Karibu Paje!

Wooo April! aka RAINY season!

First off, I can't believe I only have 16 days left of my semester abroad! It's gone crazy fast most of the time, with a few lulls... but that's to be expected in any 4 month period of time.

The past 17 days, I've been doing research in Jozani National Park on Zanzibar. I have interviewed 60 people in three different villages about their views on conservation, and the positive and negative impacts the park has on their lives. In addition, I'm researching alternative livelihoods in the hope of minimizing the reliance that the communities have on natural resources. I've seen and heard some really amazing things. There is so much conflict over land use here, because everyone uses the land in order to survive. I've been able to talk to a lot of head environmentalists in Zanzibar too, including people from the Dept. of Forestry and Sustainable Management of Land and Environment.

I've learned a lot about Zanzibar, its people, and also myself. Its a whole different experience being on my own, making my own schedule and figuring out contacts, transportation, etc. Because of that, I've had great interactions with Zanzibarians that I wouldn't otherwise been able to have. Accidently hitchhiking with a soccer team, riding on the back of motorbikes, and squeezing twice the amount of allowed people onto public buses are only a few of the ridiculous ways of getting around I've experienced. What's amazing about all of it, though, is how functioning everything is. I look around and think about what a mess everything is, but then I look again and realize it works. 


So right now, I'm living in a house (okay, mansion) in Paje, a beach village on the east coast. The house belongs to a friend of our academic director, and its AMAZING. A bunch of us are living here, finishing up the program by writing our papers and playing in the ocean in the time inbetween. I'm definitely excited to go home, but for the time being I'm really happy being enjoying my final weeks in Africa! I'll probably never have this opportunity again, so I'm soaking it up (and probably too much sun) for all its worth!

Kama SIMBA

Wow. I am so lucky. It's been awhile since I've written anything, but in that time I've had some crazy experiences! For the past ten days, I've been on mainland Tanzania! It is so amazing and different than Zanzibar! For starters, its not a muslim culture, so we can wear whatever we want! Scandalous. We had lectures at the University of Dar es Salaam, located in Tanzania's biggest city and capital. The university was beautiful and reminded me so much of college back home. All the students relaxing on the green and shuffling between classes, not the mention the library that I'm convinced was modeled after Bailey-Hower, made me miss UVM! It was awesome to be integrated with college students and talk with them, eat in the dining hall, etc.

We also got a lot of island... I mean class... time. For our coastal ecology course, we went out to Mbudya Reef and did shallow water snorkeling transects where we marked all the fish species, invertebrates, seagrasses, and ground cover. We also went to Sinda Island and learned about sea urchins as invasive species, and then removed them! We picked up around 2,000 sea urchins, which kill the coral, and then dumped them in a part of the ocean that doesn't have coral. I'm learning so much about marine ecosystems, which I've never studied before. They're so intricate and beautiful. I never really thought about what goes on under the sea... it's basically a whole other world.

Now we just returned from probably the coolest thing that I've done since I've been here... or maybe ever. SAFARI! We travelled to Mkumi National Park and did a total of four safaris! Two at dusk and two in the morning. I saw so many animals - elephants, giraffes, hippos (my favorite!), water buffalo, zebra, gazelles, storks, crocs, baboons, and... LIONS! It was so beautiful and picturesque and wild. Up until this point I haven't really felt like I'm in Africa, but when I saw a momma lion and her cubs prancing through the grass... it hit me. This is the Africa that I pictured when I pictured my semester abroad. I'm so so lucky to have these experiences!

We are starting our research projects on Monday. I'm super nervous to be out there on my own, but confidence in the process that got me this far and excited to see what the next month (only one month left?! ahh!) brings!

Miti na jua. Trees and sunshine.

Mambo!

It's been a packed week with lots of outdoor time. We have just returned from Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park! It was a beautiful, huge park/forest reserve. We got to use a lot of the forest sampling techniques that I've learned at UVM, which was cool to actually know what was going on and be able to quantify data! One of my favorite things about the park is that it is community/collaboratively managed, which means that the community gets 50% of the profits of the park. There is a commitee of community members from 9 surrounding villages who participate in conservation efforts and try to suggest ways that the park can better assist the communities. It's an awesome system, but it does have its flaws. For example, the community members' livelihoods and incomes revolve around the use of natural resources. They cut wood to make money, to use in their homes, and to use as food. They need the forest land to use as farms to grow crops. But since it is conserved land, the communities have to find other ways to make money and support themselves. And... (this is the really exciting part...) thats where I come in!

