Tanzania: Kimanzichana

From Tanzania 2010 Photos

Day 4

Walk a mile, or two, or three, in their shoes

Today’s distribution was the furthest inland yet. We set our alarms for 4:30 am and drove for two-and-a-half hours out of Dar es Salaam. While we drove out of the city and through villages along the way, hundreds if not thousands of school children were also making their morning journey -- only their journey was by foot.

Arriving on site we could not help but notice that many of these young ones, already assembling to accept their bedkits, had made this journey without shoes. As we fought the traffic, pollution, and the elements in an eight-passenger van, many of these young people would have walked along the main roads for up to two hours to arrive at school.

We all take our shoes for granted. For these children, the flip flops in the bedkit will be their first pair of shoes. Having shoes is a requirement for attending school, but head teachers often ask their staff to make dress code exceptions for those children who cannot afford these basics but wish to attend class.

From Tanzania 2010 Photos

After setting up shop, we were invited into a tiny furniture-less classroom where we were serenaded by sixty kids all sitting on the floor. One song in their repertoire was highly appropriate. They sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Ken, whose birthday fell on our day off on Sunday. When the children sang ‘How old are you now?’ Ken chose not to respond in song.

Although there is visible need at all the sites we’ve visited so far, today’s more rural location presented us with a group of children whose needs were more dire. Some of the children wore red patches sewn onto their shirts indicating they were HIV-positive and therefore in need of extra assistance. Bedkits were given to these children earlier in the day and teachers explained that these children are given exceptions and extra support in class, especially when it comes to assigning homework and physical activities.

From Tanzania 2010 Photos

On our journey back home we passed many children now carrying their bedkits home along the same routes they travelled in the morning. Although their load was certainly heavier with the bedkits in tow, we witnessed them laughing, smiling, and waving with a skip in their step as they made their way home.

More pictures have been added to our photo album which you can also watch as a slideshow.

Team Tanzania 2010

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