Okay, it's official, we have left Tanzania. It was both a happy and sad departure. Of course we were happy to be continuing on with our journey, some of us happy to be returning home, others excited about a summer of travel, yet at the same time it was extremely sad to say goodbye to a place that we called home for the past 6 weeks. We loved everything about Tanzania. We enjoyed our time in Chogo and believe we were extremely successful in delievering important information to an under educated and uninformed population. In short we believe we made the difference we came here to make and are confident that we made positive impacts of the lives of the people we came here to help.
Setting our volunteer work aside, we also had an amazing time vacationing in Tanzania. Between the weekend get-a-way to Zanzibar and the safari through the serengetti we were able to see a different side of tanzania, a side with a booming tourist industry and bustling markets.
I know each of us experienced Tanzania in a slightly different way, and that each of us will bring back seperate memories that we will cherish, but I am also certain that we will all remember our time here fondly, try to do what we can for the people that touched our lives so intimately and closely, and perhaps even return oneday for a visit or future volunteer work.
The safari was the perfect way to end our time in Tanzania as it was a means of reintergrating into a more fast past and materialistic culture, the culture we are familiar with in Canada. It is often extremely hard for volunteers returning to Canada as they experience reverse culture shock, a process which makes it difficult to accept the realities that are the Canadian way of life, such as our wastefull use of water, our expensive clothing and our general love of all things electronic. Of course there is nothing wrong with this way of life but after coming from a place where water was scarce and often non existent, electricity unreliable and many people struggling to survive, it is difficult to accept that it is okay to go back to our (Canadian) way of living without feeling incredibly guilty. I know that each of us will experience this reverse culture shock in our own way, but I am also confident that after being on safari and having at least oen hot shower before returning home, that our transition will not be nearly as difficult.
sorry but my computer isn't letting me upload any new pics today.
see you all soon,
Heather
Monday, July 2, 2007
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