THE WHOLE STORY
Part 1
Part 1
Over the years, people have asked me about the two water projects in Tanzania.
Through emails and blog posts, I’ve shared bits and pieces of an incomplete story, but I wanted to collect the whole thing—from the beginning.
Not just for you, but for me—to help understand how I got there—wherever there is. And now that I’ve pieced together my story, I’m not sure what it all means, but maybe that’s the point. Maybe our stories are never finished. You are welcome to read the story online or download an ebook. If you want to have a print version you can pay for the printing costs through Blurb and order a copy for yourself.
Here’s my story.
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INTRODUCTION: Memories are strange.
We can pick and choose the memories that define our life and piece them together like a puzzle.
CHAPTER 1: Kalagala High School
Many years ago, in the wake of my mother’s death, I traveled to Africa for the first time. Uganda.
CHAPTER 2: The Safari
Our time to leave Kalagala eventually came, and my family embarked upon a classic Kenyan safari.
CHAPTER 3: Rugged and Wild Tanzania
The three of us headed for Tanzania where I met Moshi Changai, a pivotal piece to this story.
Chapter 4: Sleepy Zanzibar
From Tanzania, we made our way to the island of Zanzibar, a place to pause and reflect, and to write.
CHAPTER 5: Secrets of Marrekesh
We left Zanzibar for Marrakesh, where the sound of Muslim prayers echoed from the speakers.
CHAPTER 6: The Cheku Water Project
Life returned to normal—for just a little while. We returned home, and Zoe went back to School.
CHAPTER 7: Tanzania with Zoe
Fast-forward six years, and once again, Tanzania stood before my daughter and me.
CHAPTER: 8 Kondoa Town
Our destination was Kondoa, but to get there, we had to board a cramped bus like a bunch of sardines.
CHAPTER 9: Small Villages Big Dreams
Before making our way to Cheku, we visited many of the surrounding Irangi villages first.
CHAPTER 10: The Well in Cheku Village
We drove up the long road dirt road to Cheku village and finally saw the well that had taken so many years.
CHAPTER 11: Home Sweet Home
With the Cheku well confirmed to be real, the time had come to return to Vancouver.
Chapter 12: The Safari Team
I finally landed in Tanzania, excited to meet Moshi again and the rest of the safari team.
Chapter 13: Culture Clash
I spent the days before meeting our potential business partner, Ikaji, at the hotel, practicing my Swahili.
Chapter 14: Life at the Hotel
By spending so much time at the hotel, I grew close with the girls who worked there.
Chapter 15: Storytelling
On our way to snap some shots at Ntomoko falls, we got stuck in the mud, much like how I felt about Ikaji.
Chapter 16: Ending before it Began
One morning, Moshi and I headed to buy trees and I sat and reflected on the situation with Ikaji.
Chapter 17: A Speck of Dust
Ikaji was simply not a good fit for this project and we had to decide how to proceed.
Chapter 18: The Party
To help foster a community around the tours we decided to have a party for the people of Kolo.
Chapter 19: The Dry Land
The dry season had been especially brutal for the village of Iyoli and water was scarce.
Chapter 20: Another Water Project
This trip was winding to a close, but before I left, Moshi and took a final, bumpy motorcycle ride.
Chapter 21: The Virtual CoLab
Once again, Perry Buchan leapt at the opportunity to be part of another water project.
Chapter 22: Back Again
I was back in Kondoa once again, at the same hotel (or at least the one next door).
Chapter 23: The Water Survey
To help determine how deeply the hole needed to be dug for the Iyoli well, the team conducted a survey.
Chapter 24: Iyoli Storytelling Club
We went back to Iyoli with a car full of computer equipment, a generator, and people.
