FGM, Sex Love and Happiness and a Sweet Rose

 

Surprise Conference

From 8 to 10 February, the diocese was fortunate to have two international experts in their fields come and share their expertise for ninety clergy, thier wives and other diocesan staff on Sex Love and Happiness. This was a surprise conference by speakers who a year ago were in the Serengeti speaking in the heart of Femal Genital Mutilation territory. 

Speakers were Rev Patti Baldwin Ricotta from Cape Cod Massachusetts who has been coming to Uganda and Kenya since 2003 through Life Together International working with communities where FGM is practised. She came to the Serengeti area last year after being made aware of an article in the diocese's newsletter about FGM and ran a seminar for community leaders there.

Rose & mum Mary

I spent some time over the three days with Rose (above)
 while mum ateat meal times  

Bishop George, Rev Patti Ricotta and myself

Accompanying Patti was Dr Larry Young a psychaitrist who studies how genetic, cellular and neurobiological mechanisms regulate complex social behavior, including social cognition and social bonding. His research focuses heavily on the roles of the neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin in regulating the neural processing of social signals and social attachment.

Dr Larry Young is a neuroscientist and spent some time in the Serengeti prior to coming to Mara studying wilderbeest and attachment and how thousands of young wilderbeest and mothers differentiate their biological mother and child

Professor Larry Young's book

The uniquenesss of this conference was bringing science and religion together to explain how FGM destroys relationship for women and their husbands. The science highlighted how the removal of sexual organs of women directly impacts the behaviour of women in relationships and reduces the levels of oxytocine and dopamine in women and their ability to give and receive love. The religious side focussed on the perfection of the human body and why anyone would want to mutilate it from its designer's purpose.

A revelation not only to the Tanzanians but
 to me (apologies for photo quality)

The use of violence is normal in disciplining children here

Oxytocine and dopamine are the love drugs. Without them falling in love is difficult. This was essentially the lesson about why FGM is abhorrent as it makes women less fulfilled than otheriwse they might be. I discussed with Rev Ricotta about whether she had used the analogy of clipping the head of the penis in her training and she does. This does have an effect on men. She has been working with one tribe in Uganda for many years and they have come to realise that their cultural practices need to change and she was there before coming to Tanzania to meet with tribal chiefs and leaders who were discussing ceasing the practice. This does not have universal support, but does have overwhelming majority support.

Some of the attendees. There were over 70 from all over the region

A similar meeting was held in this area a year ago in FGM territory near the Serengeti, where there is a tribe which practices FGM as a rite of passage for girls who then become marriageable. Some early marriages occur from as young as fourteen years of age. The practice is part of the economy. My friend Nguti's grandmother was a 46 cow bride (dowry) and his mother 23 but his sisters are married for less than ten. The economy is changing as the population increases and so in the case of supply and demand there are more women than there were in grandma's time. (I can't believe I am writing this but you get the picture. Women are a trading commodity and have no intrinsic worth or value in this culture).  

Photo at the end of the conference

Along with FGM, polygamy is a big part of the culture not just in FGM land but more so there, where multiple wives is not uncommon. I met a guy who was from one of his father's fifteen wives (and one of 52 sons). Needless to say I am sure his herd of cows was substantial.

I did find an alternative use for my gifted material and demonstrated for men how women can be assisted with the heavy lifting. In fact this was better than the packs we use at home

Gifts were given to presenters Rev Patti, Dr Young, Mrs Janet Okoth (Bishop's wife), Chair of the Mothers' Union and next to me Martha Obura (MU Secretary) which sponsored the conference. I seem to get a gift  every time. New shirt again

The three days were quite enlightening for participants (including me). If FGM is going to end it does need a long term view with lots of input giving reasons for the need to end it. The church here runs a safe house for girls who flee home as the "Cutting Season" approaches, having learned about it in school and being encouraged to not take part. But in this male based culture it is difficult, especially when education ands at primary school.

Strategic Planning - Background and Week Two Ends

 

How Did I Get Involved in Strategic Planning

I spent six months in Musoma in 2022 (less a short sojourn to Europe of six weeks) and four months straight in 2023. When I arrived I didn't really have a job description but was given a title - "Business Manager." It was soon apparent that I was seen by the Bishop as a change agent with no real restrictions and it took months to get to understand how things worked while at the same time undertaking tasks that were helpful to individuals, groups or agencies.

