one). I think they are the main things.

Of course, the focus this week is all on the Melbourne event which happens in four days. It's going to be an absolute corker. Not saying that cause I'm biased. Saying it because it is gonna be a corker. Meg from 12 Parasols and Kels have done an awesome, awesome job creating an event that is evocative and exciting. They've had help from an exceptional team - all volunteers - and have pulled in great prizes to auction off, brilliant entertainment (Kate Ceberano, have you heard? Probably not, I hardly ever mention that bit). Anyway, last thing to tie up now is the very, very last of RSVPs. I've a little plan for this...it's a funny thing, I soooo desperately want people to come simply so we can tell them about us and get them as excited as we are about all the stuff we're doing. And of course, I spoze, we want to raise some funds too!

Okay, it's truly time to try and shake off the jet lag, to get into bed and pretend I'm tired instead of suddenly wide awake and ravenous!

last day, so wet, can we have your car?

I've been shameless in my asking for help. THe wet-wet-wet makes everything so much slower, that I realise how desperately we need a 4wd to make our next stay more efficient. Ed heard about some American expat - John - who is returning home and keen to give his Pajero (f.w.d) to some unsuspecting NGO. Well, i tracked his number for two days, found it and called him. H esaid that he had a bit of a list of NGOs after it... we'd be added to the list, scraping in at number 4! I asked him what else he had... (see? not shy). He said he had a pikipiki 125. I think this is a 125cc motorbike. I said yes, we'd gladly take that. He said he'd put me on the list for that too. But to be honest, I dont think he had a list. I think he was just over my pushy ways! Anyway, that will be an important job vfor us when I return. gotta go, missing bus. home soon. fill you in on onther developments then. bekc

Gifts from the souvenir market, global village & Rob draws

So there are some things I haven't told you. Not because I'm playing silly buggers, but more because they seemed insignificant to our other thunderous developments. Thunderous remains the theme though - no, I havent mentioned that in between our marvellous wins, we've been battling some pretty mental weather. It's rainy season (the long rains - which mean it should rain for most of the day, as opposed to the short rains which come in Oct/Nov and occur only in the afternoons, lasting an hour tops). So we've rain. But not all day (climate change say the locals - they might not have enough rain to grow their crops, yet they know why). Instead these rains are a bit random in their arrival, but they do last a few hours... Just enough to absolutely saturate the pitholed dirt roads turning them into a slimy, slippery quagmire in just minutes. Quagmires that send dala-dala (local bus system: think Tarago van with 32 Africans somehow squished in - yes! we counted!) careening off the sides of the supposed road and that force penniless taxi drivers to refuse to take you home - nomatter what price you're paying! The road that once took 20 minutes to walk down, now takes 50. It worries us about the access to our Utopia Block, but Daz Rob and I just keep saying "we'll have to start and finish building in between wet seasons." I once asked what about when we've finished building, and are living there, what about access then...and we decided it was good news that we are setting up to be self-sufficient! It gets so muddy when wet here that I took a photo of Rob marking out our land in long strides the other day. His shoes were caked up with 1 kilo of mud on each boot, kid you not. He looked like Ronald Macdonald except the red oversized shoes were deep, dark brown and sog-sog.



He must be relieved that he's not traipsing out the land today. instead he's sitting at home in the six bedroom volunteer house the brothers have donated us for this stay, drawing up the first of his plans. Daz is seriously inlove with Rob.He says that all his ideas are genius - super simple, super clever. I feel the same - except that they are able to speak in more depth about things that I can - being a girl and having spent years discussing stilletos and handbags, not so much sumps and bearing capacities.

Speaking of shopping (were we?), I headed out to the souvenier market this morning and bought some terrific stuff to auction off at our Melbourne event. I'm particularly impressed with the Maasai stool. I have one at home already (snaffled up last time I was here), but it seems these are now few and far between. The market guys still have stools and they like to pretend they are original Maasai stools, but for the experts like me, well we know better. They are the wrong colour for a start. They look new for a second and they are too small for a finish. Anyway, I've got an original so whoever is the lucky bidder might find that they are buying something that is becoming more and more rare. I'm not telling you waht other great stuff I bought becasue it's a surprise, but suffice to say, it's all going to look/feel great at the Melbie gig. True Africa.

