Mambo from Dar es Salaam

Hello everyone!

I am back in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania for 5 weeks to help launch a program through Switchboard - www.switchboard.org.  Switchboard is creating the largest network of health care workers in the developing world in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Vodacom.  The plan is to connect 9,000 health workers across the country - allowing them to make free calls and texts to other participating health workers.

I have been here for 5 days but it feels more like 2 weeks, as a colleague and I have been busy meeting with officials from the Ministry and Vodacom.  When we are not in meetings, we are working with out of country programmers to ensure that the technology is up and running in time for our tentative launch during the 1st full week of February.  It is pretty amazing that a simple cell phone will allow health workers to connect and collaborate to improve patient care in Tanzania!

I don't have a lot of stories as our days of work have been long, and usually end when we head to bed.  We have ventured out of the hotel a few times for meals, and have had some funny encounters with locals.  My colleague Ali has been mistaken for Julia Roberts a few times.  She does bare a slight resemblance to the actress.  My first night here, we went to a local place to get some barbecue chicken.  While waiting for our food, some local Tanzanian men came over and asked to take a photo with her.  It was pretty amusing.  People have also had trouble saying my name, and I mistakenly told a local that my name was Michelle, like Michelle Obama.  He told me "It is nice to meet you Michelle Obama."  I tried to explain, but he kept calling me Michelle Obama, so I just let him :)

Many things are as I remember them.  There is a bakery (The Corner Bakery) where I would always buy fresh bread after my bus rides home from work.  I went my 2nd day here and bought a loaf -- it was as good as I remember.

However, my experience this time is quite different.  Now I travel mostly by cab, whereas I previously relied heavily on local buses (dala dalas).  This time I am staying at a hotel instead of an apartment, but it is close to my old place.  I hope to make it down to my old place to see if my friend Ali (not to be mistaken with my female colleague Ali) still runs his barbecue stand at the end of street.

I hope to have some interesting stories to post soon.

Here is a photo of me in Giza, Egypt.

I had a 11 hour layover and decided to do a quick tourist tour to check out the pyramids.  It was interesting that most of the other passengers who also had long layovers were afraid to leave the airport or hotel that Egypt Air provided.  I can't say I have an opinion of Egypt as I spent most of my time getting in and out of the mini-van to see various tourists attractions.  I hope to return someday and spend more time there.

Hope everyone is well!