Positively positive....

I realize some of my previous posts have been rather grim -- this is me trying to convey all of the elements here, but I must also emphatically state that not all is primitive and tragic here. I have met MANY well-educated Tanzanians who love and their country and are dedicated to the betterment of it. Within CCS, each placement has a local volunteer, a native of Tanzania (usually the Moshi/Kilimanjaro region) who volunteers at the placement to assist with translation, teaching, organization, etc. These local volunteers are not paid, they certainly could be spending these hours making money, yet each is completely dedicated to the betterment of their community and their people.

The HIV lectures have been going well. We are going around to several government schools (i.e. public schools) and giving lectures on HIV awareness: what it is, how to prevent it, and what to do if you or someone you know has it. These kids are grateful for the information, but somehowI feel we are missing the mark. What we REALLY need to do is go into the rural communities where they have NO idea what HIV/AIDS is, and belive that it is witchcraft, a curse from God, and/or nothing more than a bad flu. There are many untruths floating around Africa about HIV, often perpetuated by the medicine doctors or corrupt govenments [for example, in South Africa there is a myth told by the medicine doctors that if you have sex with a virgin you can cure yourself of AIDS, obviously leading to MANY rapes in that country].

The longer I am here the longer I want to be here. I don't have any grand illusions of saving the world or saving the continent (or this country), but I'd rather be here trying to help than not, so to that end I have committed my heart to coming back here next summer for 2-3 months. I probably won't return to Moshi -- this town is flooded with volunteers, and it is quite well off as far as Tanzania goes. I'd much rather travel in the more rural areas doing HIV awareness workshops and such, in addition to teaching. I went to Zanzibar last weekend and was absolutely blown away by the breathless beauty of the Indian Ocean. Though the coast of Zanzibar obviously is filled with resorts and touristy things, the inner part of the island is one big slum. There are two other islands off the coast of Tanzania, Mafia Island and Pemba Island. Both are extremely rural with little to call paved roads and electricity, and most of the inhabitants are illiterate, living on less than $1 a day. I would probably go to one of those islands for a portion of my stay here -- then I can live on the beach (the cost of living is incredibly cheap) while working in the interior volunteering every day. Sounds like complete heaven to me. I plan to spend the next year really studying my Swahili so I will have a much easier time communicating with the people and reaching out to them.

If anyone is interested in joining me next summer in Tanzania, I invite you with welcome arms. There is so much work to be done here, yet the country and the people are just so beautiful that the work is extremely rewarding. I'll definitely be here for 2 months, perhaps longer, so let me know if you're interested!