My first day with the veterinarian in Arusha started with him picking me up from the Mount Meru Hotel, directly from the Kilimanjaro trip, and then we drove through the city because he still had some things to do. I also had to check off a few things like “get money” and “laundry”.
My first meeting with Mama Tembo
Time flew by and suddenly the doctor said to me that he had to take me to a meeting because he was already much too late.
And then I found myself in a bigger, quite fancy hotel complex, in the bar “Butter & Scotch ” outside Arusha and was introduced to Doris, Lengai and Dennis. The meeting was about the Save the Wildlife & Wildlife Corridors campaign – STWWC.
An alliance of a total of 15 members, all pursuing one goal: To minimize the conflict between people and the wildlife living in Tanzania. They do education work in the communities about why it is so important to protect the animals and to open up their migration routes (corridors), which they have followed for centuries and passed on to subsequent generations.
I listened attentively and it soon became obvious that Doris is a German and has been living in Tanzania for 7 years now. Everyone knows her as “Mama Tembo”, which means “Elephant Mama”. Her heart beats especially for the elephants and they play an important role in the ranking of the corridors. They walk in front and all the other animals follow. From the gnu herds to the zebras to the lions and hyenas. A circle of life, the interruption of which by humans means the end of many species. So Mama Tembo is a bush mama and loves being among her elephants. And that is exactly why she is so passionate about the campaign.
We understood each other immediately. And not just because we are both German. She quickly found out that I work in marketing and was immediately on fire. I could support the campaign very well. I liked the concept and agreed. A few days later we met again and she told me more about herself, the campaign and about her two NGOs “Pamoja Rhotia” and “Maramoja” and I hung on her lips. An absolutely exciting woman with many stories. Spontaneously, I spent the night at her place the next day, because she was on the road and needed someone to look after her house and her dogs.
Out of Arusha
And then one day she offered me to just go with her. I should get out of Arusha and see Tanzania. One morning at 7 o’clock I got into the car with her and we set off for Karatu. On the 3-hour drive, not only did Tanzania present itself in its full beauty, Doris also showed me the current highly endangered corridor. I wanted to get an idea of the issue.
Karatu is a very different city from Arusha. Smaller, quieter, friendly. Doris had lived here for a few years, so she knew her way around and had some shopping to do. I just soaked up the flair of the city.
A little later, Lengai joined us. He wanted to accompany us to Lake Eyasi and then take us to a camp run by a member of STWWC.
I was on the road with Doris for a good two days. Accompanied by many interesting and intensive conversations. For me it was a very special trip. Off the main tourist track in the middle of Tanzania. The film is a summary of this trip and is meant to take you along on this little journey, which you won’t find in any travel guide.
What stays
That’s when a wonderful friendship between Doris and me was born. In the meantime, I support the campaign and build the website, providing further ideas for drawing attention to the issue in order to generate donations. Together with Lengai and Dennis, it’s really fun and besides work, Doris and I still have a lot of contact to just chat.
Doris has brought me closer to Tanzania and also set my heart on fire for this country with all its inhabitants. I dedicate this film to her.
And if you want to know more about her work, just have a look at www.pamojarhotia.com and
www.stwwc.com (still under construction).