Forging ahead with visions for the future

Program Manager, Nina Czitrom, writes about her most recent experiences in Tanzania:

And the adventures continue! Last weekend, we went to visit one of the Maasai tribes. For those of you unfamiliar with the Maasai, they are one of the last tribes in Tanzania (out of over 120 tribes in this country) who still practice the traditional tribal lifestyle. They were a nomadic people for centuries, driven by the belief that all cattle belonged to them. In the last half century, many Maasai have settled in Tanzania, but cow herding is still their main driving force. Deo, Peter, and Richard have befriended a particular group of Maasai and I have had the honor of visiting them a number of times, dancing and singing with them, watching the men do their famous high jumps, and learning about their culture. This time, a new experience was added. In honor of our visit, they slaughtered a goat for us. I didn't have the courage to actually watch, so I sat off to the side, but I heard it all. It is a part of so many non-American cultures, and all of my Tanzanian friends told me that their families slaughter goats for special holidays, like Christmas. It was a moment that truly made me reflect on how far removed I really am from the meat I eat at home.

Later that day, we rode out to a warm natural spring that we like to go to for swimming. It's quite a rough road getting out to it, but always well worth it. It was a lovely day, so about a dozen locals were there swimming, and we joined in. I only hung my legs in this time (which was delightful - it's warm and you can see all the way to the bottom). Emma and Jillian went for a swim. And Gasper, like a little kid, joined the children who were swinging from a rope and plunging in. What was most spectacular about it this time for me though was that there were wild blue monkeys hanging out and jumping across the treetops above us. You know, I spend so much time with my students in America trying to dispel the myths and break the stereotypes about Africa. One of the things that many American children (and adults) think is that Africa is filled with wild animals just roaming around everywhere. Instead, I like to talk about the cities and innovations here. But alas, this time I've seen wild elephants and monkeys! I'll still bring back stories that break the stereotypes rather than perpetuate them. But those monkeys were pretty awesome.

We also had a visitor staying with us at the home base last weekend and in the early part of the week. He was a young man who lives and works in Dubai. Peter met him on a trip to Dubai when he wandered into this man's fabric shop. The gentleman inquired into the African Community Exchange after noticing Peter's t-shirt and they struck up a conversation and a friendship. He's been interested in providing charitable resources to children in Tanzania, having been here a number of times before for business. He's a delightful and kind young man, with a good heart. It looks like he will be sponsoring an idea of Peter's! The idea is to rent a bread-making machine so that the African Community Exchange can provide bread to the school children in Himo each day that attend the various town's schools. Peter noticed that many of the children don't have any food until dinner time and his vision is to change that. Our new friend from Dubai is eager to help and they've already made plans to get it going. You can imagine how excited Peter is.


Mama Eva also shared her plans for the future with me this week. She has a sponsor, a local man named Harold, who has been helping her make up the difference when families are unable to pay the school fees or buy their children a uniform. Harold and Mama Eva's vision is to expand the Kibo Hill Nursery School and also create a Primary School. Harold told me that he has started the bargaining process on a piece of land, and hopes to be able to secure it so that they can move ahead. They will likely require additional funds, but the business plan is all ready, and they are dreaming big.

I've spent time this week visiting some of our new volunteer placements, which include hospitals, Secondary Schools, and a women's empowerment center. I'm glad to have a better idea of the functions and needs of these places so that I can help future volunteers prepare for placements here.

Today was my last day at the Kibo Hill Nursery School, as I head home on Sunday. I had a great time with the kids and teachers, learned some fun new songs, and though it was a sad goodbye, I know I'll be back soon. This is the last blog post that I will write for this trip, but keep checking in to the blog for updates about the progress of the African Community Exchange, our future volunteers, and the bread-making! You can also follow us on Twitter at ACE_Tanzania or on Facebook.

Thanks so much for reading about my trip! Asante sana.

