Went to a garden party. We had goat. Here she is.

Goat is delicious. I really like it. Especially grilled. Swriously. Here it is on the grill. As it was explained to me: the head is grilled. The heat makes it possible to rub away the hair. Then it is boiled and becomes soup. Also the intestines, organs and blood were saved and were already boiling for soup. Can't waste anything.
Peace! Sent from my BlackBerry® phone.

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I have these gorgeous lizards around my house in Iringa. This guy (gal?) Is about a foot long.

Anyone know their name? They are territorial or maybe eat the other smaller lizards. I've seen them chasing them. Saturday morning relaxing on my veranda. -Ray

Peace! Sent from my BlackBerry® phone.

Lion at Breakfast

Sitting having breakfast at Mikumi. Watched a young male lion kill a cape buffalo calf for its breakfast. (Sorry about the quality of the camera on my phone.) Ah, back to work now. Peace! Sent from my BlackBerry® phone.

I took apart my computer with this home made screwdriver.

My computer has been running a fever lately - really hot. Maybe it was bit by a mosquito and has Dengue fever or malaria. Then it started fainting - total lockup and sometimes a little delerium like restoring fully deleted files to my desk top.

Today won't run for more than a few minutes - the screen goes haywire. So I took it apart with the homemade screwdriver in the picture. About 30 itsty bitsy phillips screws. Very odd end on this driver but it works. But my computer doesn't. 3 years round the world with spiky power wore it out. Hey! Anyone want donate one? Peace! Sent from my BlackBerry® phone.

We met these girls - 50 - crossing this one lane bridge.

In local fashion they didn't want their picture taken. As children, they really did. Suddenly they started screaming and laughing and ran past as fast as they could. "Ally ally come and free!" (or what was it we yelled as kids?)

Peace! Sent from my BlackBerry® phone.

Actual chain used to march people out of Africa in slave trade. See how it is worn on the ends?

Up to 1000 miles forced march in chains carrying 50 pounds is what wore out the metal. Men were castrated to prevent reproduction and protect the slave business. Then they were tied to a tree and whipped with metal tipped flogs at auction to test if they were strong. If they were strong and showed no tears or weakness then they would be sold; otherwise...

The slave trade in East Africa lasted until 1911!

Peace! Sent from my BlackBerry® phone.

It takes an electrician to wire a village...

But in Stone Town Zanzibar there is electricity so what's to say?

Peace! Sent from my BlackBerry® phone.

Watched a man spear fishing in Nungwi, Zanzibar. Off the coast the Princess of Qatar has her ship anchored.

Peace! Sent from my BlackBerry® phone.

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Jamned in a RAV4 tooling north on the coast of Zanzibar.

The last hints of sunset. Warm Indian Ocean breezes. 50s and 60s love songs playing loud in the car - songs my dad crooned. Bikes. Buses made from flatbed trucks. Women carrying bundles on their heads. Palm trees rising out of the headlights. Playing chicken on bridges for one. Men wearing the Baragashia caps and some in white robes like spirits. Somehow surreal and supra-real. The spice islands. Wish you were here. Peace! Sent from my BlackBerry® phone.

Bomalang'ombe is beautiful at sundown.

This evening Boma is beautiful. Cool temps in the 50's. The sound of people ringing through the mountains from the monthly market day. A festival atmosphere. But life here can be hard. 80% of the people test + for HIV. That's one reason Cheetah links economic development to human development. They come together and produce a virtuous cycle. Peace! Sent from my BlackBerry® phone.

No it's not a birdnest, it's a head cushion.

We came to a place this afternoon where there were many of these discarded. Workers had been carrying supplies through the mountains to a building project - of course, on their heads. Here's Tom wearing a leftover head cushion. Peace! Sent from my BlackBerry® phone.

Just driving through saw zebras giraffes baboons wildebeast warthogs elephants impala vultures cape-buffalo wierd-ducks white-people (lion-bait)

Here are pictures taken with a camera phone where at 50 yards things are tiny dots. Most of these animals were within ten yards. Does anyone remember the names of the warthogs in the "Lion King"?

Ray

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Passing Chalinze, Tanzania, on road from Dar es Salaam. Dar's 5 million connected to country only by this small road.

Also only road to countries of Zambia, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, and Malawi where Dar is a key port.
Peace! Sent from my BlackBerry® phone.

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Check out this picture for a new definition of a bus stop

Peace! Sent from my BlackBerry® phone.

Peaceful nights - the building crescendo of frogs in suburg of Dar es Salaam.

10 pm phase one: frogs.

Midnight phase two: dogs

3:30 am phase three: roosters

4:30 am: competing Muslim calls to worship on mosque speakers

Ready to wake up? Wait, was I sleeping?

Can make you long for the peaceful bliss of traffic sounds…

“Rainy days and Mondays” (that was this morning - yes! – the rain makes everything better).

  
Download now or listen on posterous

frogs.mp3 (1489 KB)

My wife Lonnie came to Tanzania with instructions to keep me well! Today we're working on health of local neighbors.

