Memories: Tanzania Trip

I went with a group of 9 other members of Alpha Delta Kappa International to visit the Manyara Holistic Center (MAHOCE) in Babati, Tanzania. Cam Johnston, the organizer of our trip is the mother of Joshua, the Director of this amazing home and school for children in poverty. MAHOCE had been our A∆K World Understanding Project for two years.

We also had four amazing safari days. All our nights were at beautiful resorts.

After flying to Philadelphia to join up with six other A∆K sisters, we flew together to London, Doha (Qatar), and Kilimanjaro airport near Arusha, Tanzania, three long flights with layovers.

We were fast friends, all A∆K sisters.

One of the girls, Shirley, took this amazing photo through the window of the airplane of Mount Kilimanjaro peeking through the clouds.

We settled in at Forest Hill Hotel outside of Arusha and had dinner. Kathy, Rose, and Shirley have joined us now.

There were flowers everywhere.

Bird of Paradise flower

We had a view over the pool of Mount Meru, second highest mountain in Tanzania.

Here is Mount Meru from a different vantage point a few days later.

The rooms were in these buildings.

Our tour guides, Charles and Hamidu, were with a local company, Tanzania Specialists. On Day Two they took us on a tour of Arusha.

It is a very large city, but is somewhat primitive.

Many types of vehicles, and people in both western and traditional dress.

Here's the most creative of all: pulling a wagon with a self-propelled machine, probably a tiller, according to Louie.

The Cultural Heritage Centre and Art Gallery was amazing! Here we all are, with the addition of the three who flew separately and Cam's granddaughter Mariam. She is fluent in both English and Swahili, and ended up helping us with interpreting, directions, animal-spotting, and more. From left, Audrey (PA), Kathy (GA), Jj (VT), Rose (AK), Aletha (NH), Mariam (TZ), me, Shirley (CO), Dot (NH), Cam (PA), and Eleanor (PA).

Our guide, Hamidu, showed me the red banana flower before we went in. He was so knowledgeable! He has a Masters degree in Environmental Science.

This man, dressed in traditional Maasai clothing, met us at the door.

Musicians were playing traditional hand-made instruments.

The Art Gallery was huge!

It had hundreds of original paintings to view and to buy. Mariam loved this one.

One particular work of art depicts the migration which happens twice a year. We were so fortunate to be here during the mini-migration shown here.

There were also many antiquities. Of course the masks and costumes interested me.

There were lots of hand-made souvenirs too.

And right next door, was this private home. Quite a contrast.

We saw the Monument to Independence,

and the Arusha Clock Tower, which is equidistant from Capetown and Cairo, and also the center point of the three countries of Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania ...

...all on the way to the Maasai Market in Arusha.

Day Three took us on a beautiful and interesting route to a Maasai Village. On the way we saw this load of bananas being brought to market.

and lots of children at work bringing more produce,

and herding cattle and goats, with yellow-bark acacia in the background...

...and some camels.

At the Maasai village, we were greeted as we arrived.

They included us in their dance.

The donkeys were rounded up so they couldn't bother us visitors.

We were given a tour of the village.

The homes were constructed of sticks and mud. They told us it takes two weeks to build, and lasts about 10 years.

The door:

and the thatched roof:

School was in session, which we loved since we are all teachers.

Maasai women were selling their handicrafts.

Then on the way to Lake Manyara National Park, I saw the most beautiful scenery. This photo to me is quintessentially African landscape, with the acacia trees in the savanna woodland.

At Lake Manyara National Park, we got our first glimpse of a very shy elephant, an African Fish Eagle perched too far off to see clearly, and our first zebras.

These two were much less shy.

We passed this big family of baboons having their dinner of flower buds by the side of the road.

The baby was so cute.

This one was getting a tummy-rub.

That night our beautiful hotel was Ngorogoro Marera Mountain View Lodge in Karatu.

After a lovely evening, we went on Day Four to the nearby Ngorogoro Conservation Area, including the famous Crater. This relief map was in the visitor center.

On one side of the mountain was tropical rainforest. It was drier in the crater.

There were animals everywhere, both wild and domestic.

This is in the Malanjya Depression with a man leading his donkeys to one of many Maasai villages still in the Conservation Area.

More animals in Ngorogoro

Warthogs

They are very fast runners!