New experiences and familiar ones

Program Manager, Nina Czitrom, blogs about her first week back in Tanzania:

This week has been filled with both new experiences and familiar ones. On the familiar side of things, it's been nice to return to the Kibo Hill Nursery School, Mama Eva's school. Only 2 children remain from when I was here last, because they've gone on to primary school. There are 36 children who attend the school, from age 3-6. She and Teacher Betina continue to do a great job of preparing the children for primary school by teaching English, phonics, math, reading, writing, and manners through songs and chants. I've also gotten to watch Mama Eva teach counting and number writing, and I look forward to bringing home some of her number writing teaching techniques. I like the simple way that she teaches it, using words like down, round, cross, and up. For example, to write 4, children say, "Down, cross, down." Mama Eva expressed concern early on that I might be disappointed in the way the school looks before I arrived on the first day. Those of you who have followed me on my previous trips to Tanzania might remember that I held a fundraiser in New York to help Kibo Hill. One of the main things that Mama Eva spent the money on was having the school painted, and having letters, numbers, and pictures painted on the walls as well. She told me it had gotten dirty because the children put their hands all over the walls. I told her that the same thing happens in my classroom in America, and we had a good laugh sharing stories about our students.

On our first day at our volunteer placements, I accompanied Jillian and Emma for a bit at each of their placements to help them settle in. At Emma's school, Bethel, I found myself getting emotional at the prospect of seeing some of my old students who'd moved on from Kibo Hill. I remember the first time I left Tanzania, I wondered if I'd ever return and whether I'd ever see any of the people I'd met again. One of the things that I treasure about working with the African Community Exchange is having the opportunity to continue many of the meaningful relationships I have with both students and members of the local community. In fact, I think it's what's become most important to me when it comes to my work with ACE.

On the new side of things, there is a lot to write about. I really enjoyed the conversation about teaching techniques that I was able to have with the teachers who came to the home base to meet Emma, Jillian, and myself. One thing they were interested in was how I punish my students in America. Corporal punishment was made illegal a few years ago by the Ministry of Education here in Tanzania. Unfortunately, what's been challenging for many teachers is that they did not receive any training in alternate forms of classroom management. So they were very interested in how I run my classroom at home. We talked a lot about logical consequences and ways to motivate students through positive reinforcement. Today, I spent some time at Bethel in the afternoon and modeled the star system I often use with my students in order to get them to follow directions. The kids loved it! It's amazing what drawing a star on the chalkboard can do.

I've also been able to have a host of new experiences because of the capacity with which I work for the African Community Exchange now. One of the goals that Peter and Deo have while I'm here is to check out some fo the new volunteer opportunities they've found.
On Tuesday, Peter, Deo, Gasper, and I drove out to the bush, about 30 minutes from here on a dirt road, to a beautiful lake and campsite, called Lake Chala. They thought it might be a nice afternoon trek to do with volunteers, but wanted my opinion. On the way, they helped clarify for me what the bush really is, which is really an area where there are no villages (though there may be some homes) and where there are wild animals. We parked at the campsite, where we saw a handful of tourists and a secondary school there on a field trip. Then,
Deo, Gasper, and I hiked down to the lake. What a gorgeous trek! And we saw wild elephants off in the distance!!! It was quite a hike, but well worth it. One side of the the lake is in Tanzania, and the other is in Kenya. We met Peter at the top after we climbed back up, enjoyed a beer together, and headed home. It's one of my favorite experiences I've had here so far. Definitely great for volunteers!

Tomorrow, Peter, Deo, and I will spend the day at a few new volunteer placements, most of which are hospitals and health clinics. We are expecting a group of nursing students from NJCU in March, and Peter and Deo would like me to check these potential placements out so that I can communicate the needs of these hospitals and clinics to those volunteers.

I've been running around quite a bit since I've been here this week, and I'm looking forward to the prospect of some down time this weekend. Perhaps not waking up at 6:30, and maybe even spending a little time reading. But we'll see. Everything I'm doing is enjoyable and educational, and there's been a lot of laughter among us all.

Until next time....

TanzaNina

Karibu tena (pronounced kah-REE-boo TEN-uh, and meaning 'welcome again')

Program Manager, Nina Czitrom, blogs from Tanzania about her first few days back in the country and at the home-base:

Preparing for my return to Tanzania, on the heels of finishing my school year as a teacher in America was a little stressful this year because the end of one and the beginning of the other were only a day apart. I have to admit that I was still finishing my packing when it was time to leave for the airport. But I shoved the rest of my toiletries into plastic bags, stuffed them in the outer pockets, and hoped for the best as I rushed out. (And it was all fine.)

