The Sea Container that Keeps Giving

Currently we are working on some advertising projects for the Stationary Shop business. We decided to post some hand painted wood signs in front of the Stationary Shop as well as around town promoting those items that makes our store only our store sells. We knew that we would spend at least 70,000 TZ shillings ($47) on two small and two medium sized signs. So Mwenda (the shop manager), Fabian (our carpenter) and I decided we would do it ourselves by utilizing some supplies left over from the sea container in order to stretch our donations as far as possible.

Since the sea container arrived two years ago every piece has been utilized. The wood boxes, generously donated by American Packaging, which held all of the donated books and school items was an unforeseen gem. These boxes became shelves, desks and chairs for the library, lab tables, doors and even bunk beds. Every fastener, screw and nail was saved and is still used today.

Mwenda and I went into the back room of the assembly hall at school where some supplies were being stored to scrounge up some wood pieces for the signs. Fabian assembled the scrap pieces from the used nails to make a clean surface to paint on. We used the paint brushes that TEP purchased two years ago and bought eye catching paint for just 8,000 TZ shillings ($5). I spent a few days prepping the surface with a white back ground, sketching the words and carefully painting each letter. Everyone reminded me a hundred times over how Eileen was the best artist for painting letters and she should be here to take my place, I fully agreed.  Although I was much slower than Eileen would have been, the signs turned out great. This was such a simple, cheap way to increase business and keep our shop not only self sustainable but thriving. 

-Cassie

Rainy Day

It’s been raining a lot the last few days. Everyone slows down when the rain comes. Many shops close, the children hide under the over hangs and as the women continue to work the men wait for the rain to end. Even when it rains at home I am consumed with thoughts of naps and here is no different. I love a good rainy day. I think the years of seizing sunny summer vacation days outside with the only excusable break being on a rainy day. You could cuddle up, watch a movie and nap all day- guilt free.  It could also be because coming from a construction family, there was nothing more glorious than a rain day. Similar to a school snow day, rain meant no work and what could be better than that. Every morning before school my first thought (and despite being 24 and not in school, still is) was ‘oh please let it be a snow day.’ Although I loved the idea of no school and enjoyed playing with my friends, a snow day still meant getting on all your snow gear and sweating as you struggled to put on your boots on. There is still nothing better than a nice long nap on a good rainy day. Although there is no nap in store for me today, I can’t help but dream.

Today, I am working on write ups, research and paper work for TEP. The power has been much more reliable this trip than ever in the past but when it rains the power goes in and out. Now that it’s on, I’m taking full advantage to get some administrative work done. The biggest fundraising campaign that I am completing the research and documentation on is getting support for FANAKA’a teaching staff. Even in US schools teacher’s salaries are the largest burden on school’s budgets. FANAKA’s inability to pay competitive salaries on time is threatening closure of the school. Last month we finally paid back salaries all the way from January. If we could get a sponsorship of a few teachers that would ensure the school could stay open. A qualified teacher gets paid about $315 a month and our teaching staff is ten members. Relieving this burden would also allow the school to invest in a qualified and trained administration.

Currently, a responsible teacher that we trust is our school’s principle, director, discipline master all while teaching two subjects for 4 grades. He runs the school even though he is over worked and not trained in administrative matters. The best method to improve the school quickly is to hire a director or school manager that is tied to education and enrollment goals. These individuals are tied to well known teachers and often bring large amounts of students and resources with them. This is the new strategy of all the top schools and there were a good handful of schools that two years ago scored lower than FANAKA on the national examinations that now are at the top. We know investing in a trained management could change FANAKA forever, however there is no way we can swing it without some hefty support.   
-Cassie

Fabrics Galore 6/21/12

Fabrics Galore

 Today Cassie took me into town (Dares Salaam) to the textile market. When she told me about this place, she said there were lots and lots of fabrics of all sizes and colors. I thought; ok this will be fun to go and see not really knowing what to expect. We hopped on a bus and headed to the textile market. When we got there it was nothing like I was expecting. I was thinking there would be a few very large shops of fabrics; but there were blocks and blocks of different stores for textiles. There was every color of fabric there that you could imagine from plain colors of blue and pink to tie dyed fabrics, to fabrics that had paintings on them, and even some fabrics that had gold stitching on them.

 

There were also different sizes of fabrics. There were fabrics used for wipe cloths to fabrics for clothes to fabrics for blankets, blinds or tapestries. They were gorgeous! The streets were lined with piles and piles of these fabrics and many rows of fabrics. Some of the piles reached from the ground to as high as I stand. I could run my fingers right through these fabrics to touch and feel any of the fabrics I wanted to. Some of the textiles were very soft while others were a little rough. There were hundreds of people selling these fabrics. Every step you took was another person selling these textiles.

 

I bought a lot of them; I bought some big and some small. It was an experience that I will remember forever.

-Katie