Rob came up with an idea last night... see, genius... whereby we hire a labourer to run around our local village colecting kitchen scraps and cow manure to help supplment our biogas system. yes, a system wehreby our loos become a community project! We like this one a lot because a) community involvement and b) we've been wondering how to use biogas when it's going to take more than 40 kids to fuel it. Frank runs biogas with 600 students and still sometimes struggles to get enough matter to run the system... so yes, this could be answer for us. Okay enough toilet talk.

Did I tell you we have an African cook? Compliments of luke, the photographer who left us recently. I'll tell you more about Elizabeth next time... I'm running out of time here.

Lunch, biltong & land

Well we're all sated now after a traditional African lunch of beans and rice with a piece of glass and a piece of rock in Rob's. Yours for 1.50USD. And if you ask 3 times you'll get your change back.

The news? We have signed and swapped contracts on Fathers Tom's land, yes, the volunteer/office block - 3acres with a house with electricity and piped water and an inside loo (the luxury - and it's not a drop tank!) aaaand with gorgeous thick, deep, dark topsoil for the crop fields. The soil is dark but not too dark. Apparently it's important to avoid the black cotton soil (did I say that in an earlier blog?) as it's dodge to build or crop on. Our soil however, would make Australian farmers weep, confirms Rob who informs us that his wife, Jen, has just completed some fancy-pants degree in soil studies. Every expert we need - at our finger tips! So much so, it's getting a bit spooky.

So, I made that land purchase sound easy. Let me take you thru the dramas JUST BRIEFLY, for really, i don't want to live the rollercoaster again. So Sunday (day of rest for many Africans - not those standing near me!) I round up Nolasco, and the village chief (20-minute drive up the road) and get them to sign the contracts stating that the village council is happy for the land purchase. On the way home, I tell Nolasco, it'd be great if we could take the next step and get an answer from Father Tom as to whether he will accept our original offer of 25,000USD and not his more recent counter offer of 27,000USD. Nolasco replies that he has sent an email to Father Tom (who resides in America) but has not heard back. I say "well, then, I think he will pay. After all, we are now giving him the money in one lump sum, whereas before, it was a deposit and then several payments over six months." Nolasco nods. I say "Well, then I think we should arrange for Father Tom's Power Of Attorney and his witness to come to the school to sign the contract my lawyer has drawn up stating a sale of 25,000USD". Nolasco nods and gets on the phone and starts yelling. This is the African way with mobiles. You don't really need the actual phone because you yell into the piece so loud that everyone within a 60km radius can hear you. The meeting is arranged to take place at 10am on Monday morning at the Christian Brothers school in Headmaster Brother Frank's office. Brother Frank doesn’t know this yet. I say goodbye to Nolasco and start frantically ringing brother frank to say despite the fact we have NO agreement from Father Tom that he will accept the 25,000USD, I have drawn up the contract (x 3 copies), had the village chief sign and stamp it (x3 copies) and have arranged a meeting in his office for 10am. Of course, I can't get onto Brother Frank and go to bed with an anxious heart and racing mind. After all, this little meeting could turn out to be a little bit embarassing if these 'minor' factors of agreement of price & agreement of signatures don't actually come off!

I wake in the morning, make my way to the school, arrive at 10am. Brother Frank is in a flap (well, he's a pretty calm dude, so a 'flap' might be an overstatement!) because 4 of his teachers have not yet shown up. I'm in a flap (an actual one, sans overstatement) because Nolasco & Power of Attorney and witnesses are nowhere in sight. I make the most of their absence by filling in Bro Frank about what's going down……. I fill him in. he copes (he's clearly seen bigger spakheads than me in his time). There is a little hitch in that Frank already has a meeting booked for 10.30am and this is now the time. I scadaddle out the door and wait a few more to find 3 neatly suited figures heading up the school's driveway. Feeling very spiffy in my mudcaked sneakers, shorts, tshirts and unwashed hair (showers not working - no water).






Eventually we hassle frank out of his original meeting and get him to welcome us into his office. We are 8. Daz, Rob, Me, Weenies, Frank, Paul Lyimo (power of attorney), Paul's wife, and Paul's witness, the bank manager at Twiga bank. We welcome each other and then sit down at which point Frank says "Okay Rebecka, lead". Oh right... I thought girls didn’t get the leading role in Tanzania - bugger! I explain that we have agreement from Father Tom to sell the land for US 25000 (looking at Nolasco to check - thankfully he nods - I later find out he got it that morning) and that we are here to sign contracts. There was a bit of translating happening and at some point the swahili translated to "yeh who cares about this piece of paper that you've duplicated 3 times, where's the money?" "in Australia," says Rebecka. "when can it be in Father Tom's bank account?"
"in two weeks," I say, thinking this is quite a quick little turn around in African terms. Just as I am puffing up my chest, I glimpse their chests falling, falling, crestfallen. I query. Brother Frank translates that apparently today is when the money needs to be handed over. Oh. Right. Brother Frank looks at me as he sees the deal is about to go sour......all I can say is that Frank uses his well honed negotiation skills to SAVE THE DAY ….the chests rise, the teeth gleam, the signatures are written with flourish... and the thank yous begin.




