It's all about perspectives

I recently had the opportunity to teach a class on Tanzanian food and culture, and as usual, I didn't disappoint. I taught them how to make chips mayai (how genius of me)!!! They enjoyed the food, but I was also able to give them a little lesson about Tanzania, the culture, economy, education, beliefs and Tanzania real estate. 

Part of our discussion was about the land we have, farming or keeping a garden, poultry farms, and people owning their own lands and houses. I had to explain how even though you may find that people live in the villages or maybe make as little as $1 a day in actual wages, that does not translate into overall poverty on that person's part. We still have nuclear families which means we've got each others backs and which helps prevent having more people in the streets. 

Being here made me realize the difference between being poor and broke. And I say that because, most of us, we had parents or grandparents that owned their own lands/houses, whether in the towns they lived in or else where. We may have stayed in a house for rent, and gone broke throughout our growing up years (meaning money was over before the month ended) but it did not translate into poverty. Because our parents knew the importance of owning land/houses and that being an asset, it always added value to their lives. I remember when my folks had put their house for sale to cover other major expenses. It  only meant they had the option to sell the house rather than get a loan from a bank. I feel as though there are  multiple options in Tanzania when it comes to owning a house. One can build a house for as many years as he is able to finance from his income or can opt to get a loan and build one quicker. 

The best part, at least for me, is knowing there are places where one can rent a room for 20k Tzs a month even in major cities like Dar, Arusha, Mwanza. I am not saying Tzs 20k is not hard to get, but I feel  that it allows those who are working hard to make a living for themselves and for their families to be able to  have a roof over their heads as compared to being completely homeless. 

But again this was my perspective, others may have different opinions and views about things and life in Tanzania, I can only speak based on my own experiences and of those I came in contact with. 

Business, Technology And the Older Generation

I am faced with a question of why do a lot of  women feel the need to stick to one thing and not think outside of the box when it comes to business ideas? Someone I know keeps talking about getting into a business that either involves a boutique, a phone business, or cosmetics in Tanzania. I can very well understand that these are the things she likes and spends her finances on, and also because a lot of women she knows are also in these similar businesses. But it makes no sense to get into something JUST BECAUSE!

I have several times advised her not to try any of those businesses, instead, either get into agriculture or not do any business at all. I say this because, if you can't see yourself making above the bare minimum, then you are not qualified for the business. Lack of knowledge of what you need to do to get a step ahead in your revenues is a big challenge. Not having creative ideas on how your business can stand out from the rest or reach a wider target is again another challenge to the business and your finances. 

The point I always make to her is, there are plenty of shops and perhaps 70% or more of  in Tanzania selling cosmetics, phones, or clothes, what guarantees you that yours will have more customers than the next shop? And this I say because we are not talking about a 20 or 30 year old lady who wants to open a 'talk of the town' shop with great marketing ideas, using social media to promote her business, getting international connections to make imports easy on her, or cater to celebs to get fame for her business. This is an older person with ideas of (1) have a capital, (2) have a sales lady, (3) get a good location and (4) import goods from a country where things are affordable and viola! money will come flooding in. 

In this day and age, where everything needs extraordinary to succeed, how can we still have the old age mentality? Or even worse, not think of a need to get education on what we want to invest our money/time in? Is there any hope for the older generation in this era where technology is what might give you an edge? 

I do not say this to hate but to have a genuine understanding of why people think being a next shop on a busy street will guarantee financial success. I say this because I tried doing a boutique business, and for the most part, most of my clients were from other regions and I had to ship items to them, thanks to social media and good bus services. Will this be something that an older person can do? Or must one hire a marketing guru for a business that has capital close to what a marketing expert might require for a year's retainer to help the business grow? will that be worth it?

Mathew 7:1-29

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:1-29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://www.bible.com/59/mat.7.1-29.esv

How Much Do You Know About Banking and Finance

Image obtained from Google

At what age should we be learning about finances and the banking system just so that we can have general knowledge about finances and how things work? I opened my first bank account when I was 14 years old with a bank that was available nationwide in Tanzania, and that’s because I lived in Dar and Arusha. Fast forward a few years later, I had a bank account oversees for reasons of being an international student. The basic information that I knew was how to deposit, how to withdraw, costs for withdrawals from same bank ATMs (if any) and from other banks ATMs, and monthly account fees. 

