Written on May 24, 2008 in Dodoma, Tanzania
By Anne Olson
My travel arrangements have been made. I will take the bus to Dar es Salaam on Monday; taking the bus will give me a chance to see some of the country and I haven't had much chance to do that before. It will take all day to get there but at least the roads are good. I will stay in Dar Monday night and leave early Tuesday morning (a 5:25am flight!) to go to Kigali Rwanda via Nairobi. I arrive in Kigali about 10:30am so will have the afternoon there as well as a couple more days. I will be seeing Ritah, a woman I met at a conference in California last summer. She is working on a project to educate young girls so I will visit her project as well as do some touristy things. I will leave for Entebbe, Uganda on Friday afternoon and then on to Soroti, my Ugandan home, on Saturday. I am excited to visit another East African country and then to see my Ugandan friends. I'll be in Soroti for about 3 weeks.
Training Adventures...
Written on May 23, 2008 from Dodoma, Tanzania
By Anne Olson
Training has gone well. We did learn that we cannot do QuickBooks on a computer at an internet café due to the need to install ActiveX (additional software) for QuickBooks to run. Luckily we had my laptop and so they worked together entering expenses using it. Since we didn't get to the internet café until 3pm and could only use one computer it took us longer than I had planned. So it was after 5:30 when we got back to the office and we still had a couple more things to do. It wasn't hard to convince them that we should start at 10am the next day so we could get everything done! We did that for 2 days and got everything done with some time to review documentation in the afternoon one day and time for them to look at reports the next day. I feel pretty good about what they know and their ability to carry on when I leave. The hardest thing to get across is "no signature no money"; you have to sign in order to receive any money from the petty cash box. So much money goes out the door in cash, often times just small amounts, that keeping track of it requires paperwork. We'll see how they do.
By Anne Olson
Training has gone well. We did learn that we cannot do QuickBooks on a computer at an internet café due to the need to install ActiveX (additional software) for QuickBooks to run. Luckily we had my laptop and so they worked together entering expenses using it. Since we didn't get to the internet café until 3pm and could only use one computer it took us longer than I had planned. So it was after 5:30 when we got back to the office and we still had a couple more things to do. It wasn't hard to convince them that we should start at 10am the next day so we could get everything done! We did that for 2 days and got everything done with some time to review documentation in the afternoon one day and time for them to look at reports the next day. I feel pretty good about what they know and their ability to carry on when I leave. The hardest thing to get across is "no signature no money"; you have to sign in order to receive any money from the petty cash box. So much money goes out the door in cash, often times just small amounts, that keeping track of it requires paperwork. We'll see how they do.
Pump Project Profile
Written on May 20, 2008 in Dodoma, Tanzania
By Anne Olson
On Saturday, Noel and his family took me to the field to visit some beneficiaries. I wanted to see some of the pump projects so we visited the village of Hombolo. A few years ago, the Italian government built irrigation canals around the village to divert water from the local reservoir. The people were using very primitive methods to irrigate their fields with the water and it would take them all day to irrigate. The pumps that were supplied by VEF grants are very simple and are "people powered". They look kinda like a stairmaster at the gym and someone steps on to the pump and starts "walking". That action siphons the water from the irrigation canal and moves it through a hose to water the field. They can now water their field in about 6 hours instead of a whole day AND they have increased the size of the field. With the pump to help with watering, they are now able to harvest twice a year instead of once. We visited 3 vineyards where they are growing black grapes (the vineyards were already established when they got the pumps). One was especially beautiful – the vines were LOADED with grapes and were very healthy. The group had just planted some new vines and was preparing the ground for additional seedlings. They grow their own seedlings from the cuttings when they prune the vines. We also visited a field of onions that was watered in the same way. The young man with the beautiful vineyard made a special trip to his field on Saturday with his pump (on his bicycle) to show me how it all works. I was very grateful to see what they are doing and how it has changed capacity to produce. Two of the vineyards had some problems with insects which had a negative effect on the quantity and quality of grapes that were on the vines. The spray for the insects is expensive for them and they were not able to afford it. Their crop of grapes will not be as good this year. I love going to the field and meeting the beneficiaries. The people are hard workers and very grateful for the help they have received from VEF.
Sunday was a very relaxing day. I decided not to go to church (Richard is the pastor of a Pentecostal Church) so I had quiet time to meditate, write, read. It was nice.
