Final Thoughts
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead.
1 Peter 1: 6
This will be my last blog post for awhile. A mission team from Texas and Oklahoma, a team of my friends, the same team that I first came with to Tanzania, they are arriving here in Morogoro next Monday. During their two weeks here they will be starting construction on a dining hall for our school and leading VBS for three different Maasai villages as well as for the children at school. I am so excited to be reunited with my friends and be apart of the amazing work they will do while they are here. Just a couple days after the team leaves I will be headed home as well to spend a couple weeks with my family and friends. I'll return at the beginning of July to start a five month Swahili course in preparation to continue missionary work in Tanzania. I plan to resume blogging once I start my next adventure.
I don't know that any school or job has taught me more than this year has. And while each week I have shared my adventures and realizations with you, I thought it would be fitting in this last blog post to share some final thoughts on my overarching experiences from this year.
Living in a Third World Country
When people ask me how my life here is different from my life back in Texas it's difficult for me to explain. Life in third world countries is so different from life in a first world country. Yes, by American standards, everyone here is living in poverty. Living without consistent running water and electricity. Sleeping under mosquito nets to prevent malaria. Never knowing if the food or water you consume is clean enough or if it is going to give you Typhoid. For Americans, this is a life we can't imagine and would never desire. But this is normal life here. People don't look up through their mosquito nets at the roof over their head at night and think about how undesirable their life is. They don't look at the rice and beans and vegetables that they eat every single day and think about how they would like more variety in their life. They don't sit washing their baby's clothes by hand and think about how hard they have it. They look at their lives with gratitude. I look at my life with gratitude. Nothing about life here is easy. Every aspect of life has to be done the hard way. There are no short cuts. This consistent difficulty has created the strongest people I've ever met. Resilient people for whom hard work is expected and who never give up no matter the number or size of the obstacles in front of them. For me, knowing how easy life can be and now how difficult, it has given me great appreciation for the conveniences we can access in the U.S. but also for the values that a hard life instills in a person. They are values that I want to live by wherever I go.
Living as a Minority
As a white, Christian, female, this year was my first experience living in a place where I am the minority. There are very few white people here in Morogoro. No matter where I go or what I am doing, I stand out like a sore thumb. I am stared at and cat called. Children wave to me and teenagers point and whisper. Whenever I want to buy something I have to send a friend first to inquire about the price, because if I go to ask myself they will charge me, a white person, more than they will my black friends. Most people I have encountered are happy that I am here in Morogoro. They ask me questions about where I am from and tell me that I need to stay in Tanzania forever. But I have faced people who are rude and unfair to me and to my friends because of my skin color. At restaurants I either receive the best service or the worst service because of my skin color. This has been a new and at times very frustrating experience for me. And I am glad that I have experienced it. If you have never spent an extended period of time in a place where you are not the majority- do it. Minorities in America are not treated fairly. As much as we (the majority) may like to say they are, they are not. They face discrimination and bias that as the majority it is hard for us to even see. I have a mother and father who have drawn my attention to the injustices in our country so I thought I had a pretty good understanding of it, but living as a minority has opened my eyes even wider.
Living with a Corrupt Government
It took me awhile to adjust my mindset when dealing with the corruption of people of power here in Tanzania. It took me awhile to realize that no one here has to do what you believe is right for them to do. It took me awhile to realize that payoffs and favors and connections speak much louder than politeness or honesty or just rationale. It's like when you watch a movie and the bad guy does bad things and the good guys try to stop him and it makes no difference and you say to yourself, "But they can't just do that!" and despite your strong belief that the good should always win, they continue doing it (Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter comes to mind). That's what it's like dealing with people of power here. And it's not just people in the government- although government offices are THE WORST- this corruption has trickled down to all people in positions of power. Now I'm sure there are exceptions to this. I'm sure there are powerful people in Tanzania who are honest and who are doing what is right despite all those around them doing what is wrong. I'm just saying, I haven't found many. This corruption gives many people reason to not trust the government and has taught many that if you want to be in a position of power, you have to do it corruptly, because there is no other way. You have to work the system and make friends with those that treat you badly because if you don't, there's no hope for you. This is something that I just cannot accept. I don't have it in me. It makes me furious and when I vent to my friends their response is, "This is Africa."
