Where to Rest your Head in East Africa

I get asked all of the time, "Where on earth do you sleep when you're on a humanitarian trip in East Africa?" "how do you sleep?" "is it safe?" "is it clean?"

The answer is we sleep in a bed, we sleep very well because we earn it, it is very safe, and relatively clean. To expand more on that answer we'll have to break it up a bit. Lodging in a city like Nairobi or the surrounding cities is extremely different than staying in a rural spot such as the Maasai Mara.

We work in or around Nairobi for the first week or two and we usually stay at Catholic mission guest houses. We work in Ruiru (Little Giants School) or Kayole (Candle Light School & Orphanage) for about 1-2 weeks depending on the need so we have to stay close to the city. The guest houses are dormitory like; two single beds, a desk, one private bathroom per room and a common dining room. We get to like our roommates very well!
The nuns provide our meals and wonderful conversation! During our last expedition we found a beautiful Catholic guest house to stay at and it's my new favorite, St. Frances Mission Hospital & School. The Mother and Sisters would prepare and eat a wonderful dinner with us and then watch Kenyan soap operas, commenting on how silly those girls are. Then the Mother spoke about how silly it would be go visit the Dead Sea, "It's dead! Why would you want to see it? It's...DEAD!" and then laugh the most contagious laugh I've ever heard. 

Occasionally our travels take us to different towns away from our Catholic missions and we "bunk" up at other hostels. We work so hard during the day we just request a clean & safe place to rest our heads. Most of all, we are grateful to be there to do the work needed to be done.

Once we are able to get out of the city and travel to the Maasai Mara in the Rift Valley I always feel like I am going home. My heart beats a bit faster and stronger and I can breathe!

We  traveled to the Maasai Mara, Nkoilale as a Board Fall 2013 to fine tune what projects we would focus on. We did stay in a Manyatta in our adopted Maasai Village. A Maasai Village is in a circular formation with a perimeter of acacia branches with large nasty thorns to keep the wild animals out. The center is made up of small houses made by the women from cow dung, mud, and straw. They are small houses but the temperature is usually right around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Cows stay in the middle because they are the most sacred to the entire village. Goats have their own pen in the circle but off to the side.  Baby goats have a special little room inside the Manyatta's. Animals are super important to the entire welfare of the village.

As you can see in this short clip the inside of our sleeping arrangements in a Manyatta. We didn't sleep much this night but we had a memorable time for sure!

The majority of the time while in the Maasai Mara we stay at tent camps. Meals are provided, the beds are clean and cozy, you can hear the wildlife yet the Maasai warriors are vigilant guards. We come back to our "home" before dark and have a very wonderful place to rest our heads. We are surrounded by friends, new and old, and we have earned a very restful night sleep. 

Volunteers always tell us that they love their experiences with us and that includes the food, lodging, and companionship. Our volunteers aren't just volunteers any longer, they are friends and family forever. 

If you're interested in volunteering and becoming part of the Tabibu Africa family, please click here for more information or email TabibuAfrica@aol.com

Karibu sana (very much welcomed)

www.TabibuAfrica.org

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"Traveling is Learning" - Kenyan Proverb

I have been blessed with the opportunity to see many places in this world, both close to home and far away. However, the first time I travelled to Africa I ended up learning so much more than I could have ever expected. I learned about the world, yes, but I learned a wealth about myself - who I was and who I wanted to become. What kind of mother I wanted to be- what kind of woman I wanted to be remembered as...

Volunteers are an integral and very vital aspect of who Tabibu Africa Inc is and how we run. Each year we take volunteers on our expeditions to assist with education, medical care, and construction projects; and each year we learn as a group, as individuals, and as an organization.  We learn, and we grow. 

Are you interested in learning with us? Apply to become a volunteer and see what Africa teaches you in your life. Click this link to learn more! 

You’re Never Too Young To Change Life.

One 9 year old’s dream for changing the world — with knitting.

