Here is a brief description of my STEP project. I participated in a class that educated us about the culture, economy, and issues in Tanzania today, as well as some project background info and history. Then, when the class concluded, we went to Tanzania partnered with students from the university of Dodoma (in Tanzania) to continue an ongoing project to bring clean water to local rural villages – most notably Marwa, our base of operations. The trip lasted from May 9th thru the 31st and the last few days we went on a safari.
Now that my project is explained, it’s still hard to believe my abroad experience is over. However, the lasting memories will stick with me forever. With these memories comes a richer understanding of international development, personal growth, lasting friends, professional career insight, and a general sense of where my academic career is going as the second half of my Ohio State career swiftly approaches.
Stepping into another country and culture was a fabulous learning experience. Amongst this learning experience was the growth of my understanding of international development, and with this personal change as well. Through our class beforehand, I understood on a basic level the nuances of international development, especially in rural Tanzania, but experiencing it firsthand was rather enlightening. One thing that stood out to me most was the difference, much like it is back here in the States, between the rural villages such as Marwa, Njakitai, etc., and the cities, such as Moshi, or even Same. The lack of a true “suburbs” was also interesting, as it is something I’ve never really considered before. On paper, it would seem baffling why areas like Marwa are lacking in certain aspects while a city with “proper” amenities in Same rests only a few miles away. Only by visiting would you understand – the people just have a different way of life, and development, as I’ve learned, must be from “bottom up” instead of the other way around. Culture is a very powerful tool, and can also act as a blockade to positive change, if enough people are bought in. For example, many people in Njakitai( a local village), according to the water testing team, believed boiling water would cause it to not be able to hydrate you, as that’s what the elder in the village believed. It is little things like this that seem laughable at face value but are true in the end.
These experiences led me to great personal change. I can definitively say I am on a better track than what I was before I embarked on this journey. Other than the experiences discussed earlier, I developed new positive habits that I have integrated into my life back at homem such as journaling and waking up earlier. On a bigger scale, I built lasting friendships with some of the best colleagues I could have asked for. One thing that surprised me most was the relationships I developed with our UDOM (Univerity of Dodoma) partners. Their intellectual ability matched ours and their English was top notch, neither of which I honestly was expecting (which sounds stereotypical), but I was guilty of it. I had some fun times with our partners. I also had some deep conversations with a few of our friends from UDOM – ranging from politics, religious beliefs, and life in general. Our differences in upbringing definitely showed through these conversations – For instance, one conversation I remember in particular was with a UDOM student about socialism – as in, I was arguing against it vehemently, while my counterpart was trying to convince me of the greed and vile he saw in a capitalistic society. These are the kinds of conversations that I have come to appreciate, as long as its scholarly, because it ends up benefiting both parties involved. I had a few more conversations like this on different subjects with our UDOM students, and the insight brought forth by them is something that I greatly appreciate.
One of the big things that has come from this is my grater appreciation for what I have. Sure, I felt at home in the comfort of the great staff at the Elephant Motel, but little the little extra nuances of everyday life in Tanzania really stood out to me. Whether it was hand washing laundry, low water pressure in the shower, constant worry about mosquitos and sunburn, etc, I have come to appreciate my life back at home much more. In fact, after reading that you’ll probably think I’m a princess, or a typical rich white kid, but it’s true. It’s the little things like these, and the realization that I am better off from many people who call Tanzania their home that makes me a little more humble. It truly has made me a better person.
I have always believed that the best teacher is firsthand experience, and lately I have been pushing myself to try new things, take greater risks, and reap rewards that my younger self would’ve thought impossible. This trip was a direct product of this mentality. This is concrete proof that the changes I (am still trying) to instill in my life are working – and therefore, on this reason alone, this trip was worth it. But it ended up being much more than that. The list of positives is endless – experiencing a new culture, lifelong friends, lasting memories, and a new desire to travel – are among the highlights of those. Most importantly, I feel that my sense of direction and purpose, which I have found a year ago, if that makes any sense, has been refined. I now feel that I will close the second half of my Ohio state career with a bang, something that last year I would have scoffed at. I now feel that travel should be a part of that future.
In all, I cannot express how grateful I am to have been a part of this journey and extend my thanks to all who made it possible. The experience I had and the transformations that have resulted in my life have infinite monetary value. It matters even more to me now because of the connections I made with the locals, our partners, and my classmates – these are real people, and in fact share some of the same struggles we do in their everyday lives . The residents welcomed us with open arms – there was not a care in the world for skin color, gender, or any other social category we put ourselves in. It was quite humbling, and there are many instances where our own people could strive to be more like this. This abroad trip will be a lasting memory that will forever impact my life.
Here a few pictures from my time in Tanzania. For a comprehensive gallery, my group created a Google picture gallery comprising of all our pictures!
