school trip inland The school year at the Waldorf School Hekima consists of three terms (September-November, January-March, May-July) and half each term is a week's holiday and the December, April and August. Now we had the first week of holidays, the first term break, and it was now a school trip to the interior. We drove three days after Mafinga and a day in the Mikumi National Park. In Mafinga is a bio-dynamic farm, which we visited, it is central and south into Tanzania. Mikumi National Park, we cut back on the road.
Saturday morning is our school trip, with thirty students who could afford it, a mixture of classes 4 to 7, four teachers, two volunteers, the bus driver and all his baggage. We went with our school bus, which had been approved only for 30 persons and not much room offered for luggage. The outward journey was a pure adventure for me. The first time I left Dar Es Salaam and saw the country! Slowly and overcharging we left the biggest human capital of East Africa. The further we drove into the center of the country, the more the landscape began to change. The cottages were changed less and cement stone houses with corrugated iron roofs, brick and clay house with grass roofs. The palm trees were less and I felt like the coast and ended as the fascinating interior enchanted me. Watching was now a steppe, the savannah of East Africa. Long sections, we now drove on the highway through the wild savannah. Now and then came a Lehmhüttenansiedlung, then long nothing, then even a large village with a church or mosque and small shops. On the roadside, onion, tomato, sugar cane sellers were seeing, which were sold by the locals. The African vegetables could see me often, especially when we went on a river delta over. From the plains walked slowly and almost continuously on the mountains until we reached 1600m on the African highlands. I was very tired, could never close my eyes for fear of missing something of the charming landscape. After 13 hours of trip we are now in the evening on the farm in a typical African village, near Mafingas arrived and were we receive from a group of singing children's village. We were now right in the African bush, no electricity, nothing. The farm was run by a European who has a local woman to woman. In the villages there were many orphans and children whose parents have serious problems with alcohol, the biggest problem, however, Adis. Every second person is HIV-positive, even the smallest children. Click for the children, the farm was a base, after school they come here and get a meal, which for many is the only day. I realized how many children lack the affection, they came to me, looked around and wanted to be taken for a ride. This is one reason that here her volunteer come from Sweden, they give the children the lack of love. When we were there, three volunteers were on site, but the volunteers are only up to a maximum of three months there. At a campfire, there would be in wonderful, beautiful, comfortable, eating too well what sentient round. Then we moved into our room and went to bed very tired from the trip. What struck me right here in the darkness of the night sky, which I believe has never been so close was. The climate here is also completely different than on the coast. Here it was much cooler when the sun disappeared I took my sweater, the climate here reminded me a bit of my Heimart. The next day we took a long walk over several small villages, with a pause, in which we are pumped to a fountain of fresh water. The cottage in the village include individual families, they lived in a family that no longer has as her house and the land around it lying in the most corn is grown. The people here work only for their daily meal. Many more opportunities to employment that is not here. During the hike we had a wonderful view of the African highlands with these little clay house. In the evening we gathered with the other children from the villages around a camp fire and formed a large circle around it. Alternately sang the village and school children and led them against each other and what finally all danced around together around the fire, all the children were very happy and had lots of fun. How do I, and finally it was the turn of volunteers we have, say with a guitar "No Women, No Cry" by Bob Marley, who knew everyone there. It was a wonderful evening, which I enjoyed very much. Mondays then stood on a major project. We should help the goat shed further build. The goat pen was previously only from a wooden frame on the dirt floor should now be added. We watered the earth in a field so that it became mud, they stomped and clapped softly this soft ground then to the wooden frame, forming the wall. We were busy the whole morning and afternoon and only up to half the height of the four walls of their progress. A really elaborate work, when you note that mithälfen thirty children and we were getting so little. Albert began the afternoon and I still cover the roof. We cut off in the long blades of grass roots, and covered in tufts of the house. A very interesting work, a pity that we could not make the house ready, because the very next day we drove off. The next morning we went to go very early to Mikumi National Park. In the same bus full, wide, long way back and this trip was purely a shopping trip. Onions, tomatoes, sugar cane and baskets were bought by all, whether children or teachers and that although the bus was already full. Whatever led to the us soon blew a tire. Once in the Mikumi National Park, we were guided by a guide through the park, the first time I saw the wild animals of Africa. I got the elephant in pure wilderness on a moat, which also hippos could be seen. They drank water, freshened up and went finally to be like this getröte. From another tour guide told us that was not far from us to see a lion, and soon I was only five meters away from a lioness, which blew her straight. A magnificent, powerful animal that fascinated me and gave me full attention. I also saw zebras, giraffes, Buffalo, wildebeest, warthogs, antelopes and baboons, monkeys were seen outside the national parks are often on the roadside. It was a heady feeling, and it was clear to me, that was certainly not the last time in a national park. After a night in the village of Mikumi, our shopping spree continued in the direction to the port of peace (translation of Dar Es Salaam). In the country everything is cheaper than in the city, which all took advantage. Back home, I noticed this enormous volume directly, which I was allowed to miss the last few days, since there was no electricity. A boy of my age told me on the farm, "the children of the city are white, the children here are black, if, after It would go Dar es Salaam, it would also be white. This statement was engaged or occupied me now. I think he has a sense right, more in my next report.
