My volunteer work in kindergarten in Tanzania

Die ankunft

The arrival in Dar Es Salaam went smoothly and quickly. At four o'clock in the morning I was - completely exhausted - picked up by Emmanuel at the airport in a Bajaji (tuk-tuk) and taken in a very adventurous journey to my first station, the transfer house. A few hours of sleep later we went on again and off to the city for my Orientation Day.

I sat on the back of a Pikipiki (motorcycle taxi) for the first time, rode in a crowded Daladala (minibus) for the first time and ate my first – very tasty – traditional Chipsi Mayai (omelet with fries). I was shown everything important in the large and very chaotic Dar Es Salaam by Emmanuel and soon learned my first words in Kiswahili “Mambo? Poa!” (How are you? Good!) and “Asante” (Thank you).

We bought a bus ticket for me for the next day, went to the beach and when I got back to the transfer house, I spent the rest of the day sleeping and looking forward to finally making my way to my destination Mtwara the next day. One day and 10 hours bumpy bus ride later I finally arrived in Mtwara. There I was picked up by a few volunteers and Joshua and taken to the student house.

My new home

The student house in Mtwara, which has become my second home in recent months, is located on a small hill in the village called Mbae. From a distance it resembles a tree house and is therefore unmistakable. When I got there, I moved into my room, which I shared with two other volunteers at the beginning, before I moved into a single room. In the first few days, I got to see a lot of new things and was introduced to even more new people.

Apart from Joshua, the hard-working Mike, the two cooks Eliza and Mama Ailatti, the two artists/musicians Henry and Beka, the sewing teacher, everyone just called “teacher”, lived and worked in the student house, the two teachers from the kindergarten, Secilia and Latiffah and Tembo who teaches Swahili to the volunteers. I then had a second Orientation Day with Tembo in Mtwara and the day after I started volunteering in the kindergarten – so everyday life and the months that followed could begin.

The job site

At the time, there were two more volunteers and the two permanent teachers, Madame Secilia and Madame Latiffah, in the kindergarten. Together we looked after between 30 and 40 children divided into two classes and taught them their first writing, math and English skills. The lessons were mainly in Kiswahili, so I quickly learned the first vocabulary to communicate with the children and the teachers.

I was then assigned to the "Middle Class" with Madame Latiffah, i.e. the slightly older children (about 4-5 years old). At first I just watched the lessons and helped out with little things, such as writing down assignments in the exercise books. The more my Swahili knowledge grew, the bigger the tasks I got. So I was soon teaching the children English and math, teaching them to introduce themselves in English or to write down the numbers 1 to 10 and say them in English.

My progress

Towards the end (when my Swahili knowledge was sufficient to teach the children without help) or even when one of the teachers was ill, I sometimes stood alone in front of the class and also taught the children in Kiswahili. So you quickly learned to improvise and to conjure up teaching material out of nowhere, so to speak.

Let off steam

In addition to the lessons, of course, the fun should not be neglected. Sport, art and games were also firmly on the schedule. During the dry season, we would often take the kids outside to the soccer field, play soccer, jump rope, chase tag, and play many other games. In the rainy season we often spent the days singing and dancing, which was always well received by the children. After letting off steam there was Uji (porridge) for breakfast and at the end of my time there were Mandazis (small, sweet pastries) with tea. After that we rested and some of the children slept.

Progress on site

A lot changed during my time in kindergarten, so the construction site project built two more classrooms next door, which we painted brightly and then inaugurated straight away. We also got real toys from Dar Es Salaam, mainly dolls and cars which the kids loved! And also being able to experience the development of the children in just a few months was very nice. This is how the once shy boy turned into a cheeky little rascal and the girl, who at first couldn't even hold a pen, soon wrote better than most of the others.

Excursions

Since the kindergarten only lasted until 12 p.m., I and the other volunteers had plenty of time in the afternoon to explore the city and do many different activities. With each group of volunteers, different routines developed, so we would go to the beach in the afternoon and eat Chipsi Mayai, we would drive around town and explore the colorful market, always looking for the perfect piece of kitenge (African fabric) for a new pair of trousers to the neighboring town of Mikindani, explored the village of Mbae and the many different secret paths that existed there, went shopping at the bakery and in the supermarket, went to the local hairdresser, played football with the girls from the Women Empowerment Project, tried out new restaurants and dishes (especially the many fresh fruits from the markets!) or just chilled at home on the roof terrace with the beautiful view of the village. At the weekend we went on one or the other larger excursion together with our roommates, who were able to show us more of their life and culture.

Sailing trips

A sailing trip to the Pemba peninsula, day trips or even a long weekend on the road by motorbike to Ndanda, Msaangamkuu, Pemba or Msimbati, by ferry over to Msaangamkuu or spontaneously a little further away, for example to the dream island of Zanzibar or to Lake Malawi to Mbamba Bay. This is how we got to know and love the diversity of Tanzania!

Safari

I also went on a safari with RGV to the Ruaha National Park in Iringa and the week-long Maasai tour in northern Tanzania in Handeni. As a result, I also got to know completely different, exciting sides of the country.

The Farewell

Of course, after seven months in this beautiful country, saying goodbye wasn't exactly easy. Although the living conditions are the complete opposite of Germany, I settled in very quickly and adopted the Tanzanian serenity and spontaneity. Things like a cold shower, squat toilets, a power outage or, if there was just no running water, a bucket shower didn't bother me very quickly and became a habit. I learned to enjoy and appreciate my life far away from luxury and mass consumption. With the other volunteers and our local roommates I experienced many different crazy things that I won't soon forget! The Tanzanians have shown and taught me a lot in the last few months and I can't wait to hopefully be back in this country soon!

Asante sana na tutaonana baadae! (Thank you very much and see you later!)

Volunteering in kindergarten in Mtwara, Tanzania. Experience report by Finja O., Dec 2019