I didn’t see my maandazi ladies friends for a week or so, until two of them turned up on my doorstep. They explained that the government had declared that no one was to do business near primary schools anymore. This effectively puts them out of business – the corner they […]
I was at a Christian seminar on parenting with Tanzanian peers. The facilitator made the argument that your first priority must be God your spouse your children and only after that, your career or money or anything else. This stuff makes sense to me. I am in a highly companionate […]
As our family has been through the wringer these past several months, with more to come, our little guys have been searching for stability. Now we are back in Dar, some of that has settled down, so I have been seeking to build up their emotional resilience. I’m sharing some […]
As Tanzania celebrated Nyerere Day on 14 October, there are growing comparisons between Tanzania’s founding President and its current President, John Magufuli. One of the enduring characterisations of Nyerere is that he is beloved by ordinary Tanzanians, but regarded by many foreigners and scholars as responsible for their poverty through economic […]
What is the place of money in the Christian life for the Tanzanian? Pastor John spoke of how wanting wealth is not a wrong thing for a Christian, if the purpose of that wealth is to be shared. We learned from a discussion with our language tutor in our Dodoma […]
Big Picture Parents: Ancient Wisdom For Modern Life* is a Christian critique of postmodern parenting. Harriet Connor opens with the observation that many parents say all they want is for their kids to be happy, and yet mental health issues among children and young people are greater than ever. Feeling […]
‘Everything takes so long.’ This is a refrain of living in the majority world. It’s why many people consider house help a necessity, for example. We often get asked why things take so long, what is actually taking up the time. We say, ‘something always goes wrong’, or at least […]
Meet Jesus at uni 