So I Shagged a Tribeswoman

So here we are. Three months and three weeks ago my friend sent me a text wishing me a safe journey and that he looked forward to my blog entry entitled...well, what this blog post is called. It is almost surreal that I am leaving Tanzania. This past four months have been four of the most amazing, fun-filled, eye-opening months in my life. Anyone who has been following my Facebook or my blog will already have an idea of how much I have loved this experience. I have taught some truly adorable children at Gohechi. I have read and talked about some harrowing moments when researching FGM. I have met some of the most amazing people from all over this globe: Australia; America; Canada; Belgium; France; Denmark; Sweden; Norway; Holland; Germany; Japan; Mexico; and, most of all, Tanzania.

I have learned so much while I have been here, about myself and about the world. My bucket list has expanded far more than I have managed to tick off in this four month period. I have seen the natural beauty of Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, of Maji Moto, and Zanzibar. I have seen the beauty of the people here, the local people who try and make you feel as welcome as possible, and the volunteers who are here to really try and make a difference in the lives of the people the come into contact with.

I went on safari, I snorkelled with dolphins, I lazed around on a pristine beach in a five-star resort. I did the things that everyone can do, and usually do, when they come to this part of the world. But I also sat in front of thirty Maasai elders in their village to hold an intimate discussion about their culture, I was a guest at another Maasai village where they sacrificed a goat for our shared feast, I went to the United Nations Internations Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. How many people get to say they have done these things?
I am lucky to have been given the opportunity to do these things,  blessed that I grew up in a family, in a country, where I was given the opportunity to get to where I am now, a university graduate who has taken a year to travel to a different part of the work before he heads to law school writing a blog on his £300 laptop. £300 that I can blow on a piece of unnecessary electronic luxury which could pay for two years of schooling for a child here. We have so much given to us on a plate in the West. In the UK, free education and free healthcare, huge I-max cinemas and excellent sports facilities. Here in Tanzania, they pay for school and hospital treatment and if they can not afford it, they don't go. A large number of the people can not afford luxuries like going to the movies or out to eat every fortnight. The children play football on patches of flat land littered with stones and thorns.

If you, dear reader, are thinking about doing something like this, or know someone who is considering travelling or volunteering, then don't hesitate. Do it but do your research and find the best volunteering programme and company for you. I was lucky in choosing Projects Abroad and Tanzania for my experience. You should not have to take that chance. Volunteering and living with a host family is such an awesome experience and I wish I could live these last three months again. That feeling of stepping off the plane, alone, into a foreign country where you do not know the language and gearing yourself up to call it home for a substantial period of time is a scary one but one that I will keep for eternity.

I talked about the volunteers in another dedicated post but I have to mention them again. On Friday, I was ready to go home. My friends were all leaving or had left. I was looking forward to getting back to (hopefully) working and earning some money. But then I went out on Saturday and met some new volunteers who have just arrived. And now I want to stay. I have learned over the last four years of being thrown into situations where I know no one, first at university and secondly in Tanzania, that I love meeting new people and that I am a social person. All the volunteers are similar and that is what makes it so easy to for me to be able to change my mind so quickly about leaving.

There are so many things that I miss about life at home: watching TV shows like House, Community, Game of Thrones; going to the pub; broadband internet; looking for a new phone; playing computer games. All this stuff that I look forward to doing when I'm back that really does not matter one bit. But I still want to do it. Travelling to a poor country really opens your eyes to how materialistic our lives are but that does not have to mean that one should totally abandon that way of life. I still want a good smartphone. I still want to play FIFA with my brother. I still want to catch up with the TV that I have missed while I've been away. I just hope that I will appreciate the life that I can live.

"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

One day. One day and it will be over. Credits will roll and my job is done. Tomorrow morning I will be on the bus to Dar Es Salaam and my time with Projects Abroad as a volunteer will be over. Well, I will be in Arusha for four more days in June and will probably attempt some work in that time but, for the most part, I am done.

