Tuesday, July 20, 2010

15-7-10 or “The day I became temporarily deaf at the metalworkers”

The Kalinzi stove team left Mwamgongo yesterday (Wednesday) for KIgoma via water taxi, which was quite the experience. In addition to our fellow passengers, the boat also contained cargo which ranged from squacking chickens to huge sacks of agricultural produce. Along the way, we spied colobus monkeys and baboons on the beaches of the mainland.

We arrived in Kigoma and headed to the metalworkers at the Mwanga market with the prototype that we built in Kalinzi. They built a replication with a few modifications (such as a horizontal sliding door and slightly thinner outer box) out of stronger metal. We watched ( and listened) intently as they made it and were impressed enough to commission 10 stoves to take back to Kalinzi and test with the 6 women who agreed to give us feedback on our design.

After spending time in the highlands, returning to Kigoma with its modern conveniences (read running electricity and water) and its plethora of people was somewhat of a shock. We were reminded of the contrasts in lifestyles and access to resources that the people of Tanzania face.

-Ryan

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