I never had a student account for reasons that it was not advertised when I opened a personal account at that time. Few years down the line, banks started advertising student accounts, accounts for unborn babies, corporate accounts, how to get personal loan or business loan, etc etc. Retail banking is simple yet complex especially if you do not know all the information you perhaps would need to make your life better. Personally, when I know what I want, I tend not to ask questions, so it's not that I blame banks for not doing their job of advertising their services well to new and existing customers, it's just that I don't feel like there is enough info out there. 

For the first time in 2017 I opened a fixed deposit account thanks to my friend who had shared with me info on her finances, how she buys shares, bonds, has fixed deposit accounts and the like. When I went to my bank to get a new ATM card, they informed me about a unique fixed deposit account for women and I was already aware of the benefits, so I went ahead and agreed to have an account because I was already “pre-informed.”

If I was asked right now, other than how much I get charged for my monthly fee to have my bank account with certain banks, I would not know anything else that I can get for being a customer to some of the banking institutions I have accounts with. And because of this lack of information, it has in a way left me wondering how to go about getting a credit card to build up my credit. And the only way to overcome this ignorance is by going to a bank and ask relevant questions, but then, how will I know what is relevant if I don't know what's being offered in the first place? Banking and financial education should be prioritized from the age of 16 if we are to have a generation of finance savvy individuals, just saying!!

Rain Rain Go Away

My rain boots have arrived, yaaay. It took a few selections and returning till I go the right pair. I’m so ready to face the rain now...so much for almost ruining my shoes. Take that RAIN!! I didn’t have the time to go around shopping so I bought them from Amazon.com but you can checkout footwear shops in Tanzania and enjoy shopping. 

WendyWoo Jax Fashion Stylist

My girl WendyWoo is one of a kind, her passion for fashion is motivating and she has her outfits to prove it. What I like about her is her knowledge of where to get what you are looking for and within your budget. She is a thrift store queen too, she can find you beauty accessories and brand name clothes from thrift stores for waaaay less than you can imagine, now that’s true talent!!! And did I forget to mention she won a Fashion Award this year? Check her out on her social media handles @wendywoo_fashionstylist (instagram), WendyWoo (Facebook) and IamWendyWoo (YouTube), the one and only Jax fashion stylist. 

Is two weeks too soon?

Image obtained from Google

Hey all,

So I was asked a question by a male friend at work a while back. He said that his friends in a group chat were discussing if two weeks is too soon for a woman to ask a man to define a relation. He asked for my opinion and being a African as I am, I replied with a question or 5. My first question was why would she ask that in two weeks? What has been happening that made her ask a guy to define a relationship in just two weeks?

I honestly don't believe a woman or man would request someone to define a relationship in two weeks time of knowing each other unless there is more to the story than what I was informed.

The responses I gave were; 1. A lady can ask a man to define a relationship if they have known each other as friends for a while and of late they have been intimate beyond what ordinary friends do, hence a lady wanting to know where they stand. I would too. Are we friends who get on with it or what? I would want to know so that I know my next move..a.k.a walk away as fast as I can and go AWOL at the response of being 'friends with benefits'. 

2. A lady would ask a man to define a relationship within two weeks if they have been intimate and she is catching feelings. If she is a one man type of woman (meaning, she does not plan to be hooking up with more than one man). She would want to know if he has any intentions to be her beau or if he's just trying the waters.

3. A lady would ask a man to define a relationship within two weeks, even if they have not been intimate, but maybe a guy is acting some type of way e.g, being very romantic, taking her out on dates, sending her romantic messages, calling her and checking up on her constantly which makes her feel loved and hence wanting to know if he is investing in a relationship or if he is buttering her up for a one night stand or friends with benefit kinda thing. I would want to know too.

I must say though, it was an interesting topic to discuss, even though we took it seriously and challenging like a Kilimanjaro climb. I don't know if this happened to a real person of if it was merely a topic guys chose to discuss for fun sake. But all in all, there is always a reason behind what people do and say even if they don't quite know it yet...it helps to get some background information before coming to a conclusion.  

How to keep your child safe

Image obtained from Amazon

There is a sense of relief when you know you can control a child's movement while walking in a crowded area or when contact with a moving vehicle is more likely to happen. Kids can be such a challenge to handle, especially on a day when your mood is off, you might find yourself crying from frustration, that happened to me once. I took our little munchkin to a park to play and she kept walking towards the cars, I got so frustrated and couldn't wait to get done and go home. When I got back home went on Amazon.com and searched for child leash, boy or boy, it felt like Christmas when the options popped up. I bought two products, the wrist leash and a harness. 

