A Whole New World
If there was a competition for the longest travel time, my Brazilian colleague won since she had to spend the night in Dar a Salam before taking the last leg of her trip to Kilimanjaro (JRO) airport. I came in second with my 33 + 2 hours (had to wait 2hrs for the next batch of colleagues arriving to Tanzania). All was good, we managed to fit seven passengers with their luggage into one minivan — it was the first opportunity for half the Pamoja Team to meet in person and get cozy in the minivan for a 2hr drive from the JRO to Arusha.
The City
Our little packed minivan made its way to our hotel in Arusha passing through fields of sunflowers and corn fields with the majestic backdrop of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru. As we approached the sprawling city of Arusha I was reminded of third world images seen in Bangalore, Bali, and Panama — sadness and hope filled my heart.
The Team
“3 Germans, 2 Americans, 2 Indians, 1 Brazilian, 1 Belgium, 1 Hungarian, 1 Romanian, and 1 Chinese walk into a hotel in Tanzania…” Sounds like the makings of a joke, but on the contrary it is the beginning of a new network of friends bonded by their ties to SAP and their commitment and passion to making a difference. For many of us this is the first time we visit the African continent.
We spent our first day, Sunday, together getting to know each other. Pyxera Global planned a full day of team activities where we shared info about ourselves — personal as well as workstyles, as well as more about our projects and logistics for living and working in Tanzania for the next 4 weeks. Amazingly, after just four days, the team of 12 whom had never met before is now a tight nit group of friends and colleagues working and sharing personal experiences.
The Food
Our local Pyxera Global host, Ruth, has been doing a wonderful job of introducing us to the Tanzanian way. We had a classic Tanzanian BBQ the first day with chicken, beef, fish, and goat! Accompanied with potatoes and ugali (the Tanzania version of polenta). On the second night we were treated to a Maasai experience with an amazing spread of Maasai traditional dishes. The highlight of the evening was a beautiful dance storytelling performance from local Maasai and the funny attempts of our Pamoja team joining in the dance.
Arusha is a tourist destination and our hotel has access to various food options within walking distance. Our team of 12 represents eight different nationalities; so, with all this diversity we are bound to find something different to eat every day! Ethiopian, Chinese, and Italian (well, if you can count pizza) checked off the list.
The Clients
We are working with four different fantastic organizations. A team of three working on a marketing plan for a conservation group (Honeyguide). A another team working on marketing/branding for a small social entrepreneur (AWE) that is empowering women with locally produced natural peanut butter; a team working on many areas including organization development for growth, and financial sustainability for an organization focused on youth (Vision for Youth); and our team working with on a 10 year financial plan and a financial sustainability plan for the Pastoral Women’s Council who is focused on addressing the marginalization of Maasai women.
We’ve learned, experienced, and lived so much in the past four days. Looking forward to the next 25!