The reason I am excited about Jozani is because I have decided that it's where I'm going to spend the entire month of April, doing my Independent Study Project! After talking with the park warden, who is also my advisor, we decided that I am going to study the parks impact on the 9 communities, and how they view conservation/how they use the resources via interviews and other studies. From that, I will developing a new natural resource management plan/other money-making alternatives for the park in order to find a better balance between conservation and sustainable use! It's not what I have been planning on doing from the beginning, but I've realized that it's important to keep an open mind about what I will be studying and I'm really excited about the potential of the project. I will hopefully be able to incorporate place-based education into my project in some way, as well as be able to do some mapping (which we're also starting to do more of - yay!)! For the next week, I will be in Jozani conducting studies and writing up a mini proposal in order to get ready for the big project! Scary, but exciting to be on my own, using my Swahili, in Africa! Ah!

Being the in woods for the past week has made me super nostalgic about past adventures and excited for ones to come! In a weird way, the forest reminded me of the forests in Vermont, which was comforting but made me miss the company of my usual hiking buddies. I kept thinking how much everyone back home would love it and I wish you all could come visit! Big trees, lots of mahogony and even pines. The trails were so fun to hike around on and were beautiful! I even got a fair share of riding in the back of pick-up trucks, so I can check that off the to-do list. :)

All in all, things are going well. I'm excited for the two months ahead of me - it's so crazy to believe that it's March already! We just have portfolios, Dar Es Salaam (safari!!), and ISP left... and then it's time to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro! Time is going so fast - but theres so much to look forward to! Gotta live it for all its worth. For the record, family, I'm VERY warm and TOO well fed, so hakuna matata (side note: hakuna matata is not actually something people say here. Instead, we say "hamna shida" which literally means "there are no problems". But for understandings sake, we'll stick to The Lion King)!

Hokay, thanks for reading and also for caring about what I'm up to - its awesome to know that I have support from all corners of the world!

Karibuni tena :)

Shamba

It's been awhile since I last wrote - and in that time I was busy becoming a rural farm girl instead of chilling in the city of Stonetown! "Shamba" means countryside/rural/farm in Swahili and is basically used to describe everywhere besides Stonetown in Zanzibar. Let's see...

Two weeks ago, we stayed in a town called Mangapwani, which translates to "Beach of Light". It was beautiful and very aptly named! We stayed at a community education center called Creative Solutions Resource Center, and I got to practice my interview skills by going to fish auctions and talking to the local fishermen. My group was lucky enough to go out on a "Boati" and interview the fishermen on the job. It was an amazing experience! I also got to work with translators for the first time, and learned that I definitely don't understand as much Swahili as I need to conduct research! Mangapwani is also home to amazing beaches, caves, and sunsets. Everyday after class we would go to the beach and explore the many caves in the crystal clear ocean! I really liked it there - and also loved living in a house with all of my classmates! I might end up doing my final Independent Study Project there.... but I say that about every place we go so we'll see!

This past week, we left Unguja and flew to Pemba: the "other" Zanzibar island. It's more rural and also more scenic. While there, we got a crash course in the Natural Resources of the islands - there is a lot going on in terms of the environment! I got to see different types of house construction (mostly mud and sticks). I also learned about charcoal production, which is a huge industry in Zanzibar and the main form of cooking/heating. I also visited a rubber plantation, a salt production plant, and an essential oil distillery. It was so interested to see how these resources are made because I honestly never really thought about where my rubber bands, etc. came from before. The rubber process was my favorite to learn about and is actually pretty sustainable. They use the sap from rubber trees and then press it, dry it, smoke it, and ship it off. I also got the opportunity to visit Ngezi Forest and do a little hiking!! It was a beautiful place and was interested to compare the management approaches here to those in the US. The forest is managed by the community and from what I could see was working wonderfully. In addition, we visited a working farm and learned about agriculture which was super interesting!

Pemba also consisted of homestay number 2. I've come to terms with the fact that I'm just not a homestay girl... I like my space and freedom too much! Nevertheless, I still learned a lot from this homestay. It was interested to get a taste of more rural living. Something that surprised me was actually how connected and in tune they were with the rest of the world. Everyone has TVs and cell phones and life is actually pretty similar to everyday life in the US, just with a few more difficulties and a lot less organization. We got to cook with our families and I'm learning some fun recipes! But also seriously lacking in the vegetables department - the diet here basically consists of fried bread. Maybe some beans. And a whole lotta fish.

