Exercising with Jillian Michaels and the Call to Prayer

Living in downtown Dar is not very conducive to exercising. There is no recreational space near us. Technically there is a park across the road but it seems to be closed and locked most of the time and only used for private functions. And jogging in our neighbourhood is a combination of unsafe and impossible (also I hate jogging). So we've been forced to get a little creative in our workouts.

1. Timing- after some trial and error we've discovered that working out means getting up early in the morning (like 6 am... the horror!). It is the coolest time of the day and in the evening it can take us forever to get home, leaving everyone too wiped to do anything.

2. Equipment- We brought some resistance bands and jump ropes from home but nothing else. But we've discovered that water bottles of various sizes make excellent free hand weights and a couple towels layered together and folded up as needed make decent mats.

3. Using What You Got- So with no running routes, treadmills or elliptical we've turned to climbing stairs. There are 12 stories to the building. Guaranteed to raise your heart rate in no time.

4. Don't Disturb the Neighbours - so with all the jumping and running around in the early morning we don't want to anger anyone in the building. So I've taken to doing my workout on the balcony, that way I can jump around without worrying about the people underneath. Also it's actually kind of nice to be outside in the morning. The sunrises as I work out; Jillian Michaels voice and workout music gets mixed in with the call to prayer from the nearby mosque; not a bad way to start the day.

What does it take to be a Female Market Vendor?

I have done a few postings about EfG's work, but I wanted to share some general images and ideas about what women market vendors are doing. Of course there isn't a "typical market" or a "typical vendor" - alot depends on size, focus and the location of the market. But I thought I'd start with the most typical of market focuses - food.

The market is a combination of one central structure surrounded by any number of makeshift structures. The central structure is almost empty (I assume due to the high price of rent?) and most people occupy the stalls surrounding it.

At the back of the market is the food vendors' section. Food vendors are all women. It's one of the most common enterprises for women but it's also one of the least profitable in the market.

Here is one of the food vendors, or mama lishe as they're called in Swahili. It's mid-afternoon and she's cooking cassava which is mainly bought by school-children on their way home. She has already cooked and served the mid-day meal and will likely stay into the evening to catch people on their way home from work.

Delivery anyone? One of the women was able to offer delivery to people near the market. But delivery means carrying; there are no bikes or motorcycles to carry things on.

The women's stalls are really underdeveloped. Though they rent the space for a really high price, the owner doesn't invest anything in infrastructure and the women are responsible for maintaining their  own stalls. Most women would like to improve their structures to attract more business but they lack the money.

The other most female dominated industry is vegetables sales. Women get up early and travel to the wholesale markets to buy their produce and re-sell it at the local markets.

Women's ability to succeed in this industry is tied to how much capital they can round up to buy wholesale. The cheapest vegetables are tomatoes and onions and these are the ones most commonly sold by women. EfG runs savings and credits groups to help the women increase their savings and get low interest loans so that women can invest more in their business.

The women here support each other in their businesses. Most of the food vendors buy their produce from the vegetable sellers. However, what people really need is an increase in customers. The market is small and off the main road. Most people would like to see more marketing but no one is quite sure what that would look like.

The more profitable food business is dry goods and other preserved foods like canned goods. This takes a lot more capital but the profits are also a lot higher. The end result is that it's dominated by men.

After visiting the market, the leaders told me I should come back and open a stall and sell vegetables. It was a well meaning joke but the truth is I can't imagine taking up this lifestyle. It's so much work for so little return and so little hope of it ever changing -- which ultimately is the definition of living in poverty.

And yet these women remain unfailingly kind, incredibly giving and driven as all get out. In spite of the draw backs to their businesses, it can't be forgotten that they have overcome a lot of gender stereotypes just by being in business and trading in the market. Women make up less than 30% of market traders for a reason. There are so many barriers for women to enter trade and these women have persevered and overcome a lot to be there. Just imagine what they would be able to accomplish if they were given the opportunity to be the business women they want to be.

