A Compilation of Thoughts August 1

We received word last evening that - while initially faced with some complex restrictions which might prevent our visit to some schools in the Monduli region - we would be welcomed back to this area which includes the "original" UhuruPad school. Later on, the officials asked if we could we add "just one more" school. Everyone was game. 

When we arrived at the first school (Kipok Secondary School - a boarding school attended by nearly 800 girls) we were invited to walk the grounds which are breathtaking. There are views of various peaks in the distance (though not Kilimanjaro as all have come to learn: we will see it from the plane going home, perhaps). We peered in windows and used the simple lavatories, and the next thing we knew, 800 girls were in the front courtyard. Game on...of so we thought.

For the first time, the teams which had practiced and presented as trios (two US "Champions" and a Tanzanian translator), were asked to split up so that no group would be more than 80 girls. "But what about the translation?" was a large question (we have 5 translators...not 10). A few teachers were handed the Kiswahili version of our book and, thanks to Debbie Lieb, a gift of headphones to entice them to join our ranks.

No one on this trip puts these girls last. We have seen challenges which would make any of our complaints (the heat, the dust, the lack of water, a vehicle needing a push out of the mud) seem trivial. So, flying solo, we started our 30-minute, very interactive presentations. Nearly immediately, the support team was asked to convey the message that the presentations should be abbreviated to 15 minutes; they ran back to the presenters  in the midst of page 2 and told them to cut to the chase. A few minutes later, by some miracle - or perhaps some new understanding of the commitment, intensity, and goodness of the young (and "more senior") women presenting this vital health and hygiene information - we were told "no, actually, take 30....." Supporting team members ran back again to convey this more welcome bump in the road. 

Questions naturally arise during the sessions:

• If I am raped during my period can I still get pregnant?
• What do I do if I have to leave school?
• Is prostitution wrong?

These can be heart-wrenching, making you want to stop in your tracks and sit with the girl, exploring the issue more deeply than the time we've been granted will allow (even with an "extra" 15 minutes). In these times, hours and days (months) could never be enough. 

When it is time to go, we again thank the teachers and students and snap the requested selfies before getting into our vans. One team member, Emily Hansen, shared that she is not fond of being in photographs (hard to understand given that she is someone whose kindness shines through!) but, about these "selfie sessions," however, Emily shared that when her "students" rush to thank her and ask for a picture with her, it touches her deeply. 

Our final school - for the day and this "deployment" - is the Nanja School. A boarding school which has 260 male students as well as 240 girls, Nanja is an example of a school that desperately needs UhuruPads. Where we come from, with a tap in every kitchen and bathroom, there are many menstrual hygiene options. Even though our pads are 100% biodegradable and compostable, some have suggested that we should instead provide washable pads or a menstrual cup which could be washed and re-used.  But at schools like Nanja (and there are many, many like this) "washable" is not an option. Girls at this boarding school are entitled to two buckets of water for the week (the boys get one bucket). Their usage includes self-care, toileting, laundry, cooking, and so forth. Washing pads or cups (to dry in the dirt and dust, even if they could be washed with such a small ration of water) is not tenable. 

We listen to a speech from the head of the school and he details the challenges they face; it is daunting. He thanks us profusely and while this is happening the schools' boys are re-directed across the campus. The girls gather elsewhere. Soon the presentation teams head into classrooms, ready to share those important words and images and smiles as part of our final presentations.

Moments later, from across the campus, we see the girls start running. They are not walking quickly - they are running toward the classrooms. With smiles on their faces are fairly flying toward doors behind which the possibility of understanding awaits them. They are running to Uhuru. They are running to a Freedom made possible by the generosity of many and brought to life by the women who await them behind those doors. 

By Mimi Muir, July 30

While last summer in Tanzania was unforgettable and provided memories I will cherish forever, returning to Tanzania this summer h​​​​as opened my eyes to how special this country truly is.  The open arms, gentleness, and affection of the people amaze: this year I am most appreciative for their simple nature guided by love. 