Image obtained from Amazon.com of the actual product bought

Day 1, I used the wrist leash, it worked perfectly well until Miss thang decided to figure out how the Velcro on the leash works and she managed to get herself out of it. It was also very uncomfortable for both of us as well, because she might be using her hand for something else and there I go making it difficult for her to move her hand, or she would prefer to walk ahead, but I can't walk behind her with a hand to hand leash. So, option two was activated, and it worked like magic. First of all, She thought it was part of her outfit, then it was possible to let her walk ahead as she always prefers, thirdly, I was able to control her movement without much interference, especially when she would walk on uneven surfaces, she never fell because I pulled her up a bit which gave her balance. 

It's the little things that we need on this earth to make our lives simpler. Having a child safety leash is like sleeping in a house with security doors to every room, you just rest assured that all is safe, and your child is un-bothered.

Domestic Tourism

Sunflower plantation in Mlolo / Kikombwe Iringa.

Hey y'all, 

It was an amazing 6 weeks back in motherland filled with joy, calmness, shock, sadness, reality-check, togetherness, and so much more. We had to go to Iringa twice two weekends in a row. Both times were not for a happy reason, but I give God the Glory. On our way back from Iringa we passed through Mikumi National Park, we had our few minutes of utalii wa ndani as we drove through the main road. We came across different animals both times, I made sure to record videos, please watch the video link below. 

Even though I had been to Mikumi National Park before back in 2002 (school tour), it felt different this time around, I desired to go back into the park and not just drive through it. My sister had never been to Mikumi and she wanted to do a domestic safari so badly, unfortunately, time was not on her side. Even though it was not an actual safari, we were happy with what we saw and we still desired for more. 

When I was in Zimbabwe, my cousin Zack asked Kaka about his experience doing safaris in Tanzania. We Tanzanians don't take advantage of what we have as much as foreigners do. It was interesting that a Tanzanian was asking a foreigner for tips to visit Zanzibar,  and whether they (my cousin and his family) should do Serengeti Safaris or Ngorongoro. But my cousin was real, he talked about how we Tanzanians work hard to make money yet do not spend the time to enjoy what our country has to offer. And it had to take some convincing from his wife for them to go back to Tanzania for a break this June to visit national parks as well as swim in the clear waters of Zanzibar. 

I do not have the statistics of Tanzanians who do domestic safaris but I would guess not as many as the government wishes, and I wonder why that is. Do we do a better job of advertising our mother nature to the outsiders more than we do to the insiders? Or do the outsiders do a better job of telling each other about what Tanzania has to offer and that's why they flock in in good numbers? And I say this because when I traveled with Kaka back in 2010, we went to Maziwe Island in Tanga which I had never heard of before he mentioned it, so perhaps the lonely planet has something to do with it. And no, it's not just me, I have mentioned Maziwe Island to a few friends and they had no idea about it. I mean, apart from mentioning the five national parks which we had to remember thanks to the childhood songs about Tanzanian national parks, what other parks can we think of on the top our head? I came to know about Selous national park in 2012 when my supervisor at my first job had taken his family on a safari to Selous on one of the long weekend, I think it was organized by their community. 

How many of us Tanzanians truly know what we have, without being adventure lovers like my friend Suzanne who organizes group tours within TZ and abroad for her family and friends just for fun, or my friend Hasina who owns a Tours and Travel company? How can an ordinary Mamatembo be informed about what Tanzania has to offer, near and far, so that on a lousy day when I have the cash and a long weekend, I can decide to go somewhere for a hike, a walking safari, or swim in our exotic beaches or bath in the water falls? I can give some credit to the government for advertising tourism on some TV stations, or a dedicated TV station that I think I came across by accident. But let's be realistic here, I spend more time on Instagram than I do watching TV, how good are we marketing our national treasures to the social media generation to the point where we are all effectively and equally reached regardless of what media we use?

Anywho, I suggested to my cousin to visit the Ngorongoro Crater and I know he and his wife won't regret it. Zanzibar is a must see as well.

Home

Serviced Apartments

I have just come across a new terms 'serviced apartments' and 'serviced offices' for which I needed further explanation, and I also googled and much to my surprise, I never knew such services exist in Bongo even though I had come across an apartment in Masaki that offers these services. I must admit, I do like this concept, and even though I would not have thought to come up with something like that in a million years, I must give credit to those who did. 

