Pre-departure blog: Applying to go to Zanzibar

This is my favorite and one of the best pictures I've ever taken. Islam and Christianity working in perfect harmony at Oloirien Valley School.

This blog post is a rather special blog because it is being used for my internship application to America’s Unofficial Ambassadors program in Zanzibar, Tanzania this summer. Please enjoy and feel free to send any feedback or well wishes my way (Fingers crossed that they accept me!)

For those of you that know me personally or have been following my blog for the past 8 months, you know that I have a deep love of travel and culture. I have been fortunate enough in my 21 years to have (now) been to 4 continents and of all of the beautiful countries I have visited/lived in, Tanzania has had one of the strongest holds on my heart.

Last summer I took the Tanzania Seminar course offered at Washington College and spent two weeks learning about the history, economics, politics, educational system, health care crisis, and the multiple cultures that make up the beautiful country of Tanzania. More importantly than any of these branches of society were my interactions at a grassroots level with the people of Tanzania. 

It is my understanding that a country cannot function without the effort of its people and the coming together of its various communities, and although Tanzania is not the strongest country economically and politically, it makes up for its short comings with the kindness and compassion of its people. There is a sense of community everywhere, from the busy streets of Arusha to the vast plains of the bush and I have never met people with so much heart or so much love to give to complete strangers. I was constantly floored by the hospitality and friendliness of everyone I met, even when they had nothing they would always offer a hand to hold or a smile. 

My first week in Tanzania was spent working in and visiting schools, and I was in awe of the intense drive and desire that every child had towards learning. They could never seem to get enough knowledge and they all constantly wanted to know more. I haven’t seen a thirst for knowledge like that anywhere else in the world. On more than one occasion I was corrected about my own countries history or given a lesson that expanded on my basic American historical knowledge. Some children had nothing, and yet they still made the mile or so long trek to school everyday so that they could learn- a simple and easy task for most children in developed nations, and yet we take going to school everyday for granted. 

If you asked me why I want to volunteer in Zanzibar, the answer is simple: I have fallen in love with the people of Tanzania, people who against all odds, remain some of the kindest, most optimistic and inquisitive people I’ve ever met. 

Going into Zanzibar, my only expectation is to be challenged like I have never been challenged before. By this I mean in aspects of everyday life, my view and understanding of this sector of Tanzania culture, and the way in which I live or learn to live outside of my comfort zone. I have never had the chance to spend an extended period of time in a predominantly Muslim region of the world (in this case the island of Zanzibar) and I am beyond excited to learn and (hopefully) take part in local, cultural, and religious customs. The Muslim faith is a truly beautiful and unfortunately a vastly misunderstood faith. I hope to bridge the gap between what I as an American, and more importantly, what my fellow Americans understand this faith to be and what it stands for. 

I guess these expectations also tie into my goals for my time in Zanzibar, I want to be pushed out of my comfort zone in virtually every aspect. I want to try new foods, meet new people, learn a new language, live somewhere unfamiliar, and just embrace a new and different lifestyle. My other major goal is to just help others in any way that I can. I have been heavily involved in nonprofit work for the past 7 years specifically within the human rights, education, and heath care sectors. These are my passions, helping others however small my contribution my be and giving others the opportunity to better their current situation and create opportunities for themselves in the future. 

Interning in Zanzibar would be both a dream come true and my first serious glimpse into what working at a nonprofit would be like, a career I hope to pursue after graduation.