In June of 1998, I flew to Arusha, Tanzania with about 15 ISD juniors and 3 other chaperones. We were going to spend three weeks at MMMMM, our sister school, in Monduli. We would teach a select group of MMMMM students math, science, and English. The ISD students lived in the dorms with the MMMMM students and the chaperones had our own dorm to share.

Dr. M., the school director, met us at the airport. He worked with customs officials to get as much of the items that we brought for the school out of customs. We loaded a bus and headed to Monduli.

The school was on a beautiful, quiet campus. It was not what the ISD kids were accustomed to as the windows were open to nature and there was only a chalkboard to write on. I have a great picture of my classroom with a cow standing outside in the field.

We were immediately welcomed by the students chosen by MMMMM to participate in this program. The school was on a three week holiday. We were shown to our accommodations and everyone settled in.

Each day we would get up, have breakfast, and spend the morning in classes. The ISD students led the lessons and worked with the students. In the afternoons we often had excursions or the students would work on the homework assigned by the ISD students. The ISD students were shocked when in the dormitory, the MMMMM students asked for more work to do. Our curriculum was designed from former national exams that the MMMMM students had to pass to continue their education.

Our first Sunday in Monduli, we went to church after breakfast. We had been told to be prepared to drop some coins into the collection basket. At the time for the collection, the whole congregation lined up and walked down the main aisle to the front where someone was holding the collection basket. We joined the line and each put or coins in the basket as we passed. Then to my surprise, they decided to repeat the action!

I had dropped all the coins I had into the collection plate already. I was sweating bullets as I had to approach the basket a second time. When it was my turn, I stepped up placed my hand slightly into the collection plate and flicked the coins around a bit to make it sound like I had dropped more coins into the basket! I felt horrible at such deception!

That week, Dr. M. invited the chaperones to his home for dinner. He had prepared wildebeest for us. What a treat! It was certainly a tough, gamey meat, but it was delicious all the same. I was thrilled to chalk up another “odd” food to add to my list from my travels. I think to this point my only experience had been gator meat, kangaroo, rabbit, squirrel, and Marmite!

One day, we all loaded up on a bus and were taken out to a celebration with a Maasai tribe near the school. The bus could only take us so far and then we had to get in the back of a pickup truck for the next bit.

We were invited to the celebration by the uncle of Grosper, one of the MMMMM students. When we arrived at the camp, everyone was dressed in ceremonial garb. Some of the tribe had painted faces and we learned that the celebration was for the circumcision of the people with painted faces. Fortunately for us, the deed had already taken place and we were there to celebrate with them.

We were taken to an area off to the side of the camp where they had prepared a goat in the ground. We were all given a piece of the goat to eat and I found it quite tasty. However, it was rather fatty. I could not eat the fatty bit, but one the MMMMM students was happy to eat it for me. We were told that the fatty bits were important to the Maasai diet. I was quite happy to hand it over.

After we had finished eating, we moved over to the huts and watched a group of Maasai men jumping high into the air as the Maasai do. I noticed in the distance an older man approaching carrying something on his shoulder.

When he arrived at the camp, we all saw that he was carrying a case of Orange Crush in bottles for the students. After all the trouble we had getting to the camp, I could not imagine what this man had gone through to bring us this treat.

Before we left, an older Maasai man approached me and started rubbing his hand gently up and down my arm. He had noticed the blonde hair on my arms and began to say, “Simba. Simba.” I guess he thought I had the hair of a lion.

On one weekend of our visit, we took all of the students on an over night safari to the Ngorongoro Crater. We were able to see nearly everything you could imagine except for predators. We didn’t see any lions or other super dangerous animals. I have great pictures of elephants, zebra, baboons, etc.

We spent the night in a building which was infested with mosquitos and surrounded by baboons. You had to really zip yourself up in your sleeping bag and cover your face to be safe from the mosquitos. I laid my straw hat on top of my face and did the best I could to sleep.

Perhaps on the last Sunday of our visit, the students and chaperones from ISD were all invited to have lunch with one of the MMMMM students’ families. Dominic and I were invited to have lunch with Eric and his family who owned a banana farm and who parents were also educators.

To get to the family’s home, Eric took Dominic and I to get the first bus. The bus was your typical 15 passenger van that you might think of when you think of a bus in remote areas. It came with the chickens and what not that you might expect. I do not remember how long the ride was and exactly how many of these busses we had to take, but I do remember that the last bus we had to take was a pickup truck.

Dominic, Eric, and I joined a hoard of other people at the bottom of the mountain and stood in the back of the pickup truck and rode our way to the top. When we left, later that day, I do not think the driver even turned on the engine. I think he literally put the truck in neutral and let her rip down the mountain.

Lunch at Eric’s family home was very nice. They cooked using methane which was garnered from the cow manure. They had a cow living in a barn and the cow’s manure was collected so that they could use the methane gas for cooking.

After lunch, we toured the property a little bit. We were taken to the more traditional mud hut where Eric’s grandparents lived. The views of the banana farm and the surrounding countryside were breathtaking from Eric’s family’s home.

Before we left, our head chaperone discovered that the MMMMM had taken on some debt paying for all the food we had eaten. They fed us well and the MMMMM students were really given a treat with all the meat that had been prepared. The ISD group took up a collection to help offset the cost to the school.

On our last night in Monduli, the MMMMM students stood in front of the group and sang a goodbye song. I have never heard more melodic music than I did that night. In their song, they mentioned every single member of the ISD team and we were all in tears. We were going to miss these MMMMM students.

Our last morning was just as filled with joyful tears as we said our goodbyes. One group of the ISD students were off for a week long safari. The other group were with me heading to Mt. Kilimanjaro.