By Anna Barrett
Habari!
For Nkula, the week began with nearly 48 long hours of travel as the group made the journey from Kigali, Rwanda, to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and finally arriving at the location of our first homestay, Junior Lutheran Seminary and Language School outside Morogoro.
After some accidental exploration resulting from a desire to find the nearest functioning ATM, the group returned to the campus in time for afternoon tea and introductions to the people who would open their homes to us for the next week. The next day, we began to settle into our new routine. Breakfast with our families and morning and afternoon Swahili classes being schooled in basic greetings, numbers, vocabulary, and grammar. After our lessons ended for the day, we took advantage of some well-deserved free time in the sweltering heat, venturing into town for ice cream and shopping or just relaxing in the common area.
As we adjusted to our surroundings we ventured further into town, guided first by one of our lovely mwalimu (teachers), then on our own. Early Thursday morning, some of the group set out to climb one of the imposing mountains in whose shadow we resided, returning ten hours later exhausted but refreshed by the cool mountain air, wild strawberries, and a swim in the waterfall.
At the end of the week, we prepared to move on from our home stays to a weeklong stay at Ohana Amani, a wellness retreat in the Southern Highlands.