(TL: a few of the road from the house, TR: a view of the fence across the road)
(BL: a view of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the bottom of Mt. Meru from up the road, BR: Mama Tesha at her stove outside)
On Saturday evening I moved from a lodge in Arusha to Mama and Baba Tesha’s home where I will be residing for the next two weeks. They live on the Northwest side of Arusha in a comfortable 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home right in the middle of a very poor neighborhood. About half of their neighbors live in wooden or mud huts with a tin roof for shelter. The dirt road that leads to their home is rarely driven on (only when they have big things to unload), because it is being held up by sand bags to keep from washing away during the rainy season and it is a steep climb up for a vehicle. There are shops right outside where women are selling their vegetables and congas (cloth skirts). Mama and Baba are considered middle class citizens, because they have a car and an income to support their family, but their standard of living is very minimal.
Mama and Baba had 5 children, but one of their middle daughters died from a brain tumor two years ago. The other middle son and daughter (in their 30’s) are attending school in the U.S. through sponsors and grants. Their eldest daughter and youngest son reside in Arusha. Mama and Baba are raising their 8 year old grandson, Abba, and they currently have 4 orphans living in the house (they had 6 until a week ago). Life in the house is never uneventful!
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