Just living in Dar and a few minor incidents

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  Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Monday, March 26, 2007

Hi All, sorry that it's been so long since I wrote last.  Since Kyle left at the end of January, I haven't been on any exciting trips but instead have been focusing on classes, my research, and friends and my family in Dar.  I could say that both nothing has happened and a lot has happened. I n this last month or so, I have felt that I really do live in Dar.  This semester's classes are more interesting and more challenging, as they are focused more on African issues like the conflicts in Somalia and Sudan, the situation in Zimbabwe with Mugabe (some think he's a hero), East African integration, the failure of structural adjustment programs, African philosophy, and more.  All of the other students know of these events from daily newspapers and a lifetime of living in this region of the world, so I have been able to interact with my fellow students more and ask for their experiences and their opinions.  I have also started interviews for my research on Non-profit Accountability, which will keep me busy for the next couple of months.

School, friends, and research have made up my day-to-day life but it has still been quite the experience.  Currently, I am writing a response to a report a foreign student wrote about being sexually harassed repeatedly here in Dar.  I have added the link to the end of this entry if you want to take a look.  Our previous house girl was supposedly possessed and left for home when her 12-year old sister passed away.  The leadership camp that Phylo and I have been working on is moving forward and is scheduled for this May or June.  However, one of the other students we were working with, a second year Masters student in Development Studies, Brendon, age 41, passed away from a stomach disease.  He had been sick for two weeks.  And lastly, I was mugged.  It really has been a strange month or so that has made me think a lot.  On top of that, I've started thinking about moving back to the US and what I'd like to do next, perhaps work on a campaign, move to LA, and eventually law school. We'll see!
 
Starting Chronologically....

After getting back from Zanzibar with Kyle, I headed home to get ready for the coming semester.  When I got back, I found Mama with a hoarse voice, looking very tired.  I asked her about it and she answered in all seriousness that Vomalia, our new house girl (Matty had left to take some time at home) was possessed. She and the pastor had been up for hours the night before ridding the demons from Vomalia's body.  There were 11 demons originally, but only one remained.   The one demon left was the demon of her father who Mama says is Muslim and is a witch doctor and does not want Vomalia going to church or living in Dar. Vomalia did not look any different although she did seem pretty tired.  I thought the whole thing was pretty silly but would never tell Mama and the Reverend that.  I did, however, tell Phylo, a Tanzanian friend who is a third year law student at the University.  She told me that her neighbor in Kenya had been possessed and that I'm lucky that I don't believe in the mapepo (demons) because then they wouldn't bother me.  I couldn't believe she thought it was true.  I then asked some other friends and most of them had stories of witch doctors and demons.  It was pretty crazy.  Vomalia ended up leaving to go back to Iringa when news came that her 12-year old sister died.  Mama said it was probably their father who did it with his witchcraft.  This was for real?

After the possession, things were pretty quiet around here for awhile.  A new Irish pub opened on the Pennisula and my friends and I took to it.  Sarah Kanopka, a friend from GW who is working in the Peace Corp in Morogoro and also studied abroad with me in Cape Town came to visit for a weekend.  Life was pretty ordinary in Dar and really hot.

This next story I went back and forth about telling.  I don't want people worrying about my safety because most of the time I do feel safe and this also could happen in any city. Two weeks ago, I was walking to the bus to meet a friend in town.  I wasn't sure if I was going to go so I waited a bit and ended up leaving a lot later than I usually do, at 7:30 p.m.  It was dark already.  I didn't take a bag with me just in case.  I walked to the bus (daladala) stop near hall 3 because I wanted to get a bottle of water and there is a small stand on the way.  I usually never go to this stop because it's not well lit and often no one is around.  As I walked down the path to the daladala stop (you can see the stop from the dorm), I was looking around cautiously at the few trees.  The young man in a blue button down shirt who looked like a student did not faze me at all.  However, as he passed me, he hit me in the face with his arm, put his arm around my neck, and we fell to the ground.  On first instinct, I grabbed him in his groin.  He let go.  I screamed.  People came to the top of the hill, he ran away, and so did I.  The whole thing lasted about 2 minutes but was pretty creepy.  I headed back to my house with a sore neck and face and a few cuts in my mouth but mostly just shaken up.  Mama was home and was so worried.  She wanted to take me to the hospital but there was no need.   I made a report with the police and with the international office but I hadn't seen his face so there wasn't much we could do.  It was a hard lesson to learn but has definitely made me more cautious then before and it was good to know I could defend myself if need be.

Ok, so this brings me to the last story and a slight moral dilemma that I have with it.  Rachel Jamison was a student here last semester from the University of Minnesota.  She was here until February when she threw a man through a window after he called her a "kibonge" or a very large or full person (usually a woman).  She refused to report the incident with the international office and left the country shortly after.  When she got back, she wrote a 12-pages report alleging that security officers, police, students, staff, professors, and others she came in contact with had sexually harassed her and in some cases even attempted to assault her while she was here.  The facts were very unclear and she interchanged the words like "he asked for a date" and "he asked for sex."   This was reported in the Minnesota Daily, Inside Higher Education Magazine, picked up in part by the Associated Press, and other papers.  It is widely available online.  The allegations are very serious and have caused the University to be on guard, Universities in the US to rethink their programs here, and possibly a rise in the sexual harassment level in Tanzania.

After being assaulted myself, I still think Tanzania is wonderful and that one has to be careful but that generally everyone is really friendly.  I do believe that sexual harassment happens and that it needs to be addressed on campus but I think that about the US too. Unfortunately, I can't say that my experience has been 100% safe after this last experience, but for the most part it has been fine, and people have been welcoming and friendly.  Most of the other foreigners I know would say the same thing.  Tanzanians are amazing people and in most cases will go out of their way to be hospitable and welcoming.  It's too bad that sometimes things do happen and that it is often the negative news that makes it back to the States.  I'm hoping that a positive article will help to show that Tanzania is a great place without denying that it is a third world country and that it's important to be careful.

On a more positive note (most experiences are still positive), the leadership camp Phylo and I were planning is definitely going to happen.  It will be a leadership and civic education workshop lead by University students for high school girls.  The U.S. embassy is giving us space and a great guy named Jeff from the NGO BienMoyo helped to refocus the program so it's shorter and can actually happen.  The program will take place on a Saturday with 40 high school girls and will cover leadership skills, goal-setting, guest speakers, and career planning.  We are still looking for some funding but things are coming together. Also, for St. Patrick's Day, the Irish Society (who knew, there are a few Irish here) had a fancy ball at a hotel downtown.  It was really nice and having nothing fancy to wear, my friends and I had dresses made for us by a local tailor named Tina who lives near their house.  The dresses came out great and the event was lots of fun -- another unexpected experience!

Currently, I am really excited because my good friend from high school, Lindsay Pollock, is coming out on Sunday to visit for two weeks.  We are planning to do some travel around and I can't wait.

I was really hesitant about sending this entry because it is super negative and taken alone would seem pretty bad.  However, things like this do happen here.  I still feel safe and have made great friends and had great experiences.  Being here in Dar has been amazing and I am still so glad that I am here.  This last couple of weeks has just given me a few different things to think about.

I hope I haven't been too much of a downer.  I miss you all.  Thanks for reading.

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