Mwezi wa tatu..

I can't believe it's March already! I have been in TZ about 6 months, yet it feels so natural to me. So many things have happened. First we submitted our grant to get funding for the Girls Empowerment Conference. Cross your fingers because I hope it gets approved. So far my school has responded positively. I had to put on my project engineering hat and "grease the wheels" as Rosato would say. So in addition to submitting a letter for the formal processes at the institute, I informally talked to the management to let them know what is going on and they gave their approval. So far the institute has agreed to give us facilities and rooms for 70 people! MIST rocks! Also, talking to faculty here they are very interested in this conference, mostly women but some men as well. Also, have gotten quotes on food and it looks reasonable. Definitely budgeting, resource allocation, stakeholders, milestone/goal setting, etc. is all coming to play here.

And here at the Computer Department we are thinking of getting local orphans to come by to show them about computers. Maybe the vision of a community service club here at MIST will happen. If other teachers are involved it will certainly be sustainable. Maybe IPT (like summer internships) can be done to help the community..a thought. But another thought was that we could use IPT as a way to get companies to come here for a career fair next year. Too many ideas, hopefully enough time to get people interested to make it sustainable.

I had an interesting discussion with the principal of the institute this past week, it definitely feels like an executive's office when I enter his office and when I talk to him. He does stuff with Habitat for Humanity..apparently he is a Structural Civil Engineer and helps that NGO with surveying for available infrastructure. They will be having a project on Zanzibar, I wish them luck.

This past week I have definitely been happy because I love planning things, as one student noticed last night at the debate club (the fact that I was happier than usual). And I can even joke with the students. Though I had an exam this past week and some students cheated again. It breaks my heart. I know they do this because if they fail they have no career and they take 15 different subjects a semester, so they cheat to pass so they can get a job in the future..but this doesn't make it right. They need to learn ethics and consequences, I try to tell them about the consequences but they don't understand (or maybe it's my English). I had an interesting debate on this with some staff in the computer department to learn the other side of the story of why students cheat. And also some debates with some of my smarter, ethically minded students as well. Last night I certainly learned alot at debate club..more about the history of TZ and Zanzibar union, though they were surprised that I knew about it, and cheating at the institute.

Oh and the students had a strike because of food. Which is totally different than the States! Can you imagine college striking because of bad cafeteria food? Every college in the States would be striking. :) Anyways it was pretty funny to me..but it wasn't scary or anything. I think there was a deeper issue than food.

I am going to Njombe for 2 weeks. Don't worry..no news is good news.