5/9 and 6/9: Amani

Today was office day and we actually did a lot, because we looked over the Friday group’s, the Amani, application for the third loan and what they should be given. We also looked at the cash flow because the model we have for it now is really complicated so we are trying to figure out how to build a new model that is simpler to understand for Elizabeth and future volunteers. We also wrote down what we have been doing for the last two weeks and made a plan for the next week. We were still at the office at 5 pm, and we had planned a social because there wasn’t anything for 6 pm. At Maasai café of course, because we just cannot keep away from the pizza. I brought Gustav to meet the rest and another Dane came as well that have started this week on the same project as Freja and Camille. Theresa who has just returned from climbing Kili came as well, I haven’t seen her in some three weeks and it seems like an eternity. The pizza was good as usual as was the conversation. I had been looking forward to Friday all week because now we were finally going to try to give out a loan and talk to them about our concerns and things like that. We talked through everything and in the end they got the money that they had asked for or the maximum of 300,000 tsh. In the afternoon we went to another group, the solidarity group or they are called that in Kiswahili at least. We had given them book keeping training last week and this week we checked their books, most of them were surprisingly good. But one person earns maybe 40,000 a day and another only a couple of thousands, so there is a really big difference. We also did a business visit with the chairwoman of the group Rehema, who sells tea spices. All in all it was a good day. When I got back home it was time for more washing as I don’t want to deal with it when I get back from Kili. Tomorrow I will go to Moshi and Sunday, Sunday it begins. I am looking forward to it with a mix of excitement, clarity, dread and happiness. I know that no matter if I make it or not I will come back an experience richer, wiser. And no matter what it will be so good to get out of the city and into the fresh mountain air for a week, so that I can breathe freely.