I actually started training on QuickBooks today. They are doing entries for the expenses that have been incurred since April 1. We should finish those entries tomorrow so that we can look at the reports, do a reconcile, and see if other questions come up. They are both quick learners. The hardest part is getting them in the office together so we can get something done. Things seem to get in the way – like time for tea! It was 11am by the time we got started today. I told them that once I got them in the office I was going to lock the door! Then this afternoon there was a burial in the community and custom says everyone in the neighborhood is to attend. So no work on QB this afternoon. Since I only have this week (3 more days) to finish up, my sense of urgency is high. I don't think Africans have a sense of urgency; I think it is a western thing! I told both of them that we will start on QB at 9am tomorrow; we cannot start at 11 as we did today and get everything done. We'll see what happens! I'm not holding my breath for 9!
By Anne Olson
On Saturday, Noel and his family took me to the field to visit some beneficiaries. I wanted to see some of the pump projects so we visited the village of Hombolo. A few years ago, the Italian government built irrigation canals around the village to divert water from the local reservoir. The people were using very primitive methods to irrigate their fields with the water and it would take them all day to irrigate. The pumps that were supplied by VEF grants are very simple and are "people powered". They look kinda like a stairmaster at the gym and someone steps on to the pump and starts "walking". That action siphons the water from the irrigation canal and moves it through a hose to water the field. They can now water their field in about 6 hours instead of a whole day AND they have increased the size of the field. With the pump to help with watering, they are now able to harvest twice a year instead of once. We visited 3 vineyards where they are growing black grapes (the vineyards were already established when they got the pumps). One was especially beautiful – the vines were LOADED with grapes and were very healthy. The group had just planted some new vines and was preparing the ground for additional seedlings. They grow their own seedlings from the cuttings when they prune the vines. We also visited a field of onions that was watered in the same way. The young man with the beautiful vineyard made a special trip to his field on Saturday with his pump (on his bicycle) to show me how it all works. I was very grateful to see what they are doing and how it has changed capacity to produce. Two of the vineyards had some problems with insects which had a negative effect on the quantity and quality of grapes that were on the vines. The spray for the insects is expensive for them and they were not able to afford it. Their crop of grapes will not be as good this year. I love going to the field and meeting the beneficiaries. The people are hard workers and very grateful for the help they have received from VEF.
Sunday was a very relaxing day. I decided not to go to church (Richard is the pastor of a Pentecostal Church) so I had quiet time to meditate, write, read. It was nice.
I actually started training on QuickBooks today. They are doing entries for the expenses that have been incurred since April 1. We should finish those entries tomorrow so that we can look at the reports, do a reconcile, and see if other questions come up. They are both quick learners. The hardest part is getting them in the office together so we can get something done. Things seem to get in the way – like time for tea! It was 11am by the time we got started today. I told them that once I got them in the office I was going to lock the door! Then this afternoon there was a burial in the community and custom says everyone in the neighborhood is to attend. So no work on QB this afternoon. Since I only have this week (3 more days) to finish up, my sense of urgency is high. I don't think Africans have a sense of urgency; I think it is a western thing! I told both of them that we will start on QB at 9am tomorrow; we cannot start at 11 as we did today and get everything done. We'll see what happens! I'm not holding my breath for 9!
A Quickbooks Success!
Written on May 16, 2008 from Dodoma, Tanzania
By Anne Olson
I have been to the internet café the last two days to send and receive mail. Sure was great to hear from some of my friends. Didn't realize how "disconnected" I felt until I got your messages.
We've been working on the new processes and documenting the bills that have been paid since April 1, the start date that we selected for Tanzania. Today we will all go to the internet café (Noel, Margreth and me) and start working on QuickBooks. They both learned very quickly about the paperwork that must be done when money changes hands. Now we will look at how to enter the expenses in QB. The cash box is in place now so we have Petty Cash available in the office. We'll try that out when we get cash for the internet café.
Low and behold, we had internet connection at the office in the afternoon! What a benefit! I was able to get the rest of the Tanzania setup done (there was more left to do than I thought) and get "invitations" sent out to Noel and Margreth so they can set up their QB logons. Progress!
By Anne Olson
I have been to the internet café the last two days to send and receive mail. Sure was great to hear from some of my friends. Didn't realize how "disconnected" I felt until I got your messages.
