Let the surveys begin!

Yesterday, I began my hut-to-hut surveys on usage and satisfaction with the Roche Health Center and Uji Project.  The first day was slow to begin.  After an issue finding transportation, a very bumpy ride in a corolla station wagon that should never traverse those roads, and a punctured tire outside Roche, we finally made it to Migeko, the subvillage I’ll be interviewing first. One of the nice things about the punctured tire is it happened in front of the home of a nice couple, Joyce and Helon Amolo.  Helon was a Mennonite minister for years and now at the ripe age of 80, he and his wife now enjoy a quiet but comfortable life in the country.  His wife was wonderful.  She offered me their choo (toilet) and demanded I eat some uji because I looked thin (sounds like back home).  Her uji looked very different from that at the schools, so I was hesitant – a reddish, brown color.  It was quickly explained to be made out of sorghum and millet rather than corn or flour.  It was great, much sweeter than the school uji!  I drank it out of a bowl made from a dried gourd (Mom would have loved the bowl!)

Melda and her children who live in Migeko subvillage.

The surveys went well, although slow, as we were led by the subvillage chairman, Otieno (Agnes’, my committee member, husband) and Paul, chairman of the education committee.  They took us all over the subvillage, passing many homes.  When I explained that we needed to just pick a spot and proceed hut-to-hut rather than pick and choose homes, they told me that if we only did one area, villagers on the other side of Migeko would be jealous.  This could be a problem.  Three and a half hours later, we finish our fifth survey, and as it is already late, I figure we’re walking back to the car.  Nope, Otieno takes us to his home to interview his wife (Agnes – this survey will probably have to be thrown out due to bias).  After a long interview, only extended by the late, late discovery of a second wife, he invites us into his home to eat.  It’s so late, but this hospitality is necessary in their culture and of course, I never turn down food (very similar to the Southern hospitality, I feel right at home).  Agnes brings out a bowl with ng’ombe (beef) and broth and then two plates of what looks like bread.  I grab it and realize that it is very soft, not like bread, and realize I’m wrong; it’s ugali. YES!!! (Things to do in TZ: try ugali. Check! My TZ/African experience is complete) Killian explains to me that ugali to Tanzanians is like the potato to the British, bread to the French, pasta to Italians, and rice to Asians.  He instructs me to grab a piece, roll and mold it in my hand into a bowl, stick my thumb in the middle to make an “ugali bowl” and then dip in the broth.  It is SO GOOD!  Although it has the consistency of cookie dough and so is very chewy, it has a soothing feel to the pallet, yet is a little tough to swallow.  Whereas I miss pizza, fried food, and tortilla chips, Tanzanians miss ugali when they are away. 

My first meal of ugali na nyama (lamb meat) with Paul-VLOP committee member, Otieno-Migeko subvillage chairman, and Killian-my faithful translator (left to right)

The second day of surveys goes even slower with us only making it to seven homes in four hours.  It turns out Migeko is the largest subvillage and so the homes are much more spread out.  It’s interesting dealing with a translator because half the time, I wonder what all he is saying to the family.  It takes about three times as long for him to ask “Have you been to Roche Health Center in the past three months?”  But Killian is a great companion and knows his languages well!  After survey #7 (which went half as long as all the others because Killian was tired and ready to stop) Nyamusi picked us up, only for us to be ushered to the town center to meet with Otieno.  Again, we were ushered to a meal with Otieno and Paul of ugali and meat.  Today, though, the meat was chicken, and it was wonderful!  There was a lot of meat, much different from the chicken we had in Shirati, and flavor was nice and salty.  They made sure to give me the wing with the most meat, but then followed it up with another piece of….I’m still deciding whether it was the chicken liver or testicles.  Either way, I was pleasantly surprised.  It was very different from normal chicken meat but tasty.  I hope that this is a tradition present in all subvillages…I could get used to this wonderful food.  It’s also a great time to get to know the leaders better and talk about the project, albeit through a translator.