A month after my arrival in 2022, the Bishop asked me if I could prepare a strategic plan for this diocese which was established in 1985 and had never had a documented strategic plan. It seemed a vision and mission had been developedbut no one had memory of this having progressed beyond that. Having just finished paid employment and despite experience in this area it was the last thing I had thought I would be doing post worklife.

Anyway I saw the importance of it. Many plans are developed or written from the top down and this is possibly what may have been expected but as I discussed this with BIshop George, I stressed everyone needed to own the plan so it required lots of consutations, data analysis and feedback once draft ideas were developed to ensure any plan developed had broad support.

Bunda workshop June 2022

2022 saw a lot of meetings, some needing translators for Swahili speaking groups. Doing the normal SWAT analyses as the basic agenda of these meetings engaged many who had never been asked their opinion about the governance of the church here.

Rural pastors and leaders Musoma May 2022

In the end I completed four meetings in Musoma and Bunda totalling over 50 people, the largest being the Swahili speaking pastors and leaders who were from the rural and village areas in the diocese.

I had to have these sheets translated

The interest was far greater than anything I have seen at any strategic planning meetings I have participated in ether as a particiapnt or leader in Australia. This was something new and all fifty plus particiapnts were interested and keen. In the end I had heaps of data and working it all out was a big job. I took time off to have the European holiday and on return spent the remaining time sorting the data and drafting key objectives.

Surprise Surprise

Once I had crunched the data which was 169 pieces of information and broadly categorised them, the surprise was that Governance had been identified as a strength, weakness or opportunity overwhelmingly more than all the other suggestions. So not surprisingly of four major objectives in the plan, governance was the first objective and once the goals for it were identified, the eventual plan had 18 goals, the same as the second objective about the church and its role. 

It said a lot that people identified the lack of formal planning, policies and accountabilities in the feedback. Returning in 2023 to continue, having left a draft with Bishop George I had further meetings to ensure the information andthe objectives were valid. One of the risks is people being reluctant here to offend by raising issues that could be seen as negative of the person, particulalrly a visitor, so it took time to ensure people were feeding back honest opinions.

Finalising the Mission, Vision and Values and by the time my time was completed a draft was left with the diocese ready for the Diocesan Council in December 2024 while I left in late July for a three month holiday to the USA. On returning to Australia, it was like working from home in finalising feedback, entering demographic data I had requested and getting it in a format ready for presentation to the DC as well as translation into Swahili (with Google's help of course).

So I have now finished two weeks here. This has involved meeting with the five senior leaders, developing a plan for their areas and given a major task for the Diocesesan Secretary is preparing Job Descriptions I am trying to do this as I go. While the Strategic Plan is a bottom up approach, the divisional plans based on the SP are top down. It is in this context the only way to do it in a timely manner.

The coming week has me meeting each of the five leaders with their management staff (school principals, agency heads, etc) and then developing a plan for each school, vocational and training college and church leader (Christian Education Director, Theological College Principal, Financial staff, Youth Director, Mothers' Union Secretary etc). It will be the a big ambitious week.

Max is the Diocesan Secretary and has now had Godfrey in
 the light shirt appointed as an Assistant Secretary for the diocese

Yona as the Diocesan Accountant has the transition of accounts to an accounting package as his major goal

Stephen Bwire is the Vicar General and has an equally large task in his area of responsibility

And today I slept till 6am and my alarm went off two minutes later so hopefully my sleep is more normal.

Tanzania Daily Routines

 

Daily Routines

I was flagging in the first week here possibly due to jet lag, something I have not previously experienced in Africa on arrival. On the first two days after meeting in the morning with Misoji the Education Secretary on Thursday and Melina the Development and Link Officer on Friday I left early to go to my accommodation and rest. I was still waking at 3am till the middle of week two when I slept through on some mornings to the alarm at 5.24am.