At just nine years old, Ellie, a young knitting enthusiast, became the face of her very own nonprofit – KidKnits. Ellie was inspired by the hand-spun yarn she had received from Rwanda and wanted to find a way to buy more from these women yarn-makers and to share their product with others. Her entrepreneurial parents encouraged her, and during one family car ride she came up with the name, idea and slogan for KidKnits: “You’re never too young to change a life on the other side of the world.”
KidKnits buys yarn from women in Rwanda and Chile, through local nonprofits who are helping these women develop skills and earn an income. KidKnits then bundles the hand-spun yarn in a kit that includes a loom and simple instructions for making a hat.
Ellie’s father Steve, who helped build the nonprofit and volunteers his time to keep it going, said for him KidKnits is, most importantly, an education vehicle. They have partnerships with about 40 US schools that use the kits as a learning activity. KidKnits developed a curriculum and uses these knitting circles to educate kids about the world and poverty. “We show and give people a way to make a difference in the world,” said Steve, “Everyone who has bought a ball of yarn has helped these women.”
I had the opportunity to ask Ellie, now 13, some questions about what she’s learned since starting KidKnits with her parents. (And I got to try knitting a hat of my very own!)

My kit and finished hat! -Anna

What was it like traveling to Rwanda and Chile and meeting these women for the first time? What did you learn?
I went to Rwanda when I was ten, and I did not know what to expect. I had actually never been out of the United States. When I arrived, I found that everyone was so welcoming and kind. In Musanze, the town where the ladies live, there were not very many cars, paved roads, or skyscrapers. When I first met the women that work with KidKnits, they jumped up and down, screamed, and gave me lots and lots of hugs. It made me feel really special and it made me realize that even a small non-profit like KidKnits could really make a huge difference in the lives of people in developing countries.

Ellie sharing her knitting techniques.

The women that work with KidKnits have only the basic needs for life, yet they were so happy and joyful. They really taught me that no matter your situation, you can be happy with what you have because God will help you get through. Fabrice, one of the sons of the women, ate a raw potato for lunch once, but he was so grateful for what he was given. While I was in Rwanda, I became very close to the ladies and their kids, even though we didn’t speak the same language. They all acted just like my mom and that made me feel special.
When I went to Chile, I experienced the same kind of friendliness and joy, but I also experienced a different kind of poverty. All of the women who work with KidKnits in Chile have the basic life essentials they need, which is unlike the women in Rwanda. However, school is not free after sixth grade, so many kids do not continue going to school. Most of the women use the money they make from KidKnits to pay for their children’s education.
Different from Rwanda, where I met the ladies at their office, I got to meet the ladies in Chile at their homes. Many of their homes just have mud floors and one or two very small rooms. Yet, when we visited them, they gladly welcomed us into their homes and even gave us cookies! One of the daughters of the women was my age, and her biggest dream was to be able to have her own room, and to not have to share a bed and room with her two younger brothers.
That really made me stop and think about my own life. I had fun playing soccer with the children at one of the small country schools near where the women who work with KidKnits live. The entire school joined in a soccer game with my sisters and I when we brought them a new soccer ball.
I learned that the entire school didn’t have a ball to use so it was very special for them all to join in the game with a reaI ball. I think it is very interesting that just a soccer ball can be so fun for Fabrice in Rwanda, the kids in Chile, and my sisters and me in America. I think that what is interesting about both Rwanda and Chile is that the people there are really just like you and me. They don’t live in the same way or speak in the same way, but they still like to laugh and hug and have fun. I learned that we could all do that together no matter what language we spoke.
What has working with Kid Knits taught you? Has it influenced what you want to be or do when you get older?
KidKnits has taught me that “the other side of the world” can be very far away or it can just be in your own town. I have traveled to different countries, but I have also traveled across my town to different neighborhoods where kids are very different than me. I have gone to these different schools to teach kids how to knit hats and I have realized that, just like kids in Rwanda and Chile, kids on the other side of my town may look or live different than me, but they are really quite the same. They have just as much fun knitting as I do and they like to laugh and smile just like me.
I have also learned to think less about just my family, my friends, and myself. Rather, I have learned to think about the world – everyone, including the people I don’t know. I know that right now there are kids having to get up and work all day instead of going to school and that doesn’t seem right especially when I know that they are just kids like me.
After traveling around the world with KidKnits, I have learned that I enjoy experiencing and learning about the different cultures in the world. One time, when I was in Rwanda, I got to try to balance a bucket on my head like they do to carry water. The women and I had a really fun time laughing and creating memories together while I tried something from their culture. When I grow up, I want to be an international business person because I have seen how much having even a small job can help families in poverty.
What advice do you have for other kids who want to make a difference in the world but don’t know how?
If you want to make a difference the world, start by looking at what you enjoy doing, like I enjoy knitting. Then, using what you enjoy, think about how it can help others. I just had an idea of using a special kind of yarn from Rwanda and Chile to do what I already enjoyed doing. I also think it’s important to know that even if you help someone in your city or neighborhood, you are helping to change the world.
The most important thing that you need to remember when you are making a difference in the world is that you should never give up. Keep trying and you will find that even small ideas, like knitting, can really help to change a life.

http://www.tabibuafrica.org/

Meat Samosa's Recipe Time!

