Buckets, Floods and Masks

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Tanzania is now increasing more rapidly. Most are in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar but there are also more confirmed cases in Mwanza. We say "confirmed cases" as testing is very limited and therefore real numbers of cases will be significantly more than confirmed case numbers. International flights are now stopped, schools remain closed, there are talks of a lockdown in Dar es Salaam, but apart from some individual districts with significant restrictions, there is nothing nationally. As for the rest of the world, it is a worrying time for Tanzanians.

We are still busy as a team doing all we can to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Hand washing stations are being widely distributed through our partner churches and we are working to safely but effectively spread awareness about the virus and how to prevent it. We personally are no longer attending church services, but there is still much we can do to effectively help communities during this time. We are also thinking, praying and preparing for what we can do in what could soon be the next phase.

Louisa helping us with getting taps and labels on buckets

Can you spot Louisa?

With Peter at Chabakima Church a couple of weeks ago, as he teaches on prevention

People in Chabakima read the information poster just put up at the church

There has been much debate about fabric face masks here … as everywhere! Certainly at first, I was very wary about encouraging the use of them. However, since talking to our friend in Dar es Salaam and a lot of research, a few of the women in the Upendo wa Mama group who can sew are now making cotton masks. There is minimal profit for them, but it is something the women can do, especially to help non-profit organizations that are also serving the community during this time! We heard that the national hospital, Muhimbili, has a huge shortage of masks and they have asked for 10,000 masks to be made! Also, now that the regional commissioner has called for all people in Dar es Salaam to wear masks in public, there is a huge demand … and a huge shortage of masks. And so begins a new project of mask-making, which I have to confess I am really not enjoying! It has been terribly stressful with high demand while the women try to learn how to make them quickly and work to make many on their own at home. I seem to have spent hours unpicking all the ones that went wrong, have at least three burns on my arms from the iron and feel as pricked as a pincushion! I have almost called quits several times, but we are persevering … and the work is now getting better and faster and we are now even starting to teach others to also make!

Jeni cuts out masks and ties

Laurensia sewing masks

Finished product

Our good friend, Dorothea, helping the efforts

 to get more masks ready to sew!

The shortage of masks really just highlights the shortage of all things here when it comes to dealing with the spread of COVID-19. Hospital beds, quarantine areas, ventilators … As prices rise and stocks of different things start to run out, the thought of a lockdown is pretty awful for everyone.

Meanwhile, it keeps on raining! The rains just don't stop and the water table is getting so high, the roads so bad and Lake Victoria is full to overflowing! We have now been flooded downstairs in our home since Christmas and are getting quite used to wading to the bathroom for a shower. All we can do is keep sloshing the water out of the study and storeroom a few times a day! This is all good for the rice farmers, but not much else. It is another reason, along with the fear of a lockdown, to be concerned about food security.

This is a restaurant by Lake Victoria … except that now it is IN Lake Victoria...

Update on Amisadai's knee … She is doing really well! We went to our good friends the other week and they took her stitches out, at the dining room table! Mwanza life … very thankful! And finally after about 70 days on crutches, she is hobbling about without them now and movement is increasing all the time!

Audience engrossed as Dr Rob takes the stitches out with the light from Liz's phone!

And to finish, here are some photos of our Easter … We enjoyed a quiet day last Sunday in the midst of the chaos and a number of struggles on the side! It was rather like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter rolled into one as we made a pumpkin pie and ate Christmas pudding and then some delicious crème eggs (which were no longer egg-shaped!). But is seemed appropriate with much to be thankful for... and there really is no better reason to celebrate hope than at Easter!

A treat of lovely leeks from Mama Mary's garden for Easter roast lunch!

Louisa's Hot Cross Buns

Pumpkin Pie

Chickpea Burgers and Rolls

Easter Roast Lunch

Easter Celebrations in Kayenze

This year was the first time we as a family had celebrated Easter in two continents. Rachel and Amisadai were with Tadley Church in the UK and Louisa and I were in the village of Kayenze for Easter Sunday. Louisa and I had a fantastic Sunday!

We have been working with the church in Kayenze for nearly 3 years now,  helping them run conservation agriculture and beekeeping projects in the community, but this was the first time we’d had the privilege of being together for Easter. Easter, for Christians is the most significant Sunday of the year, as we celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin and death and the new life, hope and peace he has brought. And what joy it was to share this day with our very enthusiastic brothers and sisters in Kayenze.

Kayenze Church gathers at the lakeside

Louisa and I arrived just before 9am, the official start time of the main service, but the Sunday School was still in full swing. Some had been there since 7am when they began with prayer! This church has come such a long way in the time we have been involved with them. 3 years ago there were often just 15 people present and now on Sunday it seemed close to 100 people. Easter Sunday was also the first occasion of trying out the new PA system which has been loaned to them. Thankfully, they haven’t worked out yet how loud the speakers go – a common experience here!