The day is early as Bishop George and I jog a few kilometres. I was walking for the first week as my back was in pain. I was finally able to keep up with him by Wednesday of week two. I am no longer a 10,000 steps a day guy. I figure with age this can reduce and so this year I am down to 8,000 steps daily from 8,500. Amazingly, most days I reach and exceed this amount. My Google Fit app aims for me to get 150 points a week for cardiac fitness and weekly without fail I do achieve this goal, I am actually physically fitter now than at any time in my life.

So after returning from the exercise it is generally around 6am and time for a shower. I have the only hot water in the house here and have hardly used it. While the temperature here is no hotter than the time I usually visit it is oppressive and a cold shower presents no difficulty. I have been having showers in the evening to cool down as well.

I prepare breakfast as I am quicker in the bathroom. Breakfast consists of Espresso Coffee, a boiled egg and a slice of toast. Day in and day out and no problems with this standard meal. The coffee pot is one I brought in 2022 as the six cup pot was too small and having the Bialetti 12 cup ensures a great start to the day. Coffee is not one sacrifice I am preparedtomake. 

Bialetti 12 cup

Morning Chapel from 7.30 has staff and students from the vocational college

Morning chapel is at 7.30 and then all staff go to the "Hostel" for breakfast which is catered and paid for by the church. Since I have already eaten I attend only to be social, but do occasionally have a chipati with lemon juice and a coffee bag, but am aware I have already eaten so try to avoid a second breakfast. The food here is generally chipati, rice cakes, cassava, boiled eggs occasionally and soccutus which is a bean and maize dish which is loved by the locals and especially the bishop. 

People work through till 1pm and religiously leave again for the hostel where lunch is catered and subsidised by the church. I will often be encouraged to leave my desk. While I am 5kgs heavier this year than last and this is noticeable to people here who call me "fat" they still worry that I must eat because when I do, my servings are small compared to some of the meals I see people eating. It is back to work at 2pm and most people are finished by 4.30pm, except the senior leaders who work through. Wednesdays there is a mid week service from 3pm which is actually the best music of the week. There is little music and lots of accapella singing which is superior to the choirs singing on Sundays with almost distorted amplified music accompanying.

I have had a car available to me, allowing me to come and go as needed without having to wait for Bishop. I have left early quite often to rest and attend to personal needs. I have taken to afternoon walks on occasions I have left early to exercise my back. By Thursday of the second week all pain had gone and I was jogging in the mornings. 

Rising Lake Victoria has covered seating at Tembu Beach  in water

Tembu Beach is in walking distance for an afternoon walk

The house where I stay has a housekeeper, Christina. She is a woman with three children. Her youngest is about four and in the last two years she often had Eliza her daughter here as she was still feeding. She lives in very poor circumstances. I visited her family home and met her parents last year after her mother  returned from hospital in Mwanza after weeks hospitalised with a cardiac condition. Sadly she informed me her mother had died in October.

Christina cooks the evening meal which generally consists of rice or ugali (for Bishop), greens,  beans and a meat protein (chicken, beef stew or fish). Occasionally on a Friday Bishop will get takeaway pork and chips, a real treat.

Weekends vary. Last year I worked six Saturdays delivering a leadership program. This year I am down to demonstrate to lecturers at the theological college how to deliver the Preliminary Theological Certificate translated by Moore College in Sydney to Swahili. So the next two Saturdays will be spent teaching the faculty two units of the course in English and leaving them to figure out how to do the Swahili version. Otherwise Saturdays is resting, attending to haircuts, pedicure occasionally and any other activities.

Sundays of course is church and a 7am start atthe English service. I will not be preaching on this visit due to time constraints.

Waterfalls, Strategic Plans and Lake Victoria is Rising

 

My visit this year is short and has a discrete purpose, which is to implement the strategic plan I had a hand in developing since 2022. While in Australia most businesses would have an understanding of planning, in a church environment with most staff with little business comprehension, it posed a challenge. So as  I pondered this and how to convey how planning works I decided to start at the top with the leadership team of five.

Implementing the Strategic Plan

To explain their role I used a video to start showing a waterfall cascading down over a number of falls.

