The fact that I will be living in Tanzania for the entirety of next year is simultaneously becoming much more real and so much farther away. I cannot possibly imagine what it will feel like to live there, which means that even as I gain a better understanding of my daily life this whole journey is becoming harder and harder to grasp. There are so many things that will not hit me until we actually land and begin to settle in to our village. However, I am incredibly excited and am spending all my time getting ready, fundraising, and trying to see all my friends before I take off.
Our departure date is coming right up, which has big implications for our fundraising. We collectively need at least $4000 to cover our plane tickets and housing and food for our first week. We have raised 1,784.30 to date. This means we need a big push to raise the money to get us started off on our trip. We are grateful for anything that you can give. For instructions on how to donate click here. Also, if you are intending to donate but just have not ended up doing it yet, please donate now!
Also, on a personal note: I shaved my head! This is something I’ve wanted to do for awhile and moving out of the country for a year (esp to a place with no running water for showers) seemed like a great time to do it. I’ll probably just let it grow back in over the next year- so look for that in future pictures that get posted on here. Soon my hair will be off in the mail to Locks of Love.
One of the things that’s hard about explaining what I’m up to for the next year is the fact that the word “Tanzania” doesn’t always convey very much to the people I’m talking to. Some people know where the country is and (most often) what its wildlife is like, but others (don’t feel bad if you’re in this category) have no idea what continent it’s on. (For anyone that wants to know where Tanzania is or where exactly Ashley and I will be, visit to our FAQ page.) This means that I always have to guess the geography knowledge level of the person I’m talking to, which I don’t always do correctly. I’ve been chided by a few people that ‘Africa is a whole continent, not a country’ when I’ve told them that I’m moving to Africa for a year.
This experience, combined with a few others, has gotten me thinking about the American understanding of Africa, and how easily the countries within it are conflated with each other. I came across this great TedTalk on Sociological Images by Chimamanda Adichie, a Nigerian author who talks about this perception that all of Africa is the same and, more damaging, that all of Africa is in need of Western help. As someone who will be working for an NGO in an incredibly poor African nation, I am trying to be very cognizant of how I am mentally characterizing the people and community I will be working with and to try not to limit my viewpoint before I arrive. I hope that the relationships that I develop there help me to see the complexity inherent in their lives and not just a simplistic caricature. This talk is really well-crafted and is valuable for anyone that will be following along with this blog- I urge you to watch it and think about your understanding of what life is like in Africa (and see if following along with our blog challenges any of that.)
Transcript is here.
Life as a Jamie 