It is not hard to make decisions when you know what your morals and values are.

Roy Disney

The team woke up for breakfast at 7:30 as usual with a colder weather then the other days, Carlos had a harder time waking up then others but we were all in the team meeting where Edward told us to be more flexible about the activities we had today because of Eid which is the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holiday.

So all of us went to school to find something to do, but then we all realized that there were different reasons why there was no teaching today we decided to do different jobs, Ryan was the only member who got chance to teach, and Eugenio and Eitan went to work in the kitchen while Eric and Mimi got back to filling the tank for the construction of the water tanks of the water project.

Later Carlos realized that he had a living larva inside his foot, so he did his own medical procedure and took it off.

We all had lunch together and then Ryan and Eitan switched jobs with Mimi and Eric, while Carlos and Eugenio went with a nurse of the medical center to check that everything would be all right, and then joined Eric and Mimi in the kitchen.

After all working very hard we came back home for dinner, and Deo a teacher from the secondary school came and talked about the history of Tanzania and his points of view of the political history, after the interesting lecture that we were all pleased we all got ready for bed.

Journal by: Eitan Straisfeld

“No more turning away, from the weak and the weary;

No more turning away from the coldness inside.

Just a world that we all must share,

It’s hard enough just to stand and stare.

Is it only a dream that there’ll be no more turning away.”

- On the Turning Away, Pink Floyd

The group woke up to a chilly yet sun-filled morning in Pommern. We ate breakfast together and listened to Mimi’s account of the group’s acitivites from the day before. Me and Eric went off to help Moses with plastering the wall in the kitchen while the rest of the group got ready for the day’s teaching – Mimi went off to teach a divinity class; Ryan went back to his Form 6 literature students and Garza and Carlos went off to teach math and economics, respectively.

We all met again at 10 for tea time and sat with the various teachers, listening to announcements and enjoying some tea and donuts. Working on the kitchen in the later morning was tiring but we were making good progress: the bricks for the wall had been laid and we had begun to smooth out the surface of the wall with the same concrete we’d used to stick the bricks together. Funny how ‘exposed brick’ is a luxury back home but here it’s probably seen as something less appealing.

At lunch we talked about our various work and classes and Garza and Carlos told us they’d be teaching a Spanish class to some teachers in the afternoon. Edward was a little bit skeptical but Carlos and Garza were really looking forward to it. The work rotation changed a little bit in the afternoon: Mimi and Eric went to go haul water from the clinic to the water tank platform while me and Ryan headed back to the kitchen.

It was a long afternoon, but again: productive. We managed to finish the wall near the entrance and smooth the surface – Moses is a tireless worker and it takes everything we’ve got to keep up with him. But he’s a good and patient teacher – never getting angry at your mistakes, only laughing at the Wazungu. We finished up around 4:30 and walked back to the mission house, satisfied in the knowledge of a hard day’s work.

When we got back we learned that Edward had been stung by a bee and we were invited to have dinner at his house. We all relaxed a little and some of us took much needed showers. It turned out that Carlos and Garza’s Spanish lessons had been a big success and they were planning more lessons in the future.

Edward’s wife (Engera) prepared a great meal for us and they were excellent hosts. Carlos found a laser pen earlier in the day that he’d bought in Europe and Edward thought it was very interesting.

After that Mimi and Eric walked back to the mission house while myself, Ryan, Carlos and Garza went to try some Safari beer. It had been a long day and we all looked forward to the trivial pursuit championships that we had planned as our reward for the day’s endeavours. Another educational and enjoyable day in the heart of Tanzania.

Journal by: Mimi Gendreau

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

We started out with breakfast and getting ready for the morning. Eric went with Moses to work on the water project air valve construction. Ryan, Eitan, Carlos, Garza and I walked down to the Secondary School for teaching assignments. Ryan, Eitan and I had assignments in English and Garza in Biology. Carlos started in the carpentry workshop and met many other students during his work. We returned for lunch and everyone exchanged comments about their morning assignments. Then we all went down to the kitchen area to work. Eric and I moved sand to a better position with the help of students. This was a good opportunity to meet students and exchange some information about each other. Eitan, Carlos, Garza and Ryan worked in the kitchen helping to finish the wall with Moses. They also met with students who assisted.

After our construction work, everyone returned to recoup before our meeting with a guest and dinner. I sat out on the front porch reading and saw two teams of oxen pulling wagons walking past the Mission House. What may seem like an outdated mode of transportation in our country is very much in use here in Pommern where a truck and fossil fuel energy is too expensive for the average subsistence farmer. People work very hard in Pommern where motorized transportation and mechanized tools are not easily accessible to the local farmers. I then watched Eitan and a small boy playing soccer with a “ball” made of plastic bags tied together in a bundle. The little boy was so enjoying the game with his makeshift ball showing his wonderful smile. I also noticed how much and quickly we Global Volunteers influence the young children in Pommern because the little boy started using the same expressions that Eitan used in describing plays- “Nice!” It struck me that this little boy was so happy and carefree with a makeshift ball and so often our children at home are not happy even when they have so many manufactured new toys. This is just one of the important values that we can learn and bring home from Pommern.