So after showing the video I asked the question how is this like a strategic plan? The diocesan secretary who has a number of degrees and has taught at university explained it as the top of the falls representing the strategic plan and going down to the next level in the diocese and then again to the next level. My point was made. The rest of the session was spent discussing the practicalities of implementation - meeting individually with each of them to develop a divisional plan for their areas and then meeting them again with their leaders and developing unit plan for each school, organisation and agency across the area. All up there should be something like 23 plans. We finished by setting a calendar to meet with each individually over the next week.

The Leadership Team discussing the plan and how to roll it out

Thursday and Friday were spent with the Education Secretary and the Development and Link Officer, assisting them prepare a three year plan for their directorates which covers schools and vocational colleges, agricultural activities and more. This was more straightforward than I had anticipated. I left them with drafts and the task of coordinating dates to meet with the staff of each of their areas to develop local business plans. 

Melina the Development Officer and I discussing her area's plan

Lake Victoria

The house where I am staying used to have views of Lake Victoria but since 2019 when the lake began rising, reeds started growing where once there was grass and maize growing - an area of at east 4-5 metres from the edge of the Lake. Since about 2019 the lake has been growing and rose 1.32 metres in 2020 resulting in houses near here being flooded and the road from here to the lake being impassable.  When I looked outside a window this week, I saw the lake has actually come to the boundary of the house. Last time the house here remained habitable as it is built up about 30cm but to actually see the water surrounding the rear and side of the house and covering planted banana trees indicates the significant changes attributed I am told to El Nino.

The garden with planted banana trees

Side of the house

From the rear of the house

Saturday is lunch at Rehema the cafe established many years ago by Amy Vink, former CMS worker here.Heather from England now helps manage the cafe and sewing centre. The cafe is the only western menu from Mwanza to the Kenyan border, about five hours drive. So it was pork and rice today. And that is the wrap for week one.

To Tanzania and an unexpected Reception

 

I departed Sydney Saturday evening 27 January 2024 ona Malaysia Airlines flight to Kuala Lumpur where there was a six hour layover. I am actually booked on Oman Air which is $1,000 saving on booking with QANTAS, Emirates and Qatar which involve only one stopover. Being retired I have plenty of time as opposed to money so a 48 hour journey did not phase me.

From KL it was a seven hour flight to Muscat in Oman where the layover was ten hours. I was able to use a lounge twice which had a massage chair for my back which by this time had made both flights uncomfortable. I have found using a lounge, eating there and getting on a plane fairly relaxed means the flight is not interupted with eating and sleep can be the focus. Oman is a dry airport and no alcohol is available in lounges. A sign  stated that it was against the law for Muslims to purchase alcohol which was available for purchase in bulk in the duty free stores.

From Muscat to Dar Es Salaam was a relatively short five and a half hour flight seated next to a young mother nursing a baby. I appear to have had a four hour sleep on this journey so it was relatively peaceful and quick. Arriving in Dar at 3am was something new. Two flights arrived simultaneously, the other from Ethiopia carrying the Tanzanian national soccer team who competed in the Africa Cup of Nations in Abuja (Nigeria). Two draws and two losses in the group stages resulted in an early departure. Despite this there was a huge crowd outside the airport to greet them.

I remained in the arrivals lounge till 7.30am then walked to my domestic flight in what till 2020 was the international terminal. Met an Englishman who travels a few times a year to assist the churc not just in Mara but other areas as well. 

I arrived in Mwanza before midday and had decided to stay the night rather than adding the four hour bus journey after flying for two days. I had booked into the Anglican Guesthouse and on booking was asked if I would like transport from the airport as the bishop wanted to catch up with me. The guesthouse at 20,000TZS ($13) is basic but all that is required. The lack of hot water is tolerable and I was able to shower with what is really unheated water. It is manageable.

From there to a meeting with the bishop and whist waiting meeting with his General Secretary. Word about the strategic plan in Mara has gotten out and I found myself being asked if that was something I could do for this diocese. From there I visited a school and the site of a future church.

Dinner at 4pm and I had fallen asleep at the table waiting for my order. A long sleep on my first night, early bus ride to Musoma and a line of people waiting to greet me on arrival at the cathedral singing a song which had interesting lyrics - video below