Interns, Electricity & Polo?

First of all, government negotiations with the Dala Dala drivers have apparently gone well; no further protests or riots have broken out and public transportation has now been restored. We have also had electricity almost this entire week due to a festival happening near our house (Nane Nane, or "Eighth of August"), but we do not expect it to continue much past this evening, since the festivities end today. And for those who have been praying about power, please continue to do so. We have heard rumors that Tanzania only has about 40 days worth of power remaining (they are at 14% of the water necessary to run turbines), and many factories might be shutting down as a result, which would mean loss of jobs and higher prices for goods.


Also, Tyler Ross, our newest Wild Hope Intern, arrived two weeks ago. He plans to work here for the next 9 months, overseeing a building project at a school in our beloved Maasailand. He is waiting for his visa to clear as the prices have recently doubled at the behest of the Tanzania Government. He is a recent graduate of Milligan University and an incredible addition to our team and you can check out his blog here at: Tyler Takes on Tanzania. He has been great to have around and has spent his first two weeks immersing himself in Swahili, studying up to 8 hours per day. We've enjoyed his humor, southern Tennessee accent and sweet tea to die for. Welcome Tyler!

Lastly, in expectation of bringing home our German Shepherd/Husky "Sequoia" we have been in the market for an extra large dog cage to fly her back in. Liz contacted a woman who had a cage to sell, and this past weekend she invited us out to her "estate" for lunch and to watch a Polo match at her club. What an experience it was…


At her estate we enjoyed lunch of roast chicken and veggies, while sitting out on her veranda overlooking Mt. Meru. We took a walk behind the house where we saw wild Zebra, Wildebeest, Impala and Grant Gazelle. Then we went to the Polo Match at the Clubhouse and were treated to a feast of barbecued lamb, filet, ribs, sausages, and salads galore. We met some lovely people, made some new friends and thoroughly enjoyed our time, but it was also strange to be part of this “other side of Africa.”

What struck Liz most was the remnant of colonialism that still seems to exist today. Here we were at a British social club staffed entirely by African servants. And while the staff are certainly treated well and paid fairly, it was disconcerting to her considering Africa’s history and the past relationship between whites and blacks in this country.


This experience also reminded us again that poverty and wealth are not based solely on money or possessions. The woman who sold us the dog cage is a 73 year old widow who hails from an aristocratic Irish family, and lived in Spain and France before settling in Tanzania.

We found her story to be both fascinating and heartbreaking. While kind and generous in many ways, she also seemed sad and lonely. Despite the eight staff who live in the servants quarters behind the house, she lives alone, and we left feeling a sense that though she had been quite wealthy, she was simultaneously incredibly poor.

“Quality of life is not based solely on our physical needs being met, but on the quality of our relationships.” - sdroddy