Blog from Jenny Jan 21

Thursday was a day of contrasts. We started the day with a magnificent breakfast of omelet, toast and fruit, served on the verandah at the Freedom Lodge. The morning was spent once more at the school. Ngateu Secondary School is without doubt one of the poorest of schools, but the students are bright and fun and eager to learn. Marilyn and Larry split form four into two groups. While one group learned how to play softball, the other group learned how to yo-yo. Larry had to explain to the kids that yo-yos are just meant to be for fun!

After lunch, several of us drove to the USA River project orphanage. We were greeted by singing, smiling pre-kindergartners, all of them orphans, many picked up off the streets, and some HIV/Aids infected. Crispin, the director has made the orphanage his vocation. He, and the other volunteers, receive no government funding. The whole project relies soley on donations. The children are cared for in a small building, with two rooms that double as classrooms and dormitories, and two outside rooms plus a kitchen. There is also a garden area where the volunteers grow vegetables to supplement the children's diet.

Our next stop returned us to the luxury of the bar at Arusha Hotel. We finished the day eating at Hahn's Barbecue, an auto parts store by day, and a street vendor by night, the closest thing to fast food to be found in Tanzania.