I will look over my work in another post but, for now, I will focus on what became an integral part of my stay: the volunteers. Before I left the UK, I assumed that I would be working most of the time, seeing volunteers once a week at the Projects Abroad organised socials. Indeed, in my first few weeks, that was the case. I worked 7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. everyday and then went home. Occasionally, I would head into Arusha to go shopping but I had everything I needed at home. Food, my bed, internet access for my laptop were all available to me. It was an easy, sedentary life. Not particularly exciting but I was not spending much money either, which pleased my parents.

Then, in late March, we went on the day trip to the hot springs, which kick started my Tanzanian social life. Fast forward through two months of amazing times and we get to the point where I am having to say goodbye to all of my friends. Coincidentally, as it was the start of my social life, it was the end as well for yesterday we took another trip, my third, to the hot springs and it was just as amazing as the first. But that is also another story.

It began in April when I began working more and more in the office. Every day around two in the afternoon, three volunteers would drop by the office and they'd check their e-mail and Facebook, then we would head to a cafe called Stiggbucks, which did amazing salads and guacamole. We would sit, eat, chat for hours until it was time to head home, usually around 6:30 p.m. if you wanted to make it home before dark. That was my life for two months. Seeing the same people every single day. It was like being at university, in halls, living with the same people for an entire year. I knew that most of the people I would meet in Tanzania would have similar personalities to my own. Most volunteers do what they do to help make a difference in a developing country; they all want to experience a different culture and they are all outgoing people. I knew that before I came and, in fact, it was a big deciding factor in my decision to volunteer abroad but, like I mentioned earlier, I still thought I would only see them once a week at the Projects Abroad organised socials. As it turns out, I became so close with the other volunteers that it feels like I have known them for years not months. We constantly arranged our own dinners out, lunch gatherings, drinks on a warm evening. We go on nights out every Thursday night to Via Via and Saturday night to Empire and dance until 4 a.m. I now count some of the volunteers among some of my most valued friends, not only because we have a great time together but also because we have the same principles.

It makes a huge difference to your entire experience when you do something like this. You never experience anything like it when backpacking or while on holiday. You don't get the same in-depth experience that all of the volunteers share at some point. In Tanzania, we have all experienced beign the centre of attention, being called mzungu in the street. We all have our own opinions on ugali  and nyama choma. When you volunteer, you join a community of people and it is especially noticable when your volunteering period coincides with other volunteers. You go through the same good days, the same bad ones. You all get the same sense of realisation that you are actually living in Africa at the same time. You all get horrible dawning that your time is at an end at the same time.

The social life I have had in Arusha has been better than anything I have had at home. The knowledge that your time is limited and the fact that you might never see some of the other volunteers again means that you fully appreciate the time you have together. It is strange that, in reality, most of the European volunteers live fairly close together. Most of the volunteers come from Holland (£37 on Easyjet) or Denmark (£32 on Easyjet), places that are not expensive to get to from the UK. In fact, I've already made plans to travel to Paris, Amsterdam and Copenhagen in November with some volunteers. It is a comforting notion, knowing that I will see my friends again but for the ones who live further afield, Canada, USA, Australia, it is devastating that I may not ever see them again.

That said, I think that the group of friends I have made are dedicated to staying in touch, especially as we have already got plans for a Eurotrip in the summer of 2013. At least, I hope so. Lots of things can happen in a year and who knows what circumstances life might throw at us but, hopefully, we will all make it for reunions in 2013 and beyond. At this time, and probably to anybody outside our group, it might seem ambitious to be hoping for a Eurotrip next year when all of us have already spent so much on volunteering this year, as well as having our studies next year, but I really want it to work. The volunteers have played such a massive part in making these last three months the best months of my life.