People die young here in Tanzania. 10% at childbirth, another 20% by age five. One village where we are working, 80% test positive for HIV! About 12% of women die giving birth in their lifetime. Etc. Not statistics, these are real people. Our neighbors. But it can be different. We are working on sustainable village healthcare and group health insurance for poor villagers. The first effort of its kind that we are aware of. Truly integrated development. Economic development connects to human development. Just like the vines growing on this hostel where we stayed last night, we're bringing life. Peace,
Ray
Peace! Sent from my BlackBerry® phone.

MUST SEE Cheetah in the news: http://bit.ly/minnpost

Minnesota non-profit working to bring profitable outcome in Africa

MinnPost Photo by Steve Date

Peace,

Correction: My brother doesn't WANT a keeper he WANTS a brother.

Sent via BlackBerry

From S Africa: My brother doesn't need a keeper, he needs a brother.

Sent via BlackBerry

Pity may represent little more than the impersonal concern which prompts the mailing of a check, but true sympathy is the personal concern which demands the giving of one's soul.

From Martin Luther King, Jr., remember his “I Have a Dream” speech given on this day in history.

Everyone can help!

There are a lot of people giving of themselves to help the poor through Cheetah. Right now I'm with the social media team - really smart people - who made this message possible. Now you can track my adventures in Africa; I leave again Sept. 6. -Ray
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Our bike prototype was finished this week! Carries 1000 pounds. I'd like to show you a picture but there are companies trying to steal the design - it's that good.

Peace,

I think this twitter thing is really cool

Does it work?  Let me know if you get this?  The 50^th person that emails back gets $5.00.

Catherine Stine

VP, Partnership Development

Cheetah Development

 

catherine.stine@cheetahdevelopment.org

 

906 East First Street

Hastings, MN 55033 USA

Mobile: +1-651-707-3536

This wk college student gave $200, retired consultant pledged 10% of gross income and elderly widow pledged $20/mo.

This is so humbling! Thanks so much – not from me but from the people of Tanzania…

Peace,

This week a college student gave over $200, a retired consultant pledged 10% of his gross income and an elderly widow pledged $20/month!

Wow, is that humbling! Thanks from Ray – actually from the people of Tanzania.

test -can I reach the world?

Catherine Stine

VP, Partnership Development

Cheetah Development

 

catherine.stine@cheetahdevelopment.org

 

906 East First Street

Hastings, MN 55033 USA

Mobile: +1-651-707-3536

test 123

Catherine Stine

VP, Partnership Development

Cheetah Development

 

catherine.stine@cheetahdevelopment.org

 

906 East First Street

Hastings, MN 55033 USA

Mobile: +1-651-707-3536

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Meeting Chilwa Kiliaki

Catherine’s is a volunteer with Cheetah Development since January, 2010

Preamble: Hit it out of the ballpark! That is the email salutation, I sent to Pam Saylor last evening regarding her introduction of the Bike Design Team. My note to Pam Saylor, National Sales Manager, Kurt Manufacturing said:

“Your personal touch -- showing each of your teams unique attributes-- really showed your leadership. Oh, and you are so more than 'in sales’. Thank you for this presentation and all that you do to help Tanzanian's have a better life.”

The Geography Chasm: I meet our presenter Chilwa Kiliaki only hours before her visit with a group that she wanted to meet and that wanted to meet her. She glows. Really. All five feet – and- something of her. And she wore heels. Her African dress was sky blue with a wide gold trim around the neckline; her hair, short and cared for. Lovely. I gave her a hug bending just about in-half to reach her. But the embrace was long and caring; she held my hand afterwards for a bit. Her karma is calm, serene, inviting. She is the first Tanzanian I have met; an impression I will carry in my heart for a life-time.


We traveled quickly to the Doubletree Hotel where Cheetah Board member Danita Bye hosted a welcoming event. Danita was early, asked how she could help, and even brought name tags. Don’t you just love it when important people are motivated to do whatever it takes to create success for others?

Twenty- three people attended the first ever Cheetah gathering to welcome Chilwa Kiliaki. She told her story-born in a poor village in Tanzania and working her way to become a leader of economic policies for the country of Tanzania. Today, she works in the central bank in Tanzania. Comparatively, if they had a Federal Reserve Bank in Tanzania, Mrs. Kiliaki would be one of its leaders. Clearly, a dynamic, brilliant, African leader.

Of course she had prepared remarks, written down in long-hand. Personal, potent, clear.

She captivated us.

The result? She bridged the gap in the attendee’s understanding of why Tanzania, why Cheetah for her and why Cheetah for all of us. Three of her comments stuck out for me:

“Bottom-up is the only way to get buy-in from the villages; this will reduce or eliminate corruption.”

“Cheetah went to the people and asked them what they wanted to do. This is very unique from what I have seen. Others decide what they want to do and then bring it to the people. “

“Getting buy-in first on their ideas will help to ensure long term viability,”

The Take Away: Power words were shared that day by a Powerful Person with Powerful People all motivated to change the world by helping people learn to fish.