Harambee in Tanzania: The Story of Oscar Blue Pits

I could not have asked for a better CBT (Community Based Training). Our group represents the Big 10: Jeff (Jaffari/Jirani) 22 from Purdue, Dani (Farida/Fritto) 26 from Michigan State, Autumn (Oscar Blue Pits) 25 from Wisconsin, Marissa (Moniqua) 23 from Penn State. Each day after chai and bucket baths, we head up the shamba hill (greeting everyone) to ‘school,’ which consists of a room in Mama Blandina’s house. She spoils us with her incredible cooking (fresh avocado, tomatoes, fired eggs, chapati, lentils, pilipili, papai and coconut rice), and tells off any kids who call us ‘wazungu.’ Shoma, our LCF is a perfect fit to our group. She is our cheerleader, explains the language well, reminds us we will understand it all in time, and always gives us breaks to pumzika and laugh. She has become more like a big sister than anything else here. Sometimes I contribute our good mental health to the fact that Mama Blandina lets us drink beers outside her house, our classroom rules of EMPS, or our ability to get along SO WELL. But really, I think Shoma is a big reason why our first weeks have been a breeze.

Now you may be asking, why do you call poor Autumn ‘Oscar Blue Pits.’ One of our first days of class Autumn showed up in a white blouse that was bright blue in both arm pits. We didn’t know each other very well at that point and really didn’t care so no one said anything….until lunch. Jeff leaned over in the couch, looked at Autumn with all seriousness and said, “Can I ask you something personal?” Autumn, being the laid back girl she is welcomed any question, to which Jeff continued, “Do you sweat blue?” We all laughed so hard that from that point on Autumn was deemed ‘blue pits.’ Later that week when word caught on in the village that I had a Tanzanian name, the villagers decided to give Autumn a name too. For some reason, unknown to us, they gave her a boys name, Oscar. It fit. And that is how Autumn from Wisconsin became Oscar Blue Pits.

If CBT life is the ‘boot camp’ of service then I’m in for a wild ride.