Yesterday afternoon Dr. Masebu, a historian from the University of Dar es Salaam, gave us a sweeping overview of the colonial period in Africa, with specific references to Tanzania. He helped us understand the various political, social, and economic causes of colonialism, in addition to emphasizing that the African response…
Last evening we were without electricity (an increasingly frequent challenge for residents of Dar es Salaam) and therefore we could not post to the blog. So here are two days worth of updates for the price of one! Yesterday the group attended a lecture at the University entitled “Indian Ocean…
William Cronon suggests, “the instability of human relations with the environment can be used to explain both cultural and ecological transformations.” Building on this theme, today we began a week and 1/2 exploration of the history of Tanzania, paying particular attention to connections between history and human/nature relationships. We’ll explore…
This weekends’ pictures speak for themselves. After a busy first week and a half, the students deserved some genuine respite and play. We traveled by ferry to Kigamboni, a short distance across the Dar es Salaam harbor. We slept, swam, caught up on reading, and took walks. It was a…
Swahili class today included some wonderful singing of Tanzanian songs, both gospel and secular. in return, the students offered a hymn or two from the Mennonite hymnal. Also as part of Swahili class, in small groups the students were asked to act out both inappropriate and appropriate cultural behaviors. …
As you have begun to gather from previous posts, the daily schedule for students goes something like this. Anywhere between 7-8:30 a.m. students arrive at Upanga Church and we have time to connect, compare notes, and make sure everyone is healthy and doing well. Ryan, Donna, Mara, and Isaac all…
Warm greetings again from Dar. Students are in the swing of things, arriving each morning at the church for Swahili class. Class begins at 8:30 a.m. and finishes at 11:00 with a half hour break. Today the group ate at the church canteen immediately after Swahili class in order to…
Swahili classes have begun! Yesterday and today, the students arrived at the church for Swahili class in fine fashion. In fact today, everyone was on time! That is a feat when one considers that students are learning how to navigate the daily commutes from their homes to town via daladalas,…
Many students and their host families attended church at Upanga Mennonite this morning. This afforded the opportunity for the GC students to check in with one another, compare notes, and process how the first weekend with host families is going. As part of the varied conversations we made some interesting…
This morning we welcomed Leah, Emily, David H., and Annika to our home in Mikocheni for a morning conversation/orientation. They were well rested after a night at the Royal Mushi Inn… with air conditioning! Together we had a refreshing lunch of mangoes, pineapple, passion fruit, and avacodo/tomato sandwiches and then…
