Coda: Bear & Wolf

By Bear and Wolf Bear & Wolf were friends. Bear preferred blueberries, Wolf had a proclivity for meats and they both liked falafel.* Bear was powerfully strong and Wolf was built for speed. Although Wolf roamed the Northeast and Bear denned in the South, both found themselves in a coffee shop in Portland late one summer afternoon in August. Both agreed that Portland was most peculiar. To wit: they observed… Read More

Onward

By Overseas Educators Matt and Michelle The dala dala bounced down the sandy dirt road heading from Matemwe to Stonetown. We were crammed and complete; facing one another on the modified truckbed, small mountains of gear between us. Our journey was in Its final stages and scanning the sun soaked faces around us, happiness and appreciation welled within. It was a sense of contentment born from challenge. The words of… Read More

The Faces of Nkula

Photos and Story by Elle Nicholson 82 days at sea (well it felt like we were at sea). All trapped together on the boat of adventure going over every large or small wave. These past three months have been nothing less then full of love, laughter, and the occasional hatred of all being crammed up sleeping in the same room. We have crawled around Lake Bunyonyi, drowned in sweat at… Read More

Xanzibar

We made it to Zanzibar—finally! After another high-class night at EconoLodge (The Waldorf of Dar Es Salam), we moved in with our last home-stay families. Interesting internships arose, including a world-famous screen printing opportunity with a Rasta God named Omi. Incredible Zanzibar painting at the Old Fort, wood carving which proved too challenging for the students, one of the higher quality internships was pillow making at the Zanzibar women’s cooperative… Read More

Artisan Classes in Stonetown: Photos

Photos from Matt and Michelle, our fabulous Overseas Educators A big thanks to our OEs for even more great photos. The Nkula crew spent a week in homestays in Stonetown, Zanzibar. They spent the days taking classes from local artisans and learning the basics of traditional woodcarving, “Tinga Tinga” painting, making natural herbal remedies and beauty products, and music. They also got to visit Prison Island (known locally as “Changuu”)… Read More

Spice Tour Photos

Photos from Matt S. and Michelle N., the Nkula Overseas Educators! Zanzibar is famous for it’s spices. Our Nkula crew recently got to visit a local spice farm to learn how vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and other tasty spices are grown. Thanks for the photos, Matt and Michelle!… Read More

Safari in Ruaha

A safari through picturesque bush lands was the only way to end our time on mainland Tanzania. Ruaha National Park is a collection of conversations covering 40,000 square kilometers. It is home to largest game population in Tanzania. It hosts large herds of antelope, kudus, grants gazelles, and ostriches. The wildlife was almost as enchanting as a Planet Earth documentary. It started with the sight of the first giraffe head protruding… Read More

Chakula Role Call

By Adele Early Monday morning we left on our journey to Mufindi, the town where the children’s village is. It was a long day of traveling on public buses and a very crowded Dala Dala. The next three days we dove into homestays in the village of Mufindi. During our respective homestays, we were able to practice our Swahili as well as teach our families some more English. Most of… Read More

Our Week in Ohana Amani

By Finn Witt Hi everyone! Our past week began with a grueling 10-hour bus ride through the foothills of southwest Tanzania. While the scenery and wildlife sightings were spectacular, the cramped conditions and rarely-paved roads made for a less-than-pleasurable day. Arriving in Njombe late that night, we were treated to some well-deserved pizza, the best since leaving in September! The following day, we left for Ohana Amani, a holistic organic… Read More

Homestays in Morogoro

By Anna Barrett Habari! For Nkula, the week began with nearly 48 long hours of travel as the group made the journey from Kigali, Rwanda, to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and finally arriving at the location of our first homestay, Junior Lutheran Seminary and Language School outside Morogoro. After some accidental exploration resulting from a desire to find the nearest functioning ATM, the group returned to the campus in time… Read More

From Lake Bunyonyi to Kigali

By Mali Hello friends and family! After several days trekking through the beautiful and formidable mountains of Lake Bunyonyi, we have made the 180-degree transition to the city of Kigali, Rwanda’s capital. Although we spent only a few days in Kigali, the city was characterized by its cleanliness, modernity, and (like everywhere in Rwanda) a significant amount of hills. Also notable were the myriad delectable foods and an interesting amalgamation… Read More

Last Days in Uganda

By Ella Our last days in Uganda were spent on the gorgeous Lake Bunyoni. One dala dala ride from SNEC and we were at Edirisa (“The Window” in Rakiga, the language of southern Uganda), a hostel right on the lake. A set of stairs carved into the dirt, and marked “Staff Only,” led us down to the hostel, which featured tents for us to share (and to continue sharing for… Read More