It's recipe time again!

Meat Samosa (can be made gluten free)

The Samosa probably originated in Central Asia/Persia and then traveled to India along ancient trade routes. They are small, crisp mince-filled triangles that were easy to make around the campfire during night halts then conveniently packed into saddlebags as snacks for the next day's journey. According to the "Oxford Companion to Food" the Indian samosa is merely the best known of an entire family of stuffed pastries or dumplings popular from Egypt and Zanzibar to Central Asia and West China.

The current day samosas are small, crispy, flaky pastries that are usually deep-fried. They are stuffed with an assortment of fillings ranging from minced meat with herbs and spices to vegetables such as cauliflower and potatoes.  

  This was one of the first recipes I learned while on my third humanitarian trip to Kenya and probably my favorite dish of all.  The ladies I learned from didn’t speak a lick of English but we had a wonderful time, laughing through all of my mistakes and excitement when I got it right. They loved that this American girlie could work all day in a clinic and still come to where we slept at night and wanted to learn to cook with the locals. I definitely learned more than cooking.  This is how I learned basic Swahili as well as the bond that women can have with each other…and should have with each other. Beautiful!

These ladies make their dough from scratch with flour, water, a bit of lard, and salt. I tried to make it from scratch at home in the States but it does add on cook time for sure…and I get flour EVERYWHERE.  So, if you’re a great pastry chef or have a great filo dough recipe please make your own, it will be that much more delish. If not, just go to your local market and purchase some ready-made filo dough (you don’t need to tell anyone). I also have a new Celiac diagnosis so all of my cooking must be gluten free. I cheat a bit and purchase gluten free filo dough online and it works great! 

Now, below is a list of ingredients. If you don't have or don't like some of the herbs and spices, don't worry just leave them out. Most of the time in the Kenyan outback we don't have all of these spices. So don't worry about making sure you have every last spice just go with what you have, can afford, can grow, or what you can get. Though each spice isn't needed, each spice adds so much flavor.

Here's what you'll want:

• Oil for frying; peanut oil, canola oil, crisco, or lard if you’re really traditional. Personally I like peanut oil.
• 1 lb lean ground lamb, beef, pork, chicken or turkey
• 6-7 minced garlic cloves (I always add about 12 but my family is Italian)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• 1 C frozen or fresh peas
• 1tsp ground red pepper
• 1tsp red pepper flake
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Corriander
• 1/2 tsp Curry
• 1tsp Turmeric
• 2T Fresh or dry parsley
• 3T Fresh or dry chives
• 1Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 270g pack filo pastry sheets (6 sheets). You can use your own simple pastry dough recipe. I’ve made it from scratch before and the taste is so much better but it does add on some time. I’m keeping this recipe sweet and simple. GLUTEN FREE: If you need gluten free (which my family does) you can find ready-made gluten free pastry dough online that works very well. 

1. In a large skillet brown the meat on medium heat. If using pork or beef, when the meat is almost all browned drain off fat and rinse then add back to skillet. Add carrot, onions, garlic, olive oil and all spices & herbs. Cook for another 5-7 minutes over medium heat, spices should really become aromatic. Remove from heat and add peas. Lightly cover and set aside to cool. 
   
2. Spread out a sheet of filo, with a short end towards you. Follow the instructions in the pictures. If you’re using store bought dough just skip the rolling out instruction. Pick up one semicircular piece of dough and moisten half of the straight edge with a little flour-water mixture or melted butter. Create a cone by bringing the dry half of the straight edge over the moistened half. Press the seam together to close. Be sure to pinch closed the point of the cone as well; a good seam will keep the stuffing in during frying. Set aside on a baking sheet or cutting board covered with parchment paper until you're all finished preparing the dough.
   
