hey ho it's NOT off to work I go

Hey Ho it’s NOT off to work I go

My visa has still not come through which means I can not, officially, work. If immigration check and discover that I do not have the right visa then it’s a fine for me and another for Walk in Love-$600 each, just not worth it. I still go to the centre daily but am extra vigilant when the gates open BUT, on the upside I am now a pensioner WITH a pension. It was paid almost a month late but at last I’m getting and spending it.

Weighed the kids again this week, no problems I just wish that Joeli would grow, now that the rains have come maybe I should plant him next to my tomato plants, they are thriving. Despite good, nutritious food, the little man is still in single figures-in kilos that is, he’s an active, cheeky chap, just doesn’t grow!

New walk in lover, Mary’s mum does laundry for local people, she was leaving Mary home alone so that she could work. Mary’s not too happy about it, I met them at the chapatti stand and, whilst she was happy to hold my hand all the way to the centre, when it came to going in, she was having none of it and ran past. She settles down after a few minutes of protest crying and loves playing with the other kids. The old hands-Ramson, Adriana and Amina are really good to her bringing her toys, jabbering away in swahili and holding her hand

Word seems to be getting around and we are having women, almost daily, asking for help. Some seem to see the centre as a place where they can get their kids into a good school-most of the kids are sponsored, when they are ready for school this money then transfers to school fees. This is not what we are about. The centre provides day care to enable to the women to work and thus provide for their children. We have made 2 small loans to women to start up businesses, 1 to sell cooked maize, the other to sell vegetables. They are given 2 months grace then have to start repaying the loan, which is interest free. Micro finance has proven to be extremely successful world wide, the amounts loaned are, initially, quite small-£5-£25, this is enough to start up a small business. Once the woman has proved that the business is successful, that she can repay the loan, then she could ask for more to pay, for example, school fees.

 Marie is a divorced mum who walked away from the marriage with nothing. the kids live with her mum, she was renting a room from a local lady who expected her to clean, care for her children and sell her vegetables all day leaving little time for Marie to try to sell her clothing, despite having received 1 months rent from Walk in Love. After some discussion Marie has moved into my spare room in exchange for keeping the house clean and teaching me how to cook Tanzanian food-good exchange of work as I hate cleaning!. When she starts to earn money from her clothing business she will contribute towards food. The arrangement is until the end of March, in that time she should be able to save the money needed for the deposit on her own place. It will be an interesting experience as she has never used an electric cooker before, although she can speak some English, a fact she kept well hidden when interviewed by Lucy and Neema the new social worker. Lucy, will make an appeal for house hold items for her as she, literally, has nothing. Marie, you are welcome to share my house and I am glad that I can do this small thing to help you re-establish your life.

Marie receives her key, Juma is one happy baby and is starting to crawl, balloon fun on a rainy day

 More on Marie next time, until then, thanks for reading dollys drival