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We have now spent 10 nights in Zanzibar as an end to our adventure. During these days we have also been accompanied by friends from home and have spent most of the days in the sun and at the pool. Zanzibar offered fantastic white beaches and variety of food. We also got to experience swimming with dolphins when we were on a snorkeling tour.

At the time of writing, we are at the airport in Dar es Salaam and are waiting for our departure home. There have been eight fantastic weeks in Tanzania where we have experienced a new culture and created many memories for life. However, we are now looking forward to coming home to Sweden and to meet up with loved ones.

Here comes a late update from our last days in Moshi. We spent most of the time refining our essay, but we had time to do two excursions. One of the days we visited a museum, the Chagga Museum, as a dominant tribe in the Kilimanjaro region. The museum was built by a man from the Chagga tribe, he himself collected the material and built up an example of how the Chagga population lives.

The next day we visited a waterfall a bit from Moshi. With the height in mind, the air was considerably cleaner and the climate was more pleasant. Unfortunately, the waterfall was not as powerful as it could be because the rain season is delayed.

Buenos días!

Nu har vi avklarat sista intervjun och det har varit otroligt lärorik och givande att få träffa alla dessa engagerade människor och lyssna på när de delar med sig av sina erfarenheter. Våra intervjupersoner har varit människor från olika organisationer som på olika sätt arbetar med barn och unga som är desplazados, så kallade internflyktingar. Främst har intervjuerna ägt rum i Siloe och Aguablanca som är de två mest utsatta områdena i Cali.

En intervju vi hade i Aguablanca var särskilt intressant då det var med en grupp på fyra kvinnor från Pacific som själva var desplazados och startat en musikskola för barn och unga för att lära ut deras kulturella arv i form av musik och poesi. Kvinnorna var otroligt engagerade och uttrycksfulla och ibland svarade dem på frågor i dikter och i sång. De var klädda i traditionella Afro-Colombianska kläder med mycket färger, mycket smycken och håret i en turban. Deras svar var stundvis väldigt sorgliga och de bar på många tunga historier, men allt de berättade gjorde de med en otrolig styrka och optimism.

Denna veckan har vi hittat ett café som vi har som vår skrivplats, lugnt och svalt och med gott kaffe. Så nu börjar nästa steg i arbetet med att läsa, analysera och skriva. Förutom uppsatsen har vi ägnat mycket tid åt att försöka få koll på alla olika steg och snurrar i salsa och ätit god mat. Ikväll ska vi och se en tango-show med vår kontaktperson och hennes familj.

Un abrazo!
Malin y Rolanda

Bild 1: Från vår oas i värmen och skrivplats
Bild 2: Tillsammans med vår nära vän och tolk José påväg till intervjun i Aguablanca

Vi har inte kunnat logga in tidigare så här kommer ett lite försenat inlägg vi skrev vår första vecka och så fyller vi på därifrån.

Det är bara några dagar kvar av mars och vi har nu varit här i Cali i en vecka och tiden har sprungit iväg betydligt snabbare än vi hade tänkt oss. Första dagarna hade vi båda mycket jetlag och kunde inte göra mycket annat än att vila och komma i ordning. Vi bor i ett delat hus i området San Cayetano som är nära många restauranger, en park och busshållplats. Det var otroligt skönt att ha ett boende ordnat redan innan som dessutom jag, Malin, bott i tidigare under min halvårs praktikperiod här.

Idag, tisdag, var vårt första besök på en organisation i ett av de mest utsatta områdena i Cali. Området är utsatt på grund av att det under de senaste årtiondena flyttat dit många människor som flytt andra delar av Colombia i hopp om ett bättre liv och en ljusare framtid. Detta har resulterat i att många hus byggts som inte registrerats och på mark som inte officiellt ägs av familjerna. Organisationen driver en skola för barn årskurs 1-5 med alla grundämnen inklusive engelska vilket annars bara är något överklassen har råd till i Colombia. De har på grund av olika samarbeten lyckats pressa ner priset så att fler ska ha möjlighet att betala för sina barns utbildning där och dessutom få lära sig engelska. Vi ska tillbaka på fredag för en mer formell intervju med rektorn. Vi har även ett par möten inbokade med ytterligare några sociala organisationer här i Cali.