The biggest thank you goes to brother Frank. without his intervening, fws would not be able to say "we have a farm in Aaaaah-frika" but now we can! Anne, fws treasurer, is in the process of transferring funds as we speak. So one block down, and dream-block to go.........

Burying the lead (so I can have lunch in 15 mins)

Okay, I have some very big news. Very big. BUT I'm going to break the number one rule in journalism and bury the leading story. All for a good cause - my tummy! I've 11 minutes of internet time left and two hungry boys begging me to just write about the secondary story so we can have some lunch. So I shall. I'll come back after lunch and fill you in on the topsest story then.

But don't go thinking that this story - number 2 - aint a winner. Cause it is. I've been stressing out for months and months about how to make biodiesel. i've read a bit on the net and it sounds doable, but really i thought it might be pie in the sky stuff (but was still prepared to chuck the four n twenty up!). i read an article last night (handed over by the incredible, giraffed & anthrax-surviving Brother Frank) which talked about a native plant they grow over here. It's called Japhrota and is apparently very easy to grow and very easy to make bio deisel from. It's eco-friendly (dah) and IMPORTANTLY doesnt require the refining that most other bio-deisel crops do. Frank knows a bloke who has a japhrota farm and said he'd get us out there whenever we want (next time, i think due to getting-on-plane-in-a-minute issues we're currently facing). He also wants to introduce us to a lady, Robin, who runs her 4wd on japhrota - apparently she had minor, minor changes to make to the car. So this is terrific news. I'm thinking we start growing this stuff. it's gonna be the next thing over here... cheap, clean... OUr guy in Rotary - mustafa mohamed - even started talking about mid-meeting this mornig. He's quite wealthy and works in real estate and is aranging to grow it on some of his spare blocks as well. okay, lunch time now... and then the news.... the news is nigh...

The perfect land for Kesho Leo Children's Village

I havent been this happy since I met Darren the second time round (the first was in second class and he was pretty cute). WE'VE FOUND THE PERFECT LAND to build Kesho Leo on. It's only 2 acres but sits next to another 2 (which we've already begun putting feelers out for). It's in Sinon, just 1.6km from the "volunteer/office" land we're buying. It sits high up on a hill, has an unobstructed view of Mt Meru and Mt Kili (neither of whcih we've seen becasue rainy season is in full swing here and it is SOGGY and OVERCAST, so our magnificent mountains are hiding under the cloud. Anyway, we can see their bases, so we know they are there and ready to be appreciated from our wonderful block.IT's soil is good for building (not the black cotton soil that abounds) and also farming. It has a gentle slope. It is near a Lutheran church (singing on sundays!) and is a 20min walk to bustling Njiro village. OUr next-door neighbour there owns and works a sun-baked mudbrick quarry. Too good! THe land is surrounded by a seasonal river (sometimes there, sometimes not) and also has 'inferegi' (a tunnel dug along its outskirts that town water is pumped along). It is lush and sits on a hill so you can watch sunrise and sunset. I can't tell you how happy we are with it - it could not be better if we desgined it ourselves. Well, we did - it's basically our "utopia" block that we mapped out jokingly many, many months ago - except its' better!

Access is gonna be a bit tricky in the rain, but we are figuring that's a small price to pay for such a perfect block, in such a perfect location. The starting price is $20,000USD, which is clearly just to make us laugh... WE're aiming to pay about $8000USD and then try and get the two acres next door (different owner) for the same price. WIsh us luck. We are negotiating using wonderful Nolasco, the sinon village elder, who popped up in our Gimme Shelter newsletter not so long ago. he has offered to buy the land for us so we dont ahve to pay a 'white person' price and then we repay him. Bewdiful.... It's a great day for FWS - this is a major, major breakthru for us, so please wish us luck with the next steps as they unfold!

