10 days to go....

Although after many global adventures I feel desensitized to all I see, after reading other blogs I've realized many things out of my day which are quite odd and memorable.  So although they don't involve anything particularly exciting, they'll help me remember my time here, while keeping all of you informed of my day to day non-adventures.

-today, a jet passed right over our building.  we all froze and stared at each other.  usually, it's just the people on the roof, who've constantly been at it - some kind of maintenance project which we're forced to put up with.  but today, it was different...it was incredibly loud and scary.  must be preparation for next months elections.

-everyday (well, not everyday) the same askari (guard) watches me walk by and grab my Azam ice cream. neither of us make any attempt to talk to each other.  then i go to the same cashier (Janet) who is often chatting with her colleagues, perhaps about the guy who always needs ice cream, perhaps about something else.  

-the same moments exist with the askari at home.  however, they appreciate my few Swahili words and the occasional food offerings I leave them.  And the day guard often throws a line or two at me like 'safi sana' which i realized was a compliment for when i have that 'very clean' look

-occasionally people I don't know mumble things in swahili to me. being brown, they assume i'm a local, and they probably think i'm a snob for not responding.  but whenever i respond, it turns out they weren't talking to me in the 1st place.  so i resort to just keeping to myself.  

-Apparently USD bills <$50 or from before 2000 are too hard for vendors to convert. So don't bring 'em!

-Joining the Ramadhan sports competition has been enjoyable, though playing badminton in 25 degree night heat with countless mosquitos isn't the most relaxing experience.  Everyone just wears whatever they were wearing earlier - noone changes to athletic equipment.  Hearing the mix of english, swahili, kutchi, and hindi at JK and related events is very interesting.  Especially when youth dis each other in kutchi.

-we are now so used to the pounding and banging on the roof. we don't even know what it is anymore or when it'll be done, we just deal with it! esp odd when in board meetings.

BAGGIE-A-MOYO, BAGGIE A MOYO, BAGGIE A MOYO

That's the sound of the fare collector on our dala dala on the way to Bagamoyo. Was a journey much longer than expected, meaning my friend and I had a very limited amount of time there. We had lunch, wandered the beach a bit (where locals take the risky boats to Zanzibar; a 4-5hr journey for 4000 tsh, unlike the 2hr boat we take from dar for 25k tsh), checked out the slave fort, and the 1889 ithna-ashari mosque. Couldn't find the JK, but have heard it's nice, and that there were many of us, and Indians in general, in years past. This very small town was used to store slaves from the mainland to be sent to Z-bar, where of course the Oman Sultanate was based. Also interesting to know Baga seems to be the 'rasta' capital of Tz. 

 

My journey was 'free', as it cost 250 tsh to get to Mwenge bus station, then 1600 to Baga, then 2000 in Baga, and 1000 to get back to Mwenge. So about $3.50 return/pp!   I'll ignore the 7k cab within dar, as we were kinda tired and wanted to get home. 

 

Only 2 weeks remain in my time in Dar, and I'm finally getting to explore this place. The heat and air pollution often keep me off the streets, but now I explore the food markets and am trying to cram in as much as possible.

ANOTHER DISASTER STRIKES

This is a disaster on a massive scale. Millions of families and children have lost everything. Where the waters have receded, homes, farms, clinics, schools and entire communities are gone. Those who have survived face grave conditions, but we can reach them with the essentials to help them get through this crisis and begin the process of rebuilding their lives.

about a minute ago  · Comment · 

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    Naheed Gilani If you have ever called me cheap, here is your chance to prove it true. If you donate more than me, than I will accept your verdict.

    about a minute ago ·  · 
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    Naheed Gilani Will you skip your next meal out to potentially SAVE LIVES of our suffering brothers and sisters?

Barely Breathing in Dar

Ah, I miss Ottawa. Especially the clean air.  And the sanity.  But it could be crazier here.  It is Africa after all.  I craved adventure, now I have it.  But to breath Canadian air again would be great.