I met Emma and Jillian, our two newest volunteers, in Amsterdam and we flew together to Kilimanjaro. We already get along swimmingly, and I'm really glad to be on this journey with them. Getting off of the plane in Tanzania, all of my stresses melted away. It all felt so familiar, like coming home in a way. I've said it before, and I'll say it again....it smelled like Tanzania the moment I stepped off the plane. The smoky smell of burning fires, combined with the fresh air. I love it.

We've spent the past two days helping Emma and Jillian get oriented in Himo Town. Yesterday we walked through the town and Deo began one of his many explanations about Tanzanian culture. Emma and Jillian are unique as international volunteers in some ways, because they are both fresh off of a fall semester abroad in South Africa. Though Tanzania and South Africa are obviously two very different cultures, the ladies have experienced many similar environments in South Africa and their culture shock is much less than it has been for some previous volunteers.

Today, after a morning in the local market, we had lunch and met with our volunteer placement partners. Oh, it was so nice to see Mama Eva. We caught up, asked after one another's families, and discussed what we each hoped the other would share during the time that I am at her school this time. She is hoping that I will continue teaching conversational English through song, games, art, and drama. For my part, I'm hoping to learn more songs from her that I can bring back to my students in America.

I'm not gonna lie, my Swahili is coming back quickly, and I'm pretty proud of it. I've been able to converse on the streets and in the markets with relative ease. I hope that I can get past the plethora of greetings that Tanzanians exchange, and this time learn to form some more complete sentences. We'll see. It's a tall order.

It feels really nice to be back, to see my friends and colleagues, and to meet so many new people so far. Our African Community Exchange staff is growing and there are some new, lovely faces in the mix. Of course Peter and Deo (pronounced DAY-oh, like the song) are the strong foundations of the ACE community. But our friend Richard joined us today, as well as Gasper, who I've known as a friend of Richard's, and who is now on our staff. We also are joined by Alfred, a manager at a company in Dar es Salaam, who is here observing how the program works. He would like to help Peter further his vision for ACE to be a place where Tanzanians also volunteer their time in the community.

Looking forward to seeing the watoto (pronounced wah-TO-to and meaning 'children') tomorrow at Mama Eva's Kibo Hill Nursery School. Most of my students from last time have moved on to Primary School, save but a few, so there will be many new faces. I'm sure I'll write much more about them in my next post. Until then...badaye (pronounced buh-DIE and meaning 'see ya later').

TanzaNina

TanzaNina returns!

Program Manager,  Nina Czitrom, writes about her upcoming trip.

Tomorrow afternoon, I will head back to Tanzania again. It's hard to believe that this will be my fourth trip there. I'm looking forward to seeing my friends, my colleagues, and returning to work with Mama Eva at the Kibo Hill Nursery School.

Mama Eva,
the head teacher at Kibo Hill Nursery School

My relationship with Tanzania began in 2007, when I first traveled there through an American volunteer organization. I made some lifelong friendships while I was there, with other volunteers and with the Tanzanian staff members. One of them was my friend, Peter. Peter loved working with volunteers, and felt that Tanzanians should be just as much part of the community service effort in Tanzania as international volunteers. He turned his vision into the African Community Exchange, an international volunteer organization, run by Tanzanians and for Tanzanians. At first, Peter reached out to me to help him with some of the English on his website. I soon went to experience the program for myself, and was blown away by the meaningful experiences he was able to provide for both the local rural community of Himo (pronounced HEE-mo), and for the volunteers.

Libby Parker (2010 volunteer) learned about the
unique issues of women in Tanzania by working alongside
them, making sandals, and exchanging stories.

The Home Base, where we live

Peter and the African Community Exchange asked me if I would be their U.S. representative in 2010. I have been working with them ever since to help attract volunteers, prepare volunteers before they travel, and continue my own relationships with the schools and teachers I work with in Tanzania.