We've been working on the new processes and documenting the bills that have been paid since April 1, the start date that we selected for Tanzania. Today we will all go to the internet café (Noel, Margreth and me) and start working on QuickBooks. They both learned very quickly about the paperwork that must be done when money changes hands. Now we will look at how to enter the expenses in QB. The cash box is in place now so we have Petty Cash available in the office. We'll try that out when we get cash for the internet café.
Low and behold, we had internet connection at the office in the afternoon! What a benefit! I was able to get the rest of the Tanzania setup done (there was more left to do than I thought) and get "invitations" sent out to Noel and Margreth so they can set up their QB logons. Progress!
Still No Internet!
Written on May 13, 2008 from Dodoma, Tanzania
By Anne Olson
Last night Richard was working with his two oldest sons to copy and assemble a booklet for use at church. It was so fun watching them work together. The younger of the two boys is technically oriented and I could tell that by the way he arranged the piles of paper and assembled the booklet. His mind just works in a logical, process-oriented way. They were fun to watch and the final product looked great (though I could not read it as it was in Swahili!). Baraka was here too and his swollen face is almost back to normal.
Phone line works today but the internet doesn't! This is getting so frustrating for me as there is much to do and we need to be connected to do it. Sigh! Patience has never been my strong point but to live and work here I MUST have patience! The internet is up in town but we are not able to connect from the office. The techs are here trying to get things figured out but they are struggling too. I'll have Noel take me to town today to send/receive mail and do a couple of other things. It doesn't solve the problem of QuickBooks training unless we decide to do that in town also. Technology!!!
By Anne Olson
Last night Richard was working with his two oldest sons to copy and assemble a booklet for use at church. It was so fun watching them work together. The younger of the two boys is technically oriented and I could tell that by the way he arranged the piles of paper and assembled the booklet. His mind just works in a logical, process-oriented way. They were fun to watch and the final product looked great (though I could not read it as it was in Swahili!). Baraka was here too and his swollen face is almost back to normal.
Phone line works today but the internet doesn't! This is getting so frustrating for me as there is much to do and we need to be connected to do it. Sigh! Patience has never been my strong point but to live and work here I MUST have patience! The internet is up in town but we are not able to connect from the office. The techs are here trying to get things figured out but they are struggling too. I'll have Noel take me to town today to send/receive mail and do a couple of other things. It doesn't solve the problem of QuickBooks training unless we decide to do that in town also. Technology!!!
Church and "Habari"
Written on May 12, 2008 from Dodoma, Tanzania
By Anne Olson
Yesterday I attended services at Richard's church. It is a big beautiful church that has been 6-7 years in the making. All of the labor has been supplied by volunteers from the congregation. It isn't finished yet but is far enough along to be used. They moved in since I was here in April 2007. The service is long with lots of singing; I do love the music, especially the children's choir. Richard's daughter Naomi has such a nice voice and is one of the lead singers. She's about 12-13 years old. Margreth, the VEF Office Manager, is also active in the choirs. She was my "host" at services, so I sat with her and she'd tell me what was going on (especially when it was time for me to introduce myself and she translated to Swahili). When she was up front singing, her first-born son who is about 7 came to sit with me. It was so cute. He is in the children's choir and his dad is the bass player in the band. A musical family! The baby who is not yet 2, would also get with the rhythm of the music.
The rest of the day was relaxing. I sat out on the porch and read for much of the afternoon. Thank God for good books and the time to read them.
On Saturday, Richard's children were playing outside, chasing each other and hiding behind a bush. As they ran down the side of the house, I heard Baraka scream (Baraka is Richard's last-born and is about 7-8 years old; his name means blessings in Swahili). Richard told me later that he'd been stung near his left eye. When I saw him yesterday, the whole left side of his face was swollen and his eye was just a slit. Poor kid! I hadn't given the children the book or other things I'd brought for them so I took the opportunity to give them to him. I haven't seen him today so don't know if the swelling has gone down yet.
The phone line has not been fixed yet so still no internet. Richard is going to "do battle" today to get things going. He's got an email backlog in everything that he does since it has been almost 3 weeks without connection. Just a reminder for me as an American – I take so many things for granted when I should be grateful.
The drugs are working and my throat is much better. Still a bit red and glands still a bit swollen but getting better. I am very grateful to be able to swallow without pain! A few more days to finish the meds that I have. Health – another thing to be grateful for.
