17/02/14 - Last day in community and farewell house party........

Today was my final day in the community, I planned and paid for a party at my host home and invited my friends from the community, colleges from KAVIPE and some family friends. I paid for someone to cook for us so that the house helpers could have a break and also enjoy the party. I also bought Fish, Chicken and Meat and everything to go with it for 20+ people.

During the day i had my hair braided by our neighbour - it really hurt having it done but glad i did before leaving.

Chairs arriving for the party on the back of a PikiPiki: 

Rasheed Sweeping in prep for putting the chairs out:

The lovely lady who did all the cooking and joined us for the party also:

Our Cow looking very displeased that she didn't received an invite to the party:

Host Mummy preparing Mataoke (host Daddy overseeing the work)

Hair brading (i DON'T look impressed)

My friend getting done up in all my African materials:

Sanne making friends with Mkiale, Edita, Anita, Denisa

All dressed up:

The Dutch Girls: 

Fairy Lights: 

Host Daddy making his speech: 

Me trying to hold the tears whist Miki Daddy made his goodbye speech: 

Giving Daudi his gifts and thanking him for all his help: 

Mkaile's gift: 

Goodbye gifts and thank you:

Tearful goodbyes with my host mummy: 

Cuddles with Daflosa:

 

Me, Mkaile and Daflosa: 

FOOD!!!! 

 

 

Presents:

Friendships bracelets i bought for me and Mkaile:

The final photo with my family before saying goodbye:

16/02/14 - Goodbye meal

To say Thank you and Goodbye to my hos family i took my Host Mummy, Host Daddy and Mkiale for dinner in Bukoba. I decided to take them to the Victorious Perch Hotel as it is famous locally for its Talapia.
We set off in the morning (after having a family picture by the car, below), Everyone made an extra effort and got dressed up and Mkiale in particular was super excited for the chance to get out the community and the anticipation of drinking Soda gave her the biggest smile I've seen her have!
We arrived in Bukoba and did a bit a shopping, went for soda at a hotel where some of my friends were swimming and then headed for our food. We all had fish and sodas:

(From left to right: Host mummy) Mkaile, Daudi, me and Host Daddy (infront) Daflosa.

Me n Mkaile on route in the car

Sodas

Dutch mates and Jody

Hmm what to have??

Me, Host Mummy and Host Daddy

Yummy - Roast Talapia

After we finished our meal we headed down to the beach to a spot which has strong enough mobile internet connection to Skype and i Skype'd my family in the UK - was fantastic to be able to introduce my host family to my family back home. It was also really exciting as i was able to surprise my nieces and tell them that i was going to be coming home early and would see them within a week:

Skype video with my nieces:

Harvest......

I spent the whole day yesterday with my host mummy harvesting the maize so it can be milled for making ugali. My family grow all their own maize and yesterday we started harvesting the crop which should last the family for the whole year. We sat outside with the elderly neighbour who was helping in return for some lunch. Her name is Jola and due to her 'old' she is becoming a little senile. She kept chattering on to me in Kihaya and didn't seem to mind at all that I couldn't understand a word she was saying. My host mummy translated some and the general concept was that she was in love with me. I also took out my mummy's hair extensions and she was very impressed with my skills. I am really going to miss simple days like this where hours can pass just doing one task and there being no rush to complete it.

This morning I got up early to see the sunrise, it was truly beautiful and a moment I am going to cherish.

Sunrise in my garden:

Today I am taking my host mummy, host daddy and Mkiale out to Bukoba for a meal. I'm taking them to a place called victorious perch which is famous with the locals for its fresh lake fish. We are all dressed up and excited. Also planning to Skype with my family in the uk so that both families can be introduced! I'm so excited for this!

Corn harvest and fixing mamas hair:

I love this picture:

Jola showing how to harvest corn -

Rasheed contemplating how much there still is to do:

That's a 'Lorra' corn!

The only muzungu in the village

The past days since volunteers left have felt really strange. The first and second day I didn't really notice as I was home in bed sick. Not the first clue what was wrong with me but I had body aches, fever, headache, upset stomach and nausea. For the first day I couldn't move as I my energy was completely zapped. After about 10 hours of lying around and drifting in and out of sleep I finally decided to go see a doctor. All my test came back clear and the doctor advised I'd either picked up a bug or eaten something dodgy. He prescribed some medicine and that night I slept solidly for 12-13 hours, the next day was much the same, lying on my couch although I did manage to eat something. 

By Saturday I was feeling much better and the 2 youngest sons of my host family arrived to stay with us. They're both really lovely and also speaking English really well so was glad I was on the mend in time for their arrival. 

It has been really weird being the only remaining foreigner in the village. I'm getting much more attention than usual and can't help but keep looking out for my volunteers. I'm sure I'll settle again though, probably just in time for the next bunch to arrive!

Today I travelled with my host mum and host brother to do the family visits. We visited both granny's again and it felt good to be able to communicate more this time as my Swahili and Kihaya are coming along now. We also visited to the home where my host mummy grew up and she was able to pay her respects at her fathers grave. I swear I have met and greater more than 50 family members today. My host mummy has 25 younger siblings and reckon I've not even met a quarter of them yet, then you have to consider their wife's, husbands, children and in laws! Biiiig family.

The highlight of the day by far was being in a really remote village with very simple traditional houses then being taken to a relatives in the same village whose house looked like the Barbie mansion! Baby pink, chandlers, flat screen tvs, gated entrance:

The road from Kamachumu is closed again so to pass to anywhere from here requires top gear-esque off roading (which I am growing to despise!) funny story tonight though as some of my friends came to Kamachumu to visit for the day and just received this text about their taxi ride home:

 Wow that was an interesting journey home!!! We had to get out and push and of course I fell in the mud!! 

Tomorrow I need start on the reports for this cycle, should keep me busy for a fare few days...... Pole mimi (feeling sorry for myself!) 

End of an era......

So that's it, first cycle complete, aside the reports that need writing. 

Volunteers left early this morning and there were many tears all round, including my own. 

All the uk volunteers and my counterpart have now travelled to mwanza where they will catch their return flight. I was really disappointed I hadn't been chosen to escort them but now I'm relieved as I've fallen Ill this morning and not been able to move for more than 12 hours : ( Think I must have eaten something dodgy.

Here's a pic of me and the vols after their last ever day In KAVIPE:

Braided one of the vols hair as a leaving present:

This morning at 6.30am saying a final farewell: