My eyes squint to look outside as the car speedily passes by all the scenery. I try to take it all in. The wind blowing up red dirt and my hair collecting it all. The African sun that never fails to amaze me with its pounding rays. I look lovingly at the green grass, boulders balancing on boulders, women carrying large yellow jugs on their heads, clusters of straw and mud huts and feel a sense of inner peace I only receive when I’m here.
Baadae means “later”. Like the first time I left Shirati, I wish I didn’t have to leave again, or at least have another 6 months or something to complete all the work that I need to complete. Karibu means “welcome”. I’ve only ever been to Shirati while in Tanzania and the riches of the country are endless. I excitedly hop on a small puddle jumper in a racetrack-looking airport 2 hours away from Shirati in Musoma destined for the other side of the country in the city of Dar-es-Salaam which is conveniently found on the east coast of Africa and even more conveniently situated 1 hour away from Zanzibar, a once independent country that became a Tanzanian island. I am sad to go, but a little bit relieved that I may get a 3 day vacation from my vacation in Shirati which if you know me as being a workaholic, is not much of a hammock-swinging drunken lullaby two weeks.
Though it wasn’t the best idea work-wise or financially to be taking a 2 week break to Shirati, I couldn’t have made a better choice. Now when I return, about to sign on fulltime to a demanding international research study involving epidemiology and genetics and another study in cancer research, the next safari to Shirati may be later rather than sooner. I would have spent my entire years of vacation and more on this trip alone. My only consolation is that my job will not completely be a cubicle setting – the bane of any global public health worker’s existence. Actually, I am really excited to start working the minute I get back. I planned to arrive on the 4th so that I could maximize the holiday break and start work on the 5th. The research study is in its pilot stages but will eventually involve me managing the collection of genetics and epidemiological surveys from families in developing countries in multiple sites to study the cause of cleft lip and palate for USC and Operation Smile. I’m looking forward to getting my hands more into research, working on public health and of course, traveling internationally to do so.
My mind ponders back to the present. What a profound difference this trip to Shirati was from my last. No longer uncertain of my surroundings, the minute I arrived, I jumped out of the van to greet all of my local friends and then walked to the center of town. I’m not sure if I ever felt comfortable enough to walk around alone last year and was always part of some group, but this trip, I was totally uninhibited and walked where I pleased. I stopped brushing my teeth with bottled water and decided to just go with the sink well water. I ate food at locals’ houses rather than politely make an excuse…and the ugali and fish and watermelon were completely delish. The favorite part was reuniting with everyone from Babu and his sponsor mom to the soccer team and Killion. Rather than being pressed by the ambitious research study that Mel and I designed last year, I spent this trip working on multiple projects, all of them I am passionate about, and having extreme flexibility in plans. I do feel like my work was just beginning and then I have to leave. One thing does sadden me, I wanted to reunite with Junior, a 10 year old boy I met last summer that was severely mentally handicapped, and his struggling single mother that I at first resented and then befriended. I heard his mom moved to Dar-es-Salaam to seek a better job and nobody had her contact info and that she left Junior and her two sons split between 2-3 different extended families. I felt disappointed and guilty for not helping her earlier, if only I knew about microloans last year and could have offered her one or gave her more concrete solutions to deal with Junior’s situation, she wouldn’t have been forced to leave her low paying job in Shirati and leave behind her kids to a city that is a 13 hour car ride away. I know there’s not much I can do now, I wanted to see Junior but he was pretty far away in a village none of my local friends were familiar with. I do know that Junior and his mom profoundly touched my life, their situation breaking my heart and leaving me with a drive to want to do something about it.
I hope to be better about communicating with the SHED Foundation in Shirati, our partner organization in carrying out basically everything. I left SHED with a comprehensive exit plan detailing my wishes to carry out sponsorships and monthly stipends as well as plans for the soccer team. I am also more energized than ever to return and proceed with fundraising and legalizing Room for Compassion. I know I’ll be back in Shirati, until then, baadae.
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