I continue to walk most mornings. I've learned to greet people with "habari" which means "how are you?. Most people reply "nzuri" or "salama" which means "good" or "fine". However, some reply with more and if they are asking me anything, I have no idea what they are saying! People are very friendly and greet me with smiles especially if I smile first. In Kenya, I learned that the morning greeting was habari because no matter what I said to people (good morning, hello), the response was always "fine" or "nzuri".
Today there were a couple of VBMs in the office to fill out grant forms. I'd been reviewing forms from the last grant cycle and identified some data that was missing so I took the opportunity to review their forms and give some feedback. Then we got into income and expenses for some of the businesses. We worked through it with me asking questions but I am not sure that they really got it. Lyndsay and I had been working on a worksheet that would help a VFC work through that with the beneficiaries and I think we need to get back to that. Then we'll need to do some training, especially here in Tanzania. Could that mean another trip to Africa for me in the future?????
By Anne Olson
Yesterday I attended services at Richard's church. It is a big beautiful church that has been 6-7 years in the making. All of the labor has been supplied by volunteers from the congregation. It isn't finished yet but is far enough along to be used. They moved in since I was here in April 2007. The service is long with lots of singing; I do love the music, especially the children's choir. Richard's daughter Naomi has such a nice voice and is one of the lead singers. She's about 12-13 years old. Margreth, the VEF Office Manager, is also active in the choirs. She was my "host" at services, so I sat with her and she'd tell me what was going on (especially when it was time for me to introduce myself and she translated to Swahili). When she was up front singing, her first-born son who is about 7 came to sit with me. It was so cute. He is in the children's choir and his dad is the bass player in the band. A musical family! The baby who is not yet 2, would also get with the rhythm of the music.
The rest of the day was relaxing. I sat out on the porch and read for much of the afternoon. Thank God for good books and the time to read them.
On Saturday, Richard's children were playing outside, chasing each other and hiding behind a bush. As they ran down the side of the house, I heard Baraka scream (Baraka is Richard's last-born and is about 7-8 years old; his name means blessings in Swahili). Richard told me later that he'd been stung near his left eye. When I saw him yesterday, the whole left side of his face was swollen and his eye was just a slit. Poor kid! I hadn't given the children the book or other things I'd brought for them so I took the opportunity to give them to him. I haven't seen him today so don't know if the swelling has gone down yet.
The phone line has not been fixed yet so still no internet. Richard is going to "do battle" today to get things going. He's got an email backlog in everything that he does since it has been almost 3 weeks without connection. Just a reminder for me as an American – I take so many things for granted when I should be grateful.
The drugs are working and my throat is much better. Still a bit red and glands still a bit swollen but getting better. I am very grateful to be able to swallow without pain! A few more days to finish the meds that I have. Health – another thing to be grateful for.
I continue to walk most mornings. I've learned to greet people with "habari" which means "how are you?. Most people reply "nzuri" or "salama" which means "good" or "fine". However, some reply with more and if they are asking me anything, I have no idea what they are saying! People are very friendly and greet me with smiles especially if I smile first. In Kenya, I learned that the morning greeting was habari because no matter what I said to people (good morning, hello), the response was always "fine" or "nzuri".
Today there were a couple of VBMs in the office to fill out grant forms. I'd been reviewing forms from the last grant cycle and identified some data that was missing so I took the opportunity to review their forms and give some feedback. Then we got into income and expenses for some of the businesses. We worked through it with me asking questions but I am not sure that they really got it. Lyndsay and I had been working on a worksheet that would help a VFC work through that with the beneficiaries and I think we need to get back to that. Then we'll need to do some training, especially here in Tanzania. Could that mean another trip to Africa for me in the future?????
A Trip to the Pharmacy on Swahili Time
Written on May 10, 2008 from Dodoma, Tanzania
By Anne Olson
Today the phone line is down! You have to laugh so you don't scream in frustration. Richard, the Tanzania Country Director for VEF, says this is unusual for it to be down for so long (about a week and a half). He's planning to look into another connection method – wireless. Rowland, the training director who lives in Kenya, uses it all the time and he's pretty happy with it. Technology – so great when it works, so frustrating when it doesn't!
