The warm wind that caresses your face, the intense perfumes that fill you nose and the hot colours that wrap up your sight: So nice to be back to Africa! 6th August 2008: As you have understood, for us, Betta and Ilario, this is not the first time in Africa, though, it is in Tanzania. The idea of this trip comes from the desire of meeting Daus, the buy we sustain in his studies through Kisedet: and so, here we are in Dodoma to Nino and Gio’s. We devoted the first week to the discovery of Kigwe, this beautiful ochre coloured land with huge baobab trees. So, we have been able to appreciate all the job that has been done through the different projects, and our esteem for such a hard choice whose finality is to help this land increased: provide instruments so that these people can build their future by themselves. By living close to the locals it has been easy and great to adapt to their rhythms, which are, after all, natural: getting up in the morning when the light rises, and going to sleep a little after sunset while forgetting to set the alarm clock. By the way, if in Tanzania you happen to ask what time a meeting is, do not expect other answer than “let’s meet when you’re ready” and… incredibly this formula works; and we actually stopped asking after a few times, and everything went all right as well. We have been welcomed as in a big family, in this beautiful land where everybody is always ready to offer you a smile (sometimes this is the only thing they can offer you, which makes it even more precious) and a loud KARIBUNI (welcome). If you happen to know the language then you do not have to be in a hurry, after 5 minutes you realise nothing has been said yet but greeting formulas, or better, maybe everything has been said: who among us will offer their time to unknown without expecting anything back? More than once we have found ourselves chatting with children who were playing or going to school, with women carrying – I don’t know how – bins full of water on their head, with men fishing or collecting coal, while in Italy we often do not even greet our neighbour!! If you pass by Kigwe do not forget to have a look at the “Baobab tree café”, do not expect leather stools nor buffets, though it is fun to taste chai and chapati (don’t worry, this is not a bad word, but a great flavoured tea and a sort of fried pancake) while having a chat with the locals. One more tip, do not miss chipsi and mayai if you really want to “enter” the Tanzanian stomach; everywhere, in fact, they will be happy to cook a French fried made omelette besides, of course, the great rise ugali (white cornmeal porridge). All this while drinking mkwaju (tamarind juice diluted in water) which is preferable, if you do not have time for a nap, to the “pombe” (home made beer). Women will not be able to resist buying some kanga and kitenge, the colourful cotton made materials that are sold in every market. I had a very nice skirt and shirt set sewed by “mwalimu Bena” (a sewing teacher from the vocational school of Kigwe), which will look wonderful at home because it is really beautiful. On the second week we went on a beautiful safari: we set off from the Amani reserve (a rainforest with tea plantations), we went on through the Northern coast (Tanga and Pangani with the coral reef), the Saadani park, to end up in Bagamoyo. This tour permitted us to see the real Tanzania, off the tourist itineraries. (We strongly recommend this tour). We eventually managed to meet Daud (Daudi for friends), who fortunately could get a week off from school, and joined us for a few days. At the beginning we were very embarrassed, a bit because of the language and a bit because he is no longer a child but a twenty year old boy. Once the ice broken we found a complicity which normally takes years of mutual knowledge to set up. It was really moving to witness his first time at the seaside, as well as to see his eyes enlighten with joy, and to see his enthusiasm while he tried to absorb all that looked new to him (Nino says he probably learnt more in that week than at school). His tears when we parted made us doubtful on whether we did the right thing in deciding to meet him or not; but when he later thanked us for giving him the possibility to study and then to have more chances to find a job he convinced us he actually caught the rationale of this all. Anyway that was not a farewell but a goodbye. See you soon Daudi!! Thanks “Mama” Alice (Giovanna), thanks “Babu” Nino (Don’t take offence) and thanks to all the people who made us feel at home; we leave you a piece of our heart that we will be back for sure.