Back home safely

Susan picked me up at the airport at 3pm, It had been 36 hours since I left the hotel in Dar and I hadn't managed to sleep on the flights although I watched lots of movies.
It was great to see the family and get that they are all safe and well.
Thanks to everyone who supported me on the trip and followed my blog. I had a team in Tanzania and a team in Canada supporting me and couldn't have done it without them.

Last Day in Dar es Salaam

I promised myself that when I returned to Dar, I would comeback to Coco Beach to sit and relax with a beer. In the City it was 33 degrees; but the slight breeze at the beach was perfect.

Fresh Fruit

I went for a walk in the back streets behind the Peacock hotel and the markets were alive with traders, crafts people, and artists. I love the jumble of fresh fruit for sale everywhere.

Security

Tanzania is a non-violent nation and Mbeya is a very safe town; but the banks still have there own security guards. On my daily walk, I often pass these two sitting on the corner of Karume Avenue and Lupa Way. They are always friendly and actually add to my feeling of safety.

Utengule Coffee Lodge

The District manager at SIDO, Mr Henrick took me out to a lodge 30 minutes out of Mbeya. It was a different world. Settled in the hills with breathtaking views of the valley, they have built a lodge on a coffee farm which attracts visitors from around the world as well as locals who want to get away for a weekend.n He brought his son and nephew and I learned more about local politics than I really need to know.

Roadside Hair Salon

Took this photo from the car window when we stopped to buy carrots. Not sure whether it was a formal session; but they were creating some pretty radical styles!

Solo's family

On the way home today Solo invited me to go to his home and meet his family. he lives about 20 minutes by car from the office but most of it is on dirt roads with huge potholes that a regular vehicle would not be able to navigate.His children were delightful as you can see

Training in Finnacial managemnt

In all, I ended up doing 4 days of training in a classroom setting - 2 in a larger venue  and two this week at the SIDO office meeting room.. There were lots of language and cultural differences that came up during the session; but my message was the accounting is a universal language and in the end they got it. We had a common bond when working with actual numbers on a sample balance sheet or developing a break-even analysis.

The course

I taught again today. I wasn't actually sitting while I taught; but when it was over Humila wanted a picture of me with the flip charts and the boards.

A blessing

We went to visit a soap manufacturer in the market and this little girl was playing outside. When we came out, she was giggling and I asked what it was about. "Did she think the white man was funny?" Humila told me "She wants to touch your head" Apparently, this is a traditional greeting for young children blessing their Grandfathers.

A grand old gentleman

I needed to know how the sunflower oil business works in Mbeya. They don't grow a lot of sunflowers in the area, the costs of seed seems high and the margins are slim. How did they survive? I was taken to Mr S and grand old man working in a dark airless shed, stacked with bags of seed in the middle of an industrial area.
He started by apologizing for his English - he had not spoken it in nearly 20 years; but of course it was flawless. He told me everything, where and when to buy seed, how to sell the "cake" - the seed hulls left after the oil is extracted. It was an honour to meet  and talk to such a grand old gentleman. He reminded me of my father. Then I realised that he is only three years older than me.

Bajaji ride

I wanted to visit some businesses in the industrial area and Solo was picking someone up at the airport. We had to get a Bajaji. I'd seem them on the roads dodging in and out of traffic and was a little worried, especially when I was told there would be 6 of us in it including the driver

You can carry anything on a motor-bike

On the drive down to the lake we saw amazing methods of transporting produce, building materials and everything else necessary for life here. These guys didn't think it strange to carry these baskets, even though everyone had to give them a wide berth.

Lake Nyasa

Lake Nyasa, also known as Lake Malawi is 150 km south of here. Malawi claims that all of the lake lies within its territory while Tanzania claims that the border is the mid=point of the lake. Anyway, I dipped my toe in the lake and perhaps that means I crossed the border!
The photo shows Solo and our guides walking out to the beach

This is a beautiful country

Fixing a flat tire

We were delayed because of a flat tire. Solo quickly switched in the spare (there's a reason they are attacked to the back door) and dropped of the tire to this guy to be fixed. H worked quickly cutting a patch out of another inner tube with a sharp knife,  and securing it with some adhesive he kept in a plastic pepsi bottle. in the end he charged 500 schillings (about 25 cents). It was amazing to watch him all the mechanics at work here. They seem to be able to  fix anything with minimal tools.