Grants Gazelles with Baboons

Guinea Fowl

Superb Starling

Thompson Gazelles with Zebras

Crown Crane (national symbol of Uganda)

Flamingos and Egyptian Geese on salt lake with foam

Blacksmith Plover

Black Rhinos

We also saw a pair of black rhinos off in the distance, which we were told almost never happens (rare and endangered; rarer still to see in pairs). One of our "Safari Sisters" Rose, was able to get a photo with her professional camera!

Cape buffalo with cattle egrets

Wildebeest

Lions playing in the distance

Here's another fantastic closeup from Rose of the male watching over his harem.

More zebras

These nests were made by the Weaver Birds.

And these messier ones were made by Starlings.

Everywhere we went, we saw the iconic Baobab trees.

Back to our lodge for a second night, and then on to Day Five for the Tarangire National Park, hoping for giraffes and hippos. On the way, we visited an ebony carving center where huge works of art are hand carved from one piece of wood, an art style called Ujamaa.

We saw several different settlements.

The roads inside Tarangire National Park were secluded and curvy.

The termite hills were huge!

This is the Tanzanian national flower.

Wild white morning glories trellised over everything.

We saw so many varieties of animals here.

Impala with an Oxpecker

It is very rare to see a tree lion, but we saw one very close by!

Bull elephant with his family

Vervet Monkey hoping to steal some of our lunch...

Success!

Red-beaked Hornbill

More zebras

Common Water Buck

The Defassa Water Buck with the ring

We saw giraffes in the distance at first, and hoped for a closer view!

That night we stayed at the Asmorein Hotel in Babati, which is where Cam's son lives and where the MAHOCE Center is. The porches were so inviting.

On Day Six, we began the most important part of our trip. We shopped for the needs of the school, wine to bring to dinner at Joshua's home, and watermelons to treat the school children the next day. The Manyara Holistic Center (MAHOCE) is a home and school for homeless children in eastern Tanzania, an area of 1.43 million people with no other facility like this. Their Foundation was created and named Harambee, which is a Swahili word meaning "Let's Pull Together." The first children to live there were street kids. The staff are very devoted, and several grew up there. All religions and tribes are welcome. For a more detailed history, which was part of the welcome program when we first arrived at the school, click here.

When we arrived, Joshua and the children welcomed us and the staff members were introduced.

The children had written a song and a skit to describe what MAHOCE does for them. They also performed a traditional dance for us.

Here are the three A∆K members who are also on the Board of the Harambee Foundation, which funds MAHOCE. From left, Cam, her son Joshua, the Director, Audrey, and Eleanor.

We had a tour of this amazing facility. When we saw all the areas of the center, we realized, as Cam pointed out, "You're in the real world now." It was heart-warming and heart-breaking all at the same time. Makes me think about the real meaning of 'privilege.'

The dorms,

kitchen,

kitchen storeroom,

garden, which also includes fruit trees,

laundry,

and the classroom, with some of the gifts we brought. The MEMKWA class teaches unschooled children the skills necessary to test into public school, or if they are older, there is a version of a 2-year GED.

There is also an "Emergency Room," which is a temporary safe place for children rescued from abuse.

On Day 7, Kathy and I swam in the pool and some of the others rested or went to church. In the afternoon we returned to the school to help the teacher with her classroom and see the kids again. On Sundays, lunch is served to the children who live here, and also to the children who attend school here, but live off campus with parents or caregivers.

On Day 8, we returned to Tarangire National Park. Before we left, the staff at Asmorein sang to us.

Hamidu pointed out the elephant damage on this Baobab tree.

They rub the bark until they make a hole, like in this one.

They do this to get the succulent fibers inside. Eventually the tree is killed and gutted.

Continuing on through Tarangire, we saw so much more wildlife! This elephant was so close to the road.

Lots of giraffes today.

Zebras getting ready to cross the road.

An ostrich

Candelabra Cactus

Elephants filing down to the river to drink and cool off.

Saddlebill Storks

Ground Hornbills

And more giraffes! With these unusual patterns, these are Maasai giraffes.

And this guy, whose color is darker, probably indicating an older male.

Beautiful gazelles,

And another elephant

I will never forget this is how we all looked all week, in our trucks with the top up for taking pictures. This is Shirley, with her really good camera. Jj and Audrey are seated.