Mama C and UAACC

The beginning of my experience in Tanzania landed me in Arusha to learn community building approaches from Mama C, matriarch of United African Alliance Community Center, artist, and visionary. What I learned from My Sister was the embodiment of her kindness, legacy in social justice, vibe for life & living, and Orisha priestess perspective… far beyond what I ever would have imagined in days leading up to my Kilimanjaro climb.

Mama C’s Smile

Building Community

I was blessed with connecting to Mama C through revolutionary PDX hip-hop artist Mic Crenshaw. I met Mic through work in schools, as he has been involved in in youth advocacy and community building for many years. He is also involved with Our Turn experiences for youth in partnership with Portland Art Museum and CommuniCare. Mic had visited UAACC in Tanzania several times before, spearheading his project Hip Hop Caravan. I invited Mic to share coffee and convo at a Portland Black owned coffee shop to talk about how he might advise my travels. I had learned about Mama C’s commitment to poetry, music, and the work of the Center through youtube documentaries and Mic, longtime friend of Mama C’s, quickly affirmed my initial desire to visit the Center (UAACC). Mic not only shared about his experiences in creating sacred space at the Center, but also spoke to deep friendships and international family that he made in his time there. He spoke to life-long experiences that will continue to inform his body of work in Portland and in bringing these experiences to youth. I learned in these moments in speaking with Mic, that the experience at UAACC would stretch far beyond what I could comprehend. Shortly after this meeting at Elevated Coffee Shop, Mic invited me to meet Mama C at a small family gathering during one of her visits to Portland.

Upon First Meeting

I was nervous to meet Mama C. She was a legend in my mind: doing what I dream of doing in USA, but doing so in the Motherland. Driving to the potluck hosted at Mic’s house, with my 16 year old son, Sage, I wondered if my black eyed peas were too spicy, if I had enough conversations to hold in my back pocket, or even if I would be out of place in my high-yellow, biracial skin. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew I was bringing some baggage… baggage from a life lived in the US. When Sage and I arrived, the door was opened to a warm and welcoming space with savory smells, children laughing, a cute little dog, engaged teenagers, smiling parents, proud grandparents, and the matriarch, Mama C, comfortably nestled in Mic’s family room sofa. Almost immediately, my Portlander “overthinking errythang” melted into the peaceful, African vibe of slow-your-role-Boo. INSTANT FAMILY was inherent in this space. Mic and his wife Jana introduced Sage and I to everyone in the space. Mama C’s greeting was both sweet and calm. She said “It is so wonderful to meet you, Sister” and gave a similar greeting to Sage. As she leaned in for a hug, her gorgeous copper and brass arm cuffs dangled like bells (I would learn later in my travels that twinkling jewelry is a sign of grace and wisdom among women in Tanzanian culture). After an hour of chatting, Jana and I got busy in the kitchen as folks sat around Mama C to discuss life both “Here” and “There”. The night carried on with Mama C listening deeply to teenager perspectives, reconnecting with old friends of UAACC, and sharing an inter-generational meal. And yeah… it turns out that my black eyed peas were too spicy. But that didn’t matter one bit. What mattered was that every soul, child to elder, was present with a whole heart. Mic and Jana Crenshaw invited the opportunity to build community in their home, and THIS was the beginning of my connection with Mama C, UAACC, and Arusha, Tanzania.

JRO Arrival after 25+ hours of travel

Arrival: JRO to UAACC

Mama C was in close communication with me as I planned my visit. Upon arrival, she arranged for transport from the airport to the Center by her trusted driver Saidi. Even though there were many delays, Saidi was there to greet me with a “hakuna wasiwasi” kind of smile. The first 30 minutes of the drive was smooth as I looked out into the countryside to see, for the first time, land that was not riddled with a history of chattel slavery. I cried tears of joy quietly as Saidi helped me to practice greetings in Swahili. Once Mt Meru was in sight, we took a few right turns down a long and bumpy road to the Center. At the entrance to the Center, we were met by friends that opened the gate, hand-painted in red, green and black with the message “Welcome to the UAACC”. When I stepped out into the carport at 6pm that evening, jet lagged and hungry, Mama C was right there to greet me with a hug and a “Karibu sana, Dada!”. Again, I cried tears of joy quietly. I was so happy to arrive, to see her gracious face, and to be met with a warm dinner from Glory, one of the chefs at the Center. Mama C and I spent two hours together catching up over dinner. It was quiet compared to many arrivals at the Center, and I knew that most of the youth were on Winter holiday. I needed to be creative about how to engage during my time there, and it was helpful to talk with Mama C about materials I brought with me and what to expect in the coming weeks. When 8 o’clock rolled around, I said goodnight to Mama C and Glory brought me to my apartment, where I would stay. This space was so comfortable with all I needed to feel right at home! Once settled in my space for the next two-and-a-half weeks, I felt an instant sense of inclusion, comfort, and FAMILY.

My apartment at UAACC, aka Home Sweet Home

UAACC Featured Staff

As I mentioned previously, the Center was in an off-season during my visit. 10 months of the year, UAACC hosts over 25 young children full-time and countless teenaged youth for work place education in creative venues. My time without active programs at the Center does not, however, make my time any less an important experience. If anything, I feel this was time was more focused on connecting with local artists and teachers who coordinate the program, therefore more in line with the mission of Our Turn. While I was able to spend time with youth in maker space, and small children in teaching clapping games from the Southern United States, I would rather take this opportunity to let you know about a few teachers at UAACC making a BIG IMPACT. I realize that I was able to spend more time with these folks than I would have if programs were in full swing. The following contributors to programs at UAACC have made a significant impact on my experience, and I am grateful for our time together as it helped me to hear about next steps. I want to bring their practice into the spotlight.

1) Mwajabu: Director of youth programs, yoga teacher and seamstress. Together we were able to create new ideas for beadwork in her jewelry making with children. She hopes to add selected fabrics and textiles from Portland-based fabric outfitters to her studio practice with youth at the Center.

2) Emma Maasai: Director, musician, and videographer dedicated to building programs at the Center for teaching youth in how film can bring their stories beyond boundaries. Emma has a youtube presence and collective called KUZA Talents promoting filmmaking in Tanzania, and hopes to acquire essential tools and technology to bring youth filmmaking to international venues through the Center.

3) Ngendi Wa Mtaa: Visual artist and musician who organizes chess club, visual arts classes and music sessions at the Center. Ngendi seeks to uplift youth in creating an arts festival specifically focused on showcasing work of youth at UAACC in Arusha. Ngendi and I have future dreams in building a ceramics program at UAACC, which will include local potters in setting up a studio.

Some important messages to us all on the buildings at the Center

More to Give

What I learned about my time at UAACC is that, first and foremost, this place is the CENTER for building family. Nestled in the foothills of Mt Meru, with Arusha National Park as a backyard, Mama C has created a Landscape for Learning in one of the World’s most beautiful places. Spending weeks at UAACC prior to my Kili Climb meant so much more than acclimating to altitude or culture, but I was able to find family there. Mama C opened up her arms to me as a Sister from the very first time we met in Portland. What I didn’t realize at the time, is that this kind of Sisterhood is lifelong. While there are many more stories to share about this experience, there is also much more collaboration that will happen between UAACC and Our Turn in the future. I invite you to message us with your ideas for supporting the good work in the Sisterhood of Raising our Children, Together.

Watch for updates with regard to how we can support specific projects at UAACC.