Long-overdue Update

Hey all, I know it's been a while. I'll send an email out to those invested in the Amina-Shammim story.

If you don't remember, Shammim and Amina are the (now, previously) homeless mother and baby who I became close during my stay in Tanzania. They were both found to be HIV+.

I just got an email from my friend Jacob, who told me that they're both off the streets, living in St. Lucia's home care and orphanage, where they're receiving treatment for HIV. Amina ran away once, but overall, they're doing well.

I just wanted to let you all know that your contributions to Amina and her baby are paying for their home, and their treatment. Because of you, she and her baby will spend the rest of their short lives in a home, off the streets, surrounded by people who care about them. Not only that, but they're getting treatment that will significantly lengthen their lives.

A few pictures.....site and safari.

The link to my flickr account is: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30988921@N04/

you can see lots of pictures there - i'll be posting some later this afternoon with captions and explanations. i've got pictures of site, zanzibar, safari, and the kids i fell in love with at the orphanage, as well as my class! i've only got about 130 pictures up, out of 1500+ that i took, but i think it'll give a decent glimpse of what life in TZ is like.

it all makes me so nostalgic.

Bad News

I just heard that Amina and Shammim, the mother and daughter I'd blogged about previously, are both HIV positive. It's so hard to hear, and immediately snaps me back to reality. I'm really heartbroken...especially about the baby. She's maybe got a year or two to live, max. She's already getting sick. It's so hard to imagine that brilliant, sassy little girl not getting the opportunity to live out her life.

It makes me want to go back more than ever. I was just starting to sink back into the easy routine of everyday life in the U.S. when I heard, and was snapped violently back into reality. I want to go back.

Anyway, I'm finishing up organizing my pictures, they'll be up before I go back down to LA for Dave's birthday this weekend.

I'm safely at home

after a VERY long journey. I miss Tanzania like crazy, but it is good to be home, culture shock and all. 

Pictures to follow, as soon as I get my new laptop to cooperate. 

Last few hours...

I'm going to miss this place. I'm going to miss everything from the red dusty roads to the view of Mt. Meru from my hut to the sight of 5 year olds herding cattle down the path every afternoon. I'm going to miss rice and beans, chapati, and maandazi, and the mamas who cook our food for us. I'm going to miss the chickens underneath my bed, the spectacularly vivid sunsets, and the smoky smell of campfire permeating my clothes and hair. I'm going to miss the lady who takes care of us at the internet cafe, the wildly eclectic group of people I came here with, and the sweet smiles and impish grins of the children I've met here. I think I'm even going to miss the choo. As cheesy as this sounds, I'm going to miss the raw energy of this place -EVERYTHING is felt so much more intensely here. America is so much blander.

Of course, there are things I'm NOT going to miss: the mosquitos, the roosters crowing at 4AM, the amoebas, the danger of walking around town at night. That's about it, though.

I've learned so much more than I can possibly fathom. I've changed more than I can possibly explain. This place exposed me to more reality than I could've possibly imagined. It's so bizarre to think that I'll be going back to Los Angeles, of all places, after being here.

Anyway, I'm off. Next post will be from the comfort of home in Ventura, CA. Wish me safe travels!

-Caitlin

I'm not ready to come home.

See above.

What a fascinating morning

This morning, some of my friends and I woke up early to go watch the International Rwandan Genocide Tribunals held by the United Nations. It was both fascinating and impressive to watch an international trial conducted by the UN.

The whole thing is free to watch, and within walking distance. We walked in, and had to give up a form of ID in order to get our UN visitors pass. We had to walk through metal detectors and past several armed guards in order to get to the room. We watched through a one-way glass wall and listened to the proceedings via headsets. It was all conducted in English, luckily - it wouldn't have been nearly as interesting. The witness they were questioning was shrouded by a curtain so the audience couldn't see him - all for witness protection. They talked about mass murders conducted by high ranking members of the military. The defense and prosecution really attacked each other at times - it was so tense. It was hard to believe that this was going on the whole time I was here, and I had no IDEA. It really sparked my interest in international law.

Anyway, I'm off to say goodbye to the street kids (and Amina) for the final time. It's going to be really, really tough, but I know I'm leaving them in capable hands.