MOVED IN ,OUT OF THE SUITCASES, AND EXPERIENCED AN EARTHQUAKE NEARBY
Thought I’d post early this week so you know all is well as we felt the 5.7 earthquake (Temeko) Saturday afternoon but no damage in Mwanza.
The epicenter was about 15 miles east of Nsunga on the western shore of Lake Victoria and near the town of Bukoba (100,000)which had the deaths and most damage. At least 14 people were killed, around 253 injured, and 840 buildings destroyed. The main hospital was stretched to nearly full capacity and had limited stocks of medicine.
The quake made itself known to us first by a sound which resembled an oncoming train going through the neighborhood (there are no tracks) before some slight shaking followed by light aftershocks. I was on the first floor of my house. My neighborhood just acted as though nothing happened. We are on an Mwanza expate facebook group which was our first news of where the quake was.Thankful all was well at the multi-level hospital 2 blocks away or might have had to report for work without first having orientation.
Earthquakes are fairly common in Tanzania but major earthquakes are rare. Tanzania is less prone to earthquakes in the east and more prone to tremors in the west. An expert from the Geological Survey of Tanzania, said it was one of the most intensive earthquakes ever experienced in the country so though much damage it would have been much worse in Mwanza the second largest city in Tanzania. Two major geological faults run parallel from north to south in Tanzania, forming the country’s major earthquake- prone belts with one running from Mount Kilimanjaro to Dodoma via Arusha and the other from Kigoma to Mbeya. Both geological faults are part of the East African Rift Valley system that is a zone of 50–60 km wide with active volcanoes. A professor from Purdue University is doing research on volcanoes here so that tuition for the Earthquakes and Volcano science class Aaron took I am sure helped pay that faculty’s salary.
https://www.rt.com/news/358912-earthquake-tanzania-deaths-destruction/
My house
So I will tell you a little about my house that is still standing. They are called the chicken coops not because they used to be coops but because the windows look like those small windows in coops at the top of the one story houses made of brick. They are located near the hospital and college so easy to walk to which is good since I will not ever drive while here. That’s another story.
The chicken coops are up on a hill from town where the shops and the market are so unless I take a cab I am getting good exercise and have already lost some weight while here. I hope it cools down as that would make the walk better. The residents of my housing complex are faculty and staff at the college and Bugando Medical Center.
Outside
Just can’t get away from raking leaves for a year. I worked outside two morning at 7 AM on my first outdoor project of raking leaves around the house. So maybe this is winter and the leaves fell during fall before we arrived??? I got maybe a third of them and trash picked up. There is no garbage pickup or recycling here so there is a pit where you throw trash and they burn it. So I’m going to rake them into the pit and cover the cans.
Then maybe will try some planting of the seeds I brought. Also it just cleans up the neighborhood inside the fence and if there are snakes at least I can see them. Have seen 2 one inch lizards inside the house but they will not be my pets. I’m waging war on the ants and lizards.
Met one of the moms in a neighbor house whose husband works at Bugando and is the manager of the 33 homes. She saw me cleaning the yard then later as we were walking to town I saw her little toddler coming up the hill towards us so we stopped and talked for a while in English/Swahili. I asked about her garden and she offered me some seeds. Then early the next morning as I was raking again her 3 girls came up and wanted to help rake. Like all kids it is more fun to play with someone else’s broken rake than work at home. So the 11 year old said she would help teach me Swahili if I helped her with her English. She doesn’t know she is up for a real challenge. So am glad I’m here where there are people and families though there are some not so good things too. Will see how the seeds I brought grow here if I ever get the soil dug up. At least there won’t be rabbits that eat all my plants like at home.
The neighborhood
One reason to do my outside work early is that behind my house on the other side of the fence is a questionable neighborhood. So I don’t want to draw attention to myself any more than I have to and figure those up at 6–7 AM are not the trouble makers. Is it a safe neighborhood? Probably in Tanzanian big city sense as it is fenced with two gates they lock at night. There is a security guard on duty during the day, Jackson, who often sits outside my house in the shade under a tree which is towards the back of the compound of 33 coop homes. So that makes me feel somewhat safe. A few days ago we thought we’d explore the road behind my house and we made the decision that we would not take that road again!!!Jackson doesn’t speak English but he is friendly and we can use hand signals til I learn more Swahili and our mamma Grace also translates for us. He keeps telling me about cleaning up the area and burning in the pit. I am not sure I want to start a fire there and see what the fire department is like if it gets out of control. He was nice enough to help get the bolt lock that had no key we could find off of the gas tank for the stove. So without cutting the lock he got it off:)
So do I feel safe? When you have to always lock the doors while you are inside working during the day, and then at night physically lock 5 doors, 4 bolts and two padlocks as well as I have bars on the windows; it just doesn’t feel the same as leaving my house unlocked during the day in Illinois with the doors and windows open. I just tell myself if I were in NYC I would have to change my habits for safety as well. Most of the keys we have seen here are the old school type which makes me laugh as I see so many like this used at craft shows.