Noel stopped by in the morning to tell me what time he'd come to take me to town for shopping. He said he'd be back at 5:30 which I thought was a little late; but when I asked him if the shops would still be open, he said yes. So that was fine with me. About noon he was back and apologizing because he meant 5:30 Swahili time which is 11:30 British/American time. 6am British/American time is 12am Swahili time; therefore noon B/A time is 6am Swahili time. AM hours are daylight hours (dawn to dusk, 6am-6pm B/A time); PM hours are dark hours (6pm-6am B/A time). I remember reading about this the last time I was here but it had completely slipped my mind. Now I'll remember to ask "Swahili time or American time?" It was pretty funny.
Our first shopping stop was the pharmacy. I described my symptoms (with the help of Noel) and got antibiotics (no prescription needed!); the only question he asked me was "Tonsils?" (Yes). Zuclox (Ampicillin and Cloxacillin Capsules) 500mg, 3 times a day, 5 days, 1500 Tanzanian shillings (less than $1.50). Hope this works so I don't have to go to the doctor. I have never had a sore throat like this in my life! I don't like taking antibiotics but had to do something.
Every morning water is pumped from the main water source (town water system) into a large black holding tank that is up high on a platform. Water for the house comes from the holding tank and the height gives it water pressure. When the tank is full, water starts running out of the overflow pipe. It reminds me of Costa Rica. Every day we took turns pumping water (by hand) to fill the holding tank so we'd have water for showers, cooking and washing dishes. The pump was a small distance away from the holding tank with lots of banana trees and other jungle growth in between. So the "pumper" had to be told when the tank started to overflow; STOP was the usual message. Pumping wasn't too bad as there were usually monkeys in the trees to entertain you while you were pumping; if not, I would read a book or magazine. The holding tank in Costa Rica was a fraction of the size of this one – thank goodness!
By Anne Olson
Today the phone line is down! You have to laugh so you don't scream in frustration. Richard, the Tanzania Country Director for VEF, says this is unusual for it to be down for so long (about a week and a half). He's planning to look into another connection method – wireless. Rowland, the training director who lives in Kenya, uses it all the time and he's pretty happy with it. Technology – so great when it works, so frustrating when it doesn't!
Noel stopped by in the morning to tell me what time he'd come to take me to town for shopping. He said he'd be back at 5:30 which I thought was a little late; but when I asked him if the shops would still be open, he said yes. So that was fine with me. About noon he was back and apologizing because he meant 5:30 Swahili time which is 11:30 British/American time. 6am British/American time is 12am Swahili time; therefore noon B/A time is 6am Swahili time. AM hours are daylight hours (dawn to dusk, 6am-6pm B/A time); PM hours are dark hours (6pm-6am B/A time). I remember reading about this the last time I was here but it had completely slipped my mind. Now I'll remember to ask "Swahili time or American time?" It was pretty funny.
Our first shopping stop was the pharmacy. I described my symptoms (with the help of Noel) and got antibiotics (no prescription needed!); the only question he asked me was "Tonsils?" (Yes). Zuclox (Ampicillin and Cloxacillin Capsules) 500mg, 3 times a day, 5 days, 1500 Tanzanian shillings (less than $1.50). Hope this works so I don't have to go to the doctor. I have never had a sore throat like this in my life! I don't like taking antibiotics but had to do something.
Every morning water is pumped from the main water source (town water system) into a large black holding tank that is up high on a platform. Water for the house comes from the holding tank and the height gives it water pressure. When the tank is full, water starts running out of the overflow pipe. It reminds me of Costa Rica. Every day we took turns pumping water (by hand) to fill the holding tank so we'd have water for showers, cooking and washing dishes. The pump was a small distance away from the holding tank with lots of banana trees and other jungle growth in between. So the "pumper" had to be told when the tank started to overflow; STOP was the usual message. Pumping wasn't too bad as there were usually monkeys in the trees to entertain you while you were pumping; if not, I would read a book or magazine. The holding tank in Costa Rica was a fraction of the size of this one – thank goodness!
A Reoccuring Cold
Written on May 9, 2008 from Dodoma, Tanzania
By Anne Olson
We got the authorization and voucher books so are ready to go with them. However, we still don't have internet connection so they have never seen QuickBooks. I've been doing what I can without the connection – reviewing the chart of accounts, looking at the April expenses that we have and asking them to identify which account they would charge it to, looking at the grant records that they have, etc. AND reading a lot of books!!! It's a good thing I brought lots of reading material. It is amazing how little I can do in the office here without an internet connection. We had it one day long enough to set up the local network and I was able to connect my computer through the desktop here. Got part of my email downloaded but not all of it. Pole pole (slowly slowly in Swahili – pronounced poe-lay with long o and long a).
