Malaria

The day before I got diagnosed with malaria the first time, while working in Ifakara, Morogoro region, an area with one of the highest malaria infection rates in Tanzania.

One thing that a lot of people ask me about my life in Africa, is wether I have had malaria before. And the answer is: Yes!

In the eight years I have been in Tanzania, I have suffered from malaria six times.

European people about to tavel to Africa are usually advised to take anti-malaria medicine by their doctors, but I would advise you against this.

Here is why:

First of all, some of the commonly prescribed anti-malarials, like the antibiotic 'doxycycline' is, as the name says, an anti-BIOTIC - it is therefore not able to fight a malaria infection in your body, as malaria is caused by an amoeba, a single-celled organism different to a bacterium.

During my first year in Tanzania I took doxycycline daily, as advised to me but contracted malaria after seven months.

Secondly, the risk of contracting malaria has a great seasonal variance. During the coldest months in Africa (May-August) the number of mosquitos is comparatively low and therefore the risk of being bitten and falling ill, is as well.

It also depends on where you plan to spend your time. Mosquitos prefer humid, moist and low-lying lands to cold areas of high altitude.

If you come to Tanzania only to climb Kilimanjaro for a week, you will probably not even be bitten.

Majestic Mount Meru, Arusha. In mountainous areas mosquitos are rare and malaria infection rates low.

Thirdly, anti-malarials have significant side effects and a negative impact on your gut flora and immune system. Even doctors usually admit that it is not advised to take them longer than three months.

I would advise anyone coming to Africa to refrain from buying expensive anti-malarials and to invest instead in a self-tester kit, a course of malarone or any other malaria treatment, a mosquito net and plenty of mosquito-repellent.

Malaria is a potentially deadly disease but it is avoidable. By applying common sense and caution you already reduce the risk of contracting it.

It is also good to know that even in some of the most remote corners of Africa, malaria medication is available and that new treatment facilities are on the rise.

Plastic Africa

While deep see scientists are discovering micro-plastics at ever greater depths and David Attenborough's Blue Planet 2 is raising awareness on plastic pollution, Africa is a long way off even realizing that plastic is a killer.

I live alongside the average, rural African and I see on a daily basis (whenever I buy a kilo of sugar for example) that they have an extremely high plastic footprint.

Here in Tanzania we have thin black disposable plastic bags in which everything is wrapped up. Wether it is a bar of soap, bread, flour or even a bottle of soda, shop assistants will put everything in these bags which you get for free.

Should you wish to buy a bigger plastic bag, you can do so for 100 Tanzanian shillings (4 EUR cents).

There is no waste disposal system in rural Tanzania (and probably many other African countries) and these bags are carelessly thrown into the street.

When the village litter gets too much, the bags are collected and burned.

Coca cola and Pepsi used to distribute their drinks in reusable glass bottles but have in recent years introduced plastic 'take-away' bottles, obviously with a view to reducing pollution.

Even the Masai, whose traditional diet has changed so much, buy their daily needs in the nearby villages and come back to their bomas with a lot of plastic bags.

These days they want the newest sandals imported from China or mirrors or brushes to clean their bead work and in general items made in China have an extremely high plastic content. These things are also of appaling quality, last only a couple of weeks and are then disposed of in the African bush.


The First world has woken up to the threat plastic poses to our planet. But while heroic efforts are being made by the people as well as large manufacturers, it seems, not a lot of thought is given to Africa, India and other densly populated areas of the world where indigenous education levels are low and where political leaders do not have the forsight to reduce the use of plastics.

The planet is not going to recover unless we make the fight against plastic pollution a global issue.

The land I love

There was a Land I loved so much

And my Heart would bleed 

With its Suffering 

Caused by Greed

Our Children growing up 

Without a Future

Why fail to read the Signs?

Why live as if 

Tomorrow is guaranteed?

Let us move 

Be open

Be free

Do not hold back

See

Open your Eyes

The World needs Healing

Come my Friends 

Let us act

Let us be good

There is still Time

Move

Our children

I have to admit that before I came to Tanzania, I had never wanted to have children.
As a matter of fact, I never wanted to get married either.

Now that I have been married for nearly 6 years and have a son of 20 months, I take a step back and ask myself what happened?

And the answer is, Africa happened!

I found so much love here, in the beauty of the country and my amazing husband and in the children without whom, Africa would only be half as heart-warming.

The children here come towards you here so fearlessly, so full of trust and curiosity - it melts your heart and makes you so much softer.

Children in Africa often grow up under difficult conditions, their parents struggling everyday to provide for them, yet they are always cheerful, running around playing with the simplest things like sand and sticks.

You do not need to encourage them to play or engage with their neighbours, they do so all by themselves and they watch and learn from their parents every day mimicking the chores they do.

They seem to grow up here so much quicker yet never losing their smiles and their playfulness.

From my earliest days here in Africa I have loved engaging with kids, finding they would pick me up even from the darkest mood and inspiring me to be a more open, kinder and softer person.

Here are some pictures of the amazing kids I live with these days.

My husband's cousin's daughter carrying her baby sister.

My husband's cousin herding our cattle. 

Our son carrying his favourite baby sheep

Some of the kids from our boma posing for the camera.