Open Doors

Some of my most amazing experiences here have been getting to meet the families of the people around us. We've been welcomed into the homes of neighbours and coworkers. Somehow back home, we've forgotten the culture of paying calls on neighbours and friends but here its alive and well. We've been invited for sit, eat and celebrate with people who barely know us and yet welcome us into their homes.

The other week, we were invited by a coworker to the confirmation party for his niece.  We trekked out on the buses for an afternoon of food, talking and celebration in honour of the lovely girl in white.

The celebration was held at the family home, which is lived in despite being under construction. At first glance it can seem like these are hard living conditions. But when we tell the family that people can't afford to build their own home in Canada, we find ourselves the object of pity about the cost of housing in Canada. A definite lesson in perception!

Everyone seems invited to the party. We met an endless array of relatives, friends and neighbours. From very small children to community and church elders, everyone ate and chatted together for the afternoon.

The kick off of the celebration was the champagne (or some fizzy wine equivalent). The bottle was blessed by all the guests and then shaken up. Apparently it doesn't really count unless it makes a really good pop! (ours hit the roof so we were good)

And then there was cake...

Which was served piece by piece to the guests. Do I look slightly awkward... well you try eating cake off a toothpick!

Last comes gifts. The collection was opened to help fund continued education. The girls father proudly declared that through her they would be able to finish their family home.

It can be a bit scary venturing into people's homes and unknown environments, but in the end I always find a warm welcome and a really good time.

The Market to Be

This is Kigogo Fresh, not so much a market as a market in the making. The municipality promised the community a market four years ago but getting it up and going has been a struggle. Just a few weeks ago they finally "officially opened" the market, a success that has come about in the last few months due, in large part, to the persistent campaigning and lobbying of the Kigogo Fresh women's association.

You wouldn't even think that Kigogo Fresh was in Dar es Salaam. It looked nothing like the packed city that I'm living in. I would have described it as a small village or town, not part of the largest city in Tanzania. The market is located next to a small community and up to this point traders were located along the roadside or wandered the community carrying their goods on their head. The promise of a large market was an exciting opportunity for the community, though many people had started to loose hope in the project.

The creation of a women's association under EfG's guidance had a big role in turning this situation around. When EfG first came to the area to organize, it seems like one of the hardest markets to work with since traders were spread out all over the community. But thanks largely to the woman standing in red, Nema Komba, the secretary for the women's association, the group has 90 members despite the fact the market isn't operational. She is a force of nature, who insists that I greet all the women with "shikamoo" and expression used to greet your elders, which literally means "I kiss your feet". So it comes as no surprise to me, that these women, under her leadership, were able to successfully lobby the municipal officials over the last 6 months to: finish cleaning and building the market, open it for the allocation of stalls, guarantee all women traders a market stall, and give the women the rights to run the toilets for the market.

We were at the market last week for the market officer's approval of allocation of stalls (the man standing above with the microphone). The municipality reinforced its commitment that stalls would be “one for one”. In most markets, the stalls have ended up in a the hands of a few richer community members, most of whom don't even trade anymore. Market traders are forced to pay high prices for rent which seriously impact their profits. The market officer promised that Kigogo Fresh would be different. Anyone found to be owning more than one stall would have all their spaces taken away. This commitment is an important step in the right direction and if it is kept will greatly reduce the cost of doing business for women traders.

Before we left, I asked the secretary what her dream was of the market. She told me that she dreamed of a large and prosperous market. There is a railroad running beside the market. It is part of the major rail line into Dar es Salaam. If the railway company would guarantee a stop at the market, then the market would become a major trading centre for wholesale as well as retail vendors. This would make this little market on the edge of the city a huge success. So even as the traders work to get the stalls and market governing structures organized, Nema Komba has her eye on the future and lobbying the railway company to make her dream a reality.

The Boat to Bongoyo

Last weekend we had a 4 day holiday due to Eid and Nane Nane (literally the 8th of August, a national holiday to celebrate farmers). So we decided to venture to one of the small islands off the coast of Dar es Salaam for the day. The weather didn't entirely cooperate but the whole feeling of being stranded on a deserted island is pretty great (and by deserted I mean complete with bar and restaurant).