Our beloved hosts, Jane and John, surround us with a comforting home away from home. Last year, we were in awe of their constant hospitality. We resided in the main house and ate meals in the small round kitchen table. This year, an entire guest house (under construction last summer) was built to accommodate our larger group. Like UhuruPads' growth, instead of being able to seat our group at one table, our bigger group eats at several tables inside and outside. Last year we had six members, this year we have an incredible 16. Hopefully the exponential growth will continue and next year there will be four vans of UhuruPad Champions (the name of those who go out into the field) rather than the two vans we have this year and one last year! Laura is truly amazing and I am in in constant awe of her. While her drive and dedication to support girls and women in Tanzania began as a grass-roots project, it now supports thousands of girls (hopefully one day, millions!!)! 

We began today with a fresh Tanzanian breakfast: delicious mango, pineapple, watermelon, gigantic avocados spread on fresh bread, freshly cooked pancakes, farm eggs, chipati (a kind of flat bread: Mama Jane, our host, has offered to lead us in a cooking class so that we can bring this special treat and other recipes back to the US!), and brewed coffee/ tea. It is beautiful to wake up to the incredible sunrise and hear various animals chirping or barking. Jane and John expressed to the younger girls that “we are lovely daughters” and shamelessly displayed photos of their youngest son who now resides in America, in hopes that one of us may marry him and join their family! 

After breakfast we packed into two vans (with the Uhuru Dudes - the guys participating in a parallel project - filled a third!) and set out for our long and exciting day ahead. Another van of pads and underwear followed us; and still another van included our Tanzanian translators (all women employed and included as part of the Uhuru team).

George is the driver for the younger Champions (women in high school/college/and recent graduates). George was our driver last year and greeted the team veterans at the airport with bouquets of roses (so sweet)!! Needless to say, we share a mutual respect with these remarkable people who selflessly provide their time to support the health of the girls we are serving. I admire their determination and kindness. We all enjoy window watching and observing the people, transportation, animals, and nature. These lengthy drives from school to school provide an opportunity to ask George more about the Tanzanian culture and exchange comments and stories.

A recent Vanderbilt graduate on our team, Meredith, was awarded a grant to travel the world this year and explore different female education systems. She shared her former experience of living with a family in Africa that spoke no English and had very limited resources, before accompanying our UhuruPads team. Her insights and wisdom inspire me to consider circumstances in other countries, and reminds me of my many gifts and opportunities. 

After an hour navigating dusty roads with many bumps and malfunctions, we arrived at our first school of the day (and #4 on our list on this trip): it is called Ngyeku Secondary School  and 450 girls attend it. George has a ripped notebook page with scribbled landmarks on the way to each school so he knows where to go; This is pretty unbelievable to us passengers who rely heavily on Waze back home! At Ngyeku, surrounded by an open sunflower field, we split into five groups, each with two UhuruPads US team members and a Tanzanian translator. We introduced ourselves to seated students who were extremely attentive. We use books, displaying simple diagrams/ pictures, and on the back there is information for us to provide the key details aligned to a larger picture the girls are seeing.  The US team members take turns reading and explaining each page and then the translator repeats the message in Kiswahili to ensure it is well understood.

I am paired with another Veteran - Paige, soon to be a sophomore at Virginia Tech - and our translator is Winnie. Winnie is incredibly interactive and the girls all are amused and attentive. I am so thankful for her! At this point we all have the presentation down to a science and for the most part, memorized! The presentation ranges from female anatomy, to basic feminine hygiene, to self defense, to empowering messages, and so on. Part of the presentation includes asking for volunteers to answer a few true/ false questions and earn candy if they respond. I brought a few five pound bags of gummy bears: the girls all love them!

We also encourage questions and I am always amazed by the girls' willingness to share. I have received a wide variety of questions ranging from my personal experiences, “is xyz normal," to tougher questions about prostitution and rape. The girls are curious and observant. Sometimes teachers or the headmaster join our presentations. For example this school had two teachers standing in the back; immediately when the teachers approached, two students got up from their seated position, lifted their chairs, and offered a seat to both of the teachers. The girls value responsibility and respectfulness for elders (quite admirable and not something one sees at this level in the US!).

