Welcome to Tanzania

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Like all border crossings in Africa, a feeling of apprehension and vulnerability takes over. You remain polite and smile, filling in the paperwork while handing over crisp new United States dollars.

As you pass immigration, your eyes scan the local surroundings, watching for hawkers and money changers. Knowing boarders are crime hot spots, you secure your belongings and empty your pockets, preparing yourself for any eventuality.

As you wait to be processed outside a small wooden shack, a local approaches asking where you are from. He asks why Mzungus come and take all the jobs. He asks why the English enslaved the Tanzanian people. He says the English aren’t welcome here. He asked how I would feel if he took out the slave trade on me, right here, right now!

Surrounded and outnumbered, I felt intimidated, it was a very strange conversation, one in which I stood my ground with sarcasm and a sense of humor.

As you cross the border from Malawi to Tanzania, you are surprised to see a tropical landscape. Lush green banana trees, mountains and jungle scatter the countryside. Tanzania is clearly more organized than Malawi, with sealed roads, electricity, running water and infrastructure.

Arriving at Bongo Dox NGO and being the only Mzungus to set up camp in the middle of Tukuyu, a rural village in the highlands sets a new adventurous tone for traveling in Africa. Being invited to teach English in the local primary school, an opportunity not to be missed.

When the teachers barely speak English you realize the children don’t have a chance. Teaching the teachers some basics before introducing myself to the kids, being the biggest challenge. You decide to start simple, teaching the rhyme "head, shoulders, knees and toes" ", and then progressing on to counting from one to ten.

Finding out 20 percent of the villagers are HIV positive is a shocking statistic, realizing they are not taught sex education until 16 is way too late! But what can you expect from a school where children can’t afford basics such as pens, pencils and writing paper.

Wondering around the local village you are met with the usual curiosity that you become accustom to in Africa. Children chasing you down the street shouting Mzungu, while adult’s double take, stop and stare, looking at you like a circus freak arriving in town.

The local markets are colorful and chaotic. Buses are overloaded with people while soldiers pass in trucks peering out like cattle off to the slaughter.

The police routinely stop you at check points and ask for a 'donation' while truck drivers beep their horns welcoming the Mzungus into town.

Vehicles are randomly named everything from 'Jesus Power' and 'No Name' to 'Michael Owen' and 'Bible Basher'. Every truck is decorated in Premier League colors while each driver believes he is Nigel Mansel competing on a formula one circuit.

Bicycles are used to transport everything from maze and goats to coal and sugar cane while trucks thunder past overloaded and tilting sideways, spewing out black smoke and oil while half of the population seems to spend their days sitting under a tree, watching the mayhem unfold.

Welcome to Tanzania.

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Photos

Southern Highlands
Tanzanian jungle in the southern highlands

Tukuyu Market
The new bread basket of Africa?

Back to School
Teaching English At Bongo Dox NGO in Tukuyu