Adventures in Arusha

Luke is getting some mind-blowing photographs. In fact, they're too bloody good to waste on our website! I'm stinking we will not only auction some off at the upcoming Melbourne fundraiser (you know, the one with the fancy-dancing queen Kate Ceberano performing, have we mentioned it?)but that we should host an art exhibition in Sydney with them. They are truly magic - dramatic and evocative. Thankfully - since he risked his life again yesterday to get some of them. He was walking around the villages - up in the dangerous backstreets of Unga Limited (a suburb named after the flour mill organisation that exists there) when a crowd of young kids starting gaining numbers...and telling him how they could sell his camera for a few hundred dollars in town (they have no idea of its actual worth - about $25,000AUD). As they closed in around him, Luke somehow kept his cool, staring the main offender down. He took the shot, smiled at everyone and then, with Mudi at his side, casually walked away. He said the main guy looked at him as if to say "your time will come" but Luke doesnt think he'll be up that way again any time soon.



Daz has started making weird contraptions to measure how compact the soil is (and therefore how well it will hold foundations etc). He had Weenies and I up at the crack of dawn to help him balance a bucket on one end of a rod. The other end? Some 9kg stone with a metal link rope wound around it. Apparently this magnificent module would help him greatly in his work. We've stopped asking questions - and just stand where he says, hold what he says, draw on things when he says. He seems delighted with our progress. Who needs African labour when you've got female apprentices?





Into the lawyer's office this morning to tie up the last of the contract for the land. I say that because I KNOW it is not the last but i'm trying to jinx myself.

I also started the big, heavy ball rolling with regard to FWS becoming a registered NGO in Tz. The document (a Tanzanian version of our Australian GI - yeh the one you can download from our website if you want to know how we operate) was meant to be ready upon my arrival. Ed paid the lawyer $US200 to have it ready about 4 months ago. I called him 8 weeks before flying here to ensure it would be ready. Of course, on my way to his office, i didnt expect it to be ready. that would be dumb. So I wasn't then disappointed when i was told there was a problem and it wasnt ready. I WAS however disappointed (not surprised, just disappointed) to find that the problem was funding. Apparently another $US300 would be needed to print off and bind the TZ version of our GI. Upon hearing this I threw my arms in the air and then brought them down to my face (very theatrical). I told him it was gali sana (extremely expensive) and that I think it would cost me just $10USD in Australia. We worked out that we'd be better off to simply get the soft copy document off the computer and I'd take it home and print & bind it there. Computer wasn't at his office. Computer didnt have email. Computer didnt take CD rom. Computer didnt take floppy disk. Computer didn't take memory stick. Computer needed to be thrown against wall. But it wasn't - thanks only to Luke and Ed. Luke came up with idea of transferring the soft-copy document to the memory card of his computer and Ed knew how to do that... so we've got the document, we've got the document, and to be honest I'm not even sure how the techology that enabled us to get the document works. So i'm going with black magic as the explanation.

Now I have to find 5 tanzanians - respected tanzanians that is - to sign in the next four days. Lucky I've stopped with the panicking because that would be enought to make my heart palpitate if I was that way inclined. (I only decided to stop with the night-time panic attacks last night. I just told myself that really, things are fine and I / we can only do what I/we can do. the end.

We got cow's milk this morning. Omilord, that's enough to keep you happy for life. Sooo creamy and sweet. You'd never drink anything else if you had the choice. We also had Mama Ray (a local african mama) come and cook a traditional meat, tomatoe and potato stew for us. we ate with our fingers (traditon. honest!)and ate ugali (like polenta). we are not supposed to be eating meat or drinking milk - because of the rift valley fever, but we're not that scared of it yet. maybe we should be. Mudi says a few people in Arusha have died. but when I questioned him further, it turned out to be only one person,a nd maybe they died of old age anyway...

I saw the balcony of a building collapse this morning in town... bricks came spewing out across the road and three people barely escaped with their lives. The protective scaffolding crumbled in seconds and has made me commit to avoid walking under these dubious structures ever again. THe dusty storm of building materials stopped everyone in the street for all of three seconds, after which everyone just began talking as if nothing major had happened. And in Arusha, perhaps nothing major had happened. I can barely imagine the furore this would cause if it happened in an Australian city!


