Happiness in Bagamoyo

Project Equator has delivered so many standout experiences and adventures for the seven of us, but one big milestone all of us awaited with a mixture of nervous excitement and anticipation was Wescott’s Eagle Project and the time we’d spend in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. The week did not disappoint, offering up experiences, connections and emotions that will stick with us for a very long time to come. The privilege of being able to fleetingly join the community at Baobab House and play a bit part in contributing to an amazing effort of love and hopefulness is something to be cherished, and a gift for which we can not thank Wescott’s sponsor Terri, and connector Erin Jones enough.

At the core of our global adventure is connection, and more than any destination so far, our time in Bagamoyo offered such bounty on so many levels. The Dali Lama says true happiness is reached when you’re doing something for others without expecting anything in return… I think we all understand this a little bit better – especially Wescott. After working together with people from all over the world to complete his goal of providing an English library of leveled reading books to primary and secondary students, we all appreciate that the returns from helping others in need are far greater than anything we could expect or want.

It is humbling to meet people who have dedicated their lives to service. Terri and Caito Mwandu are such perfect examples of this, as founders of Baobab Home and the Steven Tito Academy (STA). See Lisa’s blog post for more!

We also met others who revolve around the school and home who are equally inspiring. A retired couple from Australia lives above the kitchen in a tiny room, committing 6 months to helping out at Baobab Home. They do at least 6 months of service somewhere in the world each year – usually Africa – where they touch untold numbers of lives and make such a difference.  Kate, a twenty-something bundle of energy, spent her 6 weeks of paid vacation from her job to volunteering in Tanzania, helping the school and home with all kinds of chores. Lauren, an educator from Australia is one of the two primary school teachers at STA and is in the middle of a 2-year commitment living and working at the school and farm.

And finally William, a young man who came to Baobab Home as a boy from the streets of Bagamoyo, now graduated from University and pursuing a career in social work. In addition to helping Terri out at the home and working with families that have had their lives devastated by AIDS, William served as Wescott’s lieutenant to build the bookcases for the school. For three and a half days, Wescott, William and a team of the rest of us worked out of Ernesto’s carpentry “shop” in the middle of the town. William really went out of his way to provide whatever support Wescott needed, in addition to teaching us so much about what life is like in East Africa.

Bagamoyo also offered us a chance to see what life is like in a working town far afield from the tourist trail. Located about an hour and a half north of Dar Es Salaam, this once sleepy fishing village is experiencing the lightening rod of globalization. The roads are all dirt through the central part of the city, bustling with people, cows, goat and chickens all blending into an exotic tapestry of a life as different from our home as could be imagined. Permeating through the whirl of sites, colors, sounds, scents and activity is the warm and welcoming people of Bagamoyo making us all feel at home for our stay.

Of course, the children at the home and school touched all of us deeply. Their boundless enthusiasm, bright spirits and welcoming demeanor made each of us feel welcome. Wescott had celebrity status, and at times when he walked around the farm, he had an entourage of little people holding on to him.  The connections and impact made through his Eagle project radiated through the beaming, smiling faces of the children. Proud and in awe, my favorite memories of Wescott’s philanthropic enterprise will include Wescott: reading a story from one of the new books; tracing our journey for the kids across a giant wall map of the world; or accepting appreciation in the form of a group hug for the library after installing the bookcases and loading the shelves with all the new, wonderful books provided by so many great people so far away.