   
   
3. If you have a deep fryer go ahead and get that going and up to temperature. We don’t fry foods too often so I use a good ole’ electric frying skillet handed down to me from my mamma. You can use one of those or you can also use your stove top skillet, just make sure you have a good lid and you’ll want a deep pan with at least 4 inches of oil. Heat to 350° F. Go ahead and get the oil heating while you’re assembling the samosas. 
4. When the meat mixture is about room temperature you’re good to start to assemble. Hold the cone shaped dough in one hand and fill the cone with 1-2 heaping tablespoons of the meat mixture. Hold the cone about a third of the way up to keep it from collapsing as you fill. Brush one open side with the flour-water or butter mixture and pinch the opening closed. To give the samosa its characteristic flared ruffle, continue to pinch the straight edge to slightly thin and extend it. Use remaining dough and filling to make your remaining samosas.  
5. When the samosas are assembled and the oil is up to temperature, gently slide each samosa into the oil, cover. Turn each samosa every 2 minutes until each side is golden brown and remove from oil. Drain on wire rack or paper towel. Can be served immediately or later, hot or cold

Makes ~ 20 samosas
 
Is wonderful served with a yogurt cucumber sauce, mint sauce, or all by itself. Kufurahia! (enjoy!)

To learn about Tabibu Africa, Inc, what we do and what you can do please click here. 

For volunteer information, please click here.

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The Gift of Opportunity

A message from one of our student sponsors:

Roughly a year ago, my kids and I signed on to be sponsors of a student at Little Giants School in Ruiru, Kenya, East Africa. What a great decision! When I told my kids that we were going to “adopt” a boy from Kenya so he could attend school, my little eight-year-old son could not be more excited. His response went something like this, “Really, Mom?! We get to have a BROTHER?! I’ve always wanted a BROTHER!” Needless to say, we had a little expectation reset and education that our “adopted” student wasn’t actually going to come live with us, but that we were going to be his key to the future—the reason he would be given the gift of opportunity. And, really, in life the gift of opportunity is literally life-changing.

We now sponsor a 9-year-old boy named Lewis. Lewis’ mother works 2 jobs to pay for her Lewis’ basic needs. Once she was released from her second job, she would go to Little Giants and mop all the floors by hand in trade for Lewis’ tuition. Hearing this, I just knew we needed to help her and Lewis. I believe that any mother who is willing to work that hard to pay for their child’s education deserves a helping hand. So, we happily sponsored Lewis.

Sponsoring a student with Little Giants is very easy. It is an investment of $155 per year. This pays for the student’s tuition for a year, a uniform (In Africa all children who attend school are required to wear a uniform. For many kids, this inhibits their ability to attend and, therefore, restricts them from getting an education at all.), a medical screening, and a meal each day. The meal is very important too—the poverty in Kenya is unlike anything you could imagine. While I haven’t actually been to Kenya, I have a very amazing mother who has and I’m telling you that seeing photos of children atop garbage piles scrounging for food is an image I won’t ever forget.

In return for your sponsorship, you will receive a letter from Little Giants (affiliated with Tabibu Africa, a US-based humanitarian organization) and a photo of your child. Our little Lewis’ photo hangs on our fridge and my kids ask about him daily. You will receive communication from your child two times a year. For us, the Christmas card was a real highlight!
It gives me a great sense of pride knowing that we are helping someone else in need; and, it gives my kids a perspective about how much they have and the opportunities they have been given. There are many Little Giants Students who need sponsorships. As if everything I’ve told you isn’t enough, a Little Giants sponsorship is also a tax deduction—good for you and good for your sponsored kiddo! I would love to see each student have a sponsorship. Imagine the difference we could make!

The Power of a Smile

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." 

~ Leo Buscaglia

We usually don't understand the power one small act of caring has on a person and its contagious effect. One smile, one touch, one act of compassion starts a ripple and soon the people around you are not just witnesses or spectators. They cant' help but become players in the universal human act of kindness. A smile sparks another smile on another person. A hug makes it okay to hug back. A hand placed on your hand lets you know that what you're feeling is okay.

 Feeling compassion, kindness, and caring is simply the core of being human. 

Just look at these faces, aren't you smiling now?

To help us continue the work we do at Tabibu Africa, Inc please click here and you can keep the smile going.

For more information check out: www.TabibuAfrica.org  or email: TabibuAfrica@aol.com

 

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World Tuberculosis Day

World Tuberculosis Day, falls on March 24th each year.  This day is designed to build public awareness that Tuberculosis today remains an epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of nearly two million people each year, mostly in developing countries.  Those statics (WHO), are said to increase by the end of 2015, to a staggering 40 million people infected and 8 million Tuberculosis sufferers will die.  Sadly, Tuberculosis is regarded as the highest killer among women living in Africa.  Most of who suffer from HIV as well.

Tuberculosis has been know to mankind since ancient ages.  It was commonly called "consumption"  at the turn of the last century, because of the way the disease seemed to "consume" those affected by it.  Many were labeled or nicknamed-"Lung-ers" due to their Tuberculosis symptoms...pale clammy skin, profuse sweating, severe weakness and coughing up blood.

