7 Days at Shukrani - Thursday

Thursday

Computer accounts class - 25 students attended, only 10 computers can actually run the accounting program! Aagh! They are patient, and I have used the time to introduce a little about the Internet. The ubiquitous Internet Explorer is on all computers, and I have created a few web pages they can browse. I added some earlier in the morning, but they did not work as well on those computers as they do on the laptop I am using. Oh well, I tried!

The shortage of hardware means they swap computers readily, (see yesterdays entry) and help each other often. With an exam/test period coming up next week some are working hard to get things right. When I can I am available to help (lunchtime, after class, and some times on Saturday). I am encouraged by the progress I see.

After that class today we went to the butcher - Butcha Ya Ngurewe. This one sells pork - so Butcher of Pigs. We were grateful that David Watson was with us to guide us through the process. It is best to buy early - and the fresh meat comes in sometime after 10.00 a.m. We were there at about 11.30 am.

On the way back we explored some more areas of the market, bought some groundnuts, and had 'chipsi' at the food hall. Arun is our chipsi man, and we had freshly cooked chips as a snack. A plateful costs 600 (mia sita) shillings (around 70 - 75 cents). I have tried to beat him down to 500...but he won't budge. If he did I would still pay him 600 anyway.

The ladies at the food hall were all happy to have their photos taken, so we will have to have some printed out before we leave. Doris would like us to visit and have some ugali. For a thousand shillings (A$1.20) we get a full meal.

Doris will provide my next meal at the food hall. I'm not sure Beth is as keen to share in that delight.

In the evening one of the teachers, Gad (pronounced Gardi), came around for dinner. Early in the evening I visited what will be his new rooms, and saw the progress being made in their renovation. He has to pay his rent up front - for about 9 months or more. This money is then used to pay for the work. In a few discussions with him I have learned much about the housing/rental market. There is no such thing as a real estate agent, houses and land are not bought or sold, but you gain title to the land by paying the local village, council or government. It works well in the rural areas (where land tends to be granted to a villager), but changes are taking slowly place to introduce a more formal and 'official' system in the cities.

7 Days at Shukrani - Wednesday

Wednesday:

Early start with an 8.15am class. By about 8.30 am most students were present.As per Monday, a few instructions, and they were practicing entering the data.I have set up companies for each student (3 sets per computer) and every time instruct them in how to access their company. Open Company, click Next, choose My Documents>Company Files - then select their named folder, Click on the company and choose Open. Unfortunately not all follow the instruction correctly, and data has often been entered into the wrong 'company file'. Oh well, it is good practice.

Early afternoon was discussion with Lucas about tax in Tanzania. There is the official system. VAT is 20%, so we have it good with GST at 10%. The system is similar to ours, but with more exemptions.Businesses with annual gross turnover of 40 million Tshs ($50,000) must be registered. If you are you submit a monthly return, and pay the difference between tax paid on purchases and tax received on sales.If you are not registered you pay VAT on goods you buy from registered businesses, and the taxman will visit and estimate a tax on your business based on what they see and what you tell them. They may well check your assets. If you are not registered, you get hit twice! As with life at home many people try to avoid paying tax. Here the incentives may be greater, and the punishment not so certain. The Tanzanian Revenue Authority handbook on VAT includes a prominent message "Bribes will kill the nation". There are ways to avoid the wrath of the authorities - they are against the law, and they all involve money.

In the afternoon we went shopping for some necessaries - and dropped by the food hall on our way home. It was later in the day and our 'chapatti lady' was cooking mandazi- hot donuts! We learned that she is Mariam; her sister is Margaret (she was doing the cooking). Her neighbouring foodie, Doris, also took the time to talk with us. It was good to be able to get past numbers and to begin to get to know them a little more.

7 days at Shukrani - Tuesday

Tuesday

This is my day for auditing - but much of my time has been spent writing up the course, and trying to make sure the details are both correct, and simple. I am getting there. Having Microsoft Word crash on me at the end of the day when I was about to complete two pages of sample transactions did not help!

Just for variety I taught an "Introduction to Computers" class in the afternoon while the staff had a meeting. This is a short course offered to the community, and for most it is their first experience of computers. My session was about Windows - introducing them to the task bars, icons, menus, and various components of the Windows desktop environment. At 2.40 p.m. I warned them about the importance of saving their files. At 2.44 p.m. the power dropped out! The two-hour class finished, but only 10 minutes early.

In the afternoon we went for a walk - past the market. Just for a change we bought some mandazi from the kids selling them on the street.

