Tanzania Summer 2010 GEN350 description of in-country experiences…

Socio-political In Tanzania I was exposed to a social and political structure much different than the United States. Many people in Tanzania belong to a tribe. Two of the most common tribes were the Masai and the Chagas. Some people whom belong to the tribes are very traditional and follow all of the tribal customs while others may only consider themselves part of the tribe because their ancestors were. The way of life for the Masai was a culture shock for me. I did not realize the ancient practices that continue to take place within this tribal group, primarily polygamy.

There is a great deal of corruption within the government of Tanzania. From discussions with the Tanzanians I learned that the President pretty much picks all of his parliament and runs the country. We had a difficult time even getting our S.T.E.M.M. bags into the country without paying a large bribe. The social way of life has a much slower pace than life in the United States. People are very laid back and take their time doing their everyday activities. People are much more friendly to each other than in the United States as well. Even acquaintances stop to chat when they run into each other on the street. Everyone greets each other and friends are often seen being affectionate with one another.

A person’s name and reputation hold a great importance in Tanzania. This can be quite unfortunate because of the prevalence of HIV/AIDS. The men are especially cautious about their reputations. There were several instances to which I was exposed where the man had left his family because his wife or his children were affected with HIV or another illness. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has left many children as orphans. Often times other family members will take the children once their parents die but sometimes they are left with no one. During one of our home health visits we discovered there were two children living on their own and raising themselves. Thankfully there are many orphanages in Tanzania to take in children without parents and without a home.

Economic Tanzania is greatly burdened by poverty. The majority of Tanzanians earn less than $1 a day. The highest earning jobs are in the political offices. When students enter the University system they have to take an entrance exam which then determines which Universities and which careers the individual can choose from. Those who score the lowest are often elected to be teachers which does not make sense to me since education could assist in preventing many of the problems that plague Africa. Many people make a living by setting up a stand on the side of the road selling hand made goods, clothing, or fresh produce. There are not a great deal of job opportunities in Tanzania.

Health Care I experienced a major culture shock as I toured the hospital in Rambo for the first time. Instead of the typical private, one bed hospital rooms we have in the United States I saw one long room full of as many as 40 to 50 patients. For the majority of the week we spent in Rambo I was in the obstetric wards. There were 20 beds in one ward and the nurses explained that because they never turn people down there can be 50 women who have to share the 20 beds. The division of labor and roles of the nurses and nursing students took me by surprise as well. The nursing students were the ones who were solely responsible for delivering vaginal births. When they told me that I was going to be delivering the next baby- I was in shock and fear might I add. I glad that tea time saved me.

Huruma Hospital In Rambo…

Other differences included a lack of resources. Not only did people have to share beds, but there were not even enough sheets to cover all of the beds. The health care providers perform their assessments and patient cares with little to no equipment. This opened my eyes to how truly blessed we are in the United States. The health care providers, like the overall population of Tanzania, are very relaxed and laid back. They do not worry about charting everything they do and they do not rush through their work like we typically do in the United States. I believe there is a thing or two to learn from them.

I was able to be exposed to health conditions of which I have never seen in the United States. One of the major diseases that effects practically every single individual in Tanzania in one way or another is HIV/AIDS. I was able to be in the free clinic for HIV patients at the hospital one day. People can go there to be tested or to receive treatment and counseling. I was also able to visit end stage AIDS patients on home hospice visits. My heart was broken to see the effect of AIDS up close and personal. Not only the elderly are dying from this fatal illness but many children and young adults are affected as well. The presence of HIV/AIDS is incredibly all too common in the lives of the Tanzanians.

Home Hospice Visits with Paulina…

Religious Diversity Christianity and Muslim are two of the main religions practiced in Tanzania. The Masai appear to not have a belief in a single God. It was very rewarding to go to church in Tanzania and worship with other believers. The church we went to was in an incredibly poor neighborhood. It was an amazing experience to worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ who live on the other side of the World. It made me realize how big our God truly is. The worship there was filled with people pouring their heart and souls out to God – for many of them Christ is the only hope they have.

Daily Life Daily life in Tanzania is at a much slower pace than daily life in the United States. People do not revolve their lives around a time schedule. For instance, the church we attended for two of the Sundays we were there, people would show up whenever they pleased. They also did not have a specific time at which the church service ended, they would let the spirit lead them through the worship service. People in Tanzania do what they can to make a living and support their families. For some, daily life can be just trying to find means of survival.

The men typically were the ones out trying to work and make money, however, there were also women who were out with their stands as well. If there are young children within a family, they are typically taken care of by the mother or their older siblings. School is free for children in primary school. Unfortunately primary school only goes until form 7 and then the children have to pay for their education. Due to the high poverty rates, many children are unable to continue their education. In secondary school all of the students learn English so this allowed us to be able to do education within the secondary schools and allowed us to be able to communicate with anyone in the country who is educated.

After graduating from secondary school the children are allowed to take the University entrance exams. Going on to a University is difficult as well because of the financial demands.

Although life in Tanzania is different than life here in the United States, we are all loved by the same God and are all brothers and sisters in Christ. God changed my heart in Africa and the special people who live there are dear to my heart. I continue to think of them and pray that God will meet their needs. I also pray that He will give me the opportunity to go back and help someday in the future.