Kayenze Church

At 9:20am we began the service, PA in use but with surprisingly few squeals, but most importantly with voices together in heartfelt unison. I then stood to preach, and we looked at how the disciples had gone from wondering whether they should look for another job to discovering that they (and we also) have actually been given a new job… that of spreading to others the results of Jesus’ resurrection.

The resurrection is the dawning of a New Day of light and life

(painting by Anita Skinner)

After that and dedicating a couple of babies, you might think it was time for a cup of tea and hot cross bun, but instead we walked down to the Lake (just 80 metres away) so that 22 people could be baptised – 5 others had become Christians in the service. Louisa was in great demand, being pulled into the lake more than once, as many of the baptised wanted her in the pictures as part of their record of the day! I was wondering if we might need to come back in a couple of weeks and pray for healing from bilharzia!!

Baptism in Lake Victoria

Before we went for a soda and biscuits with the newly baptised, there was time – and in Tanzania there is always time – to make good use of the new speakers to dance and celebrate one last time!

As we left Kayenze, Louisa and I were grateful for the privilege of sharing Easter with these lovely and life-filled people – yes, we’d sincerely touched something of the joy of Easter.

The In-Between Time

I realised it has been a long (really long!) time since I have written on this blog. For the past few months, it has been a strange "in-between" sort of time of waiting. And so I keep waiting to post on the blog. Waiting for when we might have some actual news. Waiting for results. Waiting for when all my unsettled thoughts miraculously flow into interesting and meditative prose! But the moment doesn't come, so I'll carry on regardless.

Our family has now been living apart for 10 weeks which does feel like a very long time! Something is clearly not quite right with Amisadai and we wait to get to the bottom of it! She has had good days and bad days. Although she is good at putting on a brave face and carrying on, this week she has spent more time in bed in quite a lot of pain. On April 27th, she is going to Southampton Hospital for a gastroscopy and colonoscopy. We really pray that this will give us some (quick!) answers for the way forward. We realise that most likely we are unfortunately not going to be able to go home now for quite a while. Tim and Louisa will plan to join us as we hopefully go to Canada mid-June and then have some more time together here in the UK in August before returning to Tanzania.

But we are not twiddling our thumbs while waiting and Grandma has been looking after us very well! Amisadai has been working to keep up with schoolwork at home. I have been able to get on with admin-type things, research and think about more creative things and start a proposal for project funding. And we've been able to meet up with many friends, including a visit last week to Julian and Zoe's ...

Allecott Farm

We had a great time on the Willford's farm in Exmoor National Park. Amisadai did well health-wise most of the time and was thrilled with the opportunity to get involved with the lambing and spent most of her week in the lambing shed or pairing up ewes and lambs in the fields.

Amisadai after "pairing up" the sheep on the quad with Will

Delivering lambs

Meanwhile I had the opportunity to go with Julian to a good number of his beehives and learn how beekeeping is done in this country. No crazy bee tales this time! Julian and I went to the National Bee Convention where I was able to meet the guys from Bees Abroad who support Julian to come and help us with the beekeeping groups. It was great to network with various people throughout the day, see all that is "out there" and attend a workshop on top-bars!

Julian's Honey Shed

Out to the hives in the Land Rover

The finished product in stock on the local shelves!

We had an afternoon at Quince Honey Farm, where if you are in the area (South Molton, Devon), is well worth a visit to learn all about bees! There I enjoyed afternoon tea (a cup of Earl Grey with delicious Honeycomb on a Teacake) and we met Paddy and Ian, the beekeepers who run the centre and also support Bees Abroad.

On our final evening, we had a fantastic barbeque with Dave (who also came out to Tanzania to help with the beekeeping) and Mary and were introduced to their rather adorable donkeys!

All in all, it was just wonderful to have the time living and learning with Julian and Zoe. We enjoyed walks with the dogs on the hills and drives across the moors. I went to a crafting coffee morning with Zoe's friends as they spun their own wool and her friend, Bev helped me hugely with ideas for the mamas group soap-making (with help from her goats, she has made her own goats milk soaps).

If you would like to stay in this beautiful spot, check out their website here, as the Willfords run two lovely holiday cottages on the farm ... very appropriately named "Honey Cott" and "The Bees Knees."

Allercott Farm nestled in the hills in the centre of the photo

The Exmoor Ponies

I am writing this blog on Easter Saturday. The in-between day. The quiet day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday where nothing seems to happen. For Jesus' disciples, it must have seemed like such a long day. Afraid, tired, grieving. Waiting confused. They didn't realise a new day was dawning. Tomorrow, Easter Sunday, the third day which is actually the first day, is the day we have all been waiting for. Risen. Life. A New Beginning. This is the Hope we now have. Easter teaches us to be patient during the in-between times. Even when we wait in deep grieving, despair, confusion or simply frustration, we know that He is alive. That all our waiting will be over with the dawn on Sunday.

Happy Easter!