So, basically serviced apartments are fully furnished apartments providing hotel like services and more. So, why would someone decide to stay in a serviced apartment instead of a hotel room or a non serviced apartment you would ask. Well, if you are in town for business or work for a few days, weeks, months or even a year but you are not yet quite familiar with the place, getting a serviced apartment is a better option than renting a non serviced apartment because now you would be fully independent in some aspects like hiring your own maid. Then you would opt to stay in a hotel and lose the homely feel of being in your own place. Not only that, you will get a much bigger living space than you would in hotel room, you get to have kitchen space where you can cook and not rely on restaurants with food that you would probably get bored of in a matter of days. 

You get room service and house keeping services which are also provided in hotels, and other concierge services. Now, most of the amenities  are similar to being in a hotel, like swimming pool, gym, recreation area, WiFi and laundry services, but the good thing about apartments, and mostly if you are staying longer, is that you get to have that homely feeling, especially if your next door neighbor is staying a while as well, you can actually forge friendships like you normally would if you were in your house or apartment back home. Hotels just feel some type of way that take away that homely feel where you can sit back, be lazy and enjoy your space and surrounding.

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Exploring Zimbabwe - Food

Another thing I noticed while in Zim is the shortage of food options, this included fruits as well. The  fruits that were predominantly available on every corner of the street were bananas and avocados. However, we did come across more options in the supermarket (perhaps they were imported).

I like how their supermarkets served cooked food - buffet style, I guess they are not in shortage of food preparation equipment. It was very convenient for us since we mostly ate when we were already hungry. If we had to be at a restaurant and order food and wait for it to be served 10 to 15 minutes later, it would have been so stressful. We ate supermarket food for the most part of our trip and we did not fall sick. The options were not as many as there are in Tanzania but we survived. My favorite dish was Sadza (Ugali). 

BBQ section at the supermarket

The one thing that disappointed me was the lack of small bottles of Amarulas. We hunted for those babies in every supermarket we went to, but to no avail. That was very disappointing. Living the African dream, African Safari.

One of the things I will miss

One of the many things I am going to miss about Dar are the affordable hair saloons/beauty parlors. As a woman, one area that will never fall short of clients is the beauty industry. When I had to get my hair cut in April back in Jax, I had to search for hair Saloons or barbershops near me and not many showed on google maps that were within my vicinity. My sister took me to one of the saloons she goes to, unfortunately the lady was fully booked so she gave me an appointment for 3 days later. I was not happy at the fact that I could not get service as soon as I got there. A friend then took me to a different saloon and I had to wait for three other clients to get done before I could get the service. That wasn’t so bad. 

Then I kept wining about how easy it is to get serviced in Dar because hair saloons are plenty, and for all budgets. I could walk into a saloon and get serviced within 5 minutes of walking in. The fact that there are so many hair saloons for women all over the place, you never lack quick and affordable service. Don’t get me wrong though, not all beauty saloons are easily available. Some that are very well known for servicing brides and high end customer or serve other wedding solutions can be booked months in advance. 

And to add sugar to an already sweet snack, is the fact that beauty products are easily available and for different prices, from cheap to expensive depending on where you are shopping. You have the high end shops and the low end street shops and both sell quality and reliable products, with some exceptions of the the street shops that do sometimes import and sell the not so reliable products, hence customers must be aware of the transactions their undertaking. 

I will miss this life if I must be honest. I could care less for the fancy expensive products and beauty parlors. The fact that I can walk into a place and get sorted on the spot and affordably is key for me. The fact that I get annoyed to wear wigs and I prefer having crochet hair instead, I want to be able to get that done frequently and affordable. Unfortunately, not being able to get that unless I schedule an appointment days in advance and for a price that I don’t really want to pay, it has forced me to learn some serious hair braiding and crocheting skills thanks to YouTube. And I must confess, I get very jealous when I check out Instagram feed and see TZ girls looking fab in their good looking hair styles and I am like DANG IT, why can’t I get that here too??! 

What apps are you giving access to your personal data?

Hey'all,

A friend told me a story that got me somewhat angry with myself for using a smartphone, it's not something new, but I just dislike the lack of privacy with these gadgets nowadays. So, she’s been getting personal loan through mobile apps, and she had been very faithful in paying the loans as well. Then all of a sudden, out of the blue, she applied for a loan and she was denied one due to lacking credentials to be given a loan. Upon inquiry from a different company, she was informed that giving access to some of the apps also means they get to see your loan trends and how you spend your money and can even access your text message. I don’t know how true this actually is, but it creeped me out, then I realized I have been giving access to so many other apps and to make things worse, I give them access to my pictures and other media as well. I am so not happy about that. 