I've definitely been able to go outside more recently which is awesome! I could feel myself getting antsy and restless in Stonetown and the shamba was a welcome change to the routine! From here on out we are traveling a lot - I'm excited to see more different parts of the islands and even make it to the mainland! I've been missing home a little more than I expected but I'm trying to be here in the moment and focus. It's important to cherish my time here and treat it as more than a vacation away from ordinary life. Sometimes I have to remind myself that this IS ordinary life, which is crazy! The culture shock still hasn't worn off because this place is so different from anything I've ever seen... but it's good because it keeps me on my toes! :)

P.s. I got the chance to visit the hospital when I was in Pemba to see a homestay family member, as well as the Public Health Facility on the island. Don't have time to talk about it now but let's just say - we have it SO GOOD in America... no matter how much people complain, we are so lucky!!

P.p.s Monkeys really creep me out. They are too much like people and I get the feeling that they are smarter than me. And I don't like them at all.

T.I.A.

The past few weeks I have had a lot going on! It's been really fun being in Stone Town and starting to feel like a local. Walking down the street, people recognize me and I recognize them. I've been able to practice my Kiswahili a lot, and people really appreciate that we are trying to learn their language.

Last weekend was my 21st birthday! We went snorkeling and then all had dinner at a homestay house - then off to celebrate! Exciting to have a birthday in Africa - but I didn't get to show my ID anywhere because there really are no rules.

Sauti za Busara is a huge 4 day music festival here in Zanzibar which occured this past week. It was amazing - probably the most fun I've had since I've been here! Four days of dancing, listening to music, and letting go after stressful weeks of classes. The artists were all so much fun, and it was great to have the opportunity to see everyone let loose and just enjoy life!

Today was the last day of my homestay. It ended up being a great experience - uncomfortable at times (okay, most of the time...) but I learned a lot and my family really took me in as one of their own. We had a homestay farewell party and my family dressed me up in Zanzibari fashion and my sister gave me henna! It's cool to have a family to be able to go back to in Stonetown - both this semester and beyond.

Finally, today marks the end of Kiswahili class! After 60 hours of intensive language learning, we had our written and oral exams today. I think I aced them! Now we just have to get out there and practice since we won't have the classroom setting to learn in!

As I learn about the culture here, I can't help but share some of it. Alas, here's my rant of the week:
I've been learning a lot about education in Zanzibar - formally and just through interacting with my homestay and local people. Many times, I find myself astounded by the things that aren't issues here that seem so obvious to me. For example, after two weeks in my homestay family, I have yet to find a trashcan/somewhere to put trash in my house. They simply throw their wrappers or whatever on the ground when their done and then sweep it out into the street. This is just one example of the great conflict between humans and the environment. The sewage pipes run straight into the ocean, and no one (at least from what I've seen) is even concerned! When I tell locals that I'm studying the environment, I get blank stares that seem to say "why?".  I keep thinking how sad it is that they just don't know about environmental issues, but then I think about how much I also don't know regarding culture here. The concern here lies more in surviving day to day life than trying to save the whales, for example, but it is all connected. The fishermen here need fish in the ocean to feed their families, but one day there won't be any fish due to overfishing and pollution. Its frustrating to see people hurting their environment so freely, and therefore hurting themselves. Maybe once greater issues of human welfare (another problem alltogether) are addressed, then the environment can start to be taken care of too.

Access to education here is seriously lacking - my homestay siblings go to school for maybe 4 hours a day... but no one is regulating if they are there or not. The usual classroom ratio is 150 students to 2 teachers with no resources. School is also expensive - even public school requires a monthly fee. Since it is government regulated, one failed exam can get you kicked out of school permanently. If you do make it the whole way through to university, the government has the right to tell you what to major in and what job to get based on the needs of the country. Kind of ridiculous!


ANYWAY, fun fact:  they don't use toilet paper here (rule number 1 - don't eat with your left hand!). But hey, TIA. This is Africa.

Trust in the process

After being here for about two weeks, I can definitely see my feelings starting to shift. It is still exciting, stimulating, and engaging, but there is a hidden side to this place that isn't 100% positive. Don't get me wrong, I really like it here and am learning new things from the locals everyday, but its not all rainbows and butterflies like it seemed to be at first!

