Habari

This is my last working day in Tanzania, just like the other days, I get in the lift from the thirtieth floor, the lift operator, who told me she earns 100,000 shillings a week (about forty quid) spends all day Monday to Saturday, going up & down, up & down, presses the button for the ground floor, I think to my self; I hope the lift doesn’t stop to many times, boy was it hot in there.

I walk from the lift to the reception area to meet Adam the cab driver, passing through the long but quite wide corridor, where a couple of shops sold souvenirs. I once again observed around 20 or so members of staff at the far end of the corridor, standing in what looked like a guard of honour, all dressed smarty and neatly in their company uniforms, as I approached in my Metroline shirt so perfectly iron by the guy from the laundry, (by the way, within ten minutes of being on the coach, picks up its first stain) they look at me as I pass through the lobby.

I say “Mumbo” (which means how are you) they reply “Poa” (which mean fine ) but alas; this guard of honour is not for my benefit, that’s where the mangers office was, my departure time coincided with their team meeting and they were waiting for him to put in an appearance.

Another day another accident, ten minutes after leaving the institute to practice the lesson plan on how to approach, enter and negotiate roundabouts, we drove passed the scene of an accident which involved a motor cyclist.

We saw the motor cyclist lying on the road, he had been knocked off his bike, a fairly large crowd gathered around; I really hoped someone there knew first aid; as I don’t think the emergency services would have a very good response time, its was only 09:30 I got the feeling that it wouldn’t be the last accident of the day.

At the garage the institute use for refuelling the coach, we stop to pick up some bottles of cold water, I was told by one of the lads last week to use the brand called “Kilimanjaro” so I have been sticking to that ever since, he said it was the best ever, I later found out that he comes from that area, so a little biased maybe.

While the lads went into buy the drinks I asked  a security guard standing at the entrance to the garage if it was okay to record him with my camcorder, I told him I would make him famous in London, I thought it best to ask politely first, after all, he was carrying a rifle, which hung around his neck.

On the road the usual mayhem unfolds, the Dala Dala drivers are up to the normal tricks, one of the lads told me that many many years ago the fare to travel on one of these buses was five shillings, he went on to explain that Dala Dala in Tanzanian, means five shilling, so passengers got on the five shilling bus.

Everybody knows about the dangers that are on the roads, people will have to think outside the box & try everything they can to get the problem sorted out. Motorist need to be educated, be made aware that they are “The Problem” and need to change their attitudes towards driving.

If you ever visit Dar es Salaam; traffic lights are often ignored & don’t for one minute think you can at least cross the street on a Zebra Crossing and get across safely, priority has been stolen by the motorist & they too are simply ignored, if by a miracle someone does stop, be afraid, be very afraid; because as sure as eggs are eggs, there will be always be someone, either over taking or undertaking that’s a certainty.

The lads have responded well to the training, taking on board the principles of defensive driving & putting it into their practical drives. They has listened intently & asked many questions. It’s been great to see them improve as much as they have. I know further inputs are being planned by Transaid sometime next year & wish the lads that come out here, every success.

My last duty was to have a meeting with Neil & the head of road safety Mr Hans Mwaipopo and debrief them on my tour of duty & discussed among other things, which trainees should benefit from those future inputs, Mr Mwaipopo has already spoken to the trainees from last week & questioned them on the materials & training they had received, he told me there was tangible evidence that my input has been a success.

Mr Mwaipopo asked me to thank Metroline for their support and sponsorship in allowing me to come out to Tanzania and I do that now, he also asked me to thank my family, for allowing him to take me away from them, I thank them too.

I also want to thank Metroline; for giving me the opportunity to come to Tanzania, they can be confident that the huge investment they have made; will make a big difference in saving lives.

I hope those that have been reading my blog have found it okay, I know there have been a few typos along the way; I wish I had the opportunity to Nicolise it first, she wouldn’t  have missed a thing.

So that’s it, job done; so what about those inoculations I had that made me feel quite unwell, the ten hour flight, the heat on the coach, the traffic, the chaos, the mayhem and last but not least the pharmaceutical issues, would I do it all again.

You bet your bottom dollar I would.