I still have a sore throat (very red) and swollen glands. As long as I keep drinking liquids, I do okay. By morning it is pretty sore and I start over again. Not sure what my next steps should be. Pharmacy, doctor, …??? Will start with the pharmacy on Saturday.
I've been going out for a walk the last couple of mornings. Feels good to get out and move before the sun gets too hot. When I was in Kakamega, I walked to the office and back each day. Now I just come out of my bedroom and I am in the office (just like in Uganda). So I have to make an effort to get some exercise. I know the locals think I am a bit weird (you know how those mzungus – white people – are) as they walk to get from one place to another. I walk a certain distance and turn around and come back. Such strange behavior!
Tanzania is cooler than either Kenya or Uganda. There are screens on the windows so less worry about bugs but I still close the window at night so I don't get cold. Daytime temperatures are very pleasant.
I gave books, toys and treats to the staff today for their children. This weekend I will give the same to the children here. I haven't felt like going out to play with them but plan to make it happen this weekend no matter what my energy level is.
By Anne Olson
We got the authorization and voucher books so are ready to go with them. However, we still don't have internet connection so they have never seen QuickBooks. I've been doing what I can without the connection – reviewing the chart of accounts, looking at the April expenses that we have and asking them to identify which account they would charge it to, looking at the grant records that they have, etc. AND reading a lot of books!!! It's a good thing I brought lots of reading material. It is amazing how little I can do in the office here without an internet connection. We had it one day long enough to set up the local network and I was able to connect my computer through the desktop here. Got part of my email downloaded but not all of it. Pole pole (slowly slowly in Swahili – pronounced poe-lay with long o and long a).
I still have a sore throat (very red) and swollen glands. As long as I keep drinking liquids, I do okay. By morning it is pretty sore and I start over again. Not sure what my next steps should be. Pharmacy, doctor, …??? Will start with the pharmacy on Saturday.
I've been going out for a walk the last couple of mornings. Feels good to get out and move before the sun gets too hot. When I was in Kakamega, I walked to the office and back each day. Now I just come out of my bedroom and I am in the office (just like in Uganda). So I have to make an effort to get some exercise. I know the locals think I am a bit weird (you know how those mzungus – white people – are) as they walk to get from one place to another. I walk a certain distance and turn around and come back. Such strange behavior!
Tanzania is cooler than either Kenya or Uganda. There are screens on the windows so less worry about bugs but I still close the window at night so I don't get cold. Daytime temperatures are very pleasant.
I gave books, toys and treats to the staff today for their children. This weekend I will give the same to the children here. I haven't felt like going out to play with them but plan to make it happen this weekend no matter what my energy level is.
Kenya to Tanzania
Written on May 6, 2008 from Dodoma, Tanzania
By Anne Olson
On Saturday I met with Louise Sewe of Wege Women Group Support Organization (WWGSO) – Beyond Biological Parenthood. Wege means parenthood in Luo – the local language and the language of Barack Obama's father. She's the woman I met at a conference in California. She is doing some good work in western Kenya, building a community in the villages to support the orphans and vulnerable children. Part of WWGSO's strategy is to improve the economic status of community members through sustainable income generating activities. This is where I think that VEF and WWGSO may be able to work together. So I connected Louise with Wilson, VEF Country Director. The next steps are theirs. I will certainly follow up when I return to Kenya at the end of June.
Saturday afternoon, Jackie came to my hotel and we went out for hot chocolate. It was so good to see her and catch up with what she has been doing. She invited Linnet and I to lunch on Sunday and cooked the things that she knows I like – chapatti, green grams (lentils), fish. I was so full when I left there! We made plans to get together at the end of June when I come back to Nairobi before flying home.
The flight to Dodoma Tanzania was uneventful. Only 3 passengers from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro and 5 from Kili to Dodoma. We go through immigration and customs in Kili. It is so strange to go through with the pilot! I was happy to arrive in my Tanzanian home, knowing that I was going to be here for the rest of the month and wouldn't have to pack up and go for quite a while.
I woke up yesterday with a sore throat. It went away during the day but came back last night. Now I have a cold and a sore throat. Have asked for some hot water and lemon as that will help my throat feel better. I'm not really sick, just inconvenienced.