Our guest for the evening was Barnabas who is a district coordinator of the primary school. He discussed the education system in Tanzania. We asked him many questions about the curriculum, uniforms, teaching in English and the challenges of education in Tanzania. He also asked many questions about each of our countries’ educational systems and other challenging issues. It was a very interesting discussion particularly because we have an international team allowing a discussion about 4 different countries: Tanzania, Mexico, USA and Canada. We may have a consensus that Canada has very few problems which is why everyone is so nice in Canada and we should consider moving there! J

We had another great dinner by Mama Tony and our nightly meeting with Edward. Everyone reported on their day and all expressed that they were pleased with their work and experiences. Another wonderful day in Pommern!

Journal by: Eric Noyes

All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on. Henry Ellis

Having finished our first week together and working in and around the community of Pommern, we had our first weekend. Saturday morning after breakfast Carlos, Garza, Ryan and Eitan went with Mohamed and Edward in the Jeep to Iringa for the day to buy more provisions and to do some personal shopping. Mimi and Eric remained at the Mission House to explore some of the area. They visited the Roman Catholic church and met two Italian people from Florence who were part of a service organization from Sicily and staying at the Catholic church for two months. Saturday they were joining many local people boarding the back of a big truck to ride to another village for a wedding. Eric and Mimi continued walking along minor roads and trails, eventually returning to the main road south of the main village and walking back to the Mission House after about three hours. Along the way they met friendly adults, excited children, and a friend from their visit three years ago.

After a quiet afternoon reading and napping, they welcomed the Iringa shoppers back at about 4:30 PM and heard about their trip. Unfortunately the trip included encountering the aftermath of a motorcycle accident in which the rider died, which saddened everyone after their otherwise most excellent Iringa trip. At 5:00 PM Eric and Mimi accompanied Edward to a meeting of the Water Project Task Force at the church. They spoke briefly to thank everyone for their generosity and welcoming spirit, and for their hard work to move the Project towards completion. They gave the Task Force a “Friendship Book” album filled with messages of encouragement from Water Project supporters back home to the teachers, students and community members. The Task Force at this point anticipates the Project will be finished in late November 2011.

On Sunday we all went to the Lutheran church service next to the Mission House. The congregation’s voices were beautiful as they sang several hymns during the service. We were invited up to the front of the church to introduce ourselves and were warmly welcomed as we tried our almost nonexistent Kiswahili knowledge. After lunch we went to a monthly village market where people were buying and selling all sorts of things – clothes, shoes, pots and pans, small useful things, onions, “maandasi” (fried corn flour dumplings, like donuts) and other street food. Before dinner Mimi and Eric joined the regular Trivial Pursuit tournament. Eric and Garza were happy to assist Ryan to increase his losing streak! The day concluded with some good discussion on upcoming assignments for our volunteer work as we prepare for new challenges this week.

Journal by: Carlos Alvarez

“Happiness is only real when shared.” Alexander Supertramp

We woke up early as usual, it was a chilly morning and the warming sun was slowly coming up. We had an energizing breakfast before our corresponding duties. Eric, Mimi, and Ryan where going to the secondary school like the day before and Eitan, Eugenio and Carlos where going to work in the new kitchen with Moses. We had a brief meeting and those who where going to the lessons parted with Edward and the kitchen boys with Moses. Eric and Mimi went to second form, where Eric used his skills and talents to involve those shy students to participate and talk out loud in front of his classmates. Ryan, the now appointed teacher of his class, taught them some music and even got some of the students to sing, while the substituted teacher laid back and enjoyed his lucky break.

Meanwhile, Moses minions, did as they were told, feeling naïve towards the mixing of cement, brick placing, and the difficult art of plastering. After a couple of hours at work, we all went to the teachers meeting, where we had the traditional doughnuts and tea. Few announcements were shared and it was a short meeting, so we finished our respective drinks and headed off to our previous assignments. The morning chores tired us out, so we headed back to the house to have the ever delicious lunch prepared by MamaTony. Everyone was very quiet during meal time, as hunger was definitely our priority.

After lunch the two full of energy younglings went for a two and a half hour nap while the others went to finish the kitchen work. The four elders were doing all the hard work while the youngsters enjoyed their soft pillow. At around four o’clock we waited for Edward as he was taking us to the football field where the much expected match between Pommern against an adjacent village was going to be held. We took the short walk to the field where we saw a good amount of students waiting eagerly on the sidelines for the match to start.

