This photo was from one of our last site visits in Dodoma.  The woman pictured is a new mother who benefits from Africare’s mosquito net vouchers.  We interviewed her, as well as other community members, and following the interview, she invited us inside of her home, where this shot was taken. – Bryan

After the jump: photos from the last two working days in Moshi. – Bryan

Above: the nursery of the government forest plantation in West Kilimanjaro.

Above: Beehives in the cachement forest near the plantation, which are being used as an income generating activity for local communities.

The edge of the forestry reserve.

A community meeting in Hai district to elect a new water governance board.  The water project in the area is sustainable and will satisfy the entire community even with future effects of global warming.

Mr. Marandu, chief engineer in the Hai water project.

Above: A pump/collection site in Hai.

The issue of water contamination in general is central to much of what we are studying in terms of the effects of global warming on Mount Kilimanjaro. It was informative to learn about a project that is already in motion which has successfully provided purified water to the community for low rates. Funded by the German government, the Hai District Water Supply Project uses environmentally-savvy engineering tactics to provide water for human consumption (rather than irrigation purposes) for an enormous community; Mr. Marandu estimates that it will benefit 90,000 people by 2010. The project calls upon the community for help, which immediately reminded me of the COPE Project and how vital the element of the community is in African culture.

We were able to witness a meeting during which a new “Water Board” was elected, whose tasks include overseeing the education of youth in areas such as environmental conservation. Although global warming is an impending issue, Mr. Marandu stressed that the most detrimental issue working against a clean water supply is the illegal logging of trees. He poetically emphasized, “These trees were planted by our grandfathers, and some by God. Why should we steal them?” I was intrigued by what he had to say, and the immediate benefits of the clean water were obvious — the program has already erradicated the threats of water borne diseases such as typhoid and cholera in the area.

Mr. Marandu then brought us to some of the project’s sites. We were able to view the main water pump, which is connected to a long pipe stretching for many kilometers which reaches either private homes, or a public pump for those who cannot afford a direct line of running water. The pump purifies the water with chlorine, and is maintained by technicians and overseen by a 24-hour guard. Although I don’t have an affinity for physics or the applied sciences, I was able to comprehend the ingenuity of the design; it economically uses no electricity or even solar power, but draws on the slope of the surrounding environment to keep pumping. The amount of work and thought that went in to such a cohesive project was evident as we ended our day’s work viewing a public pump and two huge water storage tanks.

We then headed back to the main city of Moshi, inspired by what we had just witnessed. Tonight we bid farewell to this interesting city, and begin the last phase of our trip in Dar es Salaam. -Gilli

Some photos of the forest reserve to go with Liz’s post. - Bryan

Our guide for the day, Ephraim

We began the day with a presentation by a park official named David. He outlined for us the national parks of Tanzania and particularly the threats that Kilimanjaro National Park faces. We were amazed at the large percentage of Kilimanjaro trash that cigarette butts make up. I thought it was difficult enough to breath at base camp without smoking. We also noted how many people appeared to be carrying over the maximum amount of weight allowed into the park. What I was most intrigued by, and what I think what was most relevant topic to our project, was the various outreach and community work that one sector of the national park is doing. This includes donating a portion of the park’s proceeds to the neighboring communities and regulating the water sources of the mountain. I’m sure that those who went into the field today will come back with more information on how the local communities are affected by the park and the mountain itself, and I’m eager to hear what they’ve learned.

When we were unable to gain access to Kilimanjaro National Park due to money constraints and paperwork formalities, Bryan did some quick thinking and implored our guide for the day, Ephraim, to take us to one of the forest reserves where he works. After traversing dense jungle and narrowly escaping mud puddles whose murky green depths promised all kinds of unknown wildlife, we entered a wide clearing. In the center was a huge tree, 180 years old, and breathtaking. Monkeys scampered on the branches around us. We marveled for several minutes.

These miracles of nature are among the reason Africare is developing the Kilimanjaro project. The effects of water pollution, soil erosion, and other factors damage these forests, maybe irrevocably so. They also affect the people who live in the surrounding communities. We split up the team today, those who are sick trying to recover and those who are well heading out into the field. As I attempt to overcome my own ailing immune system my mind continuously returns to the body of that giant tree, and who will make sure that it remains healthy and unhurt as time passes.
-Liz

Put together this slipshod panorama of the Moshi rooftops late last afternoon (full view: click here).  I hope to have some more street shots of Moshi, Dodoma, and Dar up on here soon, as well as some more panoramas when the clouds clear up on the Kili side of the city.