I am trying to get used to city noises that don’t seem to stop except for in the middle of the night. It’s not the barking dog or crying child as much as the music and people talking all around on the road behind my house past the fence that takes getting used to. In the evening I can’t tell if it is a mix of the Mosque prayers, the Assembly of God church singing and preaching not far away that changes to dancing and bar music or just noise in general that I’m learning to tune out as well as use ear plugs when I go to sleep. In the states we could complain to the police and even though I have the chiefs phone number I don’t think it would help to call him.
Net ready to go over the bed and solar blow up light on the bed
Inside
So the first day my shower drain was clogged and the shower and toilet and sink are all in the same area but I got that fixed easily with some draino type product. I do have hot water after a month of on and off cold/hot water showers and sometimes just bucket baths when we were in training. I also am happy I have a western toilet. But no washing machine, dryer, dishwasher and two buckets with a filter that after boiling the water I run it through for drinking. But after a while it is the small things you appreciate.
So when our boss left I had a table and chairs that I would need to put together and no screw drive as its somewhere in my packed items but who knows where. I still did not have a fridge but had some price ranges for used small fridges we had looked at. So I had to give our house mama Grace money and she went and found one I had looked at and she bargained better for it and got it delivered. Then the next day it did not freeze or cool so she had to get them to come look at it. It worked for a day then quit over the weekend when she was not around. They found it was the fan not moving so got that fixed but it has been off and on all week. Thankfully I was able to share the fridge next door as Bekah is staying next door where Deb’s house is while her apartment is being renovated. Then there was the stove that worked while my boss was here but quit after I cooked one meal. But with the help of Jackson the security guard and mamma Grace again who knew where to get the new tank and brought someone to install it all is finally working. Then I got the table and chairs together but needed a long handled screw driver to secure the tops. Once again Grace came to the rescue.
I could have had an apartment where senior faculty and doctors live and has a bit of a view of the lake but it is farther up the hill, on the 2nd floor and needed a lot of work done with decorating decisions. Bekah said she was good to take the smaller one bedroom and wait another week for permanent housing that she could do some decorating. I’m glad not to have those decisions plus I like the family units.
My house is on the ground level so I can put some plants and garden in outside. Other nurse faculty from the program have lived in my place so other than a table and the fridge it had all the other furniture and living things I pretty much need. The color scheme is tan/yellow except for a purple wall in the kitchen which I might change if I get motivated. The tile is nice throughout and there are two bedrooms upstairs in a loft like place if I have company anytime. I also found a fly rod someone left behind so have that ready for Aaron when they come.
All of our housing has to be approved by Peace Corps Security so I’ll have a visit from Joel sometime this month once we all are moved in. Thus all the locks, window bars and padlocks. Joel also texted us a few hours after the earthquake to make sure we were ok so they do check up on us. It was also nice that my translator teacher called to see how I was after hearing about the earthquake. The housing has to have screens that keep the mosquitoes out as well as I have to use a mosquito net over my bed every night and the locks. It’s becoming a habit. I have not noticed many mosquitoes here but then I am not outside once it gets dark. No air conditioning but other than a little warm in the late afternoon which a fan takes care of it is not bad so far. No TV so have to get on the computer, play music, or read for entertainment which is not that much of a habit change for me. I do miss the news on TV.
Having Grace do some of my normal shopping, cooking, cleaning and laundry seems very different as it’s just a normal habit after many years to clean up after yourself and I enjoy some cooking and the taste of my own food? But eventually I will show her my food blog pictures and my Tanzanian favorites and see if she can cook these and teach me some new dishes. We have also heard she makes a good pizza but I need to get a pizza pan.
Appreciating the little things
We have heard that security guards make very little here but it is a job. Then the cab drivers we use try and help us learn Swahili. Then a neighbor offered seeds to plant. In talking to Grace about her raising 4 children alone and her trust in God, she became teary. I must say without the Jackson and Grace I would have felt very alone in a new place having to negotiate all the house issues along with getting food from the market and store. When you move in the U.S. you can at least google places and get yelp reviews. Here not quite so easy especially with no Swahili ability and a market I don’t think I will ever navigate well.
I was humbled by how much the little and simple things mean that others who have much less do for you when you are new that are appreciated and instill a desire to work hard and find a way to give back. It is a reminder that if a new neighbor moves in or you meet someone new at church or work how you should step up and give them numbers to call if they need something and go out of your way to make their transition easier. I’m also reminded again of the good in people whether rich or poor and am allowing trust to build in relationships here.