Eugenio and Carlos, who where going to play for Pommern’s team, went with their fellow teammates to settle their positions and the game strategy. Eric, Mimi, Eitan and Ryan went to the sideline bench as they waited for the kickoff. Finally the referee called both teams onto the field, they formed a straight line and started running towards the middle of the field. The green Pommern soldiers lined up next to their red opponents. The whistle blew, and it was game time. It was a very close first half, but Pommern got a penalty and managed to jump ahead one nil. Eugenio was substituted by Edward, our team leader, who swore only to play 15 minutes and gave all he had in him. Haran, the second headmaster also went in, and was named MVP after a very satirical chant and dance around the ball. Unfortunately the opposing team managed to score once, and in the last and remaining five minutes they scored the winning goal. It was an excellent football match, and as good sportsmen every player shook hands with his teammates as well as his opponents. Carlos and Eugenio where exhausted and had red clay coming out of their ears by the end of the match, so they took a shower before meeting the others for supper.

Pastor Saga and his wife joined us for dinner, and even though we were all very tired, we used up our fifth wind to concentrate on the so interesting topics Pastor Saga was more than open to share with us. After a very productive and long day, we were thankful that the upcoming days were the highly anticipated weekend.

Journal by: Mimi Gendreau

“Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received- only what you have given; a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.” ~ St. Francis of Assisi

Another beautiful morning in Pommern. The team met for breakfast and our morning meeting as usual. Edward delivered sad news that a senior member of the community had died the night before and the funeral would be held this afternoon. Everyone in the community will go to the burial to support the family and so will us Global Volunteers. When events like funerals occur everyone stops their regular work schedules to attend and so will we.

In the morning, we all went to our assigned duties; Eitan, Garza, and Carlos went to work at the water project platform construction site to move rocks for the 2 men working. Eric, Ryan and I went to the Secondary School for teaching. Ryan was assigned to English class. Eric and I went with Haran Ngede, the Second Headmaster, to teach a history review. After we returned for lunch, we all reported our experiences with our assignments.

After lunch, we walked to the cemetery where the burial will take place. A short time after our arrival at the cemetery, several trucks drove up with the coffin and the members of the community came walking into the cemetery. All gathered around the grave site. The women were sitting on other grave stones and the men were standing. The coffin was presented and placed into the hand dug grave of approximately 8 feet. Then the priest for the community’s Roman Catholic Church began praying over the grave with periodic responses from the community members. He then stepped aside and all the men took turns filling in the grave with dirt. They rotated so that many men participated while the choir sang several beautiful hymns with an Eastern African rhythm. Thereafter, the priest said some final prayers, sprinkled holy water over the grave and placed a large cross on the grave. The priest left the gathering and members of the community commented on the deceased man’s life. The service ended and everyone walked back to the village. Several members stayed assisting the new widow with her grief.

This was a moving experience for us to participate in as visitors. The attendance by the many community members shows the support and interdependence of the entire community. This ended the afternoon leaving us with lots to think about and ponder.

Journal by: Eugenio Garza

Vivire militare est (To live is to fight)

-lucio aneo Seneca

Our group woke up this morning very exited because finally we where going to see the water project that had been so mentioned for the past days, especially Mimi and Eric worked raising the money so that this dream for Pommern citizens could become true.

We got ready as soon as we could wearing comfortable shoes and clothes, carrying our water bottles and everything we needed. Eitan got a little bit too exited with the pacing.

We left the Global Volunteers house at around 8:30 and we hopped into the luxurious and comfortable 1^st class seats of Mohamed’s truck.

Before we arrived you could see that everyone was anxious to get there, and it never crossed our minds the long and adventurous journey that we had ahead, we even lost a fellow member in the way (Ryan) but we will get to that soon.

When we arrived we met Gallus the technician who was in charge of doing the project, and he was very kind in explaining to us how it worked and how he contracted everything.

It pumps 4 liters of water per second and it will be enough water to sustain the school and other members of the community. It was very interesting to know.

So off we went to our hiking trip and at first it was very easy, but it started getting complicated. The views where fantastic.

We where all impressed that Mimi and Erick are the fittest members of the team.

After a while we came across some agricultural planting and the workers, we all appreciated the beautiful landscapes that we come across

Half way to our destination we saw Mohamed , Ryan went with him because his leg was giving him trouble.

And finally after going up and down again and again we where all exhausted except Carlos who used his spiderman abilities .

We finished where the water tanks are going to be and we where all very impressed by the ditch’s longitude.

When we got back home we all rested, had lunch and took a nap, but it wasn't long until the kids from the village came and asked to play soccer.

So Carlos, Ryan and Eugenio got ready to play with them.

After we where all exhausted we finished and we came back for a nice shower rest and dinner. We had a group meeting where we got to the conclusion that Carlos and Eugenio can not seat together and neither can Mimi and Erick.

We finally got our assigned work for tomorrow and finally the night came along and play with Ryan’s iPad took off to bed.