|
|
Tanzania - February, 2007 For 3 weeks in Feburary 2007 I did private massage therapy training in a gorgeous lodge at the base of Mount Meru near Arusha, Tanzania. An American woman living there contacted me and agreed to my condition of also training a local woman to be hired as a hotel therapist. It was fabulous! Even the yoga platform was heavenly! Please take a second to look at the website so I can share this beauty with you. www.ngare-sero-lodge.com You will see their advertisement for massage using the photo I’ve taken when they graduated.
While there, I gave a 3-week Introduction to Therapeutic Massage course. It is amazing what can be learnt in that time. The local girl Veronica is in her early 20s. She’s very intelligent and sweet. Her confidence was a bit shaky, and it was an ultimate joy to see that improve as she conquered new concepts and techniques. Veronica assisted me in translating course notes into Kiswahili, which will be useful in future trainings. Stacia, the woman who manages the lodge also took the course. I am grateful for her generosity and sincere interest in building capacity within the local community. The three of us had so much fun in class. There were tears all round when I presented their course certificates.
Truly this work is inspiring to me on so many levels. It’s not just about massage. I have learned so much about the local people and their culture. My previous attempts at Kiswahili in Zanzibar paid off, even though the dialect is very different here in Arusha (and from tribe to tribe). What seems to be the most important thing is that I TRY!! Doors open, and defenses go down when people see I’m simply attempting to understand them and get to know them beyond “Jambo, bwana”. More than anything else, I’m feeling peace of mind that I haven’t felt for many years. I’ve been so driven to achieve my goals in Africa that it has often felt quite stressful and difficult. I’m at the point now that I’m learning to accept the small victories in terms of helping others instead of focussing only on the 30-person “Massage Academy Project”. It’s a much better attitude. Until we find a partner or donor for the big project, I’ll be content with the small projects I’ve worked on, and the individuals I’ve helped along the way.
|
