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.