Program: SIT Tanzania: Wildlife Conservation and Political Ecology
Term: Fall 2024
Major: Biology (Specialization: Ecology & Evolution)
One semester of study abroad in Tanzania added more to my resume and professional advancement than any other experience. The individual focus you receive from the experienced and dedicated staff will propel you forward. It has also certainly put me on a trajectory to return to Tanzania in some aspect of my professional career. Through the Independent Study Project, I learned how to fully develop a scientific study from conception to completion (something that most people don't have the opportunity to do until they are in graduate school or even later).
Connecting with my homestay family was by far the most unique experience I had in Tanzania. Living in a Tanzanian community is a vastly different experience than living in America. The amount of overflowing welcomeness from Tanzanians in general, but especially in our town astounded me. It's definitely something you don't see a lot in a very individualistic society like America.
My homestay family was loving and caring, ensuring that I was comfortable and happy throughout the 3 week homestay period. My mama made the most delicious meals. Over these meals she would tease me about how bad my Swahili was. Both my parents insisted on speaking Swahili, despite being fluent in English. I am so grateful for them doing so because it improved my ability to speak Swahili greatly, and allowed me to connect with the rest of the community.
Mama, father and I enjoyed trips to the local bar on the weekends to watch Tanzanian soccer. There I met other people living in our town that I quickly befriended over a newfound love for soccer. With my new friends I went on adventures to local waterfalls and forests. It should be mentioned that the town we lived in was in the foothills of Mount Meru, so our walks to and from school were stunning.
During the homestay all 15 students in the program lived with a different family in the same neighborhood. In our time off we would go over to each other's houses and spend time together, while also getting to know each other's families. Tanzanian homes are such a welcoming environment. After the homestay period, I went back to visit my mama and father regularly and I am sure I will return to Tanzania to see them soon.
Advice for future #TerpsAbroad:
As someone who had never been outside the US or Canada, I didn't know what to expect with international travel, much less sub-Saharan Africa. Since my time there, I have realized that almost anywhere you go, people are generally going to be friendly – especially if you show an interest in their country and culture. The best way I found to do this was by showing that you want to speak Swahili. No matter what stage of fluency I was at, people always seemed appreciative that I was enthusiastic about speaking and learning Swahili.
People also have many incorrect assumptions or prejudices about traveling to sub-Saharan Africa. I heard them for months before I left when I would talk to people about leaving for Tanzania soon. It's important to remember that unless the person you're talking to has actually been to where you're going, they might not know what they're talking about.
If I hadn't studied abroad, I would have never gone on safari for three weeks and then done a study on elephants.