Breakfast is actually quite good this morning with chapati, mandazi, bananas and chicken soup (which pleases Robert).
After breakfast Thomas and Aaron arrive and we have a quick chat before heading off to visit some schools.
The first school we are visiting is Kidinda Primary School. Some of the teachers had done computer training with ACTT a couple of years ago and then Thomas has trained some more last month. The school had applied to be part of our project this year but we didn’t choose to support them, so Thomas wanted us to visit and explain about the project in the hopes that they might be more successful next year. As we had a spare computer (due to our previous issues in Tabora) we asked Thomas if he would like to choose a school to donate it to, and he chose this one.
On arrival we are met by the Head Teacher, 2 deputies and a teacher who is deaf (they have a special needs unit).
We talk to them about the work of ACTT and our project. We then explain why they were unsuccessful this year but say we will donate them one computer. They are a big school with 2880 pupils and 35 teachers. We collect the computer from car and then visit the computer room. Now we knew that they already had 1 computer that had been a donated to them but we were a bit surprised to see a further 2 more in the room. They had never mentioned these and if they had we would probably not have given them our “spare” computer. On further investigation it turns out that Thomas also didnt know about the 2 extra computers but apparently they had bought these themselves, which does I suppose, show a commitment and enthusiasm for ICT. Anyway having given them the computer we couldn’t really change our minds. One thing we did say was that they did need a much bigger room, but apparently this is already in hand.
We then presented the teachers who had done the computer training with their certificates. A total of 20 teachers from this school have now completed the course.
Having finished at this school we go and visit Thomas’s office/shop that he shares with a lady called Flora and then grab a drink (or in Aaron’s case breakfast 😀) before we go to the next school.
Bariadi is not a huge town but it is quite busy, especially today as it is the weekly livestock market. Everyone seems to be taking their cows and goats to market.
When we arrive at the school we are met by the Head Teacher and the Deputy Head. We have a chat in the Head Teacher’s office and then they show us some of the classrooms. They have 1337 pupils and 25 teachers.
All the teachers who are graduating have now gathered in the staff room to receive their certificates. They go round the room and introduce themselves.
Everyone gets presented with their certificate. I am pleased to see both the Head Teacher and the Deputy are among those who did the training. Schools always seem to do better when the Head Teachers are fully engaged.
It is now about 1pm and we get ready to leave for our drive to Nzera. We are all in the car when Aaron pulls away. Seconds later there is a loud bang followed by a long “hissing” noise. I was convinced we had a puncture. As it turns out there was a large tree stump just in front of where Aaron had parked the car which he had clearly forgotten about. We all jump out of the car to examine the damage. It turns out that there is no puncture but it looks like we have damaged the air conditioning pipework. Poor Aaron is mortified!!
The Deputy Head is really helpful and rings a fundi (a mechanic) he knows, to get him to check the car over and see if he can repair it. We pick up the broken pieces and the teacher then comes with us to show us where to find the fundi.
Robert gets Aaron to drop us back at Mlashi Hotel to wait for the car. We debate whether we should order some lunch but Aaron rings to say it shouldn’t take too long. However……after an hour we think we probably should have!! It’s nearly 3pm when Aaron arrives back with the car. It is just the air conditioning that is broken so the car is safe to drive. The fundi could have repaired it but it would have taken several hours and we don't want to wait. So off we go again…..with the windows wide open to provide “natural” air conditioning!!
This afternoon we are trying to get to Nzega in order to cut down the amount of driving we have to do on the following 2 days.
We stop in Maswa to get something to eat. Neither Robert nor Aaron know the town so we stop a passerby and ask where is a good place. He directs us off the main road to JJ’s Cafe which turns out to be great. Pete had liver and said it was one of the meals he has enjoyed the most this trip.
Service is quick and we are soon on the move again. We are now definitely in a rice growing area.
At around 5.45pm we arrive in the town on Shinyanga.
Mama Diana (Robert’s wife) has asked him to do some shopping on the way back including a sack of rice and here seems to be a is good place to buy it.
The first place we try does not have the right sort of rice!!
Aaron then contacts someone he knows who directs us to a better place. Aaron seems to know a lot more about rice than Robert and spends quite a lot of time looking at all the different types and talking to the guys. In the meantime we watch a machine that is sorting the grains into similar sizes and then some guys are mixing the grains with a small amount of oil so they don’t stick together. It is then shovelled into sacks and sealed ready to be bought.
They eventually agree a price for a 25Kg sack and off we go again.
As we drive on it starts to get dark and we witness a nice sunset.
It’s 7.30pm by the time we arrive in Nzega. The Watermelon Hotel we stayed in a couple of weeks ago is full but they recommend a hotel called Titete Lodge. It’s quite a drive off the main road but the room seem ok for TSh 50,000 (£15) so we take it. Robert also gets a smaller room for TSh 25,000.
After we have settled in Robert wants something else to eat so we order a small amount of food and a drink. By the time this has arrived and we’ve eaten, its time for bed.
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