After the presentation is finished, Paige and I demonstrate how to place a pad on underwear and the girls always belly laugh, but still are intrigued and grateful. We then distribute a tracking card (marked off with month one; which will continue to be marked off each month until the girls have received a full year's supply of pads), a packet of 100% biodegrradable sanitary pads, and a pair of underwear to each girl. They tuck their new items under their sweaters and respond with: “Thank you,” or “Thank you, I love you!” Afterwards, the girls ask us to dance or sing for them and soon thereafter we are all in a circle laughing and dancing.

They are all so affectionate and love to hug me and run their hands down my long, light colored hair. I am constantly surrounded by bright smiles expressing thankfulness and love. 

Laura always says “TIA: This is Africa!” In other words, you never know what to expect. On the way to the second school, our van got stuck in a ditch and we all had to get out and push it out. Malfunctions occur, but we always make the best of them. The second and third schools were similar to the first: apprehension, curiosity,, relief, excitement, and love. The girls greet us with open arms and appreciate our presentation and products.  A highlight at the second school, was a conga line with a few hundred girls, singing and dancing. At the third school we blasted “Waka Waka” by Shakira and danced with the girls. Even with some language barriers, we could join together and bond over singing and dancing. We concluded the visits by constructing a tippy-tap, a simple hand washing station made by hanging a bar of soap with a string and buckets of water held together by poles. 

Today, we supported a total of 1,310 girls. I am humbled and thankful to have this opportunity to support other them. I am looking forward to the rest of the week.

If you're wondering what the Uhuru Dudes were doing during all this, Jack and Will (two high school students) and Jeff (Will's dad, who is the author of the Wimpy Kid series: who has more than tolerated us all sharing our favorite moments from his books!) visited a primary day school. They taught English lessons and interviewed students about their access to water. With what they learn and Jeff's great following of kids and teachers around the world, they hope to allow kids who have water to learn more about what it is like for those who live without it. By sparking understanding and compassion, they may also be able to increase understanding about water conservation among those who have it.  I hope that when I grow up I can continue to give back like Jeff. As a very successful author, he has chosen to use his success for the good of others. 

We returned home and shared our stories for hours. From receiving challenging questions to hearing about dangerous daily walks to school, to joyful moments, and laughs, we appreciate reflecting on the day. Once again, after a tiring day, we walked into the aroma of Tanzanian spiced chicken, rice, beans, and squash soup, and of course, some chipatis! 

It feels rewarding to be here in an effort to empower girls. I continue to learn more about myself and others. I feel a unique sense of purpose, happiness and fulfillment here. People without the basic necessities have the biggest smiles and warmest hearts. I find myself often having to hold back tears when interacting with these girls. Today I was in a classroom with about 50 girls and all of the sudden they all surrounded me, tightly wrapped their arms around my waist, and tried to shower me with kisses. This unconditional love is remarkable. I cannot wait to see what the rest of the week holds.

by Debbie Lieb, July 29

Our day began early with a delicious breakfast in Mama Jane’s kitchen. Our US contingent is now 16 people and so the eggs, sausage, fresh fruit, and breads of all kinds must truly feed an army.  Mama Jane and three lovely women handle breakfast (a chef supports her on dinner) and she is a great cook. Her cooking means a healthy start to a long day. The team has come together quickly; this is a fun group but we are ready to work. We’ve been packaging the 5000 information/punch cards the girls will receive to track their menstrual hygiene each month and even the “Uhuru Dudes” – Jeff, Will, and Jack – have jumped into that task.  Laura calls this task a fun game named “fold the menstruation cards!”
 
Departing the beautiful grounds of our homestay, our caravan of three vans (and a truck filled with supplies) traveled down long bumpy and dusty roads, passing cows herded by children, and donkeys pulling carts to a remote school – the Marula Secondary School – where we met 300 girls in uniform who were completely thrilled to see our band of women from the USA.  Working in small groups – usually two Americans with a Tanzanian translator – we shared a positive, information-filled presentation in English and Swahili: growing up, the start of menstruation, and other aspects of health hygiene and safety essential to becoming a strong, confident woman.
 
