Wednesday, August 24

This morning we’re off to visit the Burka Coffee Estate and the Shanga River House.  The Burka Coffee Estate is one of the oldest and largest coffee plantations in Tanzania.  It is located on the slopes of Mt. Meru, just outside Arusha.  We enjoyed a walking tour of the coffee plantation, where mild Arabica coffee is grown.   

On the grounds of the plantation is the Shanga River House (http://www.shanga.org/), where physically challenged Tanzanians are trained to create traditional jewelry and crafts from local fabrics and recycled materials.   

Shanga enables these 45 workers to earn a decent wage and become self-sufficient.  All income from the sales of their products goes to hire more handicapped people and to training programs to teach them and other deaf people to read, write and learn sign language.

Take a close look at the woman pressing material at the sewing machine - she is using an iron heated by hot charcoal - there's no electricity in the workshop.

 Glass, coffee wood and other recyclables are gathered from the community to make beads, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and other jewelry.  Old aluminum is melted down into dishes, boxes and picture frames.  Shattered glass is used to make mosaics and tiles.  Even a line of clothing has been introduced.

David’s pre-trip email suggested that we ‘pack with a purpose’ and bring some glass in hard-to-find colors (red, purple, and pink).  They were hard to find around home, too, but well worth the effort for the smiles and thanks from the glass workers.

A few steps from the Shanga workshops is the River House, an elegant dining facility.  Here we were greeted by Chef Babu, who explained the traditional foods we would be eating.  The menu for today included chicken in coconut sauce, green banana and beef stew, makande (mixed beans and corn), mchicha (wild spinach), pilau (spiced rice), salsa, ugali (polenta), and orange cake. 

 David even got into the act, showing us how to prepare ugali (which is eaten at just about every meal).  If you can cook grits, you can cook ugali – just keep stirring until it is stiff as a board. 

  It all came together in a colorful plate – not too crazy about green banana stew, but the food was flavorful and it was a nice opportunity to learn about local cuisine.  P.S., if anyone wants to give it a try, we have recipes for all of these delicacies.

After lunch, it was siesta and packing time.  We also had some time with David, during which he told us a about Tanzania’s efforts to protects its natural resources and he also shared information about his family and the traditions of the Maasai people. 

Tanzania first – the country is about as big as the states of Texas and Oklahoma combined, half a million square miles.  Our trip will cover only a small area in the northern part of the country, near the border with Kenya.  About 25% of the country’s land is protected for wild animals, though there are several different levels of protection:

1.  National Parks:  There are 16; these are set aside for wildlife only.  Game may be viewed, but not hunted.  No livestock, no mining, no human habitation.  We will visit two:  Tarangire and Serengeti.
2. Conservation Areas:  There is only one, the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, which we will visit.  The Maasai people are allowed to live here, but only if they are nomadic – no permanent buildings, no hunting, and no poaching.  People and livestock are allowed in the caldera only during daytime hours; no one lives there.
3. Game Reserves:  These areas, which correspond to ecological boundaries rather than political boundaries, are protected to assist with the movement of animals in and out of the national parks.  Some hunting is allowed by permit only, but this is expected to be stopped soon.
4. Game Control Areas:  These areas are protected as migratory corridors between parks – such as the Sinya region that we visited earlier in the trip.

Now back to David – he was one of 14 children; his father had two wives.  David spent most of his childhood in his home village, but later moved to Arusha to attend school.  His mother now lives next door to him in Arusha; they both return to their home village for frequent visits and to ensure that his children come to know their heritage.

He also told us about circumcision rites in the Maasai people.  A boy must be circumcised to become an adult, to be recognized as a warrior.  The boy must ASK to be circumcised – it is not forced or arranged by his parents.  This is important because the boy must not blink, move or cry during the procedure – if he does, he shames himself, his family and his community and he cannot become a man/warrior.  There is no anesthetic used; the circumcision is done in public by the local healer.

 Boys to be circumcised are trained by the village elders.  When they are in training, they must not expose themselves, especially to women.  They paint themselves with ashes, wear black clothing, and live outside the village until they are fully prepared for the circumcision ceremony.  During our trip, we occasionally saw groups of these young men along the roadside – they’re not supposed to pose for pictures, but tourists’ money is a corrupting influence on tradition.  (This photo came from the internet.)

After the circumcision, young men are trained for up to a year to become warriors.  They must pass various tests and swear to be a good warrior – only then can they get a machete, new shoes, a cow, a spear … and finally, a wife.  Warriors’ work is to provide security for his family and boys are sent to herd the cattle.  Based on the number of little kids we saw herding cattle, it seems that this training starts at a very early age.

Maasai women also are circumcised.  Due to intense international pressure, it is now illegal, but these laws are not enforced and the practice lives on.  Girls are trained to be women/wives by their mothers – as soon as the girl has her first period.  In the Maasai society, men make all the decisions, but women’s work is endless.  They must raise build and maintain the home, fetch water and firewood, raise the kids, feed and milk the cows, and prepare the food.  Hard to figure how they find time to make beaded jewelry.