Sustainable and Resilient Tanzanian Community

Jake Humphrey

Study Abroad: Sustainable and Resilient Tanzanian Community (SRTC)

1. I participated in the SRTC program through the School of Environment and Natural Resources at the Ohio State University this past May. The focus of the study abroad program was to emerge students in an interdisciplinary development project in rural Tanzania. The project consists of installing a pipeline, distribution facility, a treatment facility, and a solar pump (from a nearby river) in order to provide safe drinking water for a village that currently has inadequate access to clean water.
2. I’m not exactly sure that I can sum up the transformation that I went through in Tanzania in just a paragraph because it is so profound. The biggest transformation that I underwent through participating in the SRTC program was an appreciation for life. I can’t exactly explain what it’s like to see the kindest, most loving people I have ever met undergo so many struggles on a day to day basis.

   My major at OSU is Environment, Economy, Development, and Sustainability with a specialization in International Development. Not only has this trip given me the confidence to continue academically and professionally in the international development field, but also it has changed the way I value and appreciate life. I have a greater appreciation of time, and I have learned to value the simplicity of life.

3. Among all of the events and relationships that led to my transformation, I will focus primarily on three events that occurred while in country. Each of these events heavily impacted my newly found appreciation of my field of study and life in general.

   The first event that changed my view of the world was on the second day that we were working in the village (named Marwa). I was a member of the women’s education and enterprise team on the project. On this day, we were visiting the primary school in Marwa village to collect some data from the students. Our main objectives were to show our presence to the children, collect data on number of students attending school, and collect data on the children’s activities outside of school. This is the day that the “culture shock” hit me; for the first time in my life, I realized how sheltered I was. I saw children playing with a ball that was made out of trashing bags wrapped with fishing wire. In addition, we saw a few children (around the ages of 5 and 6) running around with razor blades because that was the only thing that they could sharpen their pencils with. I could not believe what I was seeing. Witnessing the resources that these children had was absolutely devastating, and I could think about was how I can help them. Yes, obviously I was there working on a development project for their village, but what about the millions of other people out there living in similar conditions. On that day, I knew that the international development and policy field is where I belong.

   The second event that led to my transformation in Tanzania occurred the same day as the last. After we had visited the school and gather our data, we left to head towards the river where women walk each day to get water. We were travelling to the river so that we could see the agricultural fields on the banks to analyze agricultural enterprise opportunities in the area. While driving to the river, we had to drive through the “temporary river”, which is essentially a flood plain that fills with water during the rainy season. While driving through the temporary river, we saw three girls walking home from school. By this time we had been driving for 15 or 20 minutes, so these girls had to have been walking for at least 45 minutes to an hour. When we passed them, they did not hesitate to scream hello and wave as hard as ever. That day, I observed the dedication of a few children to receive an education. These girls walked an hour to school and back every day. I was astounded by their commitment and dedication, which led to me to appreciate the education that I am fortunate enough to be receiving here at the Ohio State University.

   The last event that contributed to my transformation in Tanzania occurred in a meeting in a small sub-village of Marwa called Pateli. In Pateli, we met with two women’s groups who were excited to tell us about the initiatives in their small sub-village. The objective of meeting with the women’s groups was to gather information and analyze the enterprise opportunities in their village. With one of the groups, we asked the women if they needed anything specific from us. One woman in the group said that they would like us to help them make money so that they could buy one of their members a new prosthetic leg. The woman with the prosthetic leg stepped forward to tell us her story. She explained that she has to buy a new replacement leg every year from the town that is 11 miles away. She said that her leg gets worn out every year because she walks for 7 hours every day to get water for her family. In that moment, my entire view of life changed. I could not believe the challenges that this woman had to endure every day of her life, but still there she was doing her best. After meeting with that woman, I learned to appreciate everything that I have given in life.

   In addition to these three events, there was a plethora of other events and relationships that have shaped my transformation while participating in this study abroad program.

4. By participating on this study abroad, I will be able to be exponentially more valuable moving into the professional workforce. As I plan to continue working in the international development field, I am grateful that I was able to work on the ground on an actual development project. Through experiencing the culture and challenges of international communities, I can more effectively address the international development field and policies that surround it.

View of Arusha, Tanzania

A fellow group member and I eating fresh cut sugar cane in the Marwa sub-village

View of  Ngorogoro Crater from the rim

Some of the children from the Marwa primary school

A few of us from the group adorned in gifts (clothing and jewelry) from villagers as we prepared to take part in a ceremony held once every 15 – 20 years