The girls listen with great attention. We do try to make them laugh which relaxes them and us and helps to break down the age and language barriers. My presenting partner is Ann Gehret McKinney, a Vanderbilt classmate who lives in Nashville. Our accents may confuse the girls a bit but it is a remarkable thing to be in this place and sharing love and compassion with girls with a lifelong friend: we’re a long way from our days sitting on the wall watching the people go by at Vanderbilt.
 
Each presentation ends with the distribution of underwear and 100% biodegradable sanitary pads, called UhuruPads. These are all made by a team of women in a production facility nearby. Some of the girls get embarrassed and laugh and some have serious questions about their lives and their bodies.  They dance and sing while other members of our team build them a tippy tap – a simple handwashing station placed right outside the lavatories (which have no running water).  The girls ask to see photos of our homes and families and the selfies go non-stop.
 
School number two – Nasholi School - with 450 girls was significantly larger. Groups were bigger and lines were longer.  But again, the girls were happy that we were there and we danced and sang with them after the presentations and handed out the supplies.
 
Another long road to a third school – Maroroni School with 360 girls. The girls behaved perfectly, singing and cheering after our presentations.
 
Over the day we met wonderful and beautiful girls who loved us being there, but we loved them more. We gave them protection and freedom and they gave us brilliant smiles with glimmers of hope. They sang to us and filled our hearts.
 
Could any day be better?
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To Support the UhuruPads Mission distributing pads, undergarments and life-changing education to girls in need in East Africa, shop and support via Her Best Foot Forward's product page or via the UhuruPads donation link here.

by Alison McKinney

Waking up this morning wrapped in the mosquito net was extremely refreshing after a very long full day of travel, especially walking out to Jane’s amazing breakfast. I may be talking for myself, but jetlag was nonexistent, which was an added bonus. Today was more of an acclimation day for us but started with a walk through the compound to see Jane and John’s banana farm – which also boasts sugar cane and mango.  The morning was cool and we could hear music from the Methodist church which lifted spirits and set a great tone.
 
Since there are 3 UhuruPad “veterans” on the team, we were able to watch them actually do the presentation we’ll be giving to nearly 4000 girls this week.  We are glad to be welcomed into so many schools but, just as it is in the US, classroom time is critical so our presentations (given to the girls in groups of no more than 50 at a time) have to be spot on.
 
Practice completed and 15 boxed lunches loaded, we hit the road. While the Uhuru Champions team from the US is female, we have 3 male drivers and they do their best to keep eyes on these crazy roads, all while there is quite a bit of entertaining conversation in the background. We also have 3 US guys who are “pseudo-team members” (we’ll have to come up with a name for them…”) and they have their own mission they’re focused on. More on them another day.
 
We headed to the market they call the Maasai Market. I loved getting to see all of the Tanzanian art and jewelry. It was overwhelming at first as people came out of their little shops to invite us in to look at their different products, but we all got great stuff from beaded bracelets, handcrafted bowls, pants, and even a machete! I loved getting to see the women beading more bracelets so swiftly as they sat there selling them.
 
From there, we loaded back up in the cars and got to see the UhuruPad factory. THIS was definitely the highlight of everything we’ve seen so far. It’s one thing to read and watch videos about the pads, but we got to actually see them being made and meet the women who make them which made it so much more real and amazing. From there, we got to meet the women who are going to be with us and translate at the schools tomorrow. My presentation partner, Perry Ann, and I will be supported by Maureen. Maureen is 18 and is so sweet and gentle and was earnest in making sure that what we’re communicating to the girls we meet will be understood. We worked through the presentation all together to make sure we were on the same page and then just relaxed and all got to hang out.
 
Paige and I enjoyed spending time with Joshua, the son of the operations manager, Sara, and Junior, her nephew. We headed down to the chicken coop (which is a source of nourishment and income for the women who work in the facility). Going in to see all of the chickens and a. big rooster I chose to stay away from. As we “met” the chickens, the rooster decided to waddle out of the coop…yes, Team Uhuru had made the chicken literally fly the coop.  I had no option but to sprint by him to escape which the little boys found hysterical. Without fear, they saved the day by shooing the rooster back in and closing the door.
 
