Saying Goodbye to Arusha: Part II - Amani & Whisperers of the Jungle

Our last week in Arusha, Nate had Tuesday off from work because Dr. Kibera (Arusha's only orthopedic surgeon) was out of town. So, Nate and  I took a day trip to Moshi for one last visit to Amani Children's Home (where he worked for 6 months in 2007). When we arrived, Nate immediately recognized the guard, Petro. We didn't see him the first time we visited (Easter weekend), but Nate had told me about him. He likes to run in all kinds of races and is apparently really fast. More than that though, Nate has told me that he loves the kids at Amani and is one of those people who is just always happy. Petro recognized Nate too and was so excited to catch up with him. We met a few other Amani staff that day that Nate worked with in 2007 but weren't there on our Easter weekend trip. They were all so happy to see Nate and were so welcoming to me. One of the teachers - Mama Maro - screamed in excitement when she saw Nate and referred to me as her daughter-in law :) And I met Rovina, the nurse on-site - Nate worked with Rovina a lot in 2007...Amani even has a program where they bring medicine to the children who still live on the street. We met the new director (Meinardt) and some others. We reconnected with Laura and others we had seen the first time.

Fortunately, the kids had really just finished up with their school year, so they were playing most of the day. We got to eat lunch again (ugali and beans) at Amani and then play for a few hours with them before we had to return back to Arusha. I was bummed because Switi wasn't there. She was the 10-year old girl that didn't leave my side the first time we visited Amani (see picture below). They explained she was on her first home visit. Amani's goal (besides rescuing street children) is to reunite them with their families in a loving home. In order to ensure that there is a safe home for the child, Amani's social workers take multiple visits with the children to their home (or relative's home) to meet with parents/relatives. So, I was bummed not to see Switi, but I was so glad that she was able to take a visit home. Just as we were about to leave, I saw Switi (who had just returned) down the hall. She saw me and ran into my arms. I was so grateful to see her one last time, even if it was just for a few minutes. I was sad to leave Amani, but I am so thankful for that center and the way it has affected Nate and myself since 2007. We can attest that their work is good (we've seen it in action), so if anyone is interested in this organization, let us know!

We had to leave Amani/Moshi in order to get back to Arusha by 6pm. We barely made it in time, but we got home just in time to be picked up by Ken and Xela (pronounced "Shay-la"). I don't think I've mentioned Ken yet, but he's from South Dakota. He (and sometimes his wife) have been visiting Arusha on and off for the last 12 years. He owns a bank in a small town in South Dakota, is a paramedic, is currently finishing a nursing degree, and has a long, gray pony-tail. He and his wife Sally (who had already returned back to the States by this point) are quite amazing, as are most of the people we met in Arusha. He picked us up that day with Xela, a new physical therapy student in town, to take us all to an orphanage his friend runs called Whisperers of the Jungle. Earlier, Ken found out Nate had unsuccessfully been looking for Makande (a traditional Tanzanian dish that is really only served in homes, not restaurants), so he bought beans and corn for the orphanage. The girls at the orphanage made us Makande and invited us for dinner that night. We found out that the guy who started and runs the orphanage is a local Tanzanian who we've met at church.

When we showed up, they gave us a tour of the facility (basically a small home that 20 or so live in). It was very small for that many people, but that's kind of how things are in most of Tanzania. Dinner was almost ready when we got there, but I got the opportunity to help grind peanuts:

Of course, when we found out peanuts were in the dish, I looked at Nate. Any of you who know Nate know that he hates peanut butter (who knows why), which essentially was what we were making. Of course, we didn't say anything because we were just grateful to have been invited to dinner from the girls. Nate was such a good sport! Apparently, Makande is made differently depending on what region you are in. Once dinner was ready, we sat down. They served us like kings and queens, which was honoring and humbling. Who were we that they served us so? Cipha (the founder and caretaker) told us stories of some of the girls. The orphanage had about 14 girls and 4 or so boys. One story he told was of a girl named Rebecca (the first and only Tanzanian Rebecca I'd met). It was heart breaking. I won't go into the details, but she lost her father and sister in one week. Her mother couldn't afford to support her, so thankfully she ended up at the orphanage where she gets excellent care and education instead of on the streets! We ate, talked, and enjoyed each others company for a while. I had made some oatmeal raisin cookies for the kids, so I passed them around. They had never had an American-style cookie before, so they were intrigued and were trying to guess all the ingredients/how I made them. It was quite comical. We left, and even though we only spent a few hours there, I felt a connection to these young women and the few boys there. I was sad that I hadn't discovered this orphanage earlier in our time in Arusha. There is always next time! Sorry I don't have more pictures for you!