Day One Under a Tin Roof!

Although I feel called to Tanzania and I have lived here for over five years I have never Slept in a house with no electricity and no running water. I have never shared a bed with 3 other people and I have never washed dishes at 6:30 in the morning while squatting down because there are no chairs.

Yesterday I was welcomed into the home of Monika Lewanga, one of the Shining a Light students and was able to finally, after all these years witness first hand the every day life of a Tanzanian woman.

The pictures shown here are what greeted me as I approached her home. I wasn't prepared for all the green lush property that Monika inherited from her family. Her neighbors are her brothers and sisters that all live in harmony and care for each other and each other's children.  Our first task arriving home is getting dinner prepared. Although we start this job at 5:00pm because of the lack of a kitchen, running water and ample counter space our meal will not be ready until 8:00 or 9:00 that night.  We purchase local beef, veggies and charcoal to start the preparations.  After walking through the village gathering all  the ingredients we begin chopping wood to boil water for the kid's bath (she has five children ages 3 thru 18).  After the water is prepared we begin to clean the vegetables and cutting them. As I said there is no kitchen, no counter space and no cutting board. We cut these vegetables with a knife squatting down, hovering over the pot. The sun begins to go down at 6:30 so we move everything into the house. There is a portable stove that uses kerosene and a portable stove that uses charcoal. These are both moved inside to cook the beef and vegetables in a stew and to start preparing the ugali. Ugali is a Tanzanian staple made with corn flour that they make into a porridge in the morning and drink and at night they prepare so that is stiffens into what they call a stiff porridge. The porridge is scooped on to your plate and does not have much taste. The taste comes after you break off a chunk, roll it into a ball in your palm and dip it in your beef/vegetable stew, taking on that flavor while also filling your belly.

After dinner it is now 9:00pm. I have sat with all the children alternating back and forth from the sitting room to the make shift kitchen slash bedroom to help cook. Where we have brought the portable stoves inside to finish making the food under the light of kerosene lamps is also two beds, piles of dishes and kitchen ware, boxes of clothing and any other item the family needs to store. In the sitting room are Monika's 3 youngest children plus about 3 or 4 more cousins from next door. We sing songs and have a snorting contest, yep, a sorting contest which makes them all break out in hysterical laughter. Those children all stay for dinner. Monika has barely enough to feed her family but no one will go hungry at her home. I imagine that when her children visit their aunts and uncles next door they get a hot meal too.  No matter what is available there is always enough for one more.

After dinner it's time for bed. There is no TV or any other form of entertainment (well maybe me this week) so we all pile into the few beds that are around.  I crawl in bed with Elisha the 3 year old , Vincent the 10 year old and Monika herself and within minutes a soft snoring takes over the small house.



This morning we wake at 6:30. Everyone is busy dressing and brushing their teeth. I help wash the dishes from last night's dinner that we will use later on tonight. Tea with loads of sugar and a small donut called mandazi is served and then everyone departs for school or work.

This experience is way outside of my box for those of you who know me. I was pleasantly surprised by the warmth and welcome I received, by the hospitality of those with nothing and by the comfort of a mud hut, lumpy mattress and dirt floors. I look forward to the remainder of the week with Monika's family.