Amani Center in Chamvino, Morogoro

On Monday I left Dar and headed east towards Morogoro town. It started fine with a trip to the Ubungo, busstation. Which isn't a place for the weakhearted nor those who have a hard time waiting in the sun. My red Abood bus finally arrived. Upon arrival in Morogoro all the taxidrivers wanted me as their customer and since I had no idea where I was going the first hostel in my Lonely Planet Guide seemed like a good option. I slept like a baby that night

I finally got hold om my contact Lydia on Tuesday morning and we set off to find a place for me to stay and visit the Amani center for disabled children. It just happened that the center had a room for me at 15.000 Tsh/night including 3 meals. Nice deal! I'd like a hostel in Sweden offer me a room for 75kr and breakfast, lunch and dinner. That will never happen!

Unfortunately, when I talked to the director he told me to visit the immigration office and explain what I am doing here, in case they pay the center a visit. This had been a major headache the past two days and probably tomorrow as well. It's spelled B-U-R-E-A-U-C-R-A-C-Y. So still no permit today and I have gone all over town getting all the documents, photos, money, visited the bank, copies of this and that and well the man who was supposed to sign was "busy" and "out of office". Yeah right!

But I'm doing my best to stay calm and cool (sitting in an airconditioned internet cafe helps a lot)

A little more about Morogoro and especially the neighborhood of Chamvino.
When you think about a small village in Africa this is probably what comes to your mind. My nieghbors live in small mudbrick houses with tinroof. There are no paved roads except for a few in town and the road linking Dodoma (the capital) and Dar es Salaam. Chmavino is also one of the most impoverished areas of the city, but they say it is very safe so I feel fine. There is red dust pretty much everywhere and I understand now why there is a lady cleaning the floor in my hostel everyday. Right across the road is the Amani center and it has two branches served both intellectually and physically disabled children. It is also a school and home for some of the children, but also as a community center. It was founded by Mama Bakhita and serve approx. 500 children in the district! Unfortunately, they on donations and this week they haven't had enough money to pay for gas when they are picking they students up at their homes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morogoro

http://amanicenterfordisabled.org/index.html

http://www.amaniecotourism.com/About%20amani.html