Demonstration Plot Reflections ll

Mbuyuni, which is below the escarpment, about two hours and 45 minutes east of Iringa towards Dar is low elevation, 1,780 ft above sea level and is dry. They have received only three and a half inches since the rains started in early December. Our meeting was actually held at one of the preaching points, Kwale, a little east of Mbuyuni. The pastor, Elias Konga, told us that he had not been getting a very good response from people at the main Mbuyuni parish, so he decided to move the project to one of the preaching points where there would be more interest. The people in Mbuyuni farm mostly onions and tomatoes and weren’t interested in corn and beans. The Kwale area has a lot of Masai who are interested in learning about crop farming. The actual plot is near this preaching point, in the lowland near the Ruaha River. Last year they told us that it might be possible to irrigate the plot.

There were 14 people who attended the meeting 8 male and 6 female. Half of the audience couldn’t speak Swahili and spoke Masai. Gabriel made the presentation, and because his mother is from a tribe that has ties to the Masai and he looks a lilttle like the Masai, the audience thought he was Masai and were surprised that he couldn’t understand their language. It was also interesting that in their culture the women couldn’t ask a question directly of a male presenter. So, they would have to ask the question of a male Maasai who would in turn ask Gabriel. They asked a lot of questions and it was clear that these Masai were learning new techniques and not changing old ways of doing things. They seemed eager to learn. It will be interesting to see how this plot develops and how the people in this preaching point respond to what we are trying to demonstrate and teach them.

The pastor told us that they have not yet planted the corn, because they have not had rain at the plot. I was pretty tough on the pastor for not having the corn planted. He said they are trying to get the pump working so that they can irrigate. If they can irrigate the date of planting is not so important. We were not able to drive to the plot because of the road construction. They asked for additional assistance to purchase diesel to operate the pump to irrigate the plot. After first saying no, my heart softened and I gave them 50,000 tsh to purchase diesel fuel for the pump. The pastor promised that the next time we came there would be crops growing in the plot.

We spent an afternoon with Mike Schmitt who was visiting here with a group from Augustana. Mike is the Senior Associate Dean of Extension at the U of M. He has a Ph.D. in Agronomy from Illinois, and has done a lot of work in soil fertility. He asked a lot of questions about our program and provided encouraging comments on doing agricultural extension. We drove to Nduli to see a demonstration plot. Mike was surprised to see Pastor Laiton in the plot spraying the corn for insects. We all got a lesson in corn growth from recognizing nutrient deficiencies, stress reactions, growth points, and soil influences. He talked about the need to replant soon, as close to one week as possible, if seeds don’t germinate. Otherwise the replant will be behind the other plants, be shaded, experience stress and may not produce an ear.

On the way back to Iringa we stopped at the research farm at Mgongo where we have one acre of corn planted with four varieties. We talked about the need for research and trying these ideas before including them in demonstration plots. I asked him about other research ideas, and he suggested planting plots at different dates, tied either to the calendar or rainfall. That’s a good idea since the relationship of planting and rainfall has a critical impact on the success of the crop. We also stopped at a nearby field where the farmer was applying manure to the corn crop. We need to make sure that we encourage people to utilize manure if it’s available if they can’t afford fertilizer. I think Ibriham and Gabriel, our Research Assistants, really benefitted from Mike’s knowledge of corn production, soil fertility and the extension process. Mike seemed very interested in our program and seemed willing to lend his personal and the University's support to our activities. He talked about sending extension people over here for the experience. We need to figure out a way to take advantage of that interest.

When we dropped Ibriham at his home Mike and I were invited in for a soda and visit with Asnath and Carin. Ibriham showed Mike his wedding pictures and we had a nice conversation. Mike felt honored to be invited into a Tanzanian home and have an informal discussion with a family.

One morning I got a phone telling me that Alfred Somela an employee of the Iringa Diocese, who had worked with us, had died last night. We learned that a committee had been formed to plan arrangements and the funeral for Alfred. Alfred was 47 years old. He and his wife had three children, two boys and a girl, ages 5 to 15. He also had one child, a daughter, who was older from a previous marriage/relationship.

Around noon, we learned what the arrangements were, that afternoon people would sit with the family. The next morning at 7:00 a bus will with the body will leave for Image for the funeral and burial. The bus will stop for a short time in Illula at Alfred’s parents. The Ag. Institute and Bega Kwa Bega were expected to make a contribution to the family to help pay the costs of the funeral.

In the afternoon, Trish and I and the Fultz’s went to sit with the family. Alfred lived in a house within the diocese compound. They had taken all the furniture out of the house. Women sat on the floor around the walls of the rooms and cried or wailed. The women wore a covering over their shoulders. Rev. Richard Lubawa was outside the house and explained what to do; he led us in, where we took off our shoes, and to the wife where we expressed our symphathies. Women were inside the house and men outside standing in small clusters talking in muted tones. Later that evening the body was brought to the house from where it will leave for Image tomorrow morning.

The next morning we assembled at the diocese at 7:30. There was a bus, two lori’s and about seven personal vehicles in the caravan. The body was placed in a land cruiser that had one half of the middle seat taken out, and I believe the family rode with the body in that vehicle.

We drove to Illula, about an hour east of Iringa toward Dar on the tarmac road, and stopped at Alfred’s father’s home, his mother had previously passed away. Again, everything had been moved out of the house. The coffin was brought into the house where the women were crying and wailing, and the men where outside. Don and I stayed pretty close to Rev. Msigwa who guided us through the process. We were served tea, bread and a mundazi type pastry made from cowpeas. It was quite good.

We had some interesting discussion on the cultural differences dealing with death and the grieving process. In Tanzania they don’t embalm the body, and that is why funerals are held soon after the death. After a death, people come and sit with, or grieve with the family, and stay for some number of days up to a week after the funeral. Slowly each day some people leave. This seems much more caring and supportive than our process where the family is alone except for the wake and funeral, and then again is alone after the funeral.

After about an hour the coffin was brought into the courtyard and people filed by to view the body. Everyone then got back into their vehicles and we drove to Image, the family home about a half hour from Illula, where we stopped at the church. There was a short service, and an opportunity for people who had not done so the view the body. The choir from Image Secondary School sang a song during the service and during the viewing.

We then drove to the cemetery, which was some distance away. The coffin was placed in the grave and after some songs Dean Gavile preached the sermon. Partway through the sermon someone tapped my elbow, I turned around and it was Ibriham. He and Gabriel had left Mpanga at 5:00 AM driven to Iringa, changed clothes and then driven to Image in order to attend part of the funeral. After the sermon people passed by the grave and threw handfuls of dirt into the grave. Then while the choir sang the grave was manually filled in with shovels and hoes and the dirt mounded on top. This process took quite a while. After the marker was placed, the family placed wreaths on the grave. Selected people were invited to make remarks. Don spoke for BKB. Bangu talked about Alfred’s involvement with the beginning of Tumaini. A government official spoke. As we left, family and friends placed lighted candles in the sand on top of the grave.

We then drove to an elementary school in Image for lunch. As we got our food, I quickly noticed that there was no silverware. As I walked into a classroom to sit and eat, I noticed Richard sitting by himself and went to sit by him. He said that now we were in Tanzania and needed to eat with our hands. Needless to say there were a few stares from others in the room. Pastor Koko spotted us and went to get some spoons, but by the time he got back we were well on our way and were determined to finish with our hands. We all had a good laugh about our emersion into Tanzanian culture.

GUIDED BY THE GOSPEL: GATHERING • GROWING • GIVING