Time to Say Goodbye

We have come to the end of our time in Tanzania. Despite knowing it’s been coming – booking flights, selling everything in our house, finishing up projects, saying goodbyes - it has still somehow come as a bit of a shock.

It has been and maybe always will be impossible to summarise our time in Tanzania. It’s been an incredible privilege and a fantastic adventure. Shinyanga became home, to the point that daily life there became normal...paying bills, going to work, shopping at the market, eating a ‘delicious’ chip and egg omelette.

As always, its people we’ll miss most. We made great friends in Shinyanga and needless to say the goodbyes have been emotional. Paul’s work hosted a goat BBQ for us complete with dancing, speeches and a classic Tanzanian photo shoot. Lilliane and our ASMK friends had us over for dinner and singing. Then there was ‘Shy-stock’, a day of games and sun and tears. Huge thanks again to Opita, Moses, Liliane, Makwaia, Sabine, Koen and Jacqueline, Liam and Margaret, Nida, Tyler, Myles, Lucy and co. You guys made Shinyanga home.

We’ve had our ups and downs but generally we’re proud of what we’ve been involved in and achieved. Buhangija is a very different place now and we know there are people who will continue working there. The Water Project is progressing well and most of the construction is finished. In exciting news, Paul has been asked to remain on the project team and so will stay involved from Ireland (thanks, Skype).

We have constantly been struck by what an amazing and beautiful country Tanzania is. Its mines full of gold and diamonds, parks full of wildlife, lakes full of water and villages full of friendly, welcoming people. Tanzania is a great place to holiday and explore a tiny part of this vast continent, in short, go and visit! Take pictures, have fun, talk to people and go home different.

Thanks to all of you who read this blog, and sorry it has ended so abruptly – it’s been a busy few weeks! We’ll probably still post things as we remember them or feel the need to share, but as we have only a few more days in Africa, it probably is time to say goodbye.