Diary - Sunday, June 25, 2006 

I would just like to take a moment here to bring you up to date on Mussa, the little boy who, I'm happy to say, will be travelling to India soon to have life saving cardiac surgery. Pat has been working on this project for several weeks now and at last everything is coming together, falling into place as they say. Through the generosity of many individuals, the Lions Club of Dar es Salaam and the India High Commission, this little boy will have an opportunity to experience a full and hopefully rewarding life. It has been very heart warming to see how people have rallied around this very worthwhile cause and Pat deserves so much credit for taking this on and making sure that he would get this chance at life. Hats off to you Mama Patima!

We have really enjoyed sharing some time with Martin over the past four weeks. He's a very funny and positive individual and he has done some wonderful work up at the center since his arrival in Jambiani. He's also really made an effort to get out into the community to experience as much of life here as possible. Consequently he is now quite well known in the "Jam" and I'm certain his smiling face will be missed by all who had an opportunity to meet him. I'll include the piece that Martin wrote to contribute to this update below.

Being here now for more than two weeks, all the impressions are still dazzling my mind. Every day here in the "Jam" is so full of surprises and I constantly have to adjust my way of thinking about many things which I took for granted. It is one big learning experience without having the feeling that you are studying.

In the beginning I was distracted by the poverty which is so obvious that it is hard not to see it. The ride from the airport to Jambiani was like going back in time and at the same time it was very impressive. The road, the houses beside it, the people, the beauty of the island. Now at this moment I more and more see just the people and they are so warm and friendly and seem to be happy with their situation.

Right from the beginning Pat and Alastair give you the feeling of being very welcome and that their home is yours for a while. Pat made me find my way around here and told me a lot about how things work and introduced me to a lot of people who are frequently visiting this house. What should I say about Alastair? It doesn't matter to whom he talks but after the second sentence there is a smile on their faces. It has been a big pleasure to work with him in the clinic and I am very impressed with what Alastair and Pat have achieved in this community.

The longer you are participating in the clinic and all the things which are coming along with it the more you see its amazing value for the community of Jambiani. I like being here, being a part of it for just a while and going with the flow like Alastair says. Walking in the village, being welcome there seeing all the families, meeting all the cows, goats, chickens and other animals that just walk around. Another aspect of the clinic is that Pat and Alastair know a lot off people who frequently show up and all have their own particular stories. Not just people from Jambiani but also from all over the world.

It has been very interesting meeting them, making fun, having delicious dinners and also conversations about the real values of life. This place does something with you or do you have to say Mama Pat and Ali Baba do something with you? They gave me the opportunity to be a part of it for a while and it does something with your life, what exactly I have to find out when I am back home, but it will be different than before.

One of the things I like the most about this place is that there never seems to be a dull moment. There is always something going on and at the same time it is relaxed. For instance I was sitting on the porch reading the book Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux and a carpenter is repairing the fence. At the same time Chai, our interpreter appears on the scene and starts talking with the carpenter and I and they gave me a lesson about how the ropes used by the carpenter are made by local people. They use the vessels of the coconut and weaken it by putting it for months under the stones just in the ocean. After that they can tear it apart and make ropes of it. As a matter of fact they use the whole coconut tree for all kind of things such as oil, roofing and building material, food and drink and as mentioned, rope.

I have always liked to travel around, learn something new, meet different people, listen to other opinions, try to contribute to cases that really matter and it all seems to happen here. I've had a wonderful time in Jambiani. Working in the clinic was impressive but also fun and it gave me a chance to meet African people and learn something about their lives. I would not have missed it and will try to keep in touch with the project and I thank Mama Pat and Ali Baba for the pleasant time I had and that they were so open and friendly and let me be a part of it for a while.

Martin te Loo
Jambiani
June, 2006

Thanks for your input Martin. We are really glad that you have enjoyed yourself here and we look forward to keeping in touch. We've enjoyed your company too!!! Safari njema!!!

Well, Dr Bruce Walton and his family will be arriving this Friday and as always we are excited about introducing them to Zanzibar and of course Jambiani. We will only have a short time to orientate them as Pat and I will be leaving Zanzibar on July 2nd with a tentative return in mid September. Part of this job requires us to take care of some of the responsibilities on the Canadian side so we will be in Victoria for a few weeks doing just that. I will also be meeting my two older brothers in Toronto to return my mothers cremated remains to her family plot back in our hometown of Goderich, Ontario. This will be quite a nostalgic event as it has been quite some time since we three have been together and we will also be seeing some of our relatives for the first time in over 30 years! I wonder if we'll still recognize each other. :-)

Pat will also be catching up with some old and very dear friends in Montreal so it is indeed a gathering of the "Clans". The connections we share are important and as we journey further down this path of life it becomes increasingly important to honour and to cherish those connections and to appreciate our moments together in all-ways.

It is confirmed now that we will be starting the Juice Bar/Restaurant/School project before the end of August. Our builders will have the foundations and slab completed by the time we return and then we will begin the actual construction almost immediately. It is a very big project but we are excited that the start time is in sight now. Pat and I enjoy the creative side of life just as much as the practical day to day stuff so we are looking forward to being very much involved with all phases of the construction. We will keep you posted.

TWECS (Third World Eye Care Society) have also confirmed their intent to arrive on Zanzibar by November. We are so fortunate to have these specialists coming our way and what a difference they are going to make in the lives of several thousand individuals. This is huge and we will provide full coverage of their work here in Jambiani as it unfolds.

This is a picture of Dr Carolyn Wood and her family. They will be arriving in Jambiani by the end of July and will be taking over from Bruce and family. Carolyn is actually from Clinton, Ontario, a small town not far from my hometown and I am expecting to visit with them briefly during our visit to Goderich. I'm sorry we will not be on Zanzibar when they are there. Actually, this is just the second time we have been away when we have had volunteers at the center. We are hoping that everything runs smoothly under the direction of our local staff and board members. We are certain they will have a fabulous experience.

Anyhow, we will keep in touch. I'm hoping to get some feedback from both Bruce and Carolyn while we are away and to include in our next couple of updates so I guess I'll have to leave some cold beers in the fridge for them. :-)

As all-ways, we send our very best wishes to those of you who take the time to follow the project and our work here, even those of you who don't. :-)

Take good care of yourselves and until the next time all good and much love to you wherever you may be in this moment.

Ali Baba and Patima.