The Purpose Driven Retirement of Eddie Ozols Supporting the Tanzanian Anglican Church

I retired from Anglican Aid, the Sydney Anglican Diocese's overseas relief and development arm in April 2022 and then spent six months in Tanzania working in the Diocese of Musoma at the invitation of the bishop. I am essentially assisting with capacity building across various areas of the diocese.. In 2023 I led a tourof 18 Australians who visited and observed the work of the church in the Mara Region - three dioceses - Mara, Tarime and Rorya.

Monday, August 29, 2022

Back into work and Malaria strikes!

My first full week back was spent reorienting myself and looking at the remaining time here and what needs to be done. I developed a spreadsheet to plan my time as I know it will fly. I also had invitations from two nearby bishops to visit them and spend the weekend including preaching at their cathedrals. The fist was due on my second weekend back but cancelled as he is away. I will be at Rorya about two hours north near the Kenyan border on Sunday 4 September for an ordination service. So preparation for that is a priority. If you pray that would be helpful. I have selected Daniel 1 as the text.

My major goals before I leave are to complete a strategic plan in draft form for the diocese and have it ready before I leave at the end of September, help the diocese decide if it wishes to pursue a disability program following my visit to Karagwe and the opportunities that provides, work with the IT guy on the website and the next newsletter and do some financial policy work.

The financial reporting system here is not robust and I have suggested that there be a reporting system established by each unit which receives and spends funds. An audit a few years ago highlighted some basic issues that need to be established so I was asked to speak to the management team about that and the disability program. A meeting with all schools is planned for 30 September to discuss inclusive education and the possibility of using a site here as the base and having all four schools involved as part of a model supporting kids with disabilities unable go to school due to their disability.

The principal of the Bible College asked me to assist with some correspondence he received. This required the 2023 budget to be prepared and sent to the funder. Budgets here are on a CY basis and usually not completed till November or December. Apart from drafting a budget based on the 2022 budget and returning it to him, this provided focus on the whole budget preparation cycle. The bishop and the accountant agree that the end of the year means little time left to critically review and analyse budgets and make changes. The example of food at the college based on maize prices of 800TZS/kg in the budget when it is now 1200TZS/kg (thanks Putin) means that the budget for this year will see blowouts in food. Inflation here is running at least at 10% although public servants received a 21% pay rise in June.

I met the accountant and he is happy for a policy on financial reporting to be established. We also discussed moving to computer based accounting which will be a huge task but might be looked at slowly as a trial. We will see as it does require money that is not there.

I had various discussions with staff about a staffing issue in one of the schools and the way to manage this. Cultural issues here mean a solution is more complex than in Australia.

Mwita the IT guy is away working as an IT specialist on the census so discussions about the newsletter have been limited. Hoping this can be prepared by early September.

Tuesday of week two saw me listless, lethargic and tired. It was census day so no work. I did nothing for the day and felt generally unwell. This continued into Wednesday and while not a flu I wondered if Covid had hit me again. I googled malaria late Wednesday and took myself to the Coptic (Egyptian) Hospital Thursday morning. They actually spoke good English. I waited like everone else – mainly women with infant children and a few older people. A very ordered system where on arrival a small marquee is where you have your BP, temperature and pulse done and then go inside to register. Pay 2000 TZS ($1.25) to see the Egyptian doctor. He ordered a blood smear to test for malaria as well as RAT for malaria which was interesting. Back to the cashier to pay 2,000 TZS for the blood test. Waited an hour and back in to see Dr Peter who confirmed falciparum malaria and said there were three options. The best he told me was the drug I was prescribed, I didn’t need to worry about the other two as I had financial capacity.

The wait between the blood test and the result was interesting as I sat outside the room where my blood was acuired from a needle prick and I hear every kid screaming after they entered so most were being tested for malaria. The killer for kids is if they come to late and the disease becomes untratable due to cerbral malaria. It is a terrible death. However I was also conscious that these parents, as poor as some of them looked invested 2,000 TZ which may equate to a day’s wage for their children’s sake.

Rembrant’s Prodigal Son in the waiting room

The cost of medical treatment. Cheap for me but unafforable for most. US$/2300

I was seated next to a mum still breastfeeding her daughter who was happy to clamber over me. She had a cough but looked OK otherwise so I guessed she also ws there for malaria. Once I had seen the doctor, received my script it was back to the cashier to pay 15,500 TZS ($10) for my medication which included 20 panadol which I didn’t think necessary but on reading the side effects of the malaria meds I realised they were for the possible side effects.

