Thursday 26th AprilThis seems like an age ago - sorry I haven't managed to type it up until now!Where do I start with the experiences of this day? Shall I talk of the disabled seemstress, the children in dirty rags who smile & laugh, my attempts at pressing sugar or pounding corn - I think I'll start with Mama Sophia.Mama Sophia (so named - did i say? because her first born was called Sphia - so I would be Mama Matthew - how cool would that be!) Mama Sophia was the exuberant extremely welcoming woman who put flowers in my hair and danced and bashed that bucket with impressive rhythm at my welcome. She invited us (me & Project Leader Caroline) into her home today (A true mud hut - but it did have more than one room) mud floor, mud & wood walls. We were given little wooden stools to sit on, a bottle of coke & biscuits & banana while they ate & drank - nothing! She smiled and laughed. A child was making food over a small fire in the corner - Caroline asked what it was (it looked very dark). Mama Sophia replied in kiswahili that Caro translated as 'ugali of course - what else' as she laughed & laughed. Ugali - by the was - is like Tanzanian version of mash - it's OK with a sauce - but it's there staple diet whenever they do eat that is.I did notice 4 pairs of shoes hanging on the wall - so not the poorest family here! A pile of wood was stacked in the ceiling rafters. Mama Sophia said she only had to walk 2 hours to get them - she really did mean 2 hours was good! All the time she was smiling and laughing as she was talking (not like she was drunk - don't get me wrong! - just pleasant, welcomingg and anything other than self pitying) There was alot of children around, we asked their names (well caro did in Kiswahili) Beatrice 18 with 2 children Christa 3 1/2 and Alex 1yr (I thought of myself at that age) Then Teddy, Veronika and one who was doing dinner whose name I didn't catch (some names are a bit tricky) they seemed to keep popping up from everywhere. We asked how many children she had - 10 - 4 still at home, 3 married with children and 3 she lost. She held her hands together in triumph - 10 children! Then she told us she had retired - from having anymore !!!Everywhere we went we were ALWAYS offered a drink & biscuits - it was so hard to accept - and the children aren't allowed to have any. But they enjoy guests, and we have found ways of repaying them! Read on .....