My Journey Continues

Everything is starting to become more and more surreal for me. I have finally grasped the fact that over the summer I will travel to Tanzania to teach children and help them in anyway I can. I am becoming more excited for this amazing experience--the more I think about it, the luckier I feel. I am only 14 and I have already been to three continents, and am traveling to my fourth. I have incredible friends and family and I live in a beautiful place. I am lucky that I can do all of the activities I love and not drive more than 45 minutes. I truly am living a dream. This is why I am thrilled to help even more children and share my love with them, as I teach to the best of my ability and hopefully create an everlasting bond with them. Although I am very excited, I still have much to do before the trip. I am a little more than halfway done with my fundraising. So far, I have participated in three holiday markets, a bake sale, and received many generous donations to raise my money. I will continue to babysit, and am thinking of more ideas that could be very successful. I am a little nervous about raising the money, but I know that if I work hard and put my best ideas into action I will reach my goal. As part of preparation for this journey it is important that I learn about the country in which I am traveling and am well informed about its history and customs. Tanzania has had a tragic history. Europeans started to explore the country in the late 1800’s. In 1885 the Germans began taking over the region, led by Karl Peters, who forced tribes to make treaties with him. As the Germans were taking over the mainland of Tanzania, the British were beginning to gain control of the island of Zanzibar around 1890. The British and Germans made a treaty that the British would have Zanzibar and the Germans would have the mainland. From the very start the native Tanzania tribes were against the Germans. The first main revolt was in 1888. It was called the Abushiri revolt and the tribes on the coast of Tanzania revolted against the Germans. However, it didn't last long because the Germans crushed them quickly. Then from 1891 to 1898 the Germans fought a war with the Hehe tribe. Ultimately the Hehe were defeated and their leader, Mkwawa, killed himself. Shortly after that, in 1905-07 came the Maji Maji rebellion. Native Tanzanians were forced to work on cotton farms and plantations. People in Southern Tanzania started to rebel, but it was not long before they were defeated. More than 100,000 people died, both from starvation and from the rebellion. Finally, Tanzania became free from the Germans after World War One had ended. The country was handed over to the British and the people of Tanzania started the African Association. Eventually, Tanzania became a free state on December 9, 1961 and became a republic a year later. Tanzania is a very unique country. It has suffered many hardships in the past but ultimately with perseverance the people came together and united as one. Tanzania is about half the size of Texas, and although it's not very large it has many incredible features to offer. It has a diverse collection of wildlife, including: giraffes, lions, cheetahs, elephants, and zebras. Mt Kilimanjaro, also towers over the African savanna. Tanzania’s main language is Swahili, and some of the main religions are Christianity and Islam. When greeting an elder you say Shikamoo as a sign of respect. Every meal is eaten with some form of carbohydrate such as rice or corn. Every ceremony that takes place in Tanzania requires a large platter of food. In one instance a pilau may be the meal. This is a dish that includes spiced rice, potato, and meat. It is considered very shameful if a guest leaves hungry from a ceremonial meal. After researching Tanzania and learning more about the customs I am even more thrilled to travel there. Not only to help children in need but to also experience Tanzania’s culture and see how other people live. I know that the world is much larger than just America and there are all kinds of sights to see, people to meet, and lessons to learn. I have made incredible bonds with children in Cambodia and Nicaragua. I still think about them everyday and know that I have impacted their lives. I would like to feel the same way after returning from Tanzania. I want focus on something bigger than myself. I want to learn how to bring all sides of me together so I can truly discover who I am. I want to help the children in Tanzania with all my capabilities, I want the experience to make me more aware, make me able to always persevere and open up to the world in ways I never thought I would.