Volunteering

During the last 4,5 months, I have been volunteering in SDA as a sports teacher in the schools and as an

Planning a project all together

assistant in the office. The first two months I mostly taught sports in the schools and got familiarised with SDA work. Little by little I started to feel I could have had some more work to do during the afternoons. After some discussions with SDA staff, we agreed I could also assist staff in the office work. I have assisted for writing reports, searching some information on the web, cleaning the office and planning for a new Moms and

In the office

Daughters project. I had also an option to finish teaching and start working only in the office. That was something I did not wanted. I wanted to do also something very concret on the grassroot level and work with people, especially with children, who are always very excited of participating in the sport lessons.  I have taught 27 times and had 800 pupils this far (totally 1300 but some of them have participated many times). The number could have been even bigger but there have been some important meetings and rainy days when I have not visited in the schools. And during the examination weeks sports lessons are not organised at all. Although once I taught some kindergarden kids while the pupils had exams.

At the office in the school

Anyway this month is a busy month at work; we are doing moms and daughters project planning, organising a dance competion and an event for moms and daughters and writing a booklet for moms and daughters. I’ve been also collecting some sports material and making a file for SDA. I also promised to collected some orientation material about SDA and volunteering work in generally to help becoming volunteers to adapt better in Mtwara and SDA. Like I told before, many Finns are coming and going. Aino went back to Singida, Elina went back to Finland and Juha Matti and Irja came to volunteer few weeks ago. Also some staff has changed in SDA during the last

Pupils are listening teacher (me) before playing

weeks. Our boss Mr. Limu went to his studies and Mr. Kanda (previous director in SDA) became a new director. Also Moms and daughters’s worker Ms. Kulu started her maternity leave and Ms. Zulfa came to replace her. A lot of changes in SDA but work continues as normal. Generally speaking, the last weeks have been busy with all different new issues.

Before finishing, there are some family things in the end.. 

Mama came home to spend one week holiday in Mtwara and to give some orientation to our new

housegirl Sada. Unfortunately, mama got a very very bad malaria after coming home, went to a hospital several times and had been really sick for the last four weeks. Luckily, this week she has been little bit better. But I can’t have stopped wondering how the family members, relatives, friends, neighbours, collegues, a priest, a doctor and whoever have been supporting mama and our family during the last weeks. After bibi’s (grand mother) moving to our house, two other mamas moved as well to do household duties and taking care of mama. Every day we have a lot of visitors. Yesterday, I counted that before two (8 am), we had already had eight visitors. Some people are visiting us many times in a day but also new visitors came every day. Our

Mtwara

living room has been crowded. I am very glad to see how kind and helpful have people been but also little bit confused because of meeting so many people all the time at home. And of course, some of the visitors are confused to see a mzungu living there: )Yesterday I met someone whom I never expected to meet after February - Merina, another sister of mine, came to have a visit! And again, you couldn´t even imagine how confused but excited I was. Last night, when mama was feeling much better, we all danced and sang to mama. And everyone was so happy - a lot of laugh in the house again!