The first few days of my homestay have proven to be a challenge. Staying in the comforts of a hotel with all of my friends in my group is quite different than living with a Zanzibari family, as I've been doing for the past 5 days. My Zanzibar family consists of a single mom with five kids all under the age of 15. Since I've been here, one of the kids has had the flu, malaria, and stomach illnesses, while another one has cerebral palsy and can't eat, walk, or talk on his own. It's been a shock to my system to see this family go about their daily lives and I find myself feeling awkward - especially because of the language barrier. They are extremely welcoming, though, as everyone here is. It gets better everyday as I get more comfortable... I'm learning a lot from them and hopefully as time goes by it will become an even better experience!

Another thing that has become less charming as time goes by is the lack of attention to timeliness people have here. Multiple times, we've been sitting in class waiting for a lecturer, only to have them show up 45 minutes late, or one time, not at all. Its interesting because we are on an American program where everything is scheduled out, and Zanzibar time doesn't really match up with that schedule. I'm not a very patient person (never have been) and I'm definitely learning a little more every day to just let things go! I have to remember that I'm not in America where everything is go, go, go and take advantage of that difference!

Finally, I've lately been shocked by some of the guys here. As my director told us, "Zanzibari men think they are God's gift to women." I have found this to be completely true! They love to talk to the girls in our program and sometimes it's a little disturbing. DON'T WORRY though, we are super safe and I've gotten really good at ignoring them!!

If this post sounds depressing at all, it's not meant to be! All in all, I am having a great time and there really are hakuna matata! I'm pretty much in class all day, errday... but there is still plenty of time to explore. I just wanted to show the other side of things instead of just writing "THIS PLACE IS AMAZING" every post! I'm missing America a little bit but we're told to "Trust in the process" so that's what I'm doing. Seems to be working so far! This coming week: 21st birthday celebrations, a music festival, snorkeling, and more homestay excitement!

Hopefully pictures will come soon - the internet is too slow to load anything substantial though!
:)

Pole Pole

I don't even know where to start! I'm currently sitting in an outdoor cafe called the Green Garden, drinking a mango smoothie. The past week and a half have been insane! I'm so overwhelmed with everything that is happening that I find it hard to believe that I'm in Africa! Zanzibar is so exciting! Every corner brings a new discovery and I never know what I'm going to find next! Getting here was the first adventure. It was so nice to have Lily to travel with and after bonding over hours of movies, strange bathrooms, confusing customs, and my first marriage proposal (I said no...), we finally arrived in Zanzibar! Everyone in the program slowly started arriving, and they are all great! I've had the opportunity to explore Stonetown many times. It is unlike any place I've ever been! The first thing I noticed is that the people are AMAZING. Every person I've met so far (and you meet a lot of them - everyone stops and talks to us!) has been so welcoming and helpful. For example, every time I ask someone for directions, instead of just telling me where to go, they stop what they are doing and walk with me to show me where it is! Time isn't an issue for anyone - it's all about creating relationships with people, which is one of my favorite things about this country so far. Another great thing is the food! Since most people here are Muslim, there is a lot of food that represents that culture. Samosas, curry, and delicious fresh fruit that makes the Indian food stand at UVM look pretty weak.

We've spent the past week getting oriented in every way possible. We've been snorkeling, swimming with dolphins, taken a tour of a butterfly center (!!!), drank my first legal drink (Kilimanjaro beer - If you can't climb it, drink it!), and talked with locals A TON. Yesterday we went to a village called Paje and met with the sheha (cheif) of the village to talk about education and water/power supply. It was so enlightening and the coolest part was that we had a conversation in Swahili!! In Kiswahili class, I am called Eshe, so that's what I'm known as to everyone in my program. We've been cramming the swahili lessons in (four hours a day) and I feel like I'm learning so much! I can actually have conversations with people I meet. There are so many opportunities to practice and the locals love it when we speak to them in their language. They call us "wazungu" which means "white person" or westerner. However, we explain to them that we are wanafunzi (students) and not tourists, which gains us a little bit of street cred.

Zanzabarians have a phrase, "pole pole," that they always are saying. It means "slowly slowly", and our director Helen (also an awesome lady - mom, she knows U2!) tells us that this is how we must ease into things here. It is such an overwhelming culture and so much to understand that is different from America - but it is fascinating! We are going to our homestay families on Sunday, for which I'm both nervous and excited! The internet usage is limited here but I'll try to post again when I get a chance! Until then, pole pole and hakuna matata!