Mirerani - hopeless poverty

LIA also has 2 houses in Mirerani, a desolate town located near the airport. Mirerani’s claim to fame is that it’s the only known place in the world where the gem Tanzanite can be found, and there are several Tanzanite mines – some operated by foreign companies. However, unlike most towns where precocious materials have been found (think back to the Gold Rush), it has done nothing to help the wealth in this town. In fact, last year during the wet season, 120 miners died trapped in the mines – we didn’t stay glued to CNN for that one, did we? The money yielded from the mines (and it’s a lot) does not help this place, not even Tanzania. Most goes to South Africa. It is the most barren, hopeless, and to be blunt, poor place I have ever laid my eyes on.

Mirerani has no clean water. It’s not only contaminated with the general bacteria and viruses common in the water here, it has way too much fluoride, which turns the people’s teeth brown and deforms their leg bone structure to the point of crippling them (remember Rachel?). There is no bank, no post office (mind you this town is bigger than Boma, where the other houses are located and there are at least 2 banks there). Why? Due to the Tanzanite, criminals flock there in hopes of finding a stone or hiding there, because they know no one will look for them there – the Government has chosen to forget about this place. The place is also abundant with Masaai people, who have absolutely archaic beliefs – such as FGM (female genital mutilation). They are STILL performing female circumcision on very young and teenage girls!

Mama Lynn lives in Mirerani in a protected home with eleven children in her house. One child was taken in after his mother was dieing of the virus and asked Mama Lynn to take him, in fear that he would be snatched up by the mines due to his size. It’s estimated that nearly 3,000 children work in the mines (most abducted), as their small size allows them to maneuver into little nooks to find the gem. Other children have been with her since their birth and she considers them her kids and they call her Mom. We ask her – why stay in the place? She answers – if we don’t start to change it and educate the future generation, who will?

So, this is where we stayed for 4 days – in a near ghost town, only reachable by Land Rover that has no hospital. For this reason, nearly 60 percent of women die in child birth. Every second house is a victim to the virus. Mama Lynn, this 65-year-old lady, is out here on her own, changing things (a 3rd house is planned with a maternity ward). As you can imagine, it was a real eye-opener. Not to mention our hotel, which was infested with cockroaches and was most likely a whore house!