As we went to leave, most wanted to hit the restroom – the roads in Tanzania can be quite bumpy! In this place, space is at a premium – Sara and Joshua live in the facility so as to safeguard the equipment (which is quite valuable and the only machines of their kind in Tanzania) and Sara stores both the precious pads and much of her shop inventory here.  So, we were not surprised when Perry (who is Perry Ann’s mom!) came out of the bathroom holding an awesome basket and went looking for Sara to see if she could buy it! As if bargaining at the market wasn’t enough, by the time we left, three more people had purchased a beautiful basket.
 
Being a Sunday, we were amazed to see several members of the production team remove their white lab coats and sterile masks to reveal the beautiful dresses they would be wearing to evening worship.  The women had all come in on Sunday to allow us to see production of the product we’ll be using to provide girls with the “Uhuru” – this means “Freedom” in Swahili – they deserve to learn and succeed.
 
Cars and hearts full, we headed back to the house to eat some more of Jane’s amazing food! It’s only been one day, and I am already blown away by this place, this project, and the people. I can’t wait to get to meet so many new faces this week!

fdOur team gathered Friday morning in Washington’s Dulles Airport from various places across the US from Washington state to New York.  In total, the team from the US includes 16 people, including two amazing recent graduates of Vanderbilt University who have been on the ground preparing for our visit with site visits to schools, collecting data about the girls we will serve and getting things ready. There are more than 20 Tanzanians - perhaps more! - actively participating  in this mission, including the team making the 100% biodegradable and compostable sanitary pads we will deliver. Our team will be rounded out by two men from India, one who is onsite improving production with the installation some new machines will expand the number of pads produced each day; the other is the founder of Aakar Innovations, the technology, research and development 

The "traditional" Uhuru Champions group has been augmented on this trip by the addition of three great guys - two high school students and a dad. While they won't be along as we visit the schools - 9 are on our list! - they will be serving and connecting in a local orphanage and school, creating their own story and building friendships.

The first leg of the trip took us on a 13 hour flight via Ethiopian Air from Washington DC to Addis Ababa.  Although long, the flight went well for most. People were syncing movies in their rows and we were fed 3 times on the first leg.

Several hours in the Addis Ababa airport cemented that this is an adventurous group as many – despite some long lines – decided to leave the secure area and head out (just in the airport!) to see what could be found.  We boarded our next flight to Mt. Kilimanjaro airport.  Compared to the first leg, this was an easy flight of 2 hours where many of us fell asleep (just one meal BTW).  We exited the plane onto the tarmac – standing on Tanzanian soil (well…tarmac) for the first time was a new experience for 9 of our group of 14.  After snapping pictures quickly we joined a long line, prior to entering the small, very full terminal.  The line was for safety protocols, checking health certificates and having our hands sanitized with Purell.  Laura indicates that this precaution is not always in place but, as Tanzania is fortunate that neither Yellow Fever nor Ebola has reached its borders, there are some small precautions.
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The visa line was – surprise! – long but a gentleman from the airport noticed this great group comparing notes and sharing pens and offered to assist us with the visa process, taking our stack of passports (and a fat stack of bills) into a back office to get the paperwork completed with Laura sticking to him like glue. 

We eased through customs and all 15 pieces of our luggage arrived (yeah and double-yeah!). It was so interesting to watch the countryside as we traveled through Arusha and to Jane and John’s beautiful estate. Our host, Jane, is a horticulturist and quite an entrepreneur: she fires her own clay pots and grows the plants which go in them: you'll find Jane's work in beautiful homes and hotels throughout the region.  The homes, lawn and gardens are lush (half the group is staying in the new house they’ve just completed…there a few kinks to be worked out there (but one of the bathrooms has an amazing mountain view!). After a delicious dinner on the front veranda and time to visit we settled down to a long anticipated sleep! 

We are in Tanzania - many thanks to all of those who helped us to make this journey and those we will meet along the way. 
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To Support the UhuruPads Mission distributing pads, undergarments and life-changing education to girls in need in East Africa, shop and support via Her Best Foot Forward's product page or via the UhuruPads donation link here.