Tann-zane-ee-ah

The primary work of eMi is to help international ministries develop designs for their land so they can more effectively do their ministry. However, this is not what I have been doing out at Bukaleba. Usually eMi turns over a set of design documents and helps ministries with design questions while they build, but leaves the actual construction management to the ministry. My construction work with John is one of a few exceptions.

So what was I doing in Tanzania this past week? Well some previous construction interns mentioned that they would have really liked going on a project trip so they could experience the bread and butter of eMi. Megan asked me if that was something i was interested and at first i thought probably not. But as events unfolded, our trip leader came up short on Civil Engineering interns for the summer, and John was able to get another CM intern for the time i would be working on the project, so things just kind of fell into place. Let me just say that I am so incredibly glad that I got to go.

After a 15 hour drive over some of the worst roads i have ever experienced, we arrived at the Kamanga ferry, which takes vehicles and passengers across a small bay to Mwanza. Mwanza is a city of about 250,000. The second largest city in Tanzania, it is a major port on Lake Victoria. We checked into our hotel and the next day met with End Time Glory ministries. They recently acquired about 20 acres of lakeside property and want to put up an orphanage, among other things. The architects spent the week in meetings and preparing drawings and floor plans. The other engineers did soil and water tests on the site, while Ryan and I teamed up to do a survey of the site. Ryan is a really good surveyor and taught me how to work the machine, while he tromped through waist high grass with a rod to get the data he wanted. We did most of the survey from the top of "Glory Mountain" (what the ministry has decided to call it), a high rocky hill in the center of the site. After 3 days of carrying equipment up and down the hill, I had some other names in mind. We spend the last few days working on water and waste water designs and presenting our work to the ministry. Now that we have their approval of what we have done, we will spend the next month or so finishing designs and writing reports.

Tanzania gained independence from Great Britain in 1961. The national language is Swahili, and very proper Swahili at that. In a lot of ways completely different from what the Kenyans I have met speak. Not many people speak English but we made it around OK with a some translators from the ministry and my pocket phrasebook. Also, TZ seems more... under control... than Uganda. What I mean is that the streets are cleaner, the police seem more official, the City is better organized. That was just my impression after a week though, and only in a small corner of the country.

I am back in the office, new interns have just arrived for the summer, and I am excited to get into the work!