Tanzania #6: Lessons Learned

Lillian ’24, shares a list of observations and facts she has compiled during her time in Tanzania. 

Greetings from Kitongo! As we approach the end of our trip, I’d like to share some of the observations and facts I’ve compiled during our time in Tanzania. Here is a selected list:

1. 1. I am not cut out to be a primary school teacher. They deserve vast amounts of appreciation and money.
   2. Tanzanian fashion is incredible. There’s lots of bright colors and interesting patterns. Although there’s lots of variation, men usually wear collared shirts and pants and women sport traditional dresses or long skirts. Students wear school uniforms, some of which have long-sleeve sweaters. I do not understand how they can wear these without melting.
   3. My father has always said that pig manure smells the worst out of all the different animal manures. I can now say from personal experience that this is true.
   4. The sun is stronger in Tanzania than it is in Illinois or Massachusetts. Sunscreen is always necessary. If you think that you are safe because you are in a car, you will get burnt on the half of your body facing the window.
   5. In Serengeti National Park, there is a bird called the superb starling. They are gorgeous majestic creatures who will also try to steal your lunch if you let them.
   6. Tanzanian food is delicious. They are able to make eggplant taste good, and I have not yet grown tired of rice and beans. The only thing that I miss is the occasional dessert.
   7. Many trucks or vans are heavily decorated with stickers. I have mostly seen ones related to Christianity, but there are also some seemingly random ones like “BBC London”.
   8. Teenagers are complex creatures that can discuss the layered ethics of volunteer tourism one moment and then the next make a joke that a second-grader would find immature.
   9. Lions eat zebras from the inside out.
   10. In much of Tanzania there is no concept of stranger danger. Kids walk to school on their own safely, villages welcome unknown guests, and people you don’t know will say hi to you. Several small children I meet on the road have been hugging me and high fiving me and holding my hand despite not knowing me at all.
   11. For the last week I have been dripping with sweat, surrounded by people 24/7, and engaging in difficult conversations and experiences. It is safe to conclude that I have become more comfortable with discomfort.