A Bittersweet Return

We're back. Although it's great to be home, it's definitely bittersweet. It's like I left one home for another. Before I had even placed one foot on the plane, I had already begun to miss Tanzania. I miss the food, the scenery...but, most of all, I miss the people. I miss the way people didn't care about the namebrands you wore or the way you styled your hair. I miss how everyone worked together as the perfect unit, and I miss joking with friends on the UAACC campus. I miss walking outside and petting Blackie. I miss palying flashlight tag at night with no street lamps. Heck, I even miss dodging avocado trees during earthquakes, taking cold showers, and riding on bumpy roads. Well, let me put a stop to all the "I miss..." because I'll be here all day. I miss too much to possibly express it all in one blog post. So, I'll just stop. Needless to say, I can't wait to go back. I'm already counting down the days...err, months:(

-Lauren R.

Now That We're Back

Africa was amazing!!! Although I am glad to be back in a place fraught with amenities, Africa is still on my mind. Tanzania was a completely different life. A place where there was no time. A place where as long as you had the basic necessities (food, clothes) you were happy to be alive. Tanzania was a life changing experience for me. I learned so much about the the indigenous cultures, and way of life and also what they thought of the typical American. Going to the overpopulated school in Arusha made me appreciate my education and all the resources available to me. The look on the each students face when we handed them just one pencil made me feel as though I gave them all that they desired and more. The visit to the elder in the village made one appreciate life and help realize that being diligent and respectful now will definitely pay off in the long run. And the most memorable part of Africa, to me, was when our vehicle had a flat tire while on our way to the Ngorogoro Crater. The area where we stopped was just savanna for miles and miles. We were able to get out and just run in the forever fields. It made me realize that peace within oneself cannot be achieved through the modern technologies that we all crave to have, or through the busy city lives. Peace is achieved through allowing oneself to see the world around you and appreciate all that you have. Peace is sought when one is truly content.

Unforgettable Memory

Its so hard to say GOODBYE! Our long journey is slowly coming to a end. Just the other day we went to a school house. The students were so eager to learn. When we entered the class rooms to pass out pencils and pencil sharpeners, the kids looked at us with amazement. They stared at us as if we were celebrities! Each student stood when we entered and waved. Seeing there work ethics really made me have a different mind set about education. The students at the school have to take an end of the course test to see if they can go on to secondary school( high school). The principal said they will have a pass rate of 50%. This was very stunning to me! This is a very high passing rate. Many schools in Georgia passing rate for the graduation test is only like 30% in some parts. And our resources are much better. This adventure to the school house is definitely my most unforgettable memory!!!
* Jasmine Freeman*

Exchanging For Progress

It has been a few days since my last blog and there is so much to talk about. I'll start with the youth forum which took place a few nights ago. There was a great deal of information passed back and forth centered around the topics of: HIV/AIDS epidemic, globalization, global warming and cultural exchange. We discussed many of the different stories about the "origin of AIDS" and ways to inform others of, and potentially prevent the transmission of the AIDS virus. Of course we had the monkey theory, but there were other hypotheses discussed that really made me think. One even lead me to watch a documentary that Mzee Pete allowed me to borrow. I will not go into detail for sake of keeping it positive. But what really stunned me was our discussion of globalization. Many of my Tanzanian brothers and sisters actually opposed globalization because they feel it destroys their culture and makes them less unique as a people. After hearing what they had to say, I understood how they could feel that way and I now see how globalization can have a negative effect on some societies. But in the end you just have to take the good with the bad I guess. Anyhow, we round out the evening with some of the Tanzanian youth rapping for us. Though I could not understand most of what they were saying I could tee it was powerful due to some of the peoples reactions. I recited a poem that I prepared for them and our group presented them with an interactive dancing lesson so to speak. The next day we went out on Safari! It had to be one of the most fulfilling experiences ever. To see how these animals related to one another and there environment in there natural habitat, it's just an exhilarating feeling. I can't wait to go again and bring my mother. Then today we went down to the orphanage that Baba Nya is building so we could help build and plant trees. That was exciting, especially when I got to go down in the watering hole to fill the bucket. We are planning on working on a solar powered LED lighting system for the orphanage. And if all goes well we will be able to do the same for the orphanage that Dr. Rahman wants to establish over here as well. In just a minute I'm going to go help make some bricks that will be used to make the orphanage. This probably being my last blog before we return home, I would just like to send peace and blessings to everyone, and thank you all that took the time to follow along.

An Eye-Opener

Hey, it's me again (Lauren)! I know my blog posts in the past haven't been super serious, but I'm going to change the script a little bit for this one. Yesterday, our group visited a local primary school in Arusha (ages 5-14), and it was one of the most enlightening experiences of my life. When we first entered the school yard, we sat down with one of the teachers so he could tell us about the school's situation. This is what he told us: There are 920 students in the first session, but there are only 22 teachers and 11 classrooms. They are in dire need of at least seven more classrooms and a heck of a lot more teachers. After learning this little tidbit, all I could do was reflect on the many times I have complained because there were more than 25 students in a classroom and not enough one-on-one time with a teacher. Here, they have over 40 students in one class. Not only is there a lack of staff and classrooms, but there is also a lack of materials. Seeing the joy on the student's faces when we passed out pencils (pencils, for God's sake) helped me realize this. Students have to share utensils and purchase their own books. However, a lot of students can't even afford books, so they go without. Yet, they are still driven to learn, and that is something I can't help but to admire. After visiting the school, our group decided that we want to fund raise to add at least 7 classrooms to the school and we want to donate textbooks. We don't quite know how we are going to do it, but somehow, someway it's going to get done. You can bet your life on it. It's our time to give back, and that's exactly what we are going to do.

Signed,
Determined to Make a Difference

The Beauty of Africa

Aww man if you saw what I saw you would've cried! Not like that, but tears of joy because of how beautiful the Ngorongoro Crater is. As my friend, Maurice, and I rode in the back of the Land Cruiser. We saw a wide range of animals, from the enormous Elephant to the short and stompy Wort Hog. My favorite animal was the Lion, but you don't really see many of them because of natural instincts of other animals. All of the animals are very nice, but I enjoyed the ride back up the mountains because the views would take your breath away. They're nothing compared to what you would see on a postcard, in a magazine or on television. Oh Yea! and the Baboons are very humorous, but that is another story for another day.

**Miguel C.**

The Safari

The Safari was by far the most exciting experience that I have ever experienced. When we were on the way to the safari, we saw three giraffe...after seeing that, I knew we were going to see some amazing animals. The safari was in the Ngorongoro Crater. Before we entered the safari site, there were baboons everywhere. We got pretty close to them (about 10 feet). Our guide told use that no matter what happens don,t run away from the baboons because they'll run we down and jump on you. When we got close to them I noticed that they play very aggressively. It was cold on the way to the Crater because we were so high up. Once we got into the Crater, the first thing we saw was the ostrich, then came the Buffalo. My favorite animals on the safari was the zebra and the hyena.

~M. Dukes~