Tutaonana, Iringa! Jambo, Pommern!

That is: "Good-bye, Iringa! Hello, Pommern!"

Having been back in the States for a few days, it's time for me to begin sharing the stories of my time in Pommern. Allow me first to introduce the main cast of characters for this Tanzanian adventure. Any other characters you need to know will be introduced to you as they appear.

The Volunteer Team
Sonia: At 21 years old, Sonia just graduated from college in Florida, though she is originally from New Jersey. She wants to go to medical school. A commonality we found during our first meeting is that we have both been to the little-known African country of Namibia. How cool!

Kendra: Also 21 years old, Kendra was born in Chicago, lived in Michigan, went back to Chicago for college and is now returning to Michigan to finish her undergraduate degree. Like Sonia, Kendra is pre-med.

Amy: Originally from upstate New York, Amy now lives in North Carolina and works with the football team at UNC. She is the mom of 4 boys and had been to Pommern two years ago, along with Sonia. The first time Amy went to Pommern, she took her oldest son with her. This time she brought her second-oldest son.

Jack: The son of Amy, Jack is 14 and active in soccer and lacrosse. He will start high school in the fall. He masquerades as a quiet person, but he has a big heart and passion for others that aren't often seen yet in boys his age.

Me (Karen): At 26 years old, I live and have always lived in Iowa. I went to a small private college in Iowa and am now a high school math teacher in a medium-sized Iowa town.

Amy, me, Kendra, and Sonia dressed for church

Jack and Amy, ready to go on safari

Global Volunteers Staff
Edward: The country manager for Tanzania, Edward is an extremely knowledgeable person and a fantastic leader. He coordinated all of our volunteering activities, answered questions freely, and made sure we were well provided for. Prior to beginning his job with GV, Edward was a teacher at Pommern Secondary School.

Mohammed: In addition to being our very talented and fearless driver, Mohammed also gave us Swahili lessons, helped us out whenever Edward wasn't around, and provided much entertainment for our volunteer team (often in the form of lovingly mocking the females' high-pitched voices!).

Mama Tony: What didn't this woman do?? Mama Tony was our caregiver in every way. She cooked three wonderful meals a day for us, kept the mission house clean, and was always around for anything we needed. This even included dressing us wazungu (Europeans/white people) in our newly purchased kangas (a piece of cloth that can be used as a skirt, headwrap, shawl, and so much more) before we went to church on Sunday (see the picture of the four girls above)!

Mohammed and myself

Edward (wearing Jack's sunglasses) and Mama Tony

We had planned to leave Iringa around 2 or 2:30 on that first Monday in Tanzania, but operating in full-blown African time, we actually left town around 3:30 or 3:45. Unlike the road from Dar to Iringa, which was paved, the road from Iringa to Pommern was a packed dirt road and could not be called "smooth" by any stretch of the imagination. Regardless, Mohammed's excellent driving skills coupled with the fine condition of our jeep made the ride as smooth as possible.

The road as we got close to Pommern

We arrived in Pommern with little fanfare, and after unloading the vehicle, Amy and Sonia led the way for a little walk around the village. It was late in the day, however, and a formal introduction to Pommern would have to wait until the following day. Darkness fell, the generator came on to provide three precious hours of electricity, we ate our first meal prepared by Mama Tony, we unpacked and settled in, and we went to sleep anticipating everything that was to come.