Monday, June 22, 2009

Training has taken over my life, but in other news…..

Hello Everyone, I made it safely and I’ve been training heavily in the Tanzanian culture and language of Swahili. We are currently staying at Mzimbazi Center in the heart of Dar es Salaam, however we are scheduled to leave for the city of Muheza on Tuesday which is where I will begin my stay with a family in the village of Kilulu. Over the next 9 weeks I will undergo a series of environmental, health, cultural, and language classes. At the end of training I have to be proficient in the language of Swahili and be able to respect the culture and religion by dressing, eating, and integrating appropriately. Of all the training classes that I will be attending and have attended so far the language courses have been the toughest. This is where my home-stay family in Kilulu will try to assist me the most. If all goes well I will be sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer at the US Embassy in Tanzania on August 19th 2009!
After being sworn in I will be assigned to a village and given a house, or hut, of my own. There I will serve as a teacher of health and HIV/Aids awareness with many women’s groups and children’s organizations. After many weeks of assessments and interviews I will start and manage programs that I think are suitable for my village and that will sustain long after I am gone. I will write grants and motivate the community to participate in other income generation projects. So far everyone that I have met is excited and respects the work that the Peace Corps is doing. Sometimes the Tanzanians will start speaking to me in Swahili and then when I respond with my very American accent they look shocked. I try to respond back in Swahili, slowly butchering every other syllable and not wanting to stick out like a tourist. However, after helping me find the right words in Swahili they smile and accept me for me! Tanzanians are warm and friendly, I didn’t even get that feeling in Miami from American citizens or non-citizens!
So far I have learned how to boil and filter my water so that it is safe to drink and cook with. I have been washing my clothes by hand and I have “heard” how to make banana beer, I will let you know how it turns out J I sleep in a bed with a mosquito net, I just pretend that I am a princess and the net is to help me get my beauty rest. I have been eating a lot of cabbage, rice, and chicken, plenty of chicken, did I mention there was chicken, oh and they cook chicken. For breakfast I have coffee or tea with milk, bananas, and something similar to fried sweet bread, very tasty. Then we have chai at noon, which is when everyone in the country stops working for about 20-45 mins and has tea or coffee along with cookies or biscuits. I like chai, I’m going to ask Obama if we can add it to the American work day! For lunch and dinner I have chicken cooked over charcoal with rice and cabbage, it’s often seasoned differently or covered with gravy. The crazy thing is it tastes great every time I have it. We are always on time for lunch and dinner and often go back for more. Each meal is served with fresh fruit that is sooooooo good. In season now are oranges that are sweet and juicy, along with the apples and bananas.
I wear mostly long skirts and tops that cover my shoulders and cleavage. Tanzanians are mostly Muslim with a small population of Christians so out of respect we dress according to their culture and religion. Women are held in high respect and cover themselves as not to tempt or appear forward. There are areas of the larger cities where women who are in the “oldest profession” dress a little more provocatively. I am ok with wearing the long skirts and not showing cleavage, but after class when it’s 90+ degrees and I want to throw on a tank top and some shorts to walk to the store, I get over my craving for a cold soda real quick, and settle for the water in my room. Changing my way of dress and eating habits is worth it if I am able to help a mother take better care of herself for her children and show neighbors how to generate income while doing projects that strengthen their ,already, thriving community.
So if you want a nice vacation with free room and bored just let me know. You are more than welcome to stay with me in my new home after my 9 weeks of training. The only thing I ask is that you bring me something that I miss from America….You J!
Take care until next time……

Love From Tanzania,
Shani

p.s. pics will be up soon