Report from Tanzania – Installment #5

I am leaving Tanzania this afternoon. On Saturday I depart from Kilimanjaro Airport on Qatar Airlines and fly first to Doha, Qatar, then to London, then to Shannon, Ireland, where I will meet up with family and begin my “real” vacation. After a few days in Ireland, we will fly to Romania for a week, staying with the relatives of my sister-in-law, who grew up there. I plan to continue experiencing my travels through the lens of the Kindness Continuum, and will periodically update my posts based on what we are doing and how I am perceiving the world at that moment in time.

But for now, as I prepare to leave, I want to acknowledge publicly in this blog the innumerable kindnesses shown to me by the people I have met here. I very much hope this will not be the last time I see them and I am already concocting schemes that will provide opportunities to return and perhaps bring some of my social work students with me. Please allow me to introduce some of my new friends to you:

Michael – one of the project coordinators and the first person I met after my arrival here. Michael picked me up at the airport and walked me through my first 36 hours in Tanzania. He was there to answer any question I had at any time throughout my stay, and even negotiated with the internet provider on a weekend when I was running out of gigs on my phone and desperately needed to replenish so that I could stay connected to the web. He makes sure that the volunteers never get lost or stranded, and never complains about the numerous demands on his time. I have learned the importance of patience from him, and how that can make such a difference for the people you are charged with helping.

Irene – the director of the Human Rights Project that I was part of for three weeks. Irene runs a very tight ship and expects a lot from the volunteers. We were busy all the time, and sometimes had to finish our work from home in the evenings. Irene has been doing this work for a number of years, and believes passionately in the importance of supporting the women and juveniles and educating them on their rights. Her passion is infectious, and when we volunteers became frustrated at the flaws and corruption in the systems that are supposed to be helping the people we are working with, she did us the kindness of giving us perspective. She carefully and passionately explained how we do make a difference for these children and women. She was able to provide important context that surrounds the small slice of life we see during our short volunteer visits. Her big picture perspective paints a more positive view of the systemic changes that are slowly taking place, and I appreciate Irene’s willingness to take the time to educate us. Another reminder that we need to be careful in the conclusions we draw from extremely limited information and experience.

Judith – Judith is a Tanzanian lawyer and was hired by Projects Abroad during the week I arrived. She has a human rights background and is helping the volunteers by providing translations during our presentations and interviews. She is a young mother with an adorable 9 month old son, and she and I worked very well together and became fast friends. She is a lot of fun, and is always willing to answer my questions about cultural practices or customs. I will miss her but we plan to stay in touch.

Elizabeth – Elizabeth was hired at the same time as Judith and is also a human rights lawyer. She is trying to start a nonprofit organization here in Tanzania that will provide support and assistance to the large population of refugees at the Nyalugusu refugee camp in the Kigoma region of the country. These refugee families, many of them women and children, are suffering and languishing while the politicians in the various countries involved try to decide what to do with them. It is not a good situation and Elizabeth is hoping that her NGO will be able to work with and support the refugees so that when they leave the camps they will have the skills, finances and ability to support themselves economically and emotionally. I’m hoping to find a way to help her achieve her dream, so I’m sure we will continue to stay in touch. Elizabeth kindly taught me the importance of remembering those who are forgotten by others, and not to abandon them. Elizabeth also served as host and tour guide on my last day here, taking me and 2 other volunteers all around the Arusha area to sights we had not seen yet. The day was topped off by a visit to her home, where she served us Konyagi and a wonderful meal, gave me some parting gifts, and introduced us to her parents. I will treasure the generous and welcoming nature of Elizabeth and her family.

Rachel – Rachel is one of the Projects Abroad staff who can do most anything people need her to do. For the human rights project she helped the volunteers with translations and other types of support. She is capable, ambitious, and enthusiastic, a good combination of attributes that will take her far in life. She is friendly to everyone she meets, and very willing to help anyone who needs anything. Every week she had a new hairstyle which was great fun. I have learned from Rachel how important enthusiasm and a good attitude can be, even when life gets complicated and stressful.

Liz – Liz is the director of the microfinance project, which makes micro loans to the women entrepreneurs. Since the human rights work overlaps with the microfinance work, our two projects work closely together when we go out to the neighborhoods and speak to the women. Liz tells me that they have been making loans for quite a few years now, and that every single woman who has had a loan has paid it back in full. She is very proud of that fact, and clearly cares a lot about each individual woman who is trying to improve the lives of herself and her family. She loves talking to the volunteers about these women and their businesses, and the work of the microfinance project. She taught me the importance of having faith in others, and that a little bit of support can go a very long way to helping someone reach their potential and beyond.

Christopher – Christopher is a fellow volunteer in the human rights project. He is from Melbourne, Austrailia and has the most wonderful Austrailian accent. He is studying law and human rights and social justice issues in different places around the world before he settles back in Melbourne. He is hoping to spend a year in the U.S. interning or working for a social justice type organization. He was thinking Chicago, but I’m trying to point him to Detroit as a great incubator for all the issues that plague vulnerable populations. He is a thoughtful, well read young man, idealistic but also very practical and down to earth. We have had many stimulating conversations about our impressions of Tanzania and world affairs. He has done me the kindness of reminding me that young people are indeed our future, and I know he will be successful in anything he decides to pursue.

Chihiro – From Japan, Chihiro was my housemate for most of my stay here and also was a fellow human rights project volunteer. She is a bright young student who grew up in several countries, including the United States. She majored in Farsi in college, and is studying political science from an international perspective, and will be attending graduate school in London in the fall. After leaving her experience in Tanzania, she is going to the opposite end of the economic spectrum and will be spending the next several weeks in Singapore at a financial institution. She is intensely curious about everything, loves people, and is mature beyond her young years. Her sense of humor and ability to laugh at herself made her a joy to be around. She took on the burden/responsibility of making sure that I never got lost when taking the dala dala, and several times gave up an evening out with the younger volunteers to make sure I got home ok. She taught me the importance of looking out for others and having their back.

The amazing women of Arusha – These women were an inspiration to know. They embrace all the volunteers who come their way, and never complain that the faces change every few weeks with new people always coming and going. They willingly and freely share their lives with us, opening their doors and welcoming us in. They speak out and are assertive and sometimes challenging with their questions and ideas. We had some very interesting conversations about parenting practices, corporal punishment, and the complexities of family life in this country. Their kindness in opening their minds and hearts to new ideas was a reminder that learning is always a two way street. They taught me the importance of keeping an open mind and listening closely even when discussing difficult topics.

Anna – whose name I learned only recently is actually Fey (short for Faith). Anna was the first person to welcome me at the house where I stayed, and she will be the last person I see before I leave this fascinating country. Anna is the housekeeper and cook for Mama Ngowi (who spent a big chunk of my visit away on business so I didn’t really have a chance to get to know her), but she has much bigger ambitions for herself. She is very bright, curious and thoughtful, and I have no doubt she will persevere in achieving her goal to go back to school and become a secretary or office assistant. Her English is actually much better than Mama’s, and she is interested in many things outside the gates of the compound where she must spend pretty much all her time. She works tirelessly, and never turns down a request for help. She always has a ready smile, and has a great sense of humor. She is grace personified, and I feel lucky to have shared many meals and conversations with her. She taught me the importance of patience and planning and keeping your dreams alive.

Thank you for indulging my observations and reflections throughout my time in Tanzania. Ireland and Romania, here I come!!