We spent this morning with the Park Warden up at Marangu Gate and the afternoon at a forest preserve outside of Moshi.  Photos and a summary will be up soon. – Bryan

Inside the daladala bus to Marangu

Today was a day of literal ups and downs as we spent our second full day in Moshi continuing to orient ourselves to the city and its surrounding areas. With our filming scheduled to start this coming Sunday, our day began open to an endless amount of possible activities and adventures. After a morning spent mostly at the Coffee Shop, our new favorite local café that serves some of the best coffee in all of East Africa, Will, Bryan and I couldn’t resist the urge to get closer to Mount Kilimanjaro.

Looming over the buildings and busy streets of Moshi, the mountain seems to exude a magnetic force that drew the three of us into its field today as we ventured up its dusty roads and into its thick landscape of forest and rock…

The cheapest way to head out of downtown Moshi and into the town of Marangu at the base of the mountain is by daladala, which is basically a communal van packed to the brim with passengers that literally hop off and on the vehicle throughout the ride depending on their various desired destinations. For a flat rate of 1,000 Tanzanian shillings per person, we decided to take the journey and squeezed ourselves into the back corner of the van. As one should expect, the daladala promptly broke down after only about 20 minutes and our journey was momentarily delayed as the driver and what seemed to be his henchmen attempted to repair the mechanical difficulties.

New to the daladala experience, we were unsure of whether or not our adventure would now come to a premature end, but patiently waited as multiple men tinkered away at the vehicle’s engine. After about 15 minutes, we were all herded back onto the bus and continued our trek up the hills surrounding Kili, only to break down once again only a few kilometers later. The same routine of hopping in and out of the van and waiting while repairs were made followed, but we finally made it up to Marangu unscathed and feeling oddly exhilarated by our true daladala experience.

Will in the daladala

Our daladala was named Adios Bob.  It broke down twice.

Getting off the daladala at the center of the town, we were instantly approached by a swarm of taxi drivers, all eager to take us to our next destination. We quickly bargained a price with a taxi driver named Heaveni, the winning bidder, and began the steep drive up the narrow road from the town center to Marangu Gate, which guards the National Park’s official starting point for the hike up Kilimanjaro. After signing in, we were waved through and Heaveni dropped us off just in front of the trail heading up the mountain.

View through Heaveni’s front window

Our timing turned out to be perfect as we almost immediately encountered a group of hikers who had just finished the 6-day climb. With celebratory beers in hand, the hikers all walked with a slight limp down to a clearing and unloaded their packs with looks of pure satisfaction of their faces. We continued to look on as the group engaged in a seemingly ritualistic ceremony where porters and guides shook hands with each of the hikers individually and the group sang what could only be a victory song all together. Even as a mere observer, the experience was truly inspirational and I felt extremely fortunate to be a witness to such a momentous occasion in these people’s lives.

The hikers and their guides

We proceeded to wander around the gate, hoping for a better view of the mountain, only to eventually realize that actually being on the mountain doesn’t guarantee a magnificent view. Covered in incredibly high trees, Kili as a whole is pretty much impossible to see from such close proximity, but we were glad to have finally made the journey to its base nonetheless. Seeing the climbers who had just finished and standing directly in front of the starting point gave me an almost irresistible urge to climb the mountain myself.

Awakening the inner drive to explore and discover when confronted with such incredible displays of nature, our visit to the base only made me want to come back again, hiking gear in hand and ready to reach the peak. With the Peace Corps ahead of me after I graduate early this coming winter, I can only hope that I am lucky enough to be stationed within a short traveling distance to this beautiful area that sends shivers down my spine every time I look around me.

Wanting to take in as many of the breathtaking views as possible, we decided to walk as far as we could down the steep road to the Marangu town center. I can’t even begin to describe the beauty of the rolling hills and strikingly green landscape surrounding the mountain. No matter where you look, an image of inexplicable natural beauty greets you, resulting in an experience that seems too surreal to be real. We stumbled down the rocky path, stopping every few meters to marvel at the views and clear the road for oncoming cars, and eventually called Heaveni to take us the rest of the way. Hungry and tired, we made a quick stop at a local restaurant for chips mayai, a readily available Tanzanian dish, and recharged for the trip home.

Flowers found everywhere between Marangu and the gate

Ironically, our best view of the mountain came during the ride home as we drove away from the base. The downhill journey back to Moshi by daladala was equally as exhilarating as the uphill ride, leaving me energized by a long and fulfilling day of exploration. - Sara B.

The night daladala has much more of a party vibe than the day one. 

Below is the best view we’ve had yet of the mountain. – Bryan

Took at walk around Moshi at sunset with some of the team.  Had some trouble getting a good shot of the mountain because of the way the sun/haze washed everything out. But the countryside and the backroads and the city itself made for a really nice couple of hours.  Some photos after the jump. - Bryan