Liz in Bukoba: Initial Impressions

So here I am in amazing Bukoba, Tanzania! It is beautiful- the earth is bright red and everything around it is green and lush. Huge banana trees, flowers, and plants dot the landscape. The fruit is amazing, passion fruit is the big thing here, you can just bite into the skin (or cut the top off if you are me!) and then drink out the seed/juice mixture. The pineapple, mango and oranges are also delicious.

The people are extremely genuine and friendly; they love to greet one another as they pass. When I jog in the morning on the shore of Lake Victoria I have to say the Swahili greetings about 100 times! It is so funny. They love watching me run- I think they are mostly looking at my sneakers. Here the typical footwear is flip-flops or any type of sandal.

I have had the opportunity to meet Raza, the man who started IZAAS. He is a true visionary. He started the project 10 years ago working with the disabled. Originally he was mainly focused on getting artificial limbs for amputees. He expanded to helping people with many types of disabilities but has since narrowed his scope to children on the advice of a Dutch physical therapist who came to Bukoba for a 2 year stage as a volunteer to help IZAAS (she left in 2003). The work he does is amazing- he is truly committed to the children he helps

That is all for now but there will be plenty more to come. . . . .