We said goodbye to Justin the night before since he was leaving at 6am.
Owen refused to come to breakfast saying he wasn't hungry. I was starving since I didn't really go for the ox bone liver at the dinner buffet!
I joined Tashoy at breakfast. Juma came over and said he had to say good bye and go because he was too sad we were leaving. He pulled out bracelets he made for each of us with the Tanzania flag and our names (and said he forgot the e in Owen). I told him to go to our room to say good bye to Owen and tell him to come to breakfast. I went with him and saw Owen's eyes tear up as Juma spoke to him. Juma's too. That got me started. It was going to be a rough day saying good bye to everyone!
Owen has 4 of these bracelets now - the one from Juma, Uganda from Bernard, Pole Pole (means slowly, slowly - a common phrase in these parts!) that he bought at the Blue Zebra shops, and the Tanzanian flag that he bought at the Endoro Lodge.
After we finished breakfast (Owen did finally come and Elia brought him a grilled cheese and a coke, because why not!) and packing we headed to TAFCOM. The organization was doing a presentation for us in the afternoon but we wanted to go early to see the kids one last time.
Liliany greeted me with a big hug. I'm going to miss spending time in this classroom. I was thrilled to see she was using the ledge I made and the various color and number cards! We did a lesson on colors together, then gave the kids their porridge.
After most students were dismissed, The teachers asked me to show them how to play the Chutes and Ladders game we brought. We gathered around the game board and I played with 3 kids. Board games are so commonplace in the US, but they had never seen one before. Cathy asked me to take a few pictures with sings for Friends-together donors.
Owen left the classroom before the students were dismissed and hung out outside. Liliany tried to get him to come back but he couldn't. He was really sad to be leaving! I can't blame him - just look at these faces!
Once the rest of the friends together crew arrived, TAFCOM began their presentation. The presentation was developed to show the components of their program to westerners that are visiting to raise money and offer a cultural experience making batik. We also had a chance to pick up items we had ordered the prior week. They made my skirt and Kelly's shirt using the same fabric!
I have purchased some items that were made by the girls in the sewing program. Several of them are batik, but I just thought it was a purchased material, I didn't realized it was dyed fabric created using various techniques and patterns.
One method involves carefully scrunching wet fabric then applying colored dye.
Another method involves folding dry fabric in a specific pattern, such as triangles or squares, and securing with string, then dipping parts into colored dye. The results were beautiful!
This red fabric was folded into a triangle pattern and dipped in green and yellow dyes.
We all had a chance to make our own on a small square of yellow fabric! I chose the scrunched style method.
We each got one of the large pieces to take home. I'm going to hang mine in my classroom!
I love TAFCOM and all they are doing for the community. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to be part of it for this short period of time.
After our final good byes we headed back to Springlands. We all gathered in the garden for a final round of Simosas, grilled cheese, Coke Lights, and Serengeti. Then at 5:30 it was time for Owen and I to leave. But not forever!!
Final so longs with Kelly, Cathy, Garrett and Jessica. AJ and Kelly were taking the pictures.
An hour drive, a flight with a stop in Dar Es Salam (and several hours of sleep), layover in Amsterdam, and final flight (and several hours of movie watching - including The Good Lie for me which I had an increased understanding for after this trip) and we were back in the USA.
No comments:
Post a Comment