Saying goodbye is hard. Both when it comes to the people you know you might not see again and to the people that you know you will. While volunteering abroad, you build such intense relationships that you feel like you've known each other for years when, in actual fact, you know very little about them, what their favourite song or colour is for example. However, you get to know their personalities. I know that, out of my three friends I mentioned earlier, one is a really happy-go-lucky kind of guy who is up for anything, another is a kind, caring, non-confrontational girl who just wants to enjoy herself, and the third is a feisty character who will give as good as she gets when someone wrongs her or her friends.

I wish we all lived in the same city or country but such is life. Some people say that saying goodbye becomes easier as time goes on. For the staff here, they have such a huge turnover in volunteers that they are saying goodbye to someone every week. I hope it never becomes easy for me to say goodbye. When it's difficult, that's when you know you've had an amazing time. Life is short, make the most of it. You realise that when you do something like this. Three months has passed in a flash.

I think all that's left for me to say is a huge THANK YOU to the volunteers in Arusha, you've given me the best three months and enriched my life. Stay in touch and you've always got a place to stay in London.

EmE, CK, MB, JO, EJM, EK, EL, JGr, TL, ElE, ASVGN, PH, JN, AB, RS, CD, JGl, CM, FS, MJ, YE, AA, AL, SU, QN, JV, VB, JB, SB, PF, LS, HP, AS, ES, IH

You know who you are. If I've missed anyone, I apologise, let me know and I'll edit the list.

Eurotrip Anyone?

So, a week since my last blog. In that week the human rights project has taken on a new direction. Leaving behind Morombo as our focus, we are attempting to build a project around the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). I will spare the gruesome details but you can probably work it out. If not, Google it. On Tuesday, we met with the man in charge of the HIMS FGM programme based in a health clinic in Ngaramtoni which aided victims of FGM. He gave us a brief overview of the vision and mission of HIMS and the work they carried out in relation to FGM. We were given an introduction into what FGM entails and the physical and psychological effects of it. It was pretty harrowing stuff but the rest of the week has consisted of research on the internet into FGM and the organisations that are already acting in order to eliminate this terrible ritual.

Progress has been slow and we need to seriously step up our efforts in order to make this project work.Today we met with a group of women who have themselves rejected circumcision and were able to ask some questions about the procedure and the way we can combat the practice but it was not as productive as I thought it was going to be, much of which can probably attributed to my lack of preparation so I'm going to have to make my own efforts greater.

More has been happening on the social side of things though. On Monday a few volunteers went back to the hot springs as some of them missed the first trip. Yet again, I forgot to take my camera so was unable to get any pictures. Next time! Anyway, I had just as much fun the second time as the first but it was much busier which many more people taking advantage of the Easter holiday. Thursday was the social at Herbs & Spices, an Ethiopian restaurant, which was excellent, especially the lentils. Via Via after and then a care outreach at Cradle of Love orphanage on Friday. I was only able to go to this due to someone dropping out as there were a limited amount of spaces and it was a great experience playing with the children and hearing their stories about how they ended up in the orphanage. We were introduced to some twins who had only arrived that week and when we were told the story one of the medical volunteers had worked at the hospital where the mother had died giving birth to them. We were able to play and feed the children and when we were called to go it seemed like the hour had passed in a flash.

That evening I headed out to eat with some of the volunteers and we had curry, which I have missed almost more than sushi! I had a mutton curry with rice and a garlic naan which was heaven, all for under ten pounds. The Saturday we headed to the Snake Park, which was a little bit disappointing and headed to Empire in the evening. Every time I go there on a Saturday, I tend to like it less and less. I much prefer Via Via as a venue, even if the clientele and prices are not anything to boast about. Anyway, we were celebrating last nights out in Tanzania for five of the volunteers, which sucks. It has only been a month and a half but I still feel like I'm losing some really great friends. Its similar to when we had some Aussie exchange students back in my second year of uni. Three months but felt like it should have been a lifetime. Here, in Tanzania, most of the volunteers are really close as, I suppose, everyone must have come here for similar reasons and are like-minded. One meets people from all over the world while volunteering and sometimes the sad fact is that one may probably never see them again. However, with the world so engrossed in social media, it has become easier to stay in touch and when you compare the size of America or Australia to the size of Europe, where many of the volunteers are from, it shouldn't be too hard to stay in touch. So I guess it's goodbye for now as I plan my Eurotrip visiting friends in France, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Anyone wanna join me?

