Hi, and thank you for visiting my blog!
I have been in Tanzania since September 2009 and will be here through July 2010. I am conducting a pilot study on vesicovaginal fistula, a devastating maternal birth injury resulting from prolonged obstructed labor. I am based mostly in the Arusha region, with much of my work in Arusha and Monduli, a town 30km away. My study involves interviews and designing focus groups with women who suffer from fistula. The data I gather from these efforts will be analyzed with physicians at Selian Lutheran Hospital and the Monduli District Hospital.
Dala dala: a minibus, or van used for public transportation. Passengers are squished in like sardines, observing no concept of personal space. It is not uncommon to have non-human passengers like chickens, goats, or produce. Ugali: a very stiff, porridge-like food made from corn flour and water. Frequently eaten with nearly every meal in the Tanzanian diet. Mzungu: "foreigner," or "white person." The literal equivalent of the Spanish "gringo." Plural: wazungu. Karibu: Welcome Pole: "sorry," or an expression of sympathy. If you are walking down the road and get dust in your eyes, a passerby will tell you "pole." Polepole: slowly, no rush Rafiki: "friend." Often a word heard used for calling out to wazungu on the street.