Saturday lunch at the Rehema Cafe. Last Saturday as the coordinator Heather leaves for South Africa for annual medical checks. Lunch was a group of ten or so. Arthur from the office, the bishop’s son and daughter and the IT guy Mwita as well as Arthur’s family.

Tipi (UK) Rachel, Mwita (IT at work) Jeremiah and Arthur from work

The coming week is going to be busy.

Monday, August 22, 2022

Six weeks away and back to Musoma

During the ordination service 12 choirs participated. Prior to the sermon all choirs joined together and sang and danced with congregation members.

It has been seven weeks since writing. My holiday to Europe was full of interesting surprises with initially the cancellation of my flight from Tanzania by KLM and still waiting for insurance to finalise my claim.

I met Linda in Southampton and together we cruised to Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, back to Denmark (Copenhagen), Norway (missed all of it), Iceland, Lerwick (Scotland), Newcastle and back to Southampton (30 days in all).

The cruise was more relaxing than intended. On July 12 all passenegrs staying on past Copenhagen (where many were exiting and others getting on) underwent a COVID test. I tested positive and spent nine days in isolation while Linda was able to enjoy her time without me. I was asymptomatic, other than a slight runny nose for a day or two. I stayed in the isolation room, jogged on the spot for 40 minutes daily, ordered liberally from room service and read lots and watched 4 movies. I totally missed the four stops in Norway and first two ports in Iceland and got to know my neighbours from chats on the balcony. A lovely couple from Florida who we had dinner with towards the end of the cruise.

We left the ship in England on 29 July for Heathrow. Linda to Australia and me to Franfurt for a flying visit to German family I had not seen for twelve years. Following five full days in Germany, I flew to Riga, Latvia, mainly to catch up with an 88 year old cousin to obtain more family history on my father’s side. She was a lot more open on this visit than my previous visits and I learned a lot about my father, his family and her as well living, with my grandparents on the original farm when the Soviets arrived looking for uncles (three of whom subsequently captured went to Siberia and not for a holiday).

Back to Tanzania leaving Riga on Sunday. I arrived in Mwanza Monday night 8 August after five airports and four flights. I flew Tuesday to Bukoba to do a favour for a friend from another agency who had some projects in Lweru Diocese and also for a meeting with a disability organision in Kagera Diocese on behalf of Mara Diocese. The disability meeting opens a possibility to commence a disability program in the Musoma area but there is a LOT of work. My visit to Lweru was fascinating as I visited families which had been gifted a cow for nutrition purposes as well as income generation. One of the families I visited had a child with sysmptoms of kwashiorkor so milk will assist in overcoming protein deficiency once it has calved.

I also visited a number of churches where my friend’s agency had put roofs on churches which is the most expensive part of a church building. Locals make the bricks and construct the walls but the cost of iron sheeting and timber often sees these buildings damaged in heavy rain. My last church visit the people gave me a chicken and a bag of nuts as a token of appreciation (thanks Lucy) as I was the ARDFA rep in their eyes.

Back across the lake Friday. Two meetings in two days and two days to get there. I saved a day by flying direct from Dar Es Salaam to Bukoba otherwise it would have been a full week away.

Back to Musoma late Friday afternoon and feeling “at home.” Bishop’s wife and son and youngest daughter are here for all of August due to the national census. Biblical in its organisation, each person returns to their home and the country effectively is shut on Tuesday 23 August as thousands of census collectors visit each household in each village across the nation, tablet in hand to personally interview each household member. Schools, colleges and universities are closed for the month instead of the normal July break. It seems to be a mammoth and very expensive task as census collectors spent 11 paid days being trained.

I preached at the English service on my first Sunday back and my first week back has been frenetic. Then to the Cathedral where an ordination service commenced at 8am and finished at 2:36pm! It was some service and whilst long, the penchant for music was in full force as twelve choirs including mainly visiting choirs sang. There was a mosh pit as these choirs and congregations came together and sang and danced in praise. Unlike English churches where a song may be 3-4 minutes in length, some of the Swahili songs stretch out to 10-12 minutes so ninety minutes minimum is all song. Then the ordinations which were held in two parts. Deacons which is their first ordination comprised nine men and women and then priests who have generally been ordained as deacons for some time and this was much longer for the six men and women. Photographing them from behind the bishop, the solemnity and emotion were clear on their faces as hands were laid on them as the bishop ordianed them.

The service ended with the usual auction and I bought two of the three goats as ordination gifts for two of the women priested. Both are women who suffered polio in their younger years and have overcome adversity to attend college for three years, supporting themselves in the process while still raising families as single mothers. The commitment is extraordinary against a background of poverty and disability disadvanatage.