We're going out to see the 5 or 9 (not sure) acre block this arvo. Apparently it has dodge soil (black cotton soil - bad as it sinks easily so isnt great to build on - moves and cracks walls) but we want land that is a good size (tick), good area (tick - just down road from Tom's block) and is available for a good price (tick - 3000US per acre. about right!) and that has just one owner (so that we dont get a long lost brother popping up in three years time claiming he owns the land and nobody had any right to sell it to us). Will let you know how we go soon. I'm pretty excited about it. there's ways we can get around the cotton soil problem with construciton, daz assures me. I'm just hoping they dont involve the stone & metal link contraption!

Arrival in Arusha

11th April, and my head is spinning outta control. Trying to get sooo much done... and getting sooo nowhere!!! Well, not true. Getting places but guess what... we're getting there pole pole sana (very slowly).

Am staying in one of our mate frank's volunteer houses. very big. very chafu (dirty)... we got a cleaning lady today, finally! We're trying to have a lady come cook as well because the days have been looooong. Up at 5... home at 7pm. Our local friend, Mudi, has been fantastic, could NOT do this without him. he's been translating ,chasing, directing, organising cabs, dullas dullas, lifts, price checks. fantastic. His wife and baby are gorgeous too.

Daz has been out to the land we are buying and measured up. He got accosted by a young kid with a panga (long grass slashing knife) wanting money but daz shooed him away by standing up and beating his chest like a gorilla (or a daz verison of that anyway). The block is good and just as described/ pictured/ imagined.

Have found weeners! (Edwina, the 5th chick, lost in wilds of Africa) imagine! she was climbing more mountains and freaking everyone out with her pop-up toaster act (don't ask), but she stayed with us last night and is coming again tonight. VERY BIG FUN TO BE IN AFRICA WITH WEENIES again.

Gave donated jumpers to samaritan orphanage. Daz, Luke and I all had trouble holding back the tears. The kids are looked after well but their stories are heartbreaking. Young boy there with a brain injury because his parents tried so hard to kill him when he was born. Okay, tears again now, so shh.

I meet Rotary in an hour and it's just dawned on me that they probably want me to speak at their meeting - aghh! All good though. Also made a time to meet lawyer, Felician, tomorrow so we can draw up contract for the land. Still to see extra 9 acre block and the other 2 acre block.

Rob Watson (architect extraodinaire) gets here on Saturday so we'll have some news to report on that then. Okay, time running out, next update soon...

Two Sleeps To Go

Until the reccy trip that is. The reccy trip which is going to decide how much the Kesho Leo children's village we're buliding in Tanzania, East Africa will cost. We think it will cost $AUD 250,000. If it's any more, I might have to kill myself or something.

We're almost all packed. Darren has 16kgs of personal luggage. I'm not even asking him why. I've 6kgs. We've got to get two 19kg bikes on with us. We've a limit of 30kgs each all up. So you can see who is dragging the chain. Starts with D. Ends with 'azzie Pants'.

Even though we're almost on the plane, it still seems that there is a lot to do. Keep getting last minute 'jobs'...."While you're there..." It's two weeks - two already-jam-packed weeks so no, I dont think I'll be delivering a parcel to your long-lost aunt. (Actually nobody has asked me to do that. Not many Australians have Tanzanian relatives, see). Suffice to say, that in reality, all the jobs I'm being asked to do are reasonable and sensible... and yes, actually need to be done. And this my friend, is wherein layeth the problem! Gimme jobs I can say no to, please!

Anyway, I'm waiting some details for the Rotary guys in Arusha, the nearest town to the village we're building in, and they seem fairly supportive of the Kesho Leo concept already, so that's extremely exciting. Hopefully we'll be able to meet up with them and walk them across our newly purchased land, explaining what's going where (which we'll be making up as we go at that point, because while our architect is travelling with us...well it's not like he'll have designed anything by the time we meet the Rotary guys).

It seems we're going to meet Brother Frank (Aussie who has lived in Tanzania for 12 years, is principal of Edmund Rice Secondary School there, and has been helping us buy land in his village) in Nairobi, Kenya. The plan was for us to meet him in Arusha, Tanzania but he went and got himself bashed up by a giraffe (true... a bus he was travelling in ploughed into a giraffe which was 'behaving eractically because it was being poached' and up Frank's head went, ploughing into the giraffe's proverbial. Or that's what Frank says anyway... He's in Nairobi getting head scans and stuff, so hopefully he'll be cleared, recover well and return to Arusha with us.

Okay, that's it for today. I've still got to buy a zawadi (Kiswahili for 'gift') for the new bebbie of my African friend, Mudi. And, of course, I've got to delegate some jobs to unsuspecting bystanders...

Speak soon,