A View into Tanzania: Simple Things Taken For Granted

Today was a special day for a couple of different reasons. First, today was a Tanzanian sikukuu (holiday). It was a day to remember Julius Nyere, the first president of Tanzania. Juluis (his baptismal name) Kambarage Nyere became the President of Tanzania in 1962 (following the country’s independence from Britain) until 1985. Not only was he the first president, Nyere had been the head of the Tanganyika African National Union in 1954 and through his leadership, he helped Tanzania gain their independence from the League of Nations mandate administered by Britain, through peaceful means (fairly uncommon in colonized nations). He grew up in a rural setting and through a devotion to continuing education and a love of politics he eventually became the first President of Tanzania. He is remembered as a great teacher (mwalimu) and leader. He believed in a form of ‘African socialism’ and one website (see below for the link) explains his socialism: “All rural development would be centered on villages. Private banks and many industries also were nationalized. He realised in the course of time that his policies of resettling millions of peasant farmers and of a one-party state had not worked as well as he had hoped, and had become more pragmatic.”
Although he was never jailed or persecuted (like countless other revolutionary leaders) Nyere had his share of critics. One of my favorite statements of his that I have found is this… ‘"I am a troublemaker, because I believe in human rights strongly enough to be one," Nyerere told a correspondent for the New York Times (March 31, 1957). He said that his movement would resort to civil disobedience if necessary to attain its goals.’
If you want to read more about Nyere and Tanzania’s independence here is one website that is pretty short and simple: http://www.nathanielturner.com/juliuskambaragenyerere.htm
But today was also special because we got to visit another Massai village. This particular village was where Luka’s most recent church had been built so we held its first worship service (which the people seemed very excited about). Before the church was built, worship was held under a straw-thatched roof and a wood stick-sided hut. It was an eye opening experience for me in a couple ways. I’ll explain…
Shortly after we arrived and exchanged the standard handshakes and greetings, a small boy started to follow us around. He was still quite young so he didn’t speak Swahili yet - many Massai speak only Kimassai until they go to school where they learn Kiswahili. But when we sat down in the church, to wait and find out what was next, the little boy came and sat next to me. He didn’t say a word, but he smiled at me and would touch my skin and just look at me and eventually he grabbed my hand. The elder in the village came up to me and told me that I had a child now. Little did I know that this apparent fascination with my skin would just be the surface of a theme for the day.
A little while later, a young woman came over and started talking to PH. We soon learned that her name was also Sara – PH told her that we shared the name. He then explained that she was married Sara and I was Sara ‘not-yet-married,’ – to which she responded with slight surprise and a quick addition of ‘I will find you a Massai.’ We later found out that one of the men in the village who had tea with us, was Sara’s husband (mume). If I had to guess there was an age difference of about 10-15 years. It took me by surprise when she was surprised that I wasn’t married yet and again that her husband appeared so much older. I knew coming into this trip that many women marry younger than we do in the States and that often times their husbands are older but for some reason this first-hand encounter with it still took me by surprise.
While we were having tea, some of the kids came over by the old church hut (where we were having tea) and they would watch us. One little girl started making funny faces and even flipped her eyelid inside out trying to creep us out – just goes to show that kids will be kids no matter what corner of the world you are in.
During the church service I saw the power and universal appreciation of a simple smile. Every once in awhile I would look around the church and catch someone’s eye. Often times they were looking at me in a very perplexed way. I would smile and almost instantly, they would return one of the biggest and most genuine smiles I have ever seen. It served to make my own smile grow.
Finally, after tea at noon, a baptism church service, and right before lunch/dinner around 5, we were leaving the church and a bunch of the girls in the choir came up to me and swarmed around me. I took out my camera to show them the videos I had taken of them singing. They all loved it! Then, as they were watching the videos, I started to feel people touching my arms and almost petting my hair. I glanced over to see who it was and I found the kids touching my skin and hair in amazement. I guess it is one of those things we take for granted. Massai (both men and women) shave their heads so long blonde hair was definitely a foreign concept to them. And then my skin was white and soft… probably something they don’t get to see up close all too often. As they were playing with my hair, they found my cartilage piercing (a common practice for married women in Massai culture) and immediately checked for one in my other ear. They also found the tattoo on my shoulder and thought that was pretty interesting as well.
Today really made me realize the simple differences that we often take for granted and don’t notice until they are pointed out to us – things like our white skin, hair, piercings/tattoos, and even how we view marriage. It also showed me the true power of a smile – even when you can’t speak very much with the people around you, remember that a genuine smile is universal and it might just brighten someone’s day… I know that their smiles today brightened mine.
Peace. (and smiles)