We took a boat over from the pennisula. It looked a lot like a recommisioned fishing vessel but there was a top deck you could sit up on.

 Here is a similar boat. Also note the resort like view in the background. You would think you were in the Florida keys and not Eastern Africa!

 When we landed on this long sand spit and the tide was way out. As the boat landed, people were jumping off into the water and running up the beach to try and claim the cabanas.

Base camp for Team Canada!

Someone comes around when you first get to the island and takes your lunch order and then they come and get you when your food is ready. Some of the best grilled shrimp I've had since coming here!

And then we got down to the serious task of lounging around. The relaxation was only slightly disturbed by have to run under the umbrella every now and then because of the rain. Luckily despite the dark clouds it only lasted for 5 minutes or so.

Of course the sun finally came out just was we were leaving (typical!)

 Oh well, we have many more beach days ahead of us and I'm sure we'll be back soon!

Cleaning-Up at Gezaloule Market

This week's market story is about Gezaloule market. This is a small market in the suburbs of Dar Es Salaam. The market is the local “shopping mall” for the community and it sells everything from dish-ware and furniture to meat, vegetables and cooked food (As a side note its famed in our office for having very good and cheap second-hand clothing).

The food vendors in the market had an ongoing problem with garbage. People in the market were dumping all the garbage behind where the food vendors were working. The women were very concerned because of the health problems created by the garbage dump and also because the terrible smell was negatively impacting their business (after all who wants to eat when they smell rotting garbage?)

EfG started a women's association in the market place this January and garbage was one of the first issues the women decided to tackle. EfG worked with them to help create an advocacy strategy and the group wrote and spoke to the municipal official in charge of the market. After these conversations, the municipal officer agreed to send someone to clean-up the dump and also to arrange for regular garbage pick-up. Last week a team went out and its definitely improving (see pic bellow). 

This is part of a larger struggle on the part of EfG and market women traders to have adequate resources allocated to market maintenance and improvements. All the market traders pay taxes to the municipal government and 10% is suppose to go back into market maintenance but that rarely happens. In fact, no one is exactly sure where all this money ends up. These women are taking the first steps to demand accountability from their local government.

July Favorites

So I'm a big fan of the “monthly favourite” videos that you see on the beauty channels on youtube. When I'm back home I'm a bit of a junky for them. So I thought for fun that I would do a “favourite” list for the month of July....

Lonely Planet Tanzania

Sometimes it pays to be a cheesy tourist. This book is so useful for coming up with day trips, navigating Dar es Salaam and also planning the occasional weekend trip.

Big Statement Necklace

I feel like a really scored on this necklace from Forever 21. I wear this at least 2 times a week to work and it really dresses up every outfit.

Spray on Sunscreen

So this stuff doesn't cut it for an all day beach trip (and I have the sunburns to prove it). But its great for day to day coverage when I'm just running around town.

Beaded Sandals

Aren't the pretty! I picked them up at the Saba Saba Market. They go with everything and they're pretty comfortable for a flat sandal.

Rimmel Stay Matte Power

Its hot and humid and anything that keeps my face from being too oily in this country is a miracle product.

Long Wrap

I carry this around my bag for anytime the AC is too cold in buildings (which is more often then you'd think). Or if I'm going anywhere that I wish to be more modest.

Red Plastic Canvas Bag

Picked this up in the airport because I needed an extra carry-on and its been a great beach and casual bag!

Stoney Tangawazi (pic stolen from internet because we didn't have one at home)

This is a ginger-ale type local beverage with way more ginger that your typical ginger-ale. Its wonderful and a refreshing alternative to coke or fanta.

Anything I could have done without?

I have two great long maxi-dress that I love to wear at home and I thought would be really great for here. The thing is they are a bit too long and its so dusty/muddy/a bit gross in the markets that I don't really where them except for lounging around the house.