This week has been relatively uneventful. Most of my time at NIT has been spent staring at spreadsheets trying to derive some correlation between class sizes and pass rates across the various training centres in Tanzania. I attended another committee meeting this week and was able to meet the full time deputy rector for academics research and consultation - who has just returned from some leave. The meeting highlight some very clear areas that need improvement in the professional driver training programme and it was really beneficial for me to hear the main concerns surrounding the training for the key stakeholders. It helped me to focus on the specific data that I have available to look where reporting can be strengthened to assist with the desired improvements of the NIT staff. The head of the transport safety and environmental studies department suggested it might be beneficial for me to travel to Dodoma - the capital of Tanzania - next week to observe a HGV training course. With this suggestion I was very eager to take full advantage of the offer, to see the training in practice will be really interesting and may provide a different perspective on the challenges that are being faced to gather accurate reports. An additional benefit for me personally is the opportunity to visit the capital of Tanzania and see some more of this amazing country. I was fortunate this week to be invited to lunch with one of my colleagues at NIT. It was the perfect opportunity to sample some of the popular Tanzanian staple food - Ugali. Ugali is described as porridge but it is not a consistency that you would associate with porridge. It's made from maize flour and is like a very thick mash potato, almost a dough but softer. It is eaten without cutlery and alongside most dishes traditionally. I enjoyed the experience of sampling Ugali, the taste was quite plain, it definitely needs to be served with something and I imagine it would be difficult to eat in any substantial quantity, but it is a very filling accompaniment that complimented the local fish dish perfectly. NIT have had plans for a while to fix signage to the side of the HGV container to advertise the training on offer, as HGV training has poor attendance compared to other corses offered here. Before Neil returned to the UK, he asked me to follow up with the relevant people at NIT to make sure progress was being made with the signage. After making enquiries early in the week I was assured that the container would have the advertising installed before the weekend to make the most of the vehicle travelling to Dodoma. On Friday the preparations of the container began - smooth metallic sheeting was attached to the outside of the container to flatten the surface to allow pre-printed stickers to be applied. By the end of Friday the container had only been partially completed, I was assured it would be finished on Saturday. After providing NIT with all the necessary paperwork to gain approval for the trip, over the weekend I was able to start making arrangements with the Transaid coordinator at NIT. On Friday evening I joined some NIT colleagues at one of the campus bars. It's great to be able to get to know them better in a more relaxed setting. I was impressed with the crystal like wine glass that was given to me with my beer - I felt very sophisticated! After a few beers I was invited to join everyone at a local restaurant that did a very famous dish - I of course agreed. On our way to the restaurant I was advised that the dish was actually goats head my colleagues that goat is not a popular dish in the UK and it was also uncommon for us to eat the head of animals so I was not sure if I would enjoy the dish. My slight reluctance was taken very well and they ordered me one soup, offering to share the meat if I did not like it. I have found that goat is quite similar to lamb but with a stronger taste. The soup was a bit salty for me, but if it had been a little less so it would have been very nice. The goats head meat, was also salty and quite chewy. I was grateful to have tried the dish, but don't think I'll be ordering it in the future. The women who ran the restaurant were very attentive and suggested alternative local dishes they could cook for me in future if I came back - I would definitely like to return! On Saturday I went to the bus station with the Transaid coordinator to buy our bus tickets to Dodoma. We walked to the bus station which fascinated me as usual, seeing all the little shops and stalls and the local street sellers carrying their wears down the street is so eye opening. One thing that amused me was the number of men on one street who had bathroom scales with rulers attached to measure height - and charging 100 shillings for the service. After all the food I've indulged in during my time here I definitely avoided the chance for public humiliation! We stopped at a local restaurant for chai on our walk to the bus station. I had a mandazi (similar to a doughnut but less sweet) and a chapatti along with a cup of tea. The tea was heavily flavoured with ginger and was delicious. The bus station itself was an extremely busy hub of activity. Buses are the main form of long distance transport for Tanzania people, so the choice is huge. The Transaid coordinator knew exactly which company to book our tickets with; the one with reliable air conditioning and well qualified drivers. After locating their office amongst all of the options we were given the choice of seats on the bus - the two options were VIP and second class - the cost difference between the two was 6000 shilling (around £2) so I asked if it would be possible to travel in VIP which I was told was absolutely fine. I was also able to choose a window seat! I am very excited to see some of the rural areas of Tanzania during our trip. The bus journey to Dodoma will take about 8 hours. We took the scenic route on foot back to the NIT as I was eager to see some of the local area when I felt safe to do so with my companion. I was able to see the Tanzanian brewery which had fencing around it like a prison. I also saw a warehouse with an accident board displyed outside just like in the UK - however some information was missing from the sign. I was then taken to a local bar for a drink and some lunch before returning to NIT. We went to view the progress of the container signage - they were still waiting for the stickers to arrive but had completed the sides in preparation. After checking on the progress of the signage I said goodbye to the Transaid coordinator and agreed to meet him at 8am on Monday morning to travel to the bus station with him for our trip to Dodoma! |