No internet connection today. So really cannot start on much of anything until I can get connected to QuickBooks Online and show people around a bit. Got some of the receipts so that I can see what we are dealing with. Reviewed authorization form and payment voucher form from Uganda and decided to use something very similar here. Made the changes and took it to the printer today and should have the duplicate copy books tomorrow. Hopefully we will have internet connection too so we can get started. I'm trying to set up a local network so that I can connect to the computer that has dialup and then we'll have two computers on the internet. If that works for my laptop, it should work for the other desktop in the office. We'll see how far my network knowledge gets me!
By Anne Olson
On Saturday I met with Louise Sewe of Wege Women Group Support Organization (WWGSO) – Beyond Biological Parenthood. Wege means parenthood in Luo – the local language and the language of Barack Obama's father. She's the woman I met at a conference in California. She is doing some good work in western Kenya, building a community in the villages to support the orphans and vulnerable children. Part of WWGSO's strategy is to improve the economic status of community members through sustainable income generating activities. This is where I think that VEF and WWGSO may be able to work together. So I connected Louise with Wilson, VEF Country Director. The next steps are theirs. I will certainly follow up when I return to Kenya at the end of June.
Saturday afternoon, Jackie came to my hotel and we went out for hot chocolate. It was so good to see her and catch up with what she has been doing. She invited Linnet and I to lunch on Sunday and cooked the things that she knows I like – chapatti, green grams (lentils), fish. I was so full when I left there! We made plans to get together at the end of June when I come back to Nairobi before flying home.
The flight to Dodoma Tanzania was uneventful. Only 3 passengers from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro and 5 from Kili to Dodoma. We go through immigration and customs in Kili. It is so strange to go through with the pilot! I was happy to arrive in my Tanzanian home, knowing that I was going to be here for the rest of the month and wouldn't have to pack up and go for quite a while.
I woke up yesterday with a sore throat. It went away during the day but came back last night. Now I have a cold and a sore throat. Have asked for some hot water and lemon as that will help my throat feel better. I'm not really sick, just inconvenienced.
No internet connection today. So really cannot start on much of anything until I can get connected to QuickBooks Online and show people around a bit. Got some of the receipts so that I can see what we are dealing with. Reviewed authorization form and payment voucher form from Uganda and decided to use something very similar here. Made the changes and took it to the printer today and should have the duplicate copy books tomorrow. Hopefully we will have internet connection too so we can get started. I'm trying to set up a local network so that I can connect to the computer that has dialup and then we'll have two computers on the internet. If that works for my laptop, it should work for the other desktop in the office. We'll see how far my network knowledge gets me!
A Nice Visit to the Field
Written on May 1, 2008 from Kakamega, Kenya
By Anne Olson
These last few days in the office went by very fast. I feel good about what we were able to accomplish and how much Linnet has learned. I also got some documentation done so that I can more easily set up for the other two countries. They won't be so "trial and error" like Kenya was. We have reconciled checking and savings accounts for the first quarter of 2008, petty cash has been reconciled with an adjustment (I knew that would be the case) and some receipt tracking processes have been put in place. A lot of money goes out the door as cash so receipts are very important. When I come back to Kenya in June I will do some spot checks to see if receipts are in place.
Today I went to the field with Catherine, one of the Village Business Mentors (VBMs), and Wilson the country director. We visited some of Catherine's businesses. I love to do that. Some were selling vegetables and cereals (maize, beans, etc), one was selling paraffin and kerosene, one was selling cooked beans and chapatti for lunch. Beautiful strong Kenyan women who are making a difference in the lives of their families and the community at large. I love going to the field and seeing the people that are being helped by VEF. They all ask me to take greetings and thanks back to the US office and the donors. They are very grateful for the chance they were given to move out of poverty and want others to have the same chance. Very inspiring.
Tomorrow Linnet and I will take the bus to Nairobi where I will spend the weekend. I will meet with a woman that I met at a conference in California. She runs an NGO (non-governmental organization) and I want to talk with her about her organization and how she tracks expenses. Should be interesting. I will also get to spend some time with Jackie who used to be the VEF Country Director; she and I became friends when I have visited Kenya in the past. When she lived in Kakamega, I would stay at her house when I was there. I am excited to see her. Her husband helped me deal with the hotel in Nairobi when my computer was stolen. And NO, I am not staying at the same place and NO I will not be leaving my computer in my room when I go out!
On Monday, May 5, I fly to Dodoma Tanzania to work in the VEF office there. I can't believe I have already been here for a month. The time is going by very fast.
