Reflection

“Being in a foreign country means walking a tightrope high above the ground without the net afforded a person by the country where he has family, colleagues, and friends, and where he can easily say what he has to say in a language he has known from childhood.”
Milan Kundera, “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”

There is never an easy way to say goodbye to what you have become accustomed to doing. This can be as simple as saying goodbye to the college life and starting a job in the “real world” or as complex as moving to a new country and working with none of the immediate support that was once so readily available. As I begin to acclimate myself to the lifestyle of the Tanzanian people I have been reflecting on the incredible differences between the way of life between the people here and back in the United States.
According to a 2004 report Tanzania was listed as the 2nd poorest country in the world with a measurable GDP, only in front of Sierra Leone. A big part of this is because of the size of the country and the education and occupation of many of the people. The country itself is twice the size of California and the people are spread out amongst the countryside. There are a few bigger cities, which you can see have made the map where life is somewhat more similar to the US, but there are many many people who live in small villages that have not been deemed map worthy. The people in these small villages usually will never make it to the bigger cities. They are farmers by occupation and grow what they need to live off of and will set up a stand, much like kids set up lemonade stands, with some of their produce to try and sell or trade with people who are passing by on their way to get water, food, or sometimes kids on their way to school. They make little money from their sales and have no cars. Many times as I meet people and talk with them one of their first questions is do you drive a car in America. When I tell them I do they look at me wide eyed as if they have just met a celebrity. If a farmer is able to have an unusually healthy harvest he might be able to sell or trade enough of his goods to buy a bike. A coveted sign of wealth. Because many people must walk up to 10-15 miles a day to find water, supplies, or education, a bike provides faster transport and the ability to carry heavier loads.
Education is a big issue in Tanzania and not everyone is able to get it. The government recently passed a mandate to make primary school (grade school) free to all students, but secondary school costs money, which some families cannot afford. Those that are able to go to school often don’t have the supplies they need to get a worthy education. In order to pass the national tests and move up in grade levels students must study many subjects: English, Swahili, math, chemistry, physics, physical education, geography, history, and civics, to name a few. Students and schools have little money, however so there are no calculators for math, no test tubes or labs for chemistry, in fact, most of the time there are no text books at all. Students rely only on their teacher and their notes and the private study that they do in order to learn the subjects. One on one help is also something rarely found as the teacher to student ratio can soar as high as 220:1. This leaves frustrated students to simply fall behind and fail their tests to advance to the next level of schooling.
When students aren’t in school they have various jobs and activities that can keep them busy. None of which include sitting in front of the TV or playing video games…Because most families are farmers, students must also help with the farming responsibilities. Taking care of livestock, or helping with the garden, and helping to prepare meals are a few jobs they might help with. When they get some free time they have different games they play. Soccer, basketball, and volleyball are all pretty popular. Soccer being the favorite, however, you often see people kicking balls around. Those that cannot afford an actual ball will roll up many plastic bags and tie string or yarn around it to create a ball. Lew and I created a game in Dar es Salaam where we drew three circles, like a bulls eye, and had to throw rocks into the center to score points. Many of the monks found this game very amusing and the abbot was surprised we just made it up saying it was a very good and fun game. One must become creative to come up with new activities when electricity is rarely available. In the small villages electricity is not an option, and even in some of the bigger towns and villages electricity is a scarce commodity. If you can’t afford flashlights or batteries, evenings are spent by candlelight.
I’ve noticed that with the lack of electronics, people here are much more social than in the US. People love to talk and be around one another. When work is done they gather together to talk. If you pass by anyone they stop and greet you and want to know how everything is going, has been going, and what you will be doing. They are very proud of the country and everyone welcomes you with great pleasure. People always smile and laugh despite their poor economic standing. I think Tanzanians are some of the happiest people around. Maybe it’s because they don’t have the financial stresses that come with the lifestyle stamped upon us in the United States or maybe they just are happy to be alive.
The average length of life for the country is only around 45 years old. Going hand in hand with the lack of schooling and education is the lack of health awareness. AIDS is a big problem as well as other diseases such as Malaria or yellow fever. The government here has made a big initiative to spread the word about AIDS and prevention, but many people never get the message, or refuse to follow the steps. In many of the smaller villages hospitals and doctors are too far away or medicine costs too much money leaving many small children or elderly who contract Malaria, a very treatable disease if caught early enough, left to fall victim to the deadly disease.
I think I could go on and on about more of the differences between the countries, however this is getting rather long. The adjustment has, and will continue to take some getting used to, but the warmth and joy the people express to have someone here who wants to help them is beginning to create a new safety net under my tight rope hanging high above.

With peace and love,
Derek