NO BOOKS – NO WATER – NO ELECTRICITY – FEW TEACHERS

This Sunday’s blog post from Gill in Tanzania. Please enjoy and follow.

Gillswriting

And so my friends, my reflections on the past two years continue and if you recall I promised a bittersweet tone, because as I have said before my life here is continually tinged with that enigma of emotions, Happy Sad (capitalisation deliberate).

NO BOOKS – NO WATER – NO ELECTRICITY – FEW TEACHERS

My latest lesson in the vagaries of the education system in Tanzania:

Education of the future generations is undoubtedly the way forward for the country, there are very few would disagree with the common sense of that statement. Scrabbling and scraping to claw their way through the system to reach Secondary School is something that tests the inner strength of every child here and many do not make it. Clearly those that do are the cherished ones for the future, the ones the system should embrace. The struggle at secondary school to succeed for the next four…

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Enthusiasm

This week i talk about enthusiasm. What drives me in writing. What is that which gives me joy? Certainly not baseball! Have a look and find out.

Source: Enthusiasm

 

Please read this blog by Matt Harrill writer of horror.

Two Year Anniversary

Gill Sainsbury is back in Tanzania following her visit to family and her weekly blog now continues. Please enjoy.

Gillswriting

Two years since I stepped off the plane at Kilimanjaro airport with a rush of adrenalin as my feet first made contact with the Tanzanian soil that was to be my home for the next seven months. Yes I originally came for seven months and yes I am still here!

I had done it. I had arrived. I had, quite frankly and with that priceless resource hindsight, been manic in my endeavour to get here. When I look back at that time I can see the depth of my desperation and oftentimes now, I feel a sense of panic rise in me as I realise that my mind has shut out a considerable chunk of that time, there is a lot I simply do not remember about the year preceding my arrival here. I think that is our inherent life’s defence mechanism.

I came to turn a page in my…

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Choosing your protagonist

Choosing your protagonist.

Another great blog post by Matt Harrill, been busy for the last 3 weeks so posted 3 weeks posts up today. Make sure you don’t miss the other two posts.

Real People – Basing Your Characters

Real People – Basing Your Characters.

Another great writing related blog post by Matt Harrill.

Apocalypse – how do you write it?

Apocalypse – how do you write it?.

Blog post by Matt Harrill, always worth a read.

Interview

Interview.

This weeks blog post by Matt Harrill is an interview he did please follow the link, read and enjoy.

S*** Still Shouldn’t Happen

In memory of a young boy named Thomas by Gill Sainsbury.

Gillswriting

June 18th 2014 – RIP Thomas

I have a deeply personal and selfish interest in ensuring the loss of this young man’s life is marked in some way. It is OK to continue to miss someone and it is OK to mark the passing days, weeks, months and even decades.

On June 22nd last year I posted Sh** Shouldnt Happen in memory of Thomas, a young boy who lost the right to life just 15 years after being born with a hole in his heart. This has played on mind for the past few weeks.

Who remembered Thomas, who laid flowers at his grave? I don’t know, I truly don’t. But I do know life here is tough and the loss of life is accepted as more common.

Sh** – what I am saying is that the laissez – faire attitude I refer to regarding education – well you get…

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Sense and immersion part 2

Sense and immersion part 2.

Please read this weeks blog from Matt Harrill. Part 2 of how to use senses in your writing, if you missed Part 1 please scroll down to the post for the link.

Sense and immersion

Sense and immersion. This is Matt Harrill’s blog for the week. The first part of two in how to use the senses in your writing.