On another note, as we continued chatting, she said a good number of Tanzanians apply for personal and business loan via apps and mobile money. For a greater part, it has been a good idea that these loan opportunities exist for simplicity of life and it reaches more customers compared to physically visiting microfinance institutions. But I wonder though, how do they get their money back? Especially since they don’t request for loan security. Do they know how to track these people down? How successful are these businesses? I would hope they are able to recover their funds as easily as they make their loans accessible to people. 

Grown up mindset

Hey’all

I think as we grow up, our talk and direction of our thoughts should change to reflect our goals and aspirations.

Lately, a good part of my conversation with my female friends is about buying land or building houses (that’s where I am getting my inspiration from). A friend has been sharing with me pictures of a house she’s building and I am uber jealous (in a non malicious way). I feel like we are motivating each other. Women motivating women. One of my goals for 2019-2020 is to buy a couple of surveyed plots while the prices are still manageable, but not necessarily in Dar.

Anywho, I have been falling in admiration of houses with appealing exteriors and amazing interior decor and designs, it’s making me want to start building my house like asap (yes, I have a plot but I do not have the cash to begin construction work.

My sister and I are looking for interior designers to come take a look at our apartment (sister’s idea) and give us a few sketches on what the apartment could look like. We are looking into getting new appliances and repainting the place. I came across a shop that sells home appliances but I can’t tell if their prices are fair or a total rip off, but I like where the idea is headed. I think from doing this project, I will start having ideas on how I want my house to look like when I am ready to build one.

I like this type of mentality honestly, the grown up mentality (at least I think it is). Investing in land and immovable properties for the future.

Exploring Zimbabwe - Cars

As I continued to explore Zimbwawe, I got a chance to speak with a few people about the country, and guess what I discovered? So Zim being a landlocked country, meaning they do not have a sea or port, they get to import their cars through Tanzania or South African ports. For a landlocked country though, they do have a lot of cars for sale. I have seen a good number of showrooms in Harare as we commuted towards the city center.

Most of the cars that I have seen around here are Toyotas, Hondas and Nissans. Unlike Tanzania, we seem to lean towards Toyotas more than other brands. But lately, I have been seen a few more Mazdas around. It's interesting how Toyotas are heavily available in Tanzania you would think we manufacture those babies. I too am guilty of making Toyotas prominent in TZ because I own one. 

Talking about Honda cars in Zim, they predominantly use Honda Fit as a shared taxi, and boooy are they tiny when 6 to 8 people get in them. I got to experience that first hand. For some reason though, people just don't mind squeezing in for a ride. 

I used to tell my sister how affordable Toyotas are in TZ compared to the US, when she came back, she understood what I meant. She saw every Toyota you could possibly see on this planet in a matter of a week. My African dream safari.

Exploring Zimbabwe - Architecture

Zimbabwe architecture is just amazing. I love their buildings, and it’s sometimes hard to tell if they are old buildings that have been well maintained or if they are new. I like how a good number of the buildings are built with bricks. The western influence in the architecture is a pleasing sight to see. While walking towards the National Art Museum from EastGate, we walked through a garden that was clean and well kept. Some of the water fountains were not functioning, but the overall sight was calming.

A lot of people were at the park, I can’t assume what they were doing, but we saw a few people that were doing photography business, some were taking their meals.  The trees at the park were interesting as well. Of course not all parts of Zim were breathtaking, some parts were like most African countries are, a bit run down and deserted. Going to a somewhat rural place like Masvingo and the architecture still being pleasing to see was mind blowing to me. Unfortunately, I had not seen a single shop selling construction materials, I am guessing maybe they have specific locations for such businesses.

I have been to some other parts of Africa before but I never felt like It’s a place I would want to live for a long time, however in Zimbabwe, I would not mind living here for a while. The weather is so good, it reminds me of Arusha. The houses, oh man, they are huge. They have so much land and the houses are just huge. We got to stay with two couch surfers and both their houses were amazing. One was medium size and very cosy. The other was large, spacious, has a pool, a large garden, a big parking garage. The calmness of this place is what we all need. If I had funds, I would get into real estate in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. The African dream, African safari.