Steve and Barnabas in Tanzania

Yes it is time to discuss electricity (Umeme) again.  Why?  I don't know because I have not done so in a while.  Because I had to fix several electrical items on site this week.  Because I never discussed putting the solar system on the headmaster's house.  Because I can't think of anything else specific to talk about.  Who knows.   after electricity installed before electricity installed As part of the discussion we will also talk about the water pump system at the school site.  Today when I went to site, I was told it quit working.  After about an hour long discussion they had a problem with the generator and took it to a local repair shop to get it fixed but they have not gotten any electricity from the generator to the well pump since getting it back.  Typically that would indicate the repair person fixed the gasoline engine disconnected a part of the system that generates electricity or allows it to flow from the ele...

Last week I put out a couple of questions and some beginning of projects so I wanted to follow up.  First the above picture is from a friend's balcony who lives in Kinampanda which is along the ridge line before you drive into the valley where I live.  This is her view overlooking said valley.  I had to visit Kinampanda with work this week so stopped in to see her after I heard she got stung by a bee again and missed a day of teaching.   Next the answers to the questions that frankly I was shocked no one even ventured a guess about.  All my engineering and creative friends and no one guess!  I guess I should offered something more than imaginary or useless points but since they do it on Whose Line is it Anyway I thought I could get away with it. Why does we need to add more water here to get the same workability or mix strength as we would say in South Carolina or even Peru?  The answer has to do with the dryness here but specifically the fact i...

I am currently working on several projects to prepare for the team coming over in September so they can have "shovel ready" work projects.  Unfortunately none of that is too glamorous.  So I am going to clean off some photos of work/play projects I have been doing lately. The last of the tools I purchased with the generous donations to the electric tool fund was a jigsaw.  I am very excited about what I can do with that and my new find of plywood.  For those of you who don't do facebook, a Peace Corp friend helped me track down a source of plywood.  It is the boxes they ship motorcycles into town in and since they ship a good many in I am hoping it will be a steady stream.  It is thin plywood but I am still excited about the project I can do.   The giraffe above and attempted elephant below though were my first jigsaw projects using some of the scrap wood from other projects.  Both were cut free hand (no template or drawing) out...

I am going to start out by letting you know this is not a story about the troubles of having vehicle trouble on the way to Arusha, this is a story about the blessings that can come through such an adventure.  I am going to take a break from Tiny House Tanzania episodes to tell you this story. So this weekend I am headed to Arusha, which is one of the bigger cities and a jumping off location for many of the safari adventures and Kilimanjaro hikes.  This means the city has some heavy influence from outside sources for food.  I look forward to trips to Arusha since I have found a good hamburger joint, good pizza place, good pasta and decent Mexican.  It took me many trips to find those but I have them now along with a break from my diabetic diet to enjoy a milkshake.  So as I leave the valley to Singida so I can clean the truck and pick up some friends who want a ride I realize I have no real power going up the hill out of the valley.  There is no safe pla...