Tag Archives: Africa

Dar es Salaam 5-19-10

I am fascinated by the activity and movement of people here!  They are selling everything imaginable…in traffic, on roadsides, in marketplaces.  Vendors are squeezed into every imaginable space where potential buyers may pass.  Patric (our guide, 26, northern Tanzanian) explained that many are selling nuts, drinks, window washing in traffic to afford college or school for themselves or relatives.  It is very common to take off every other year from school to make enough money for the next semester.  Everyone must pay for primary school through college.  One must completely pay back college loans within one to two years.  You may only qualify for loans if you or your family owns material goods, animals, or land.  Many people do not own these things. 

Men, women, and children are always on the street unless they are one of the few who do work in buildings or schools.  So much of life happens on the street or inside/outside of the shop.  This is because most people live on less that one dollar a day (poverty by international standards but unclear about the actual lifestyle it allows here) and the hot climate. This combo produces an outdoor culture.  So much time is spent on the street that I keep asking questions about what they are doing and where they are going.  Since many people are self employed they may take a break if business is slow or whenever they like.  You see many people taking siestas during the day, lounging in tires or water swales (dry ones) in the shade while business is slow.  However, because these are still “business hours” for me, I incorrectly thought these individuals were not employed. 

I had to quiet my perception of life and business, work and socialization, to see this new structure – their type of balance between work and personal time.  Since there is so little private time and space, I am left wondering when and where people do private things.  Does a typical couple spend a significant portion of time together?  Alone ever?  If not, it is sad or disturbing but just another unique characteristic of Tanzanians in Dar.

I also noticed this evening a string of boutiques selling western trendy clothes for women and run by women.  These are the only shops I have seen run by females and they are young women.  Wonder if that is a new trend here?

This is a very diverse city.  There are many tall buildings, constant heavy auto and foot traffic, and business everywhere!  Some women and men wear long robes & head coverings and others wear western clothing.


Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

A Wild Dream: An Introduction

Days until arrival: 115.

So, this is really happening. I just keep telling myself, “this is really happening…”

It has taken a long time – over a year – and a lot of work and stress to make this dream come true. Sometime in the fall semester of my junior year I discovered SFS (The School for Field Studies) and after a bit of research, I was completely in love. The SFS Kenya program was everything I had ever hoped to find in a study abroad program and more. I applied, was interviewed, and was accepted for the fall semester 09. Not long after, I was crushed to find out that Penn State would not apply any of my financial aid to this program. So I could not afford to go.

Well, it’s just not in my nature to take ‘no’ for an answer. Over that year and into my senior year, I devoted myself to finding a way into SFS. I would need to get Penn State and SFS to officially affiliate with each other in order for Penn State to hand over my financial aid money. This meant working with the Study Abroad and International Programs offices at Penn State, my advisors and professors, and the director and staff at SFS, writing countless emails, making phone calls, and setting up meetings. It meant small accomplishments and big setbacks, hoping, crying, dreaming, pushing. And finally in the end… Success. Mine is a story of never giving up, of never letting go of a dream just because it was hard to achieve or because someone said it was impossible. Getting to Kenya will be proof of this. It will be everything to me.

So now, the program has changed a bit since I first applied. Now it is a two-part program with half the semester spent in Kenya and the other half in Tanzania. What was a Wildlife Management program is now a Comparative Wildlife Management program. It still encompasses the same main topics, we just get to experience more of Africa now, visit more parks/reserves, and learn from more people. Here are some of the highlights listed on the SFS site:

  • Learn about social organization, basic taxonomy, and conservation status of charismatic common large mammals in African savanna ecosystems.
  • Travel on field lectures to study changing land uses among pastoral communities and implications of these to wildlife management and rural livelihood.
  • Field research methods learned in this program include large mammal identification and behavioral observations, landscape mapping, game counting, rangeland condition assessment, and participatory rural appraisal.
  • Develop recommendations and potential solutions to conservation challenges in these ecosystems.
  • Presentations of research findings to community stakeholders.
  • Visits to local markets and a neighboring boma (Maasai homestead) for traditional Maasai celebrations, a lecture on culture and artifacts, jewelry making with Maasai mamas, and to conduct interviews for research work.
  • Community service work in local schools, hospitals, orphanages, and with a local women’s group.

 

And here is a cute video slideshow of the program:

 

 

So that’s about all I got for now. I’ll keep this thing updated as the weeks go by.

Enjoy sharing my dream and my journey,

— Jackie

 


Location: State College, PA

Gearing Up for Tanzania

Although in the past few weeks I have had little time to think about what my time in Tanzania will be like, I have had a few moments to read and research.

I bought the Lonely Planet guide to Tanzania and have read mostly about Dar es Salaam.  I also spent a few minutes one evening researching news in the country and found an independent newspaper that also publishes online. 

My impression from the news sources is that Tanzanians are good-willed, strong-willed, outspoken people.  When reporting bad events (like murder), the event is stated but also a discussion of why the event is bad & how the community can rally to overcome it.  There also seems to be a broader discussion on why this is unacceptable & how it makes them look, as a people and a country, and how this effects their ability to be included in the global conversation on many issues & reduces their appeal to tourists.  Tanzanians are fighting hard for continued peace & justice in their state & region.  This is a type of news writing I have never seen before.  It is refreshing.


Location: Marjorie Mae Street, State College, PA 16803