Today we gathered water samples, went to the Iringa city market to pick out fabrics to be sewn into new custom Tanzanian outfits, and ate at a restaurant with a beautiful view of the city of Iringa.
Today we gathered water samples, went to the Iringa city market to pick out fabrics to be sewn into new custom Tanzanian outfits, and ate at a restaurant with a beautiful view of the city of Iringa.
Although it had rained most of the night and early morning, it did not diminish the group's desire to learn. It actually proved to be the perfect opportunity to practice gathering water samples from different types of sources.
As we found out, the samples needed to be carefully stored at 98 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 hours for best results when testing for harmful bacteria like E. coli. With limited resources and a knack for creative solutions, this meant that each sample needed to be "incubated" against human skin for a full day. Since this felt much like a fast moving "pregnancy situation," we needed dependent carriers like Liam to nurse them along. Check in tomorrow to learn more about our "water sample baby" and if the water passed our inspection!
After a filling lunch, we met with our project touchpoints for each of the three respective villages; Onno, Christian, and Peter. With thick slices of banana bread making their way around the room, the group had time to ask many questions in further preparation for their upcoming trips. Everyone could agree, it was beginning to feel very, very real.
The group then took off to the Iringa city market to pick out fabrics to be sewn into new custom Tanzanian outfits. With some "fashionable" fabric patterns in hand, everyone moved on to the tailor where hand measurements were taken for clothing pieces like button ups, dresses, and even some shoulder bags. The tailor, Faddie, was quick to comment on how large the bicep measurements were on a few of us. Some even made some new friends, as the next room over to the tailor was engulfed in FIFA matches; something not all that foreign to us! As Emma and Anna left the shop with the exact same fabrics and clothing designs to come, they realized that Ken would be even worse than he already was at determining the difference between the two.
Barely arriving back in time to leave for dinner, the group eagerly loaded the bus en route to Sunset. The name proved to be extremely fitting as the restaurant rooftop featured an assortment of benches and chairs all faced toward a beautiful overview of the city of Iringa.
As the sky darkened, the group shared seemingly endless laughs and stories over delicious, traditional Tanzanian food. Since at the beginning of the trip little was known about each other, it was rewarding to see how far we have all come together on this incredible journey. We finished the long day with a few rounds of Scattergories.
—Blog post by Anna & Josh