Teaching in an African School
I never attended or taught school during the time when my grandparents did, but I have a feeling it was somewhat similar to teaching in an African school. Teachers enter the classroom with a stick and are not afraid to use it to punish the whole class or make an example of a single student for bad behavior. Instruction is not student centered but rather test centered. Students in primary (elementary) school take exams in fourth and seventh grades. These grade levels spend every Friday of the school year taking mock examinations and have to come to school on Saturdays until noon for remedial classes. During any extended break- two weeks, a month- fourth and seventh grade students are required to come to school for half of the break to continue with their studies. Schools are very competitive with one another. Mock exam results comparing scores from all the schools in the area are posted publicly. Not just the average score of the school is posted, but the scores of each individual student are listed from highest to lowest. If students don't pass these exams they cannot go on to the next grade level. Students who score high have the opportunity to attend better secondary schools for a cheaper price than those who perform poorly. And students who are not "smart" (don't perform well on exams), regardless of the reason, are discouraged from continuing with their studies. Any teacher in America will tell you that there is too much emphasis on standardized testing, but here standardized testing gets alllll the emphasis. It is the basis for all administrative decisions and what teachers are told to base their instruction on. Just last month in a staff meeting it was decided that the seventh grade would only have class periods for the subjects for which they would be given a National examination. That got rid of religion, french, technology, sports and games, and vocational skills. Those periods were replaced with additional periods of math, English, Swahili, science, and social studies. It made my music teacher, advocate for the arts, firm believer that elementary kids need recess just as much as they need reading heart so sad. For our school, and many here in Tanzania, exam results are everything. Our kids know this and they take it seriously. If they don't, it can mean the difference between living in poverty and having enough money to feed their family.
Tanzanian Lifestyle
All of these components of life that I have been discussing are part of the Tanzanian lifestyle that I have been exposed to over the past year. And despite the flaws and corruption and difficulties, it is a lifestyle that I enjoy immensely. Life is slower here. There is no preference to rush through anything. When you work, you work hard and smart, not fast. When you rest, you rest well. Children instinctively take responsibility for themselves and their families and they don't need to be entertained. Adults look out for each other. They do what they can to make sure that those around them are taken care of. People live in peace. They discuss differences respectfully and at the end of the day they put their value of relationships over their disagreements. A skill that I still watch in amazement. There is so much to be learned from this lifestyle. I wish that more people could experience it first hand.
As the days pass, each one quicker than the last, I feel mostly excited for what's to come. A new home, a new daily routine, meeting new people, new things to learn, and new experiences to be had. But with all of that new comes the heartbreak of leaving kids that I love, leaving my familiar environment where I know everyone and everyone knows me, and leaving friends who have become like family. I know that God has already prepared the next place for me, and the place after that, and after that, and I trust in him. I wouldn't be here getting ready to take this next step without his guidance and provision.
I pray that you have a "Tanzania" in your life. I pray that you have a "Tanzania" that opens your eyes wide, that challenges your faith in humanity and makes you really think about what it is you believe and why you believe it. I pray that you have a "Tanzania" in your life that makes you feel alive, like you are fulfilling your God given purpose and no matter what goes wrong or what other people say or do, it doesn't matter because you totally focused on living a life that pleases God and God alone. I pray that you have a "Tanzania" in your life that changes you for the better, that makes you wonder how you lived any other way, and now that you've experienced it, you never want to go back to the way you were living before. If you don't have a "Tanzania", go after it. Don't sit around waiting. Don't settle. Go find it. God will guide your path. All you have to do is start taking steps.
