1st of September - A lovely day of exploring

An orientation talk at breakfast from Katie. 9 volunteers +1 arrive this evening.

First visit- a walking tour of the local markets, full of exposure to Tanzanian city life! Wonderful fruit and veg, sellers, kids on motorbikes and lots of noise and bustle. Great fun!

Elly took us to the bank to exchange currency, I felt rich with 100,000 shillings in my wallet but in fact this is only about £30.

We were driven in the minibus to Materuni, up a very windy, bumpy, potholed road with a steep drop to one side. Beautiful, lush forests with bananas, coffee and tomatoes being farmed. The bumpy ride was called “a Tanzanian massage” and we were at an elevation of 2500m.

Our local guide, Richard, took us on a 30 min trek to see a spectacular waterfall – 90m high with a big pool at the bottom. Some local people were swimming. I bought a couple of souvenirs from stalls on the trek back. We then headed back to Umoja hostel for dinner and free time in the evening. – Steve Barron

3rd of September

We all ventured out to Chris burger for a new breakfast experience. On Katie’s recommendation we tried chapatis, mandazi with a variety of sausages, types of egg as well as fruit all washed down with tea, coffee or fruit juice. Then it was to the worksite, where we found the fundi’s waiting for a delivery of rocks for the foundations.

After warming up tired muscles under Brodie's direction, we set to moving a large pile of gravel from the bottom of the hill to the top, we settled into a good routine of some carrying it in buckets or bags halfway, others doing the second half, everyone stopping at intervals for “Maji breaks”. Wonderful to see Mama Rosemary and her son Emmanuel accepting of this strange group of folks and they were working with us. After lunch we changed to moving sand or mixing cement and by the end of the afternoon half of the house had its foundations cemented in and a large pile of sand had accumulated at the top of the hill. It was a good day working with everyone working well together.

After quick showers when we returned to Umoja we were ready when Professor Gileard (Gilly) came to talk about Climate change, he was pleased to see some faces he knew; Fiona, graham Alex and myself and gave us a great welcome. As usual he spoke very enthusiastically about climate change which is affecting Africa particularly and what is being done in Tanzania to address it. 95% of the glaciers on Kilimanjaro have been lost already and there will be more being lost by the end of the century if nothing is done. Hopefully our tree planting tomorrow will help in a small way – no one person can solve the problem, but we can each do a little to help. – Anne Carstairs

5th of September – Keeping the soul in Marangu

Today was a day when hard work, community connection and beautiful moments came together in the most perfect way. As volunteers with the Vine Trust our reason to be in Marangu is to help build a safe permanent family home, but as anyone who has done this previously knows the community always gives back far more than we could ever bring.

After a productive, happy morning on the building site, we were taken on a beautiful walk through the local area. Banana plantations, meeting a local tailor and laughing smiling kids. Stopping at the family home of Ansila and Grace, 2 young women who have been volunteering and working along side us on the site. They welcomed us with love and showed us how to cook a slow cooked traditional Tanzanian meal (Makande) with Maize and Beans. Sharing this meal cooked with so much love inside the heart of the community was a true honor, a deeply humbling reminder of Tanzanian hospitality.

With full stomachs and happy hearts, we travelled then climbed up to the historic white monument above the old Kilema church. Standing at the top, next to the beautiful monument and the beautiful old wooden cross looking over spectacular landscapes.

Then, we could hear the sound of the local choir practicing drifting on the breeze. Tears fell not of sadness, just through a feeling of being utterly blessed. This moment will stay with me for a lifetime.

The day came to a perfect close with a stunning sunset fading into the horizon as we drove home. A rare day bringing tears to my eyes and truly fed my heart and soul. – Elsie Watson

6th of September

Morning breakfast at the hostel brought a lovely surprise: the staff and team singing happy birthday, just as I arrived last to the table, having overslept. A perfect little calamity to start the day. There was a brilliant cake and a rather prominent birthday sash. Which, I'll admit, took some convincing to wear.

We began the morning's activities on schedule, heading to a gospel chapel service at KCMC. I found it extremely interesting, and it was wonderful to see such a close and passionate community. The group gave singing along a go, and we were welcomed throughout with real kindness and open arms.

After the service, we returned to the hostel to get ourselves sorted before heading on to the Chagga Caves. The Chagga tribe are one of the three main tribes that reside in Moshi, and it was brilliant to learn more about their unique history. The caves themselves are fantastic, a labyrinth of tunnels and rooms, built over 56 years, that once sheltered more than 60 different families. Our guide explained it all fantastically.

After a comprehensive lunch exploring the traditional food of the tribe, we had the opportunity to see how the local coffee is produced. A different bean grows in the hills and mountains of Moshi: Arabica, often praised for being more full-bodied than its close competitor, the Robusta bean. It was fascinating to watch it in production.

To finish the day, we went for some celebratory drinks which provided a lovely opportunity to reflect on the first week of the trip. This day will go down as one of the most unique and brilliant birthdays I could have asked for. I thank the whole group, and particularly Katie, our group leader, for making it so memorable.

7th of September

On arriving at the site, we were pleased to see that the fundis had progressed the brickwork to eaves level over part of the home.

We started with a chain gang of buckets of earth into the rooms to full up the solum levels. Dafrosa (TAWREF executive director) and some of the villagers joined us and by lunch we had completed two rooms. Next it was back to moving buckets of sand until mid afternoon when it was time to visit the Love and Hope centre.

The centre provides a safe haven for 28 vulnerable children and was on our way back to Moshi. When we arrived, we were welcomed by James and Pendo, who run the center and they informed us of the center's work. We then had time playing games with the children and with the energy levels restored, we enjoyed football, the parachute, skipping, bubbles and balloons. I was struck by how happy the children were with all the laughter and smiling faces and their sheer joy at meeting our group – and at how simple toys and a short time playing games could bring such pleasure to the children and our group. Before heading back to the bus for the return journey to Moshi, we handed over donations and took some final photos to capture the moment. – Graham Bell