Summing up

I have finished at Umoja and it’s time to sum up and move on.

Friday was the last day of my assignment. It was a big day to cap off a big year! 

Friday was "Parents Day". At Umoja reports are handed out at Parents Day when each student has to invite along a parent, sibling, other relative or friend and the report is given them to read together. Then they discuss the result (a percentage score) and the comment with the teachers.  It is an excellent system. I chatted to all the parents though I think their interviews with the local teachers would be more instructive

I’ve done all the admin & paper work – final report; exit interview; … and I’ve been farewelled by staff and students with songs, poem and dancing

I’ve had a wonderful 12 months working at Umoja and have enjoyed all the side benefits of living in East Africa. The only thing I would have like and couldn’t have was a trip to Zanzibar – too dangerous in AVI Security’s assessment – but I have been there so it’s not too grievous a loss.

 ** Blogpost not finished yet but thought I'd post the beginning. It's an unusual one because other people were taking the pics and I'm actually in some!

Afternoon tea - I brought more food than they could eat!

Many farewell speeches today - at assembly, Parents' Day and then the Official Farewell

The students sang - "I am woman" , Celine Dion's "Goodbye's the hardest word" and the Tanzania National Parks song.

Michael DJed the farewell and gave everyone an opportunity to speak

The teachers danced too - the students always enjoy that!

Michael wrote me a poem -  Ombeni, Christina and Magreth read a verse each.

They gave me many presents including a framed picture of me with the students

Update on the vertical garden - over the holidays some of the seeds we planted germinated and we will have a crop of chinese cabbage and lettuce leaves to pick soon. We need to drill more holes in the guttering for drainage - the soil is saturated! Some of the best plants grew in the soil pile. The beans in the yoghurt pots have been transplanted from our "good soil" pile.

My final “tourist” adventure was a trip to the northern crater region of Ngorongoro Conservation Area to catch a glimpse of Ol Doinyo Lengai. It was a long day but we had excellent views.  Two of the AVIs I was with intend to climb it before they return home. 

Lake Empakaai

Ol Doinya Lengai

Next stop Namibia for 3 weeks of birding with Steve; then home to Hamilton to contemplate terms 3 and 4 at Baimbridge College. I’ll leave this for now and resume trying to cram all the stuff I want to take home into one small suitcase with a 20kg weight limit!

* I've decided it can't be done. I now have a Hong Kong Shopper and extra kilos at Tsh10,500/= each.