Wait, where are you going?
Tanzania. If you're not up on your African geography (and, no worries, I wasn't either until I sat down and played Sporcle's African geography quiz...) that's the east coast of Africa. More specifically, I am going to be in a rural area in the Morogoro region which is about halfway between the tip of the arrow on the map and the coast. That's about a two hour drive from Tanzania's largest city, Dar es Salaam.
When are you leaving?
My start date is September 1. I haven't booked the flight yet (mentally prepping myself to purchase a one-way ticket is strange), but I will probably fly out the last few days of August. I'm thinking the 27th or 28th most likely so I'll have a few days in Dar to get some errands done when I arrive.
Where will you live?
On the school campus. It's a ways up the road from the main town. I'll likely have a roommate (another volunteer) and share a bathroom and kitchen. I'll have more specifics and be sure to post pictures when I get there!
What will you eat?
Rice. Lentils. Rice and lentils. Lentils and rice. I say that only half jokingly, really. At least from my previous experience, I had a fairly lentil-heavy diet as it's not super vegetarian friendly in Tanzania. But, it is possible especially if I decide to cook some of my own meals. In all honesty, I am also considering weaning myself back onto chicken if I start to feel like I am turning into a lentil. Particularly considering factory farming in the U.S. was a major reason why I decided to go veggie. Not a whole lot of factory farming going on in rural Tanzania, meaning it'll be pretty obvious exactly where my dinner came from.
What language do they speak?
Swahili and English are the official languages of Tanzania and secondary school is supposed to be taught solely in English. However, girls oftentimes have much poorer quality English training in primary school (part of the reason more girls struggle to pass the entrance exam into secondary school). So, although I am trying to learn a bit of Swahili this summer, I'm definitely anticipating a bit of a language barrier.
Alright, but what are you actually going to be doing over there?
A lot of different things, but basically teaching art and helping run both the environmental science and PE programs at the Sega Girls School. The Sega Girls School is an all-girls secondary school (U.S. equivalent of middle and high school combined) for academically motivated girls from all over Tanzania that would otherwise be unable to afford secondary education. If you're interested in learning more about the school click here!More specifically, my official job title is Volunteer for Art and Environment. My job description includes things like managing the student garden project on campus, teaching seminars on environmental topics, working on projects that address environmental issues on the campus, and creating and implementing an art curriculum for the students.
What's with the blog title?
That's definitely subject to change. But, for now it's partly a reference to one of my biggest pre-departure challenges: figuring out how to pack for two years in just what I can bring on the plane with me. This comes down to two big suitcases, a carry-on duffle bag, and a backpack. And when I say I need to bring everything I need for two years, I'm not just talking about clothes, my laptop, my new ukulele, etc. I'm talking about two years worth of contact lenses and solution, malaria medication, Advil, sunscreen etc. From my experiences last year, I know that the postal system can be pretty unreliable (that means that, as much as it would be appreciated, no care packages, friends). So, everything I need that I won't be able to get over there gets packed. I'm sure I will have an entire post devoted to suitcase Tetris, so I'll bore you with more of that later. Good thing I love packing.
Why in the world do you want to do this???
In short, I went to Tanzania last summer and fell in love with the country. Within a week or two of being there, I knew I wanted to go back. The longer (and possibly a little cliche) answer is that I've always felt a strong pull to work that I feel makes a real, concrete difference. When it came time to start thinking about my post-college life, I wasn't sure exactly what it was that I wanted to do, but I certainly hoped to involve my knowledge of environmental science. I couldn't have imagined that I would end up with a position that not only involved that, but also my lifelong passion for art and my field hockey coaching experiences in physical education.In addition to it being a job involving three things I am really passionate about, though, I am taking this on because I am eager for a challenge. I am sure that there will be days that I feel as though I bit off more than I can chew. And, although I am supposed to be the one doing the teaching, I'm sure this experience will have a lot to teach me as well. Which is another reason I am so excited for this opportunity. I grew up on the wisdom to "Learn something new every day" (thanks, mom) and I certainly expect that will be easy to accomplish through this experience.
Lastly, when I thought about making the commitment to do this, one question kept creeping up into my mind-- if I don't do it now, when will I? I fully recognize that, at this point in my life, I have the least responsibilities that I will likely have for a very long time. With no job, bills, house, pets or significant others to tie me down, now really just seemed like the time.
How can we stay in touch?
1) This blog.
If you want to generally know what I am doing, this blog is probably the place for that. I'll do my best to keep updating this blog throughout my two years there. I will try and post links to Facebook when I update (and I'm sure my mom will post the links to her Facebook as well). I don't make any promises on how often I will update this, mostly because I have no idea what my schedule is going to be once I arrive in Tanzania. BUT I will do my best to record all of my adventures, misadventures, funny stories, thoughts, and learning experiences here. I would love to read any and all comments on my posts!2) E-mail.
Honestly, this is the best way of direct communication with me. Internet is limited and sort of expensive, so anything that's too internet-intensive (skype, etc) likely isn't going to be an option. I admit that I am not great at responding to emails, so be patient with me and send me a reminder if it's been a while-- I promise I'm not ignoring you, it probably just got lost in the inbox.
3) Calls.
I will have my phone in Tanzania and will be getting a sim card for it so I can make international calls. The cheapest way to do that is for you to call my TZ phone number using Skype. You have to set up an account and calling does cost money, but it's way cheaper than a call would be otherwise. I don't have any of the details on my phone number or anything yet, but if you email me I can send you that information once I arrive. Also note that Tanzania is 7 hours ahead of the U.S. east coast, so the time difference will probably make it a bit tough to schedule things.
4) Mail.
As I said before, packages probably won't arrive, BUT if you want to send me snail mail, here's my mailing address:
Sega Girls School
PO Box 273
Morogoro, TZ
That about covers the bases. Again, I'd be happy to answer any other questions! Excited to start this blog and to see where this incredible adventure takes me.
