We work with some amazing folks in Zanzibar, and it all begins with our friend Kombo Bakar. When we first started investigating the possibility of leading a student trip to Zanzibar it was Steve who discovered Kombo because, quite simply, all the information online made it clear that if you were headed out to Pemba (one of the two main islands, along with Unguja, that comprise Zanzibar) you had to look up Kombo Bakar. He is the head Archivist on Pemba, and also heads up the Kidike Flying Fox Sanctuary and the related NGO.
It’s through Kombo’s support that we were first able to make contact with elementary schools on Pemba, and every time we return it’s Kombo who makes it happen. How dedicated is he to this vision? How about traveling from Pemba to Unguja during the monsoon season to meet us at Lukmaan’s, our favorite restaurant in Stone Town. It was raining harder than you could possibly imagine until it would start raining harder!
On this particular trip, Steve and I weren’t planning on heading out to Pemba, but it was important to Kombo and his team that we met face to face to plan the next student trip.
-Written by Techdrens faculty advisor Gary Scudder
