A trip to Siha District

Noted on October 18, 2008 by Christopher Bennett in

I just returned to Moshi after spending a few days in the Siha Distrcit of Tanzania, between Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru. Unfortunately, it was cloudy most of the time so I didn't get a good glimpse of the mountains. But apart from that, it was a fantastic visit.

I was warmly welcomed by the parents of UO alum and employee Cleven Mmari. Their comfortable home in Lawate village was the jumping off point for two days of meetings.

I first visited three of the area secondary schools, Siha and Oshara, where we have sent interns in the past, as well as the newly-founded Fuka Secondary. The teachers, headmasters and others in the community have fond memories of the past interns and still recount stories of their time with them. It was extremely helpful to get a first-hand perspective on the opportunities and challenges presented by each of these schools. For interns, there is great diversity in the secondary schools in the area, including differences in the teaching support needed by the schools, accomodations, proximity to towns, public and private status and school size and grade-levels served.

When I return to Oregon, I hope to update the Siha Secondary internship listing to reflect all three of these schools, and the differences between them so that applicants can apply to intern at the school that most closely meets their interests.

I also paid a visit to the Faraja Primary School for disabled youth. This school is really well-run and relatively well-equipped, but quite remote in its location. It will be a great opportunity for interns interested in working with special needs children but prepared to devote not only their time but their heart to the work. They have a particular need for someone with physical therapy training. If you are interested, please email me!

While in the village, I also was reminded of the allure of village life in Africa. I enjoy the slow pace of life, drinks with friends at the local pub, the casual conversations with people on the street, friendly hand-waves and the repeated phrase of "Karibu," or welcome, wherever I went. It may not be the active modern, fast-paced lifestyle we are used to at home, but it's hard to beat staring up at the brilliant stars at night, falling asleep to the sound of crickets, and even awakening to the rooster outside your bedroom window (instead of cars and sirens).

Tomorrow I fly to Zanzibar for another week of meetings and am looking forward to exploring this very different part of Tanzania. Stay tuned for more updates.