Have you ever
seen a young child’s face when they see something very special for the first
time? Maybe it’s Christmas morning and
they just are wide-eyed and speechless. They stand there for a moment not knowing what
to do first. Maybe it was your first
time seeing the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center or when you see your child
walk for the first time.
In September,
we had the pleasure of accompanying the second year students on a study trip to
Bagamoyo and Dar es Salaam. We left at 6 am on a Friday, the 8th and returned
on Sunday evening. We boarded the bus as
planned. Everyone was very excited. Most of the students had dressed very smartly
in slacks or jeans. This is one of the few
times during their time at Irente that they can wear make-up and are permitted
to dress in casual clothes.
On our way |
Most of these
students have never been on a trip like this. Many have never been anywhere
outside their villages or towns except for coming to school at Irente
Children’s Home. We passed many villages;
large and small in the six hours it took to reach our first destination. We also experienced the difference in the
climate on our journey. In Irente , we
are fortunate for the lush environment., very green with many plants and
flowers. Bagamoyo was dry, hot and very
humid.
Bagamoyo’s
history goes back many years. It is
considered to be Tanzania’s oldest town.
We started our tour at the Kaole Ruins just south of town on the Indian
Ocean. The ruins include two mosques
and about 30 tombs set among palm trees.
According to our Tanzania guidebook, the oldest of the mosques dates from
sometime between the third and fourth century AD. The other mosque and the tombs date from the
13th century. The
tombs are stone pillars, some up to 5 meters high, which were inlaid with
Chinese bowls of celadon. (The bowls
have been removed and are now in a museum in Dar). A guide took us around and explained the
history. Also on the site we saw a
museum of local artifacts and a baobab tree, which is believed to be over 500
years old. Touring the area were also
several groups of school children. The
students were very interested to hear their history of their country.
A well at Kaole that promises long life |
A possibly 500 year old baobab tree |
Students at Kaole Ruins |
After Kaole, we
drove back to Bagamoyo to a crocodile farm and then to the Old Fort, which is
fully restored and dates to around 1860.
It was started by Abdallah Marhabi and expanded by Sultan Baghash around
1870. It was built as a place to hold
slaves until they could be shipped to Zanzibar.
The name Bagamoyo means “lay down my heart”. It was a busy port and origin of many
caravans into the interior. The fort
then came under German control with the start of German East Africa in
1891. After World War I, it became
British. Bagamoyo has a sad history of
mistreatment of the local people by people from far away.
At the fort in Bagamoyo |
The beach at Bagamoyo |
Fish market in Bagamoyo |
Fishing Dhows |
There were many fishing
dhow’s of different sizes and a large fish market where some of the students
bought freshly cooked fish and shrimp.
We also enjoyed drinking coconut milk right from the shell. It was very cool and refreshing.
We walked back to our bus to continue our journey to Dar es Salaam. While it is no longer the capital of Tanzania, it is the largest city and home to an estimated 4 million people. Dar es Salaam means “haven of peace”, which is a great contrast to the reality today of people, traffic, and high-rise buildings. In fact, it took us more than two hours to reach our hotel once we were in the city.
Because of the
size of our group, we stayed in two different guesthouses, which were located
close to each other. Our room had a
queen-sized bed, air conditioning, and an en suite bathroom. We were all tired and ready to go to bed by
the time we settled in.
In the morning
after breakfast, we boarded the bus to visit several sites in the city. This day the students were dressed as if
going to a prom. This was a very special
occasion for them. Although two of the
students are from Dar, most of them had never been there before. Again, it was fun watching them as they
looked at the sites out the bus windows.
We took a ride on
a ferry, which carries people and vehicles across the port. This was the first boating experience for
many of the students. We also visited
the airport and a street market called Kariakoo. We visited an orphanage run by the Catholic
Church. This was a chance for the
students to compare another institution and see how it is run. The children at this orphanage range in age
from newborn up to 5 years old. It was a
very long and hot day and we were glad when we returned to our hotel.
The next morning, we boarded the bus for our ride home. As always, our journey began with a time of prayer. Even on an early Sunday morning, the traffic was unbelievable. It took us more than an hour to leave the city limits. On our return trip we stopped for lunch and also to buy many bushel bags of oranges for the children at the home.
The fish was very tasty. Tom with student Monica |
some of the Dar skyline |
Students of Irente Children's Home on the beach in Bagamoyo, September 2013 |
Fantastic report! What a great experience for everyone!
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