Mungu akubariki,
Allee
1 Peter 1: 6
This will be my last blog post for awhile. A mission team from Texas and Oklahoma, a team of my friends, the same team that I first came with to Tanzania, they are arriving here in Morogoro next Monday. During their two weeks here they will be starting construction on a dining hall for our school and leading VBS for three different Maasai villages as well as for the children at school. I am so excited to be reunited with my friends and be apart of the amazing work they will do while they are here. Just a couple days after the team leaves I will be headed home as well to spend a couple weeks with my family and friends. I'll return at the beginning of July to start a five month Swahili course in preparation to continue missionary work in Tanzania. I plan to resume blogging once I start my next adventure.
I don't know that any school or job has taught me more than this year has. And while each week I have shared my adventures and realizations with you, I thought it would be fitting in this last blog post to share some final thoughts on my overarching experiences from this year.
Living in a Third World Country
When people ask me how my life here is different from my life back in Texas it's difficult for me to explain. Life in third world countries is so different from life in a first world country. Yes, by American standards, everyone here is living in poverty. Living without consistent running water and electricity. Sleeping under mosquito nets to prevent malaria. Never knowing if the food or water you consume is clean enough or if it is going to give you Typhoid. For Americans, this is a life we can't imagine and would never desire. But this is normal life here. People don't look up through their mosquito nets at the roof over their head at night and think about how undesirable their life is. They don't look at the rice and beans and vegetables that they eat every single day and think about how they would like more variety in their life. They don't sit washing their baby's clothes by hand and think about how hard they have it. They look at their lives with gratitude. I look at my life with gratitude. Nothing about life here is easy. Every aspect of life has to be done the hard way. There are no short cuts. This consistent difficulty has created the strongest people I've ever met. Resilient people for whom hard work is expected and who never give up no matter the number or size of the obstacles in front of them. For me, knowing how easy life can be and now how difficult, it has given me great appreciation for the conveniences we can access in the U.S. but also for the values that a hard life instills in a person. They are values that I want to live by wherever I go.
Living as a Minority
As a white, Christian, female, this year was my first experience living in a place where I am the minority. There are very few white people here in Morogoro. No matter where I go or what I am doing, I stand out like a sore thumb. I am stared at and cat called. Children wave to me and teenagers point and whisper. Whenever I want to buy something I have to send a friend first to inquire about the price, because if I go to ask myself they will charge me, a white person, more than they will my black friends. Most people I have encountered are happy that I am here in Morogoro. They ask me questions about where I am from and tell me that I need to stay in Tanzania forever. But I have faced people who are rude and unfair to me and to my friends because of my skin color. At restaurants I either receive the best service or the worst service because of my skin color. This has been a new and at times very frustrating experience for me. And I am glad that I have experienced it. If you have never spent an extended period of time in a place where you are not the majority- do it. Minorities in America are not treated fairly. As much as we (the majority) may like to say they are, they are not. They face discrimination and bias that as the majority it is hard for us to even see. I have a mother and father who have drawn my attention to the injustices in our country so I thought I had a pretty good understanding of it, but living as a minority has opened my eyes even wider.
Living with a Corrupt Government
It took me awhile to adjust my mindset when dealing with the corruption of people of power here in Tanzania. It took me awhile to realize that no one here has to do what you believe is right for them to do. It took me awhile to realize that payoffs and favors and connections speak much louder than politeness or honesty or just rationale. It's like when you watch a movie and the bad guy does bad things and the good guys try to stop him and it makes no difference and you say to yourself, "But they can't just do that!" and despite your strong belief that the good should always win, they continue doing it (Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter comes to mind). That's what it's like dealing with people of power here. And it's not just people in the government- although government offices are THE WORST- this corruption has trickled down to all people in positions of power. Now I'm sure there are exceptions to this. I'm sure there are powerful people in Tanzania who are honest and who are doing what is right despite all those around them doing what is wrong. I'm just saying, I haven't found many. This corruption gives many people reason to not trust the government and has taught many that if you want to be in a position of power, you have to do it corruptly, because there is no other way. You have to work the system and make friends with those that treat you badly because if you don't, there's no hope for you. This is something that I just cannot accept. I don't have it in me. It makes me furious and when I vent to my friends their response is, "This is Africa."
