Tanzania

    Jambo:  I have utilized this blog assignment as the opportunity to learn more about the country I was privileged to visit. I will be better prepared to revisit as a result of the research and readings completed. Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in Africa yet its' people allow one to realize that wealth isn't always monetary. I learned a great deal from the people I met in this country. I grew personally in unimaginable ways. Several years after my journey to Tanzania I still think of the limited water available as I leave the water run while brushing my teeth, washing my car, or seeing someone water their lawn.
     The website linked offers  general information about the education, culture, and habitation. The education structure has been embraced by the government with many new schools being built. The early education is provided and mandatory, then only if you pass the 6th grade exam are you allowed to go on to Form 1 which is equivalent to 7th grade. The children are taught English and Kiswahili. As we visited the schools and attempted to communicate the students were eager to practice speaking English. When a few of the girls wanted to touch my light colored hair it struck me just how foreign we must seem to these children.
     The culture and traditions of Tanzania required that we wear kongas which was a toga type of wrap that we wore as a skirt. We were allowed to wear long pants while working in the dispensary and on safari. There was a traditional hand shake and everybody wanted to shake our hands and I do mean everybody. I will classify one of the cultural traditions very unofficially as what we called "Tanzanian time". As a self proclaimed type 1 personality I will not further elaborate on how difficult it was to get acclimated to the new "time zone".
     Asante-Thanks for letting me share my travel stories with you.