If Carlsberg made Day Trips...

Saturday 15^th March marks what is one of the definite highlights of my time in Tanzania so far. We met at the Projects Abroad office at nine in the morning, after I had had a good eight hours sleep. I was awake and ready to go, in stark comparison to the previous day, but we very nearly forgot one person behind. Luckily I had his number and was able to call him but we set off half and hour late. By this point, though, I have acclimatised to everything being late; the volunteers call it African time. The journey to the springs was around three quarters of an hour along the Nairobi-Moshi highway and then on to side roads for another hour and a half. The scenery on the way there changed from build up areas outside the office to paved highways surrounded by little towns then onto desert dotted with little Maasai bomas as they tended their livestock, while we rocked and swayed on the uneven road. At one point we had to stop for the driver to work out whether the bus would make it over a mini swamp. The sky was clear and the road dusty as we finally reached little shaded oasis in the middle of nowhere. Light brown desert gradually turned into a landscape dotted with green and suddenly we were parked under the shade of trees, the sound of running water in the background. A couple of elderly tourists were already there as we all marvelled at the crystal clarity of the water and changed into our swimming gear but otherwise it was just us. The water, while not hot, was probably as ideal a temperature as one could have asked for to cool down on a warm Tanzanian day. The pool was big enough to accommodate all of the thirty or so volunteers who were swimming and further away from the main body there was a little stream, although the current was fairly strong and my astounding lack of fitness showed as it tired me out swimming against the current.

As if other attractions were needed, there was a rope swing attached to one of the overhanging trees allowing us to swing right out into the middle of the pool before belly flopping in the most inelegant way possible. A lot of fun although landing on your back did sting a little. Aside from swimming, there were plenty of low hanging trees to climb. Unfortunately I'm not in the best shape for climbing trees but I always remember watching my little 8 year old cousin climbing as high as he could with little care in the world and regretting not having had the same courage when I was young. Thus, whenever I get the chance to climb now, I give it a go and when someone pointed out a branch overhanging the water that was probably reachable, another volunteer and I decided to give it a go. He was tall enough to simply reach the branch but I needed to jump, swing and inch my way up the branches in order to get out over the deeper parts of the water. In the end I did it with much effort and a loud splash. Along one side of the pool, there was a branch or root of a tree which was conveniently placed just underneath the water with a second branch further down. The former made for a good seat and the latter a useful footrest and altogether formed a nice place to just sit and relax.

Later in the day I met up with other volunteers at the local sports bar for some food. When I broke the news to my host mother and told her I was not going to be staying for some tea as I did not want to be late, she seemed to be quite upset and gave me a dismissive wave of her hand. Now, this is the one frustrating thing about living here. I feel quite restricted in what I do, not physically, as I can technically come and go as I please so long as there is someone in the house, but rather emotionally. I understand that my host family is religious and I am a godless heathen; I understand that I come from a culture where we drink and they do not approve of drinking; I understand that Tanzanians heavily secure their house from outsiders with high walls, topped with razor wire, three doors and two guard dogs, but I am made to feel guilty about these things, when I have the freedom of a 22 year old man in England.

Anyway, the dinner we ordered at Empire Sports Bar came, in true African fashion, one and a half hours after we ordered it. I just had chicken and chips, which was nice enough. A live band was playing and we headed inside to dance, getting even more energetic when the DJ came on with European songs. African music generally isn't my thing. The night was a good one, with a chance to hang out with other volunteers but we were all tired after the day at the springs and things died down after 1am.

For me, Saturday has been the highlight of Tanzania so far. As much as I enjoy the work and meeting my host family and the school children, I also wanted to be able to enjoy myself out here and on Saturday I definitely did.