Teaching in an African School
I never attended or taught school during the time when my grandparents did, but I have a feeling it was somewhat similar to teaching in an African school. Teachers enter the classroom with a stick and are not afraid to use it to punish the whole class or make an example of a single student for bad behavior. Instruction is not student centered but rather test centered. Students in primary (elementary) school take exams in fourth and seventh grades. These grade levels spend every Friday of the school year taking mock examinations and have to come to school on Saturdays until noon for remedial classes. During any extended break- two weeks, a month- fourth and seventh grade students are required to come to school for half of the break to continue with their studies. Schools are very competitive with one another. Mock exam results comparing scores from all the schools in the area are posted publicly. Not just the average score of the school is posted, but the scores of each individual student are listed from highest to lowest. If students don't pass these exams they cannot go on to the next grade level. Students who score high have the opportunity to attend better secondary schools for a cheaper price than those who perform poorly. And students who are not "smart" (don't perform well on exams), regardless of the reason, are discouraged from continuing with their studies. Any teacher in America will tell you that there is too much emphasis on standardized testing, but here standardized testing gets alllll the emphasis. It is the basis for all administrative decisions and what teachers are told to base their instruction on. Just last month in a staff meeting it was decided that the seventh grade would only have class periods for the subjects for which they would be given a National examination. That got rid of religion, french, technology, sports and games, and vocational skills. Those periods were replaced with additional periods of math, English, Swahili, science, and social studies. It made my music teacher, advocate for the arts, firm believer that elementary kids need recess just as much as they need reading heart so sad. For our school, and many here in Tanzania, exam results are everything. Our kids know this and they take it seriously. If they don't, it can mean the difference between living in poverty and having enough money to feed their family.
Tanzanian Lifestyle
All of these components of life that I have been discussing are part of the Tanzanian lifestyle that I have been exposed to over the past year. And despite the flaws and corruption and difficulties, it is a lifestyle that I enjoy immensely. Life is slower here. There is no preference to rush through anything. When you work, you work hard and smart, not fast. When you rest, you rest well. Children instinctively take responsibility for themselves and their families and they don't need to be entertained. Adults look out for each other. They do what they can to make sure that those around them are taken care of. People live in peace. They discuss differences respectfully and at the end of the day they put their value of relationships over their disagreements. A skill that I still watch in amazement. There is so much to be learned from this lifestyle. I wish that more people could experience it first hand.
As the days pass, each one quicker than the last, I feel mostly excited for what's to come. A new home, a new daily routine, meeting new people, new things to learn, and new experiences to be had. But with all of that new comes the heartbreak of leaving kids that I love, leaving my familiar environment where I know everyone and everyone knows me, and leaving friends who have become like family. I know that God has already prepared the next place for me, and the place after that, and after that, and I trust in him. I wouldn't be here getting ready to take this next step without his guidance and provision.
I pray that you have a "Tanzania" in your life. I pray that you have a "Tanzania" that opens your eyes wide, that challenges your faith in humanity and makes you really think about what it is you believe and why you believe it. I pray that you have a "Tanzania" in your life that makes you feel alive, like you are fulfilling your God given purpose and no matter what goes wrong or what other people say or do, it doesn't matter because you totally focused on living a life that pleases God and God alone. I pray that you have a "Tanzania" in your life that changes you for the better, that makes you wonder how you lived any other way, and now that you've experienced it, you never want to go back to the way you were living before. If you don't have a "Tanzania", go after it. Don't sit around waiting. Don't settle. Go find it. God will guide your path. All you have to do is start taking steps.
Mungu akubariki,
Allee
If you would like to donate towards my upcoming travel, schooling, or insurance expenses, you can send donations electronically through the Venmo app.
My username is @Alison-Gomulka.
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Alison Gomulka
15601 Shady Brook Lane
College Station, TX
77845
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| My first week in Morogoro, just over a year ago. |
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