Hard Knock Life

“The Tanzanian life is a hard life.” That was the end of one of the first conversations I had with a Tanzanian at the beginning of the semester. And each experience here makes this statement more and more true.  Let’s start with a few statistics before we get into my Tanzanian adventures. 85% of Tanzanians survive on $2 dollars a day. The Tanzanian population is 46 million and half the population is under 15 years old. The average life expectancy is 52 years old.  33% of the Tanzanian budget is aid money and most of this is pocketed by government officials. Only 15% of students move on from secondary school to college.  But the more telling part is living it. 

            Last week we began our 3-week homestay in Bangata village on the slopes of Mt. Meru.  Bangata is representative of the top 15% of Tanzania in terms of wealth.  But don’t picture mansions on the mountainside, it is far from this.

            I got extremely lucky with my family. They make me feel so comfortable, make great food, and I love our conversations and just the general vibe of the house. But easy conversations are not the norm. All 21 students went to different homes, I just happened to get the one family that knows quite a bit of English (and is on the wealthier side). Unlike the other students’ houses, my house has electricity, running water, and we have the option to cook on an electric stovetop. Most students have to fetch water (most mamas fetch water five times a day) and cook each meal over a fire. Some appliances that no one has include: washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, bathtubs, and the list goes on.  Some families have pikipikis (motorcycles), but there are very few/ no cars.  Also showers here are a bucket of water, where you kind of soap up and splash. (And remember this is the top 15% of Tanzania). A little different from America’s top 15%.  I don’t mean to sound negative of this lifestyle because I honestly feel comfortable. The water is clean in Bangata, the food is flavorful, the tea is amazing, the landscape gorgeous, and the people are fantastic. The hard part about Tanzania life isn’t not having these luxury appliances; it’s not being able to find a job.  There are no jobs here. And with 50% of the population being under 15, this is scary. Young adults have very limited options. Tourism jobs are desirable (the Tanzanian GDP is 30% from tourism) but jobs stay within families…it’s who you know, not what you know.  Also, although primary and secondary school are suppose to be free, the government has sneaky ways of charging for books, uniforms, supplies, etc. making school relatively expensive.  Further, the average Tanzanian woman has 8 kids.  So with school fees stacking up and you and your husband not being able to find a job, what are you to do? Too bad the government is too corrupt to even think about starting job creation projects.

            Wow, okay so back to some happier times with my homestay family. I have a mama (works at home), a baba (is an account in Arusha), a kaka (brother in college and lives at home), and a dada (9 years old, adorable, and goes to secondary school in Arusha). Like I said I love my family and they make me feel comfortable. But I’m trying to explore and see other families who don’t know English to get a better sense of Bangatan lifestyle.  Relationships mean everything here. Neighbors come and go as they please and it seems that everyone is somehow related. Friendships are lifetime here and helping others is just a part of living. (I think my family pays for other kids school fees.) Also you greet everyone when you walk through town…shikamoo to elders and mambo to youngsters. People always say pole to me when I run in the morning (and even sometimes when I walk), which means sorry, so I can only imagine how pathetic I look.

            Most (probably 90-95%) raise their own food (and sell some of it). We grow bananas, pawpaws, maize, onions, tomatoes, spinach, and mangoes. And most (probably 95%) have livestock: cows, chickens, sheep, and goat.  (Our family use to have 1,000 chickens at one point, to make money, but right now we don’t have any).  Meals here our super carb based (rice, maize, ugali, bread, spaghetti), which is fun for my digestive system, but I’ve figured it out and try and eat small portions. Which bring me to another point: big is beautiful here. My baba says my portions are too small/ I’m too small. I asked my Tanzanian teacher if this meant we American thinner girls weren’t as attractive. He said nah, it’s just referred to as an English woman’s body, but that guys here prefer curves and a wawowo (big butt). (o and random side note dinners here are around 9/9:30, Spain style…but I go to bed right after, shocking I know.)

            Also random cute story, the 2^nd day I was here my little sister brought me home a chocolate bar that she bought on her way home school.  The night before we had been flipping through a supermarket ad and I saw snickers and told her how much I love chocolate. She on the other hand doesn’t like chocolate or sweets, which I could not comprehend, but made the gift that much cuter.  My brother is always blasting American music: Chris Brown, Pitbull, Drake, Enrique, Rihanna, Beyonce, MIA, etc. and how could I not enjoy that. My mom and dad are informative and great at explaining cultural and political phenomenons. Some fun cultural things: the radio is always on and always on the same station: some Christian Kiswahili one because I always hear the word “hallelujah”…pronounced “hall-a-jew-wah.”  We went to a Lutheran Christian church on Sunday and my favorite parts were the songs and looking at the beautiful, colorful dresses of the mamas. The church sermon was followed by a random crop auction. The sermon was apparently telling parents to not beat their kids..probably a good idea.  The tv here is hilarious. We only watch one channel. My favorite show is called Mara Clara, originally a Philippine show with really basic English voiced over so the words never match their mouths.

            Lastly, we are learning Kiswahili every weekday at a nearby school but polepole (slowly). Also on Thursdays we have discussions with local Bangatans and a translator to get their perspective on politics and development. Last Thursday, I was surprised by how much focus the group put on western education. They really wanted further development in their schools and were very specific about what developments. For example, they want to build science labs, employ science teachers, and build libraries. I still have to wear long skirts and covered shoulders everyday, which kind of kills. But I’ve never been tanner and I’m so rocking my tan lines.  And when I run I have to wear shorts to my knees and people look at me like I’m crazy (since running is somewhat unusual here), but I am crazy.

            The longer I’m here the more I admire the people here. He was right, “The Tanzanian life is a hard life.”  But I’ve never been in a more social, interactive environment where there are so many smiles (sounds cliché, I know, but it’s true).  Let’s be honest, if I had to live this life and was struggling just to find a job that paid 2 or 3 dollars a day I would crumble and probably be a biotch that didn’t want to help her neighbors. I think I’m just starting to absorb some of the life lessons here and as a girl who grew up in Orange County, I could probably use some.

            Still loving this country and want to cry about how fast it’s going by. Until next time my friends and family…KWA HERI!

            P.s. I miss you all.