Weekly Worship - Mbeya Anglican

The plans for Sunday's home visit meant we were free to attend an English speaking service. This was held at Christ the King, an Anglican Church in the centre of Mbeya.

The English speaking service is one of three held in the morning - and fits between two larger Swahili services. The congregation of about 30 was made up of ex-pats and locals, and the service took around about an hour. After attending a few two hour plus meetings it was a nice change.

Sharing in a planned and prepared liturgy was something different for us. The readings allowed for some individuals to participate, and responsive readings and prayers engaged us all. The value of repeating some prayer regularly, and the guided prayers for family, church, community and nation, and the use of creeds were helpful aspects to the service. Repetition is a valuable learning tool, and the intercessory prayers help raise our thoughts to broader issues.

In contrast to the other services we have attended all the singing was a Capella - no keyboard, and no drums. We didn't do too badly either.

Father John preached, and gave an interesting message entitled "Look Up".It was instructive to her him speak of the wandering in the wilderness - the desert. His descriptive phrases help it come to life, and pointed to an understanding of what life was really like in the desert. My mind turned to on of Wilbur Smith's novels "The Burning Shore". If you know where to look you can survive in the desert, but life is difficult, and precarious.

When the snakes afflicted the Israelites a way out was provided. The message turned to Jesus, who was lifted up for our salvation. We need to look up if we are to survive in the spiritual desert that is this age, and perhaps even this world.

At the church I saw a box marked 'Jenga'. At home we have a game called 'Jenga'. Later I discovered that the box was for the building fund. I now know where the game got its name.

7 days at Shukrani - Monday

Monday:

Two computer classes in the morning - one of 21 students and one of 7. I am teaching QuickBooks Premier, but there are only ten computers that can run it. Generally there is good co-operation and sharing. A couple of new instructions, and then time for practice at data entry.

As well as teaching the accounts program, Internet and email are part of this unit. Only 4 of 27 students said they had sent an email. Our children agreed to respond to emails from the students, so we are working on them sending and receiving at least one email. The plan is to have them send a thank you to the response, and attach a photo. In the afternoon I took low-resolution photos of each of the students (during one of Beth's classes) in preparation. A couple of students sent emails after classes were over.

It is a slow process, and each email is taking at least 30 minutes, much of it in typing. We are learning a lot about the students as we work with them one on one in this process.

Weekly Worship - Winning Faith

It is a while since I Have been to an Assemblies of God worship service, but Sunday at 9.00am we were waiting at the Winning Faith church (Evangelical Assemblies of God Tanzania) for our host to arrive. Unfortunately the taxi that was taking her to catch the daladala broke down on the way, so we entered 'unaccompanied'.

We were warmly greeted, and escorted to our seats by people clearly identified as ushers. The service had begun on time, but it took about 45 minutes before most people arrived and the place (on old movie theatre) to be filled. Today, music was provided by keyboard and bass guitar - no drums, and it continued throughout the service! Yes, there was a quiet and sympathetic keyboard backing for the message.

The banner proclaimed the church as "Building Bridges to Greatness" and the text was Mark 10:43-44. Greatness comes through servanthood. The service was bright, with scripture read in English and Swahili, five testimonies in Swahili but the person who led that part of the meeting gave a synopsis in English after each testimony. The sermon too, was translated, - into Swahili - and the preacher gave an interesting message on the "Wonders of the Word". At times he spoke in Swahili, especially if the translator was lost for the right word, and on a couple of occasions he spoke in Swahili for a few minutes to more effectively communicate to the majority of his congregation. I guess the sermon was about an hour - but he spoke passionately and well. Maybe I wasn't as comfortable with the touch of 'prosperity gospel' at the end of his message - but the core of it was good. He was certainly offering hope, and encouraging us to do what is needed to allow the Word of God to be the major influence in our lives .

As the concluding part of worship, after the invitation, first time visitors were welcomed. We were all invited to the front where the pastor prayed for us all (about 20 or more first timers). It was well thought out, and we were offered visitor cards to complete before departure.
It was about 12.30pm when we headed off to lunch at the home of our host for the day.

We were the only mzungu in that congregation, and probably the only people for whom English was the mother tongue. Despite that there was translation throughout the service. The regular congregation is probably a littel better educated than most churches in Mbeya, but the effort to use Engllish and Swahili was both inclusive and educative. I was impressed, and caused to think about the role the church can play in the practical aspects of literacy.

I was glad to have be able to worship in Mbeya at Winning Faith on Sunday 14.