Lena

TANZANIA DECEMBER 2022 - MARCH 2023

Gathering all the experiences and memories into a not-too-long report will not be easy because every time I think back to that time, so many beautiful moments come to mind. If I were to describe them all here, this text would become very long. Therefore, I will show you a few of my favorite photos from my stay in Tanzania and share a short story about each one. A brief overview: I flew to Dar es Salaam at the beginning of December, planning to stay for a month and a half, but I ended up staying for three months. I lived with two other volunteers, Nadja and Luisa, in a small rented house located in the same residence as Julia's home. My daily routine was colorful and varied. A few days a week, I spent time at the center, where I helped Nadja and Luisa with English lessons, assisted with fabric dyeing, or worked on creative projects such as making mosaics or dreamcatchers. The rest of the time, I spent at the beach, at my cousin Julia's home with her boys Samir and Omar, or in the city, visiting markets and experiencing the chaos of an African metropolis firsthand. At the end of December, Nadja and I spent two weeks traveling through northern Tanzania, visiting cities like Lushoto, Arusha, and Moshi.

After a good breakfast with fresh fruit, chapati, and, of course, guacamole, we got into the car. Our journey led us to Kimbiji, about 24 km south of Geza. After driving on a paved road, the journey became bumpier as we weaved our way through trees and houses to reach the new center's construction site. Under the shade of cashew trees and huge baobabs, the workers were busy completing the buildings. In the following weeks, we observed and, of course, helped as the grass was cut, a garden was planted, and the trees were freed from climbing plants. The masons plastered and painted the walls, and the carpenters made windows and doors on-site. For the inauguration of the center, the Servus Association from Bolzano came to Tanzania, and we celebrated together. The dream of building a center had now become a reality. The move from the current teaching location in Geza was being planned, and the next courses were set to take place in the new center as soon as it was furnished. In the photo, you can see Samir, Julia's son, holding a baobab flower.

During the day, it gets quite hot on the beach, and without sun protection, I’ve gotten sunburned here several times. Depending on the weather and season, the appearance of the beach changes. We had a great time here, but unfortunately, you often come across a lot of trash and seaweed. This is when we step in: we start actions with the women from the center, collecting plastic waste in large bags. However, we don’t get far because after just a few hundred meters, the bags are already piling up, and we are exhausted from the heat. A cool dip in the sea and a delicious lunch on the beach reward our efforts. We take the opportunity to educate the group about the problem of plastic waste in the sea and the importance of recycling. A major issue is that many people don't know how long it takes for plastic to decompose, and almost every food item, whether from a store or a market, is wrapped in plastic. When we shop and say we don’t want “plastiki,” they hand us the bare fruit with a smile.

The school day begins in the morning with a small warm-up exercise in the garden. We stretch and limber up to start the day fit while it is still pleasantly cool outside. Then we move into the classroom. We begin with English lessons, and we plan the classes together. Nadja, Luisa, and I learn songs with the young women, singing and dancing together. We do crafts, paint, and explain to them how the world looks: the geography of the continents, the time zones, and the different cultures. Together we visit the neighbor who teaches the girls how to braid and weave hair. Often, we had to act as test subjects. The sewing lessons take place in the classroom; when they aren’t sewing, they use the sewing table as a desk. As a group, we help those who still have difficulty with writing and English. You can feel the group dynamic, which makes you realize how much stronger you are as a group. At the end of the day, Fasili or Ima, our favorite bodabodas (motorcycle taxis), pick us up and take us home.

The morning starts with breakfast. At my cousin Julia's home, the table is set. Fasili brings us fresh vitumbua and chapati from the village. Vitumbua are rice cakes fried in oil with coconut milk. There’s also chai, lots of fresh fruit, and mayai (eggs) from the neighbor. Only after a hot coffee can the day begin. Whether we go into the city for shopping, to the beach to collect shells, or to Kibiji to help with the work, I don’t know yet—here, we live each day as it comes and see what happens. The spontaneity and lack of rush take some getting used to for us, who are accustomed to a more “structured” daily routine. But over time, you get used to it and learn to appreciate this calmness.

POLE POLE

We visit the farm of a friend of Ilyas, Julia’s husband. With our small car, we navigate roads that have been so eroded by rain that only narrow tracks are passable. We carefully get out when the road goes uphill, and we are grateful that Ilyas is such a good driver. We are greeted by the workers and animals. Here, goats, sheep, chickens, and geese are kept. Behind the stables, a field is being planted where the lush green leaves shine in the sun. We admire a small, self-built clay house made from clay dug just a few meters away. I take a few handfuls of this clay to make pottery. For refreshment, there are fresh coconuts—delicious :)

We start our day with a homemade breakfast at Irente Farm, above the small town of Lushoto. With homemade cheese and butter, we almost feel at home. The day was gray and rainy and didn’t invite a longer hike, so Nadja and I set off on foot and found our way to the edge of the plateau on which Lushoto is located. We walked among eucalyptus trees and red, clayey soils until we reached a small restaurant. There, we met Costa by chance, who would introduce us to the surrounding plant and animal life over the next few days. We drank tea and looked across the valley, where the clouds rose up the slope and repeatedly revealed glimpses of the landscape. What that man was doing there with his child and dog, I’ll probably never know.

We played a game with Costa—whoever spots the most chameleons wins. Costa won.

Everywhere you look, it’s green. The climate around Lushoto is so humid all year round that rainforests with the most incredible plant diversity can flourish. Among birds and monkeys, and many flying insects, you repeatedly discover a chameleon slowly making its way through the underbrush. Fischer’s chameleons are native to Tanzania. In addition to his talent for spotting chameleons first, Costa is also very knowledgeable about the useful and medicinal plants that grow here and explains their uses and characteristics to us. With many new impressions and knowledge (and homemade jams from Irente Farm), we leave Lushoto and continue to Moshi.

In the middle of the savanna, this oasis blooms: Chemka Hot Springs—a popular place to cool off, even for locals, but in the early morning, it’s still quiet, and we have this magical place all to ourselves. I capture the moment while Nadja enjoys the massage from the small fish in the water. I can’t stand it for even a minute and had to move constantly in the water so that the fish wouldn’t tickle me. After many adventures in nature, we spent a few more days in the city of Arusha, where we enjoyed cool nights before heading back to Dar es Salaam.

In conclusion, I can say that these three months have left a deep impression on me:

The diversity of nature, the good food, the colorful, crowded markets, the friendliness of the people, and above all, their laughter, which comes from the heart (you can tell when you see it), the empty beach in the early morning, the thunderstorms where lightning sounds different than at home, the colorful clothes, the slightly too fast rides on the bodabodas, the hospitality of Julia and her family, the friendliness and curiosity of the women at the center, and the melodies of Tanzanian music.

DANKE_ASANTE

Lena