As we said goodbye to Ilembula Nursing College and their new digital library, we began to make our way north, across the arid plains and grassland to the town of Nzega. About fifteen hours inland, Nzega is a small but lively community. You really have to want to get there, though. . . On our way, we first passed right by the town and the bus did not even pull into the stop!
Nestled four or five kilometers outside of downtown Nzega we found Tazengwa Pentecostal Bible College, a school with about 60 students of English, Computers, and Theology. TPBC was actually the first place where this model of digital library was implemented, back in December of last year. We were returning now to offer technical support and to help train more community members to be able to make use of the digital library.
At the Bible College we had very nice rooms to stay in, and even a cook who prepared incredible, local meals with fresh avocado and the most amazing fresh fruit (papaya, mango, passion fruit, oranges, and bananas)! Based upon what I had seen in our long drive here, though, I could tell that this was very different from how many locals lived.
I was really surprised by how barren the landscape became in our drive from Dar. Those who live here suggested I would not be able to recognize the town if I returned in the rainy season when it is filled with bright green leaves and rich fruit. But for now, both people and animals were traveling long distances in search of fresh water. Herdsmen drove their hunchbacked cattle and goats to and from small waterholes that the bus flew past. Women walked from their homes to the closest waterhole or water pump, if there was one, carrying the large tubs of water they retrieved upon their head. Men and children also rode bikes or pushed carts filled with large yellow jugs of water to use at home.
The roads were lined with short, mud-brick houses that did not seem to belong to any particular town. Most did not have a source of running water, and I would guess that very few had electricity. I don’t know if or how the children in these remote areas get to school? Nzega seems to be fairly well-off in this respect. The community has a school, and it boasts a lively marketplace with fresh fruit and vegetables, and stalls filled with art and brightly-colored fabrics. In the center of town there is a water pump for residents to visit to access clean water.
It was really interesting to see a big project in progress, too. A large, paved road is being built in and up to the town! Right now it looks like a wide patch of flattened, red dirt, but my supervisor explained that, in the past, all traffic had to pass along a small, bumpy path to reach the town. We were already able to catch a glimpse of what a difference the road will make, as now large trucks carrying cargo flew past us, taking and leaving goods from the town. The road also helped speed up travel for workers in and around Nzega. They could now cover the same distance on their bikes much faster, allowing them to make more trips to bring their products to town, to retrieve more water, or to spend time doing other things.
While, on one hand, it was really hard to see how much these individuals and communities must work to obtain food and water and the resources they need, I did learn a lot. Before I came, I was not sure if people in these communities, who work so hard and so often, are happy. I do understand now that, for the most part, so long as they are able to obtain the resources they need, the people in these remote villages enjoy a great life! It is just very different from my own. But I did see what a difference strategic developments like roads and community water pumps can make, helping ensure that everyone has access to basic resources. I met with a couple of Swedish doctors who shared their work, visiting villages and teaching them how to build more sanitary latrines, which has reduced infections in some of these places by as much as 70%! I think that the biggest thing I would struggle with, then, is knowing what to prioritize to help most. I am really excited to see the impact that the digital library will bring in Nzega, although the results will most likely be better measured in the long-term. I guess it will be a combination of short and long-term focused assistance that will be best, overall.
Nestled four or five kilometers outside of downtown Nzega we found Tazengwa Pentecostal Bible College, a school with about 60 students of English, Computers, and Theology. TPBC was actually the first place where this model of digital library was implemented, back in December of last year. We were returning now to offer technical support and to help train more community members to be able to make use of the digital library.
At the Bible College we had very nice rooms to stay in, and even a cook who prepared incredible, local meals with fresh avocado and the most amazing fresh fruit (papaya, mango, passion fruit, oranges, and bananas)! Based upon what I had seen in our long drive here, though, I could tell that this was very different from how many locals lived.
I was really surprised by how barren the landscape became in our drive from Dar. Those who live here suggested I would not be able to recognize the town if I returned in the rainy season when it is filled with bright green leaves and rich fruit. But for now, both people and animals were traveling long distances in search of fresh water. Herdsmen drove their hunchbacked cattle and goats to and from small waterholes that the bus flew past. Women walked from their homes to the closest waterhole or water pump, if there was one, carrying the large tubs of water they retrieved upon their head. Men and children also rode bikes or pushed carts filled with large yellow jugs of water to use at home.
The roads were lined with short, mud-brick houses that did not seem to belong to any particular town. Most did not have a source of running water, and I would guess that very few had electricity. I don’t know if or how the children in these remote areas get to school? Nzega seems to be fairly well-off in this respect. The community has a school, and it boasts a lively marketplace with fresh fruit and vegetables, and stalls filled with art and brightly-colored fabrics. In the center of town there is a water pump for residents to visit to access clean water.
It was really interesting to see a big project in progress, too. A large, paved road is being built in and up to the town! Right now it looks like a wide patch of flattened, red dirt, but my supervisor explained that, in the past, all traffic had to pass along a small, bumpy path to reach the town. We were already able to catch a glimpse of what a difference the road will make, as now large trucks carrying cargo flew past us, taking and leaving goods from the town. The road also helped speed up travel for workers in and around Nzega. They could now cover the same distance on their bikes much faster, allowing them to make more trips to bring their products to town, to retrieve more water, or to spend time doing other things.
While, on one hand, it was really hard to see how much these individuals and communities must work to obtain food and water and the resources they need, I did learn a lot. Before I came, I was not sure if people in these communities, who work so hard and so often, are happy. I do understand now that, for the most part, so long as they are able to obtain the resources they need, the people in these remote villages enjoy a great life! It is just very different from my own. But I did see what a difference strategic developments like roads and community water pumps can make, helping ensure that everyone has access to basic resources. I met with a couple of Swedish doctors who shared their work, visiting villages and teaching them how to build more sanitary latrines, which has reduced infections in some of these places by as much as 70%! I think that the biggest thing I would struggle with, then, is knowing what to prioritize to help most. I am really excited to see the impact that the digital library will bring in Nzega, although the results will most likely be better measured in the long-term. I guess it will be a combination of short and long-term focused assistance that will be best, overall.