By Anne Olson
These last few days in the office went by very fast. I feel good about what we were able to accomplish and how much Linnet has learned. I also got some documentation done so that I can more easily set up for the other two countries. They won't be so "trial and error" like Kenya was. We have reconciled checking and savings accounts for the first quarter of 2008, petty cash has been reconciled with an adjustment (I knew that would be the case) and some receipt tracking processes have been put in place. A lot of money goes out the door as cash so receipts are very important. When I come back to Kenya in June I will do some spot checks to see if receipts are in place.
Today I went to the field with Catherine, one of the Village Business Mentors (VBMs), and Wilson the country director. We visited some of Catherine's businesses. I love to do that. Some were selling vegetables and cereals (maize, beans, etc), one was selling paraffin and kerosene, one was selling cooked beans and chapatti for lunch. Beautiful strong Kenyan women who are making a difference in the lives of their families and the community at large. I love going to the field and seeing the people that are being helped by VEF. They all ask me to take greetings and thanks back to the US office and the donors. They are very grateful for the chance they were given to move out of poverty and want others to have the same chance. Very inspiring.
Tomorrow Linnet and I will take the bus to Nairobi where I will spend the weekend. I will meet with a woman that I met at a conference in California. She runs an NGO (non-governmental organization) and I want to talk with her about her organization and how she tracks expenses. Should be interesting. I will also get to spend some time with Jackie who used to be the VEF Country Director; she and I became friends when I have visited Kenya in the past. When she lived in Kakamega, I would stay at her house when I was there. I am excited to see her. Her husband helped me deal with the hotel in Nairobi when my computer was stolen. And NO, I am not staying at the same place and NO I will not be leaving my computer in my room when I go out!
On Monday, May 5, I fly to Dodoma Tanzania to work in the VEF office there. I can't believe I have already been here for a month. The time is going by very fast.
Sunburn and Cocoa Butter, Fruit and Yogurt
Written on April 26, 2008 from Kakamega, Kenya
By Anne Olson
My sunburned arms are now peeling! The locals find it interesting; guess they don't experience this. Bought some lotion with cocoa butter and that is helping to keep my skin moist. Haven't been sunburned like this for years and years but guess it is to be expected when spending a day on the water at the equator. I DID use 30 weight sunscreen and applied it a number of times during the day. Now I wear a long-sleeved shirt when I go out to protect that tender new skin that is being exposed.
I went in to the office today to get some quiet time for working on QuickBooks, the accounting program that I am training someone to use. The fact is that I am figuring it out as I go and had a few more things to figure out. Now I need to train on the new things and document what I know. I also got my bills paid for May. The good news was that the internet was working and there was electricity (neither can be taken for granted here!). I will probably go back tomorrow for a few hours again.
After my time in the office, I went to town to the market to buy some fruit to have in my room – little sweet bananas (I call them baby bananas because they are about the size of my thumb) and mangos. We usually have a late lunch (2 or 3pm) so I'm not hungry for dinner. So I just have some fruit and some yogurt in the evening. It works well for me. I also found someone selling roasted ground nuts (like peanuts) on my walk home from the market so I got some of them for a snack this afternoon.
By Anne Olson
My sunburned arms are now peeling! The locals find it interesting; guess they don't experience this. Bought some lotion with cocoa butter and that is helping to keep my skin moist. Haven't been sunburned like this for years and years but guess it is to be expected when spending a day on the water at the equator. I DID use 30 weight sunscreen and applied it a number of times during the day. Now I wear a long-sleeved shirt when I go out to protect that tender new skin that is being exposed.
I went in to the office today to get some quiet time for working on QuickBooks, the accounting program that I am training someone to use. The fact is that I am figuring it out as I go and had a few more things to figure out. Now I need to train on the new things and document what I know. I also got my bills paid for May. The good news was that the internet was working and there was electricity (neither can be taken for granted here!). I will probably go back tomorrow for a few hours again.
After my time in the office, I went to town to the market to buy some fruit to have in my room – little sweet bananas (I call them baby bananas because they are about the size of my thumb) and mangos. We usually have a late lunch (2 or 3pm) so I'm not hungry for dinner. So I just have some fruit and some yogurt in the evening. It works well for me. I also found someone selling roasted ground nuts (like peanuts) on my walk home from the market so I got some of them for a snack this afternoon.
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