On Sunday, July 10, 2011, I began a journey that would ultimately alter the way I viewed the world. At 7:20 p.m. I, along with nine other Mercer University students and two faculty members, began the 8,379 mile trip to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Once in country, the other students and I immediately noticed a difference in our surroundings.
The Dar es Salaam airport was incredibly different from Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta. The customs area was small and there was no air conditioning. Outside the airport there were swarms of people, each one speaking Kiswahili, a language that was unfamiliar to all but one of our faculty members. While their language was unfamiliar to us, many of them spoke a little English, and they happily engaged in conversation with us.
Our first contact with a Tanzanian was with a taxi driver. He wanted us to use his taxi service to take us to our destination. Although we had already planned transportation and had to decline his offer, he still had polite conversation with us. He told us about his life, his family and where he lived. He spoke of long trips to the city to work and extended periods of time away from his loved ones. As he spoke, I thought of how personable this gentleman was. He freely volunteered information about himself, and he earnestly listened to our stories as well. This experience was quite different from anything I had seen in America. This was the first of a series of encounters with some of the most fantastic, genuine and amiable people I have ever met in my life.
Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world, but it is filled with some of the friendliest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. The poverty was made evident when the other Mercerians and I took the eight hour bus ride from the Dar es Salaam airport to Moshi Town, a city that was 273 miles away. All along the road we saw mud huts and dust. Those who were lucky could build a home out of cinder blocks, and those who were not built their shelter out of whatever materials they could find. When we arrived at our destination, the surroundings were not much different from what we had seen along the road.
As we walked around in Moshi Town, the first thing we noticed was the air quality. The air was filled with dust from the dirt paths and the smoke from burning trash. I could see dirty water running over sewage, and I often had to watch out for gaping holes in the road that were filled with filth. In the beginning, witnessing people living in these conditions made me terribly depressed, but soon I realized that the people there did not need or want my sympathy or pity. I met people who lived in, by American standards, deplorable conditions, but would insist on sharing what little they had with others.
I saw more smiling faces in my first five days in the country than I had ever seen in American in any other five-day time span. Watching how happy people are in Tanzania made me think about how unhappy people are in America. Most Americans have all the possessions they could ask for, even many people who would be considered poor in America still have cars. However, in Tanzania a car is not a common possession. People do not have much at all, but they are still generous and kindly offering to give whatever they had, whether it was food or clothing.
For example, we met a woman while working with KIWAKKUKI, a non-governmental HIV/AIDS awareness organization in Moshi, who was HIV positive. She had no way of making a living. Our team built a chicken coop for her so that she could keep her chickens safe from animals, and possibly sell the eggs to generate income for herself and her son. After the coop was finished, she made a meal for us and insisted that we eat. She lived in a home that was made of cinder blocks and had very little furniture, but she insisted on providing a meal for us. Her gratitude was evident and abundant.
People who were as kind and giving as this woman were everywhere in Tanzania. We never met anyone who did not greet us with a friendly, welcoming attitude. While there, we were met with singing, dancing and laughter. We were encouraged to sing along and dance with them, and many of us did. I made so many friends and created life-long relationships. I met people who I will never forget.
Everything I saw in Tanzania opened my eyes to an entirely different way of life. Natives of Tanzania genuinely care about each other. They share what they have and truly believe in the importance of community. Despite the fact that they do not have many worldly possessions, they always have enough to give, and do so willingly and enthusiastically. Spending time in Tanzania was the best time of my life. I will forever view the world differently because of what I saw there. I have learned invaluable lessons about how to treat fellow human beings. I have learned how to be grateful for the things I have, and to think twice before complaining about my situation. I believe that if a person who has nothing can still wake up in the morning with a smile, then I should be able to as well. Throughout my travels, I have learned that people should not base their happiness on the amount of things they own, because there are more important things in life. These lessons will be with me for the rest of my life.