Taking off for Tanzania

You’re going to Africa?!

Yes, I’ve been seeking a change and looking into mission trips for awhile. I leave Sept 10 for Tanzania to teach at a Catholic English primary school, and I’ll be back Feb 1. My brother’s priest in Portland is from Tanzania, and knows the nun who manages the school. It came together rather easily, and I feel God is leading me toward this as the next phase of my life.

Can’t you just go for a few weeks…why five months?

Have you ever known me to just “dabble” in anything? I wanted to have enough time to really make a difference in the lives of the kids I teach. And I’m excited to learn more about myself, disconnect from technology, and simplify my life. I just may be able to live on $5/month when I get back.

What are you going to teach?

I think I’ll just be a teacher aide and help with various levels, K-6. I’m planning to teach some music with a few instruments I’m taking with me, such as a recorder, slide whistle, roll-up piano, and harmonica.

You play the harmonica?

No, well, not yet. My mom was a music teacher, and I played flute and a bit of piano. I can read music and have pretty good lungs and lip action, so I figured we can learn together.

Can I send you a letter or school items for the kids?

As much as I’d love US greetings with money and Reese’s Cups…I’ve been advised to just have friends/family send postcards. Letters and boxes have a higher chance of being opened. Send a silly postcard to: Umani English Primary, Attn: Leslie Prevish, P O BOX 7679, Moshi, Tanzania, East Africa.

Will you have a cell phone or access to the "Mis-information Highway" (Internet)?
Maybe...I do plan to buy a local cell phone after I arrive, but the cell (and Internet) connections seem to be sketchy and unreliable. I hope to go from my rural village into the city of Moshi on weekends to visit an Internet cafe' to check email and post a blog entry. But, I'm not sure how far that is, or how I'll get there (bus, donkey, moped?). And there may not be electricity while I'm there, since I've read the power comes and goes.

What do they speak there…will your Italian help?

Swahili is the national language, which I have studied a bit, many times with kids on my lap. My two-year-old nephew says “Ndiyo” (yes) at least five times a day, grinning with his little thumb’s up sign. And my niece loves to yell, “zambarau!” (purple) as she knows that’s my favorite color.

Are you climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro?!

As my WI friends would say…YOU BETCHA! I plan to climb that 19k’ puppy in January, then do some safari tours. Email me at leslie.prevish@netscape.com if you’d like to join me! I make great s’mores, sing a killer “kumbaya”, and I don’t snore, so would be a pretty decent camping mate.

How will you keep fit?

I’ve wrestled with this one, as I’ve been advised (and read) that women running in Tanzania may attract the wrong kind of attention. I don’t want to offend folks, or upset too many fruit baskets. I am hoping I can try to find some other expats in the main town as running partners, but I’m taking a jump rope and resistance bands to stay fit. I’ll keep up with yoga while I am there, and maybe teach some to the kids!

What will you eat?

Some common foods there are porridge (guessing it won’t be my favorite, Bob’s Red Mill), rice, beans, bananas, coconuts, and nuts. I’ve been advised to avoid dairy and meat, so maybe I’ll come back a vegan?

How will you satisfy your espresso addiction?

Actually, I’m super-duper excited, as coffee and chai tea are two major exports, so I plan to taste as many as possible.

How are you going to make $ when you get back?

After perfecting my harmonica skills, I may join a band. Or “live in a van…down by the river.” Seriously though, I plan to start my own marketing consultancy and join the growing field of female entrepreneurs. No, really, I’m serious. With nearly 18 years of experience, and the last five specifically in marketing to women, I am confident I will continue to use my skills to encourage more women (and men and kids!) to be healthier and happier!

Where will you start this crazy business?

I may have to flip a coin. I plan to move to either Portland, OR, or Boulder, CO. Tough decision: Portland has more friends/relatives, but big thumbs down (“hapana”) on the wet weather. Boulder has a couple of relatives nearby, and 300+ days of sunshine. I have many outdoor industry connections in each place, so I should be able to find some work with my passions of triathlon, MTB, CX, XC, hiking/etc. I also plan to pursue faith-based businesses.

What will you miss about Wisconsin?

In the last 14 years in the Cheesehead State, I’ve been so Blessed to have met so many friends, and I miss them already! As for places, some favorite memories include MTB-ing on the Muir trails, skiing in -5 degrees at Scuppernong (and giggling with joy as I slid through the fresh snow in the pines), and logging hundreds of miles along the scenic Glacial Drumlin Trail while training for triathlons. My heart, lungs, and soul, will miss Wisconsin. Oh, and I will definitely miss the yummy beer and cheese!

John Muir trails in WI.