Spread through inhaling tiny droplets from the coughs or sneezes of an infected person.  Tuberculosis is facilitated by several factors, overcrowding living spaces, orphanages, prisons,  and the presences of extreme poverty.  One active TB individual can infect 10-15 people every day.

Tuberculosis is a hundred percent curable disease, if treated in the early stages.  Treatment can take up to nine months, depending on the condition of person's infection and overall health.  Medications are the cornerstone of treatment and antibiotics must be taken for at least six to nine months.  BCG, The TB vaccine has little effect in the treatment of adults, with a slightly better success in children.

However, there are two more major obstacles to decrease the  severity of the disease, as well as limiting its contagion from one person .  Many people either don't have access to needed medications or they don't take the medication properly. Consequently millions die, millions continue to be infected.

The other obstacle is the reality of Tuberculosis effects each individual through the stigma born from ignorance and the lack of information about the disease.  It is often a silent killer, where  people do not want to engage to the  reality of its cause.  Education and acknowledgment is a key component and truly a matter of life and death.

No one should die of Tuberculosis, is the mission of  incredible and dedicated work happening all over the world.  In an effort to reduce the numbers of those infected with this deadly disease.  Tabibu Africa is of those organizations in this call to action.  You too can have a positive effect in the health and welfare of others.

in the Minds of our Children

“The greatest natural resource is the minds of our children.” ~Walt Disney

If there’s one thing I’ve learned since working as a humanitarian, and I continue to learn so very much, it’s that children will find a way. As every mother will tell you many times this will get children into trouble but it is an amazing blessing to be witness of at times. 

When I traveled to Kenya for the first time it wasn’t the absolute poverty that struck me so much, neither was the malnourishment. Though those issues were extremely sad and touched my soul what struck me the most was the imagination and immense hope in the children.  They might not get a meal that day but they were still going to go to school and learn. They felt so ill; riddled with parasites, malnourishment and/or disease, but would still find a way to get up and smile. They wouldn’t have any toys, perhaps had never seen a store bought toy, but would make their own.

Children find a way. They will make their own footballs out of plastic bags and rubber bands or a kite out of plastic and sticks. They find a way to be children, to explore their imagination, to find their hope and spread it to others.

During our last expedition to the Maasai Mara of Kenya my husband, George Olonana was traveling with us. I absolutely love it when he’s able to join in on our trips, not just because he can build just about anything but because he finds the magic in every situation and it doesn’t take much. We just stopped in a small Maasai town to get some supplies and we were standing beside our van. A young boy who was the size of a three-year old ran up to George and kept saying, “Nataka ball. Nataka ball” (“I would like a ball” in Swahili). His mother then came up to us and introduced herself. The boy’s name was Dalin and he was five years old. She then apologized for her son being so forward, just like any mother anywhere would do. She explained that she saw a soccer group come through the town and Dalin saw a soccer ball for the first time. He fell in love and has wanted a ball since but they can’t be found in the Mara and they’re too expensive in Nairobi. You could see the disappointment in George’s eyes.

A couple of days later Dalin and his mother came into the health center we were helping to set up and run. George was running the dispensary and noticed them in line. He quickly made up a ball out of a blown up surgical glove and tape, even drawing soccer ball lines on the outside. George then kicked the ball to Dalin. You would have thought that George just gave this boy the best present ever. Dalin kicked the ball around the clinic for hours until his mother was finished with her appointment. For the rest of our expedition, anytime that Dalin saw George he would run up to him and hold his hand. Dalin would tell everyone, “My mzungu!” It completely melted George’s heart. 

When we returned home to the States George told our 7-year old son, Kent, this story. Kent immediately was moved as well and the wheels started turning. Kent has now started a project to collect soccer/footballs to take to Kenya. He will be heading out for his first humanitarian expedition this spring and he’s ready! He can take two 50-pound duffel bags and he hopes to have each bag packed to the limit with deflated soccer balls and pumps (deflated so he can pack more and pumps to get them ready to roll when he delivers them). Kent plans on taking the soccer balls to Nkoilale School in the Maasai Mara, Little Giants School in Ruiru, and to Dalin. 

If you are interested in helping Kent out please click here to donate online (insert “Kent’sproject on check out note).  If you would like to mail in soccer balls or would like more information, please email: TabibuAfrica@aol.com We will be posting updates with pictures and stories once Kent delivers his project this spring.

~Our hope, our future, our hearts are in the children everywhere.