Wiki Saba

I’m going to take a slightly different approach to this weeks posting. I feel like I’ve been re-writing the events in my day planner and omitting the true details of everyday life. I have yet to express what it is like for me to live in this country and experience this culture, so this week I’m going to be giving captions from the “dear diary” version.

Sometimes it is difficult to comprehend the fact that I am a Westerner, and with me, I have brought my Western way of life. In my dress, in my attitude, in the way I do business… it’s intrinsic to me because the Western world is the culture that I have been raised in, and it is the only way of life that I have ever known. It’s not easy to leave old habits back in Canada with the rest of your tangible belongings.

I had some time to reflect with a good friend this weekend. We were talking about the up’s and down’s that we have experienced since our arrival in Tanzania and relished in the priceless knowledge that we will take on with us for the rest of our lives.


We were riding a busy dala dala into town when a man sitting across from us gave a harsh stare and said “Wazungu”. The friend that I was with is extremely well versed in Swahili and although I was not able to contribute to the conversation in ways that I would have liked to, I was able to follow along understand what was going on. His feelings of frustration did not stem from the color of our skin. He was referring to the parachute that many wazungu have attached on their backs. Jumping into the country and though with good intentions, we inadvertently try to push our Western ways as we go on believing that we are of the more “advanced” and “intelligent” nations. It is often viewed as present day colonialism. We forget that we have return plane tickets to our native countries- That life in Tanzania for us is temporary, and that we are free, in many ways, to come and go as we please. We have so many resources and we have been given so much opportunity.

In the past week I went on with my business as usual. I wrote the same English lessons, conducted the same research, worked on my computer in the same way that I would in London, bought groceries and other little things that I wanted and could easily afford. I have tried to fill my days as much as possible as it is the way of life that I am accustomed to. I notice that in my past weeks I have often been overcome by frustration for having to wait. Waiting for photocopies, waiting for the internet, waiting for the City Director, Planning and Developers to assist with the acquisition of new land, waiting at the immigration office for my new visa (with no avail) etc. etc. I just did not like feeling as though I was wasting precious time and could simply not understand why forward movements were so slow.

I am not trying to convey that I have now figured things out. I know in my heart that I am still far from knowing it all. However, I have a new sense of appreciation and acceptance and I have reached a new level of respect and admiration for this country and the people in it. I am realizing that I need to shift my priorities from getting things complete, to taking things in stride with a focus on building relationships. The foundation of life in Tanzania is social interaction. It is more important and worth while to spend time talking with friends, nurturing family relationships and enjoying your company. Who am I, a Westerner, to push push push? And who am I as a Westerner to believe that this is a better way to live???

It’s tough to know how extravagant I am, and just how much I take for granted with little thought. I will give a few examples. I have just planned an adventure with some friends for a few weeks from now. We will be travelling to the Selous Game Reserve in Southern Tanzania. We are all budget travelers and we’re going to make our way there by train and camp rather than flying and staying in hotels (oh how thrifty)…. Yet I will spend more in a few days then most families of six in Tanzania will spend living for three months. And I spend more here in a day buying souvenirs for friends and family or on bottles of water then most of the workers make for their wage in a month. It's absurd to know that I am going to have the opportunity to see more of Tanzania then most Tanzanians ever have or will.

I was at a bon fire with some friends on the weekend. As we looked out onto the lake we saw a full moon, bright stars, and small lights reflecting into the water in the distance. In Canada, these lights would be that of bars and restaurants, where we all empty our pockets on entertainment. The lights on Lake Victoria were those of fisherman. The high earners in Tanzania who make about 10,000Tsh (less than $10 Cdn) for a shift that I modestly estimate to be between 9-13 hours. They work in boats that they have made themselves from raw materials and they paddle out into the middle of the lake. There they have no life jackets or radios to use if they were to encounter a dangerous storm. They obviously do not work for a Union, do not receive any benefits and will be given no compensation if they are injured on the job- and this is the norm.

Fisherman returning from a long night out on the water

Earlier on in the week I was walking with one of the woman I buy vegetables from at the market. She walks over an hour from her home into town carrying what she plans to sell on her head in a basket made from the leaves of a palm tree. The 250 Tsh (Less than $0.25 Cdn) for the dala dala is too expensive for her.

Really happy chickens at the market… I’m glad I enjoy rice and beans

Or I can talk a little bit about health care. I’ll never whine or be annoyed by the wait for free Canadian Health Care ever again. The woman in charge of cleaning the apartments and offices in our building has been sick this past week. She has been to the hospital and to visit clinics where the doctors work on a fee for service basis (So right away, you know that people wait until they are extremely ill before seeking care). She spent almost all of her months wage on the doctor and did not have money to buy the medication she was prescribed, although it cost only 7500Tsh. I have no clue how she plans on feeding her nine children for the rest of the month.

At the same time, the Tanzania’s that I have encountered thus far are the most vibrant, colorful, caring and generous people that I have ever met. They are so genuine in their offers, and for the most part, so extremely kind and welcoming. I am constantly being offered meals, accommodations, a place to sit- everything. I am yet to see greed or selfishness. I see small children caring for their younger siblings, the utmost respect for elders and the longest, most elaborate greetings in which the respondent is actually heard. It’s so beautiful.

Children cooking for each other

We use the expression "I'm so poor" in Canada if we cannot keep up with the latest fashion or own the hot new electronic device- I’ll be really upset if I hear these words out of context in the future. It’s difficult to see our society, a “Developed” nation where status symbols are all material and have nothing to do with the person you are or the way that you treat others. Where we consume, and strive to have more and more and more and where we endlessly compete with our neighbors rather then sharing what we have with one another. I have learned so much from the relationships that I have observed here, and hope that I am able to bring these attitudes with me as my most endearing souvenir.

I have some pictures to post from this week, but know that in the weeks to come there will be fewer photos in these postings. I am having a hard time justifying snapping photos like a tourist as I try to be accepted as a mzungu.

The view from the thinking rock

To mention some of the going on’s of the week (I promise I did not ponder the whole time!) I began working on my second research study. Over the past two months I have been trying to observe the local diet, and through these observations, I will try to develop recipes incorporating probiotic yogurt to increase the nutritional value of common dishes. I tried pairing yogurt with different fruits, vegetables, grains and beans and I am lucky enough to have a brave roommate to act as a guinea pig. We chose five different creations and I will be running sensory panels next week. I spent a lot of time at City Council in lines playing the waiting game, then decided that it would be fun to wait so more, so I attempted the process or renewing my Visa. I have visited the immigration office on six different occasions thus far, each time being sent away to collect one piece of the puzzle. I spent three days at the orphanages teaching and trying to collect the final pieces of information needed to complete my study. Ruben and I also outlined a protocol for the study spear headed by Meaghan and Alison in which we will be collecting self reported information and CD4 cell counts of those with HIV who are consuming probiotic yogurt for free. Ruben and I also conducted English lessons with the Yogurt Mamas as well.

Micheal, a Forever Angel orphan since he was two months old