Humila

Humila, or Ummy as she prefers to be called is the SIDO development officer who is setting up all my work. She organizes the training sessions and sets up my appointments and takes me around to visit clients.  She is incredibly energetic and optimistic which you need to be for this job. On top of this she agreed to be my interpetor for the three day course that I was teaching, without really  understanding how much work that entailed.

Paddy processing

I am here to work with small businesses that operate in Mbeya. One cluster of businesses that SIDO works with are the paddy processors. They de-husk the raw rice that farmers bring to them in machines like this. The rice from Mbeya is much sought after particularly if the processors can maintain the long grain. It was really useful for me to see their operations before I start teaching my course tomorrow.

Mbeya at last

It's only a 90 minute flight to Mbeya; but a very different place than Dar. It was 37 degrees celsius when I left and a comfortable 20 degrees in the rain when I landed here. Humila brought me straight to my hotel where I am settling in - I won't go out tonight as I have to prepare as I am starting work in the morning.

Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam is a big City with luxory hotels alongside visible poverty. I'm just here for the night, so didn't get much chance to look around or meet anyone last night. Just did a quick walk around the block before it got dark, then ate at the hotel and went to bed early. Today i met the staff at the CESO office and then David took me for a drive to a market and the beach. This is a beautiful part that i think I will come back to in as couple of weeks.

Layover in Dubai

I am in Dubai on a 12 hour layover, which has given me the chance to get a good night's sleep and breakfast at the local version of the Holiday Inn. All I have been able to see so far is a magnificent modern airport and a concrete jungle outside. Off to Dar on a 10am flight this morning.

On my way

Katerina took a photo of my bags before i left just in case l have to identify them later. I'm still at  Victoria airport waiting to board to Seattle.  Jason help me download multiple movies onto my phone so that I have something mind numbing for the upcoming 21 hours in the air.

Getting there

Its a long way from Victoria to Tanzania. 9,432 miles in fact and there are no easy routes. I have chosen to via Seattle and Dubai. I could have gone via Calgary and Amsterdam or via Toronto and Addis Addaba. All three route have about the same 21 hours in the air; but by flying Emirates, I get a 12 hour layover in Dubai, where i have booked a hotel and can sleep. The downside is the 14.5 hour leg across the north pole. I am busy downloading movies onto my laptop to keep me occupied. I've never done a flight that long before.

About SIDO

The Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO) was established with a mission to promote the development of small-scale industries in Tanzania. Recently however, in direct response to growing demand from clients, donors and Government, SIDO progressively engaged itself in supporting micro businesses particularly in the informal sector. 

Hence, SIDO's new mission is to develop create, promote and sustain, indigenous entrepreneurial base in the small-scale industries and micro businesses.

The City of Mbeya

Mbeya is a city located in southwest Tanzania, Africa. Mbeya's urban population was 280,000 in 2005. Mbeya is the capital of the surrounding rural Mbeya region (population, with Mbeya, totals approx. 2 million).
Mbeya is the first large urban settlement encountered when travelling overland from the neighbouring nation of Zambia. Mbeya is situated at an altitude of 1,700 metres (5,500 ft), and sprawls through a narrow highland valley surrounded by a bowl of high mountains. The main language is colloquial Swahili, and the English language is extensively taught in schools.

Where is Tanzania?

Tanzania is one of the larger countries in Africa with a million square kilometers and 52 million people. It borders on eight other counties as well as the Indian Ocean.
It is one of the few countries in the area which has not experienced a civil war.
It was formed out of the union of the much larger mainland territory of Tanganyika and the coastal archipelago of Zanzibar. The former was a colony and part of German East Africa from the 1880s to 1919, when, under the League of Nations, it became a British mandate. It served as a military outpost during World War II, providing financial help, munitions, and soldiers. In 1947, Tanganyika became a United Nations Trust Territory under British administration, a status it kept until its independence in 1961. Zanzibar was settled as a trading hub, subsequently controlled by the Portuguese, the Sultanate of Oman, and then as a British protectorate by the end of the nineteenth century.