Photos!

First Days In Banjika!!

Hello from beautiful Tanzania! The past couple of days have been absolutely amazing. Two days ago, we arrived at the Banjika School where we were introduced to the students and were assigned our local student partners. To get there, we ate red bananas in the village of Mto Wa Mbu (Mosquito Creek) and spent upwards of four hours on the bus. We continued on to our campsite, which is roughly ten minutes from the Banjika school, where our excellent chef, Wilson, prepared a fantastic meal for us. We then carried our full stomachs from the dining hut to a bonfire where we discussed our feelings, hopes and fears. The bonfire lasted deep into the night, which resulted in a lot of tired faces the next day.

Yesterday marked the beginning of our service project. We mixed sand and cement to make bricks, which we followed up with chai time (tea time) and an amazing discussion regarding social issues in both Tanzania and the United States. We found that many of the issues in Tanzania also exist in the states, which led to further discussion of potential solutions. We communicated in English while also learning bits of Swahili, and it was truly amazing to interact with the students in such a way. Afterwards, all of the boys from both Ensworth and Banjika played a game of football (soccer). Man, you should have seen the football game! The field was right next to the village and surrounded by corn fields with beautiful mountains in every direction. After we said goodbye to the students, we returned to our camp for another fantastic dinner and bonfire.

Jack & Michael

p.s. we are having internet connection difficulties but will post as often as possible...thanks for your patience! 

Jambo!

Day 1, June 25:

Jambo!  Day 1 was spectacular! We started off the morning by eating a breakfast of fresh fruit, eggs, crepe-ish pancakes (?), toast, and fresh juice. After some games, we headed off to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro. Though we were intending to make it to the summit, after 45 minutes we stopped for lunch at a beautiful gorge and then turned back to the trailhead. As the clouds cleared off the mountain and its surroundings, we all were able to fully appreciate the beauty of Tanzania. Next we made the long bus journey back to the lodge, bouncing along the dirt roads and experiencing the harsh jetlag. At the end of the journey, we passed some Tanzanians playing soccer in an open field with Mt. Kili positioned perfectly as a backdrop. With ruts and ditches everywhere and two giant sticks marking the goals, the field was very unlike the well-maintained fields at Ensworth. Naturally, we had to challenge them to a game. While we were outmatched in athleticism and skill, a strong American defense proved to hold its own.

Final score: 0-0.

We ended the night by being served endless amounts of food by the kindhearted, hospitable Mt. Kili Lodge staff. The food was so fresh, coming from local farmers. It was a perfect ending to a great first day.

Lala salama (Sleep Well),

            Tim and Ashley

Group photo in front of Mount Kilimanjaro!!

Arrived in Tanzania!

Hello friends and family of the Ensworth Tanzania program! 

We just got word from our instructor in Tanzania and the students and faculty have arrived!  They will begin updating the blog once they are settled in, but their WLS adventure is off to a great start!  Feel free to call 303-679-3412 with any questions! 

All the best,

Maria Selde

Program Coordinator