Mama Eva and I often discuss what we'd like to learn from one another.
She often asks me to do art with her students, because she
 hasn't had much experience with art in education.
Mama Eva often does the art projects right alongside the children.

I'm looking forward to seeing my friends, Peter, Deo, Richard, Happy, Mama Love, and Mama Eva. I'm also looking forward to seeing old students and meeting new ones. Mama Eva and I have communicated about the activities she would like me to share this time, and I can't wait to learn new songs and games that she teaches the children. I'm looking forward to rekindling my attempts at Swahili (which I'm not too shabby at, if I do say so myself). And I'm looking forward to ushering in our two newest volunteers, Emma and Jillian. One of my favorite parts of the work I do with the African Community Exchange is sharing what I've learned about Tanzanian culture with other volunteers who are experiencing it all for the first time.

On safari with good friends


Asante sana (pronounced uh-SAN-tay SA-na, and meaning 'thank you') for reading. I'll be posting every few days once I'm there, so come along for the ride!

-TanzaNina

Cultural Immersion

Photo by Janet Nakano

Jill Smith took the time to reflect on her decision to volunteer with ACE. Here's what she had to say:

I have always been fascinated with other parts of the world and with cultures different from my own, but my experience studying for a semester in South Africa had sparked a strong interest and desire in me to acquire a more in depth knowledge about the country and the very many different cultures that populate it. I find it extremely important in life to be able to understand and connect with people from different backgrounds. During my stay in Africa, I was able to travel throughout the continent and meet so many wonderfully diverse citizens of the many countries I visited. I also made friends that will last a lifetime. And even though I was in country for well over four months, it was nowhere near long enough. I left knowing that I would return.

When I heard about the African Community Exchange program I knew immediately that it was something I would enjoy being a part of. It is a program that is important to me because it provides the opportunity to fully immerse myself in the Tanzanian culture and community. What better way is there to learn about another culture than to become part of their community? ACE’s hands on approach is a great way to form a deeper understanding of Tanzania’s culture and customs by living and working side by side with the locals of Tanzania!

This is the reason why I chose to become a volunteer with the African Community Exchange. I am excited to begin my journey with ACE because I see amazing potential for sharing cultures, ideas and values, all of which play a significant role in understanding where we all come from, and can contribute to positive change among individuals and communities. I cannot wait to begin my journey and if I could board the plane today I would!

Preparing for ACE

Photo by Barbara Hermans on Flickr

My name is Emma, and I'm privileged to have the opportunity to work with African Community Exchange as an intern this summer. As a student at American University in Washington, D.C., I chose to study abroad in Durban, South Africa just about a year ago. Once that trip was over, I began looking for another opportunity to stay connected to a beautiful continent that I had just begun to scratch the surface of.

After some internet searching, I found ACE. After contacting Nina, the program director, and hearing her own story, I knew this organization was something special. ACE was uniquely created by Tanzanians for Tanzanians without the underlying Western influence that can sometimes be seen in volunteer organizations. I loved the idea.

In planning my own trip to Tanzania to participate in the ACE program, Nina has been such a big support. She has guided me through almost every aspect of my preparation: vaccination, medication, visa application, packing, volunteer placement, and what to expect upon arrival.

Early on, she gave me a run-down of the vaccinations I should get and the anti-malarial medication that I should bring. Applying for a Tanzanian visa was fairly easy. I simply filled out an application, supplied two passport-sized photos, my flight itinerary, and Nina's welcome letter that detailed my reason for travel. Since I'm lucky enough to live in D.C., I just had to take my materials down to the Tanzanian Embassy. The staff was so helpful, making me even more excited for the people that I will get to meet!

As for my volunteer placement, Nina simply asked me to provide a list of thing that I'd like to be involved in from what was discussed on the site. Because I love children, I would be so excited to help at the school, but I know the placement is also based on need. (And I totally appreciate that too!)

Because of this thorough preparation, I know I'll feel very confident about boarding that plane in just ten days! I'll be detailing stories from my travel and volunteer opportunities here, so be sure to check back!

For more information about volunteering with ACE, visit our website.