Our main job while volunteering was to have the children make Christmas Cards and take pictures for their sponsors. At first, when given the job, we thought – great, we’ll have it done in a week and move on to something else. Little did we know…After designing the card, we wanted to print out our design to paste on the over 200 cards we had to make. This proved to be no easy task. First, in the design process we used the Internet to download pictures – took FOREVER. Second, we tried printing our design in the office – there was no USB cable. Third, we went to the office at Pilgrams to print, but there was no ink. 4th, we went back to Tudor office with the USB cable from Pilgrams, which did not work with Sara’s computer and they had lost the installation CD for the printer. This next part chronicles our numerous other attempts:
5. Go to Boma to print, the town has no electricity
6. Find a store with a generator, they are out of yellow ink and the printer is from the USA, but paper A4 (took us awhile to figure out)
7. DAY 2 of trying to print: back to first shop in Boma, only a photo printer, no USB connection
8. Went to another shop, where the computer either didn’t have Adobe or they lost the installation disk to install the printer on the computer that did
9. Back 2nd store from day 1, still didn’t have yellow ink. By this time, a boy named Adam (who ended up wanting 1500 dollars from Sara and I to open a shop) decided he should help us
10. Adam took us back to the place that could only print pictures
11. Store across the street from picture place – no color ink
12 – 18. All stores that didn’t have color ink or no USB connection
19. Internet shop, ran out of ink while printing
20. Back to store with no yellow ink, they had finally got new ink.
After 20 attempts, we were able to print out 20 copies, which took an hour. We learned our cultural lesson: what is easy and routine at home (press print), is a process in Tanzania. Adam taught us that what would take 3 minutes Mwzungu time (our time), would take 30 in African time – you just have to add a zero to the end of the number! Needless to say, the Christmas card was a process (to print out all needed copies, we photocopied some in the office and ended up buying the other office a print cartridge), and had taken us all four weeks to get them done! But, most importantly, we learned how things work here
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