Kitelela Primary School.

 Today we are visiting Kitelela Primary School. This is the first school we have supported in Dodoma but we hope to grow the project in this area.

Aaron picks us up at around 8.45. He has already collected Robert, Dido (from the office) and Japhet who has decided to come with us today. On the way we pick up Albert who ran the ICT training course for the teachers.

It takes about an hour to get to the school some of it on quite rough roads. Most of the drive is through agricultural land but we do see a huge sunflower oil factory.

After driving so far out of town it is surprising that the school is still classed as being in Dodoma City.

When we arrive we are met by a group of people including the Headteacher. There seem to be quite a lot of children carrying chairs into a room that I guess we will be using.

 We are taken to the room that they are going to use as their computer room. Over the next quarter of an hour or so we are joined by various people including the Chair of the School Committee and several committee members, the Village Chairman and about 6 members of the village committee, the Ward Executive Officer, The Head of the local Secondary School and quite a few teachers.

Everyone introduces themselves and then Robert explains about our project and tells them that today we have brought them 3 computers and a printer. Everyone is very pleased and lots of people make short speeches giving thanks and promising to use make good use of the computers.

We sign the Loan Contract and then bring in the computers. There are of course the usual group photos. 

Albert, Dido and Aaron set up the computers and we then go and have a look around the classrooms.

This is a smaller school than many we have supported with 432 pupils and 10 teachers. The classes are also generally smaller than we often see in other schools and everyone has a seat at a desk. The school strives to deliver a good education, however most of the children here come from low income families and marginalised backgrounds.

The children all seem happy that the school is getting computers.

We return to the computer room to find the school have prepared lunch for everyone. Today this is pilau, rice, chicken, beef and beans.

It’s now 1 o’clock and we are ready to leave. It has been a good visit and the teachers and children all seem enthusiastic so hopefully they will do well. We drive back to town a different way. The road is still rough to begin with but we then join the new dual carriageway which is much better. Our return journey only takes about half an hour.

Robert drops us back at the hotel so can change and freshen up. He comes back again a bit later with Peter, his son and Dido. We are soon joined by Diana, Robert’s daughter who is working in Dar es Salaam and got up very early this morning to catch the train to Dodoma to come and meet up with us. It’s lovely to see her.

Robert, Peter, Albert and Dido have a half hour meeting about the business in Dodoma while we chat with Diana.

Then about 6pm we say goodbye to Albert and Dido and head into town with Robert, Peter and Diana to get some dinner. We have a lovely evening and it’s been great to catch up with Peter and Diana.

Travel to Dodoma followed by a rest day.

 Today we are leaving Tabora and travelling to Dodoma, a journey of around 320Km. We set off about 8.30 and then once we are out of Tabora Robert suddenly remembers we should have filled up with diesel.

We drive on for a bit but the roads are very empty and there is no sign of a petrol station. At this point I can see Robert is starting to get worried so when we drive through a village we stop and ask someone who tells us that there is one in the next town, around 30 Km further on. We drive on and keep our fingers crossed that we will make it. Luckily we do!!

Tabora region is famous for its honey (Asali), if you remember  a school gave some to us as a gift. So today we see lots of people selling it along the side of the road. We stop at one place and both Aaron and Robert buy some.

Our journey continues through a village where there are a lot of street lights for what appears to be a very small bus station!

After a while we drive through an area which produces a lot of cooking oil. Again Robert’s wife has asked him to buy some. However when new stop several sellers all rush over to the car thrusting their oil through the window in order to try and secure a sale. I have no idea how he decides which to buy!!

A bit later we see a windmill which is a fairly rare sight in this part of Tanzania.

We continue on through the town of Itigi which marks about half way on our journey, until we reach Manyoni where we stop for lunch.

On arriving in Manyoni we stop and ask a boda boda driver, where is a good place for food. He directs us to a place on a petrol station forecourt. On arrival it doesn't look too hopeful but they actually has some pilau, beef, greens, beans and salad which is actually ok, the beef is really tender (a rarity it Tanzania🤣). Robert needs to work while he eats.

It takes a further 2 hours to reach Dodoma. At one point we drive alongside the railway again and drive over it on a newly constructed bridge. As we get nearer to Dodoma the landscape changes from flat agricultural to more hills and rocks. Roadside sales change from oil to tomatoes and onions.

Our first stop in Dodoma is at the small shop Robert has opened here. It is run by Dido who we met on our last visit.

On leaving the shop we go in search of a hotel. We don't have anywhere booked but have a couple of suggestions. We are now definitely into town traffic and we pass a huge market where you must be able to buy almost anything.

We drive passed a hotel called Gold Coins Hotel (not one of our suggestions) which looks ok and Robert thinks we should shop and have a look. The manager says he has rooms for TSH 80,000 so well within our budget so we take a look. The hotel is typical of the type used by Tanzanian businessmen, the rooms are large and with everything we need so we book in.

We unpack and then get a drink in the bar. The manager is very friendly and really helpful. While we are having our drink a man approaches us and much to our surprise says he recognises us. Apparently he was the manager of the JB Series Hotel in Tabora when we stayed there last year. He is now the General Manager for this group of hotels in Dodoma. Amazing that he remembered us. We had a nice chat with him.

Robert picks us up about 6.30 and we go out for dinner at one of the chicken restaurants just round the corner from the hotel. We have eaten in one of these restaurants before (I can’t remember which one) but the one we choose this time produces some good chicken very quickly. This is good as Robert has an online meeting he needs to attend at 7.30.

Once we have finished eating we return to our hotel which has a nice bar that is fairly quiet. We order a bottle of wine which we all share while Robert does his meeting and we play cards. After the meeting has finished we have a chat while finishing the wine before we all retire to bed.

The next day is Thursday and a rest day for us. We get up a bit later than normal and have a leisurely breakfast. This is the usual Tanzanian offerings of soup and eggs, along with some cooked bananas and greens as well as some lovely mandazi , fruit, juice and tea and coffee.

When we woke this morning it was raining heavily but it gradually subsides and we spend the morning sitting in the bar area sorting out photos, doing the blog, emails etc.

Robert picks us up and we go to a local bar for lunch. We have fish and chips and a really lovely fresh mixed fruit juice. During the meal we are joined by Robert’s friend Japhet who lives in Dodoma.

This afternoon we had hoped to visit a vineyard as Dodoma has quite a growing wine industry but in the end it’s too far to go in an afternoon, so Japhet gives us a tour of the town instead.

At one point we drive past all the new government buildings known as Government City.

At one point we head out of town up the hill to UDOM ( the University of Dodoma) where Robert’s son Peter is studying. We meet up with Peter who then gives us a tour of the university. It’s is a large fairly modern university and is still expanding.

Peter shows us where he is living, sharing a room with 3 others which seems to be pretty standard. He seems to be enjoying university life.

Apparently the UDOM sign was painted on the rocks by the first students to graduate from the university.

We leave Peter and the university and head back into town.

Below is the largest building containing Legal offices in Tanzania.

Japhet takes us to the new train station where the high speed trains depart for Dar es Salaam. It’s certainly a futuristic looking building.

After we have finished looking around Dodoma we head to a bar for some dinner and wine. We have a great evening enjoying the food, wine and conversation. We laugh that the wine is served by the glass dispensed from 5 litre plastic containers. 

Luckily for us we have Aaron with us who isn’t drinking and is able to safely drop us back at our hotel at the end of the evening.