Well, I made it! Ready on time and luggage pared down to a manageable size. Looking forward to meeting my fellow Save the Children Ambassadors in a couple of hours. Praying for minimal delays on the motorways.
Sadly our brief trip was coming to an end. Friday morning saw us visiting the Country Office in Dar, meeting the staff and having time for questions with Peter Walsh, the Country Director. I think it is fair to say that we all came away from our experiences with a feel for the dedication of the staff. We know that culture change can't happen overnight, but projects seem designed to promote long term improvement and money is not just being thrown at unresolvable problems. Importantly, children are encouraged directly to speak out for themselves so that programmes can be designed around their needs. A huge amount of sensitive liaison goes on with Government departments too, to ensure projects are aligned with the country's strategic direction. Save the Children appears to be well thought of and has a regular seat at the table. As a regular supporter and legacy donor, this is all welcome news. I will leave it here for now, but am happy to share more information and talk to group...
Sorting out clothes and trying hard to be minimalist! Need to display modesty in dress too, so normal holiday gear won't do. Hadn't realised how many of my tops have low necklines - ooops. Biggest issue is not knowing size of plane for internal flights and therefore if a suitcase can go in the hold. This affects the amount of liquids I can take, especially mossie spray. Also, how many pairs of shoes does a girl need for a week long trip? Not sure if my small denomination US$s will be accepted for Visa or currency exchange. May decide to buy more currency, so many dilemmas Which Suitcase, Which Carry-On? Choices, Choices!!! 😔
No sooner had we swallowed our dinner last night than it was time to get up. Out of the door at 05.30, and off to the airport again. Hard work all this ambassador stuff! Just a short hop across the bay this time, and we were greeted by Mali, the Save the Children operations manager on the islands. A strong character, Mali is a real agent for change. On then to receive a briefing from her team over a shared breakfast. Shocking stats here: 94% of the health budget comes from donors, and 80% of the social budget. A predominantly Muslim community which has strong links to Oman, Zanzibar has both Common Law and Sharia Law. On average, women have 9 children (30% have their first by age 15, 50% by age 18), and men have 2 wives. Save the Children's Health and Nutrition project funds the training of Community Health Volunteers CHV). For our first project visit, we joined a group of local women and their babies listening to a Save-trained advocate the benefits of breast feeding. ...
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