All of the colour

I was going to write an actual post, but it's late (okay, 9:30 p.m. local, but for some reason in Tanzania I function like I'm 70) so instead I offer some photos of my recent trip to Tabora region. It's a relatively rural area with the country's worst indicators. Despite that, it struck me as less impoverished than Singida - the houses I could see from the roads we travelled seemed sturdier and larger, fewer people seemed to be just hanging out or standing around, and most people's clothes were cleaner and in better condition. I'll have to do a bit of digging to find out which region actually has the higher income to see if those observations are born out in fact.

On a totally unrelated note, thank you to those who have been asking about my dad. He got out of the hospital soon after I left and he is doing really well. He had great care.

Before I get to more of the loveliness...behold the bathroom I had for the past two nights.

There was a showerhead...which was rusted over and didn't work. 

I now have much improved accommodation in a much bigger centre. Never has a lukewarm-to-cold shower made me as happy as today's.

I'm on the road again tomorrow to do more interviews, and trying to cram in one or two on Friday, but I'm starting to sort of hope they fall through so I have some time to transcribe and just gather my thoughts a bit. I have transcribed most of the first two days of interviews, but I have another three days' worth to do, nevermind what I gather tomorrow. Plus I should be blogging! The internet situation the first half of this week didn't help with that.

Anyway. Loveliness abounds, even steps away from that bathroom.

I have not screwed with this photo in any way. The light is just magical here. (Laura Payton)

Me with a Care Canada community health worker in Tabora region.

Members of a village savings and loan program. (Laura Payton)

This is where we had lunch yesterday. (Edited to add: the food was delicious. But I'm not sure how hygienic it is). (Laura Payton)

Haiti!

Well. It took a few days of phone calls, research and thinking, but after I realized Ethiopia wouldn't work for this trip, I decided to go with Haiti.

There are a few reasons for this, but primarily I think it'll be interesting to look at Canadian aid in two countries with totally different environments. In Tanzania, President Jakaya Kikwete has worked with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on making aid more accountable. Haiti, on the other hand, has had its share of political problems and Canada has looked at cutting back its commitment there. If I'm to examine Canada's aid effectiveness - an enormous proposition that makes me wonder why I so grandly pitched it - then these could be two extremes.

Canada has focused its maternal, newborn and child health programming in 10 countries. Any of them would make fascinating stories. Ethiopia, for example, has seen great results, in part because of the level of control its government exercises.

I only have two months away from my normal job to get this project done. I'll have all of my travel done within six weeks, which sounds like a substantial amount of time but doesn't feel like it when I look at my calendar. That includes a couple of days in NYC to do interviews at the UN, and leaves me two weeks to write and edit my work. Consider my nerves wracked.

The first snag

Reposted from an April 2 google+ post:

Planning had been going pretty well as I started the slow process of setting up visits to different projects in Ethiopia and Tanzania. I'm already a month or so away from my planned departure. But the past few days I started hearing a bit more about the problems Ethiopia's election could cause - difficulties getting a journalist visa, maybe some travel restrictions.

A May election and its travel consequences just weren't on my radar when I wrote my pitch in November.

Now it turns out it's likely there will be a travel ban imposed, possibly until the end of June. So even if I made it into the country before that happened, it could be hard to get out. Plus, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Development and Trade could put their projects on hold around the election, and some NGOs will place restrictions on their workers.

All of that means Ethiopia is no longer an option for me. I intend to be back in Canada by mid-June, writing and editing my work.

I'm now looking for a new country to visit. Back to square one after five months of research on Ethiopia.