What else am I missing (or missed) in Canada?

-the birth of Akhil, Aly Khan's son

-the marriage of my cousin Zahra

-apparently the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history (July 12th Calgary hail storm) 

-Ashif & Reeshma's long awaited return

-trips to Nanaimo?

-my dadima's 85th bday on Aug 4th

What did I get to do?

-Scuba on my 30th in the Indian Ocean (Zanzibar)

-spend time with Gulamhussein Gilani (94?), my late dadabapa's brother

-spend time with Sadru Gilani (85?), my late dadabapa's cousin, and a legend in Kisumu

-visit Lyon, Paris, and Annecy

-visit Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu

-live in Dar and Pemba; visit Zanzibar and hopefully Bagamoyo

You may remember I posted this in 2006 on another travel blog.

Regarding doing development work in Ghana, a guy on the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree forums asked why do we go to africa?  glowbetrottar 's response:

 

'I visit Africa to "get away from it all". 

In the UK, sitting in an office, packed in with buildings, cars, and living on top of each other in a small house, cold weather, lots of attitude, everything judged by the time it takes and the money it makes... 

Then there's Africa.

Vast. Loads of space. Fantastic weather. Varied. The dust. The smell. The fresh, gorgeous mornings. The cool, stunning sunsets in the evenings. The wildlife. The silence. The noise. The unspoilt outdoors. The vista's. Hiking. The heat. The cold. The locals & their customs. 

And the sheer anarchy of it all. Everything is a challenge. Getting around is a hassle. Getting anywhere on your own is rewarding. 

I don't have a romantic view of Africa at all - its hard, its brutal, its primitive and I wouldn't like to live there. But I love travelling there.'

Enough said.

Poverty in TZ

When the majority of people don't have a bank account, how do they access financial services?  In TZ, only 6% of people had a bank account in 2001, it's probably about 10% now.  M-Pesa and other mobile banking services (literally via mobile) are helping people in rural areas access funds.  Interestingly, in many 'poor' countries, we think the poor don't have the ability to save.  In fact, their financial lives are quite complex.  Often, savings occurs 'in kind' - via tin (for roofs), chickens, grains, gold, etc. They often store cash with neighbors to keep it away from their husbands, or gain informal credit with the local shopkeepers. As useful as some of these 'financial products' may be, liquidity is lacking. In case of a health emergency or a need to pay tuition, they are not sufficient.  Microfinance helps the previously 'unbankable' gain access to vital financial services.

Currently, I'm working in Microinsurance.  The idea is to protect the poor from unexpected events which could lead them to extreme poverty.  When the poor finally build up their savings, the last thing we want is for their savings to be wiped out due to family illness, a flood which damages their home or goods in their store, etc.  It's a very new field and I'm seeing lots of innovation.  AKDN is working with Gates on this initiative.  Since the Dar Microfinance operation is quite small, I am moving to Mozambique to gain more experience in the microfinance side of things (lending to the poor).  I'm very excited for this opportunity and hopefully working in a small town will be a great cultural experience.

In case you don't know, here is our mission...
Microinsurance seeks to provide a safety net for  populations by providing comprehensive and cost-effective protection against life's unforeseen events. By assisting them to manage the risk of expensive healthcare treatments or sudden loss of assets due to drought or floods, as well as helping them plan for contingency in case of the death of a family member and paying for funeral expenses, Microinsurance can help secure the progress poorer populations have made in escaping abject poverty.

FOOD. At the wedding in Kenya, eating was very problematic since people love loading everything with nuts! Having a tough time with all the fried foods, and still haven't really figured out what to eat. Trying to fill my diet with as much fruit as possible, but it's not easy to find the good stuff.

