Diary - Friday, August 1, 2008 

Well, first of all, Pat and I hope that you are all well and happy and enjoying your moments to the maximum. It has been quite awhile since our last post and as always much has transpired since then. It is ultimately all good and we are very grateful for everything that is coming our way. I guess the big news is that we had power restored on Zanzibar around the middle of June after almost 6 weeks without. A great lesson for all of us and perhaps a good eye opener for everyone who has come to rely on an uninterrupted supply of electricity. For our local population, this was not too much of a hardship as most folks in Jambiani do not use the utility that much. It did mean that water had to once again be carried from wells to home, however, the gathering at the wells provided tremendous opportunities for everyone to catch up on the latest news and gossip and there was a constant stream of laughter and giggles emanating from the well beside us each day.

Pat and I are presently in Canada taking a bit of a break but also taking care of business as well. We will be heading out to Kamloops in another two weeks to deliver more materials for the container that will be shipped to Zanzibar later this year by the Kamloops Firefighters. We cannot say enough about David Sakaki and his team who have gone over the top to put this project together. Thank you so much for your selfless acts of kindness that are guaranteed to make a difference in the lives of hundreds if not thousands of people. We are grateful!!

Earlier this year we said goodbye to Anita Joseph who came all the way from New Jersey to teach in the JTTI. It was a real pleasure having Anita with us, always a steady light even during the windy times. Thanks so much Anita for your input and also for the use of your laptop so we could watch movies for the very first time in the history of HABS Zanzibar. :-)

Here’s Anita:

On a sunny May morning I sat in the teacher's office of the Jambiani Tourism Training Institute, wondering how to motivate my Beginner English students to learn about clothes. My Beginner English class was unique in the school because it was nearly all-female. I knew these women walked long distances, took time from their family duties and mustered mental discipline to come to English class, and I always wanted my efforts to match theirs.

I decided to bring my clothes into class and have a fashion show. The women come to class covered head-to-toe in draping kanga cloth, and as I brought the clothes in I was nervous they would be resistant or even insulted that I would suggest trying less modest American clothing. But I was wrong. They were delighted, and rushed into the bathroom to change into their chosen outfits and emerged in fits of laughter. I think looking so different made them feel they could be anyone they want to. These women, who on the first day sat quiet and scared as I desperately tried to coax English words out of them, were strutting across our "catwalk" and flipping through lines like, "Siajabu is wearing an orange short-sleeved dress shirt, purple scarf and blue jeans."

This is the thing I loved about my job, that we teachers were helping our students understand not only English but also Western culture. I think that is the greatest service Mama Pat's school and Ali Baba's clinic are doing for Jambiani and Zanzibar. Every person helped by HABS volunteers understands that Westerners are not so dissimilar to themselves. This is good for multicultural relations and good for business, as Zanzibaris work with Western tourists daily.

Pat asked me while driving me back to the airport, "Do you think you'll come back to visit Jambiani?" "Yes," I answered. I know the natural beauty, the grace of the people and the ready affection of Pat and Alastair will pull me back. Yesterday I got an email from one of my students, Ismail. He asked me how my family was and how my university studies are going. Thousands of miles away, my Jambiani connection is still as vivid and strong as the day I left.

We also had to say goodbye to Ms. Caitlin Kinnear who literally facilitated several miracles in the Centre during her visit. I’m certain her presence will be missed but remembered by many people on Zanzibar for a long time to come. Thank you so much Cait for your most wonderful energy and commitment to helping people help themselves.

Here’s Caitlin’s contribution to this update:

Hakuna matata.

The air smells so good here. The ocean a presence so textually palpable, so sumptuously engulfing my every sense. Hushing up against the shore is this gentle warm salty vastness that reflects something profoundly simple within. I too have lulled, against these new faces, new places, new harmonies. A cat sits perched on the steps, lightening piercing the corner of my vision, drawing me into the magnificence of the clouds that evolve new form with every glance that I take.

10 weeks in Jambiani with the HABS Jambiani Wellness Centre has been a journey that has shaped me in ways that I am sure I am still to discover. I am unable to articulate the privilege I feel to have had the opportunity to work professionally alongside Dr Ali Baba – legend of Zanzibar – a man who really lives within the art of intentional and conscious living. Massai warriors and mshamba, fishermen, conservative Muslims from mgini, German tourists, and Rastafarians. So many diverse, grateful people who travel from all over the island, even from the mainland to receive treatment in the clinic. Being a part of this project and this community has been humbling and sublimely inspiring. And never dull, with every day different and holding something new. Being a Chinese doctor in an area with such limited access to health care has been such a Great Honor. The presenting complaints as diverse as the individual: uterine fibroids, hemiplegia, poisonous fish bite, broken limbs, hernias, infertility, gastritis, septic cuts and good old backaches. The people are beyond grateful: these lucky folk are part of a growing, creeping, crawling revolution.

The equal access to health care and education revolution.

The one that actively acknowledges – PROMOTES – compassionate genuine respect for all our human brothers and sisters.

And then there is Mama Pat, dynamic gregarious soul, who has founded and is running the Jambiani Institute of Tourism… and a bazillion other projects, all pivoting spiraling centering around the empowerment and enrichment of those less able, or fortunate or privileged enough to reach and tangibly grasp opportunity.

These people are like a thousand splendid suns. The light they caste is a brilliant one, illuminating OPTION and CHOICE.

During my time in Africa I have experienced an abundance in a world of material poverty. So, my dear cyber guest, if you happen to be a skilled health professional, or teacher that is privileged enough, insightful enough, compassionate enough, willful enough, courageous enough to step out and into the Big Wide World, to humble yourself and share your hard earned skills with the people of Zanzibar, allow me to assure you that you will have nothing but a genuine and enriching, once in a life time experience.

It is through our will and the expression of our intention to help other human beings that poverty of many levels stands to fall. Do yourself a fabulous service and don’t sit on the outskirts, step into the circle and help others to rise up.

The Lotus is a flower that grows in the mud. The thicker and deeper the mud, the more beautiful the lotus blooms.

Grow straight to the sun,

Caitlin Kinnear, Chinese Medicine Practitioner, June 2008

Thank you Caitlin!!!

Pat and I expect to be back on Zanzibar in the first week of September and it will be back to business very shortly after that. We are anticipating an amazing year as we start to bring the front end of the school online, that is the Juice Bar/Restaurant. This will be a big shift for us but we cannot contain our excitement as the students of the JTTI start with their more practical training. Actually, many of the students have been on work experience programs over the last two months in many of the hotels on Zanzibar so they will already have had a taste of the “hands on” side of the program. We’ll keep you posted.

With the power outages, we had two volunteers who had to cancel their time with us so hopefully with luck, we’ll get them to us at a later date. To Dr. Maureen Becher, a Chiropractor from Canada and Liz Buck, a massage therapist from Alaska thank you so much for wanting to help and for your understanding during this time. We hope to get a chance to meet you one day.

Anyhow, I think I’ll sign off here for now. We will be getting back into the regular swing of things in September and as I said, this next year promises to be an amazing transition for us as we reach out to fulfill our mandate and honour our decision to proceed with this somewhat challenging development.

As usual, all good to you wherever you may be. May your focus in this moment bring you much joy and peace.

Lots of love,
Alastair and Pat