Ikväll ska vi på middag hos vår kontaktperson för att diskutera vår studie och hur hon kan hjälpa till. Vi har även med oss lite choklad och annat gott att bjuda på från Sverige.

Un abrazo!
Malin y Rolanda

Since our last update, we have experienced five days without power and hot water. After these five days had passed, we were then overjoyed to be able to take a hot shower and charge our phones. Another week has passed, and we have only nine days left here in Moshi before traveling to Zanzibar for sunshine and bathing. This week we have approached the end of our thesis and have received feedback from our mentor at Malmö University. It feels like a relief that our last work in our education is soon to be completed.

In addition to writing on the essay, we have also managed to visit the International School here in Moshi. We got to attend a lesson in history and one in global politics. The international school differed a lot in comparison to the local school where we conducted our interviews. At the local school there was a completely different authority from the teachers, for example, the students stood up until the teacher gave them permission to sit down. Followed by the students answered the teacher in choir. When it comes to the international school, there were instead several similarities with how upper secondary schools work at home in Sweden. There were also considerably more resources at the International school, they have both swimming pool, boarding house and cafe. Unlike Sweden’s upper secondary schools, the international school have its own seamstress, but also staff who handled the copier and so on.

International School

Yesterday we visited a women’s cooperative who has a small shop here in Moshi. Among other things, we bought some signs made out of banana leafs that are suitable for giving to loved ones. We also managed to find some gifts for our relatives’ children, including The big five, which was sewn in African textiles and lions that were handmade in ebony wood.

Karibu tena! 

Last week has been a bit chaotic here in Moshi. We were at our favorite place and worked on our study. From nowhere, there came a real storm and it rained in a way we had never seen before. The rain season is on the way and we have talked about the fact that we have to expect a lot of rain, but we didn’t think it would be like this! The trees fell over the roads and power lines were destroyed. We still have no power from the lines, but our accommodation has a generator now. This means that we can now charge our computers and phones a couple of hours a day.

The water has also been a problem during this time, we have almost no pressure in the shower nor any hot water. So, we have cold and quick showers in the evening. And in order to shower the hair, we first fill a couple of 1.5-liter bottles to be able to get the shampoo and conditioner off the hair. After these events we really understand how dependent we are on electricity and water.

Despite some bad luck with the weather, life has continued. Among other things, we have been to a birthday party to celebrate our friend Sanna. The party was at a restaurant called Samaki (It means fish in Kiswahili). During the evening we got to experience some traditions that are made when it is someone’s birthday. For example, the person who celebrate his or her birthday should feed his guests with a piece of cake, then the person being fed will sing Happy Birthday.

Given that it has been a little cooler weather, we have also done some shopping. Several fabrics have been purchased, some souvenirs, a bag and several kangas.

See you soon!

The last several days in Tanzania has been educational in many different ways. Firstly, we have learned to appreciate the Swedish schools and their equipment. For example, there is only one computer at the entire school (Msiriwa Secondary School) that only the principal and assistant principal use. The teachers also do not have their own work spaces, there is a small room that everyone shares with a standard that we are not used to. There is also no copier so if the teachers want to copy something they have to go to town which is about 30 minutes away by car. The teachers have only a few textbooks, blackboard and chalks to use as teaching materials. Despite this, they still seem to get into teaching that makes the students manage their finals. Impressive, to say the least!

Teachers room

A rim used as a bell

Secondly, we have learned to endure a heat that cannot be described in words! We were going on an excursion to Lake Chala where we had thought it would be nice to walk a bit in the forest and then cool off in the water. That was not the case! We had to go for an hour to the lookout spot in the pressurized heat of the savannah environment, so no shade! And after a while at the lookout point, we turned and went the same way back. Dizziness was severe, breathing difficult due to height and sweat flowing. But we survived! Then we came to the slope, where you come down to the water. Emelie did not have any difficulty getting down other than she slipped on the gravel a few times. Josefin, on the other hand, has never challenged her fright of heights in that way before! The sweat ran worse than ever and she got some help the last bit down. But we survived this too!

Lake Chala

Last but not least, we met our remote relatives at the pool. It was a wonderful meeting and we recognized ourselves in the individuals…

Karibu Tena!