Things are really costly here; it seems they know indians and tourists are not very price sensitive, so they charge what they want (service industry primarily). I'd like to cook @ home, but since I'm moving to Mozambique in a month, no point buying dishes and ingredients etc. I'm very impressed that many people are coming back here (not just on holidays) but are here to do business. Including some very young people. It's not an easy place to live, that's for sure, and everyday I'm amazed that my parents survived this place! Sure, 'it was much nicer back then', but still!!!

Lots of regular visitors from Calgary: Adil Juma, Rahim Moldeina, Nazia (Roger visiting soon too), Visram's, Hirji's, past south Kamadia and family, and many more! Also turns out a friend of a friend used to live in my flat!

The experience has been very valuable so far. Back home I would never get to work with product development, work directly with the CEO, and witness the growth of a new financial industry (microinsurance). The high level management meetings I've been a part of have given me great insights into the way business is developing down here. So very rewarding! Though I haven't worked with the poor yet, I should experience more of that in Mozambique.

STUCK IN KISUMU

WOW this computer remembers me...was here in 06!!! I guess they don't clear the cache. Was really odd and i thought i'd lost my mind

Made some great friends on this journey and my only regret is slept around 8AM and woke at 9:48am...good news is I still caught my 10:20 to NBI. Yes, it's a world record. 

 

will write again 2morrow from dar....

 

 

Evening 2 of 5

The journey to Kisumu was long, but we made it.  Missed Naivasha and Kericho, but did connect with family in Nakuru, where our bus stopped at Gilani's Supermarket for lunch.  Meeting lotsa unknown family and making some interesting friends who are East Africa/Safari virigins.  I remember how amazing my first safari was....

 

We had an evening on Lake Victoria yesterday, and tonight is Bollywood Sangeet.  Tommorrow is the wedding and reception, and then Saturday is Arabic Swahili night.  Impossible to get flights out of Kisumu. Over 18 countries are represented here.  Happy to connect with my dadabapa's cousin, who is about 85.  And dada's bro, who is about 94.  Missed my dadima's 85th on Aug 4th (same day as the major Kenyan referendum, for which YES vote has succeeded), and missing Zahra's wedding right now :(

 

Got news that I passed my CFP while in France, pls keep the paper if you see my name published!  I think Globe and Mail.

Month One - Complete!!

Reached Nairobi Thurs night.  Since then, have hung out with my cousin Rozy and her kids, visited the Masai Market, Westgate/Sarit, and Parklands JK. Leaving tommorrow AM on a coach...this is the agenda, but don't think we'll be able to do all of this (I've done it in '02 and '06 anyways)

• Lake Naivasha - Photo Shoots with the world renowned pink Flamingoes
• Nakuru - Lunch on Gilani Street
• Kericho - ''Chai Tea Lattes'' on Kericho Tea Plantation
• Kisumu - Arrival snacks and cold towels at Destination

Lyon was interesting. Visited Paris for the day (way to short) and also Annecy, a beautiful French retreat in the Alps. Since I have limited net access in Kenya, instead of writing about Lyon in detail, here's a quick top 10!

10 Things I love about France...

1) French chics r hot
2) French ppl say 'way' instead of 'oui' (slang?)
3) some places close randomly for weeks at a time, or for lunch, and they don't always re-open
4) everybody speaks french! very few speak english. most tourists in Lyon seem to be from France. Or other parts of Europe.
5) Paris is not very tourist friendly
6) France isn't very tourist friendly
7) France is expensive! Cost me €130 to get to paris and back. My cab to hotel (incl wait time) was € 90.
8) Couples like walking around with a 3rd wheel
9) girls like to bike in skirts!
10) loads of North and West Africans here. Very few Indians, but handfuls of East Asians.

Another hilite: Watched the Congolese band Staff Benda Bilili at the Greco Roman Ruins/Amphitheatre at Nuits de Forviere up on the hill, with all Lyon in the background. Was quite surreal as I had just learned about them 2 wks earlier in Dar, watching their story on BBC. They are all quadra or paraplegic and were street performers!