LANGUAGE
The official language of the country is Swahili although English is also pretty well spoken by most of the population. There are also many tribal languages in Tanzania (more than 120 tribes). For example, in the Arusha region, two major tribes exist, which are the Maasai and the Meru tribes.
Your English level should be quite fluent for a better understanding of our project and your mission as a volunteer. This will also help you to communicate easily with the kids because it is crucial for their education.
Also, during your stay, you will get the chance to learn basic Swahili and a little bit of Maasai language if you want to deeply immerse yourself in the culture of the country. If needed, we can also provide you a list of basic Swahili words translated into either English, Spanish, or any other language.
RELIGION
In Tanzania, the major religions found are Christianity and Islam. Both live peacefully without any kind of problems between them. In the region of Arusha, the major religious movement is Christianism which includes the Lutherans, Anglicans, and Catholics.
However, you can also find Muslims in certain areas of Arusha. We recommend you visit the local churches and enjoy the beautiful singing of the Gospel choirs and the typical ceremony that takes place every Sunday.
It is a very unique experience that will allow you to fully understand how are the Tanzanian traditions. You cannot miss it!
BACKGROUND HISTORY
The name Tanzania originated from the Union of the territory of Tanganyika and the island of Zanzibar in 1964. From 1880 to 1919 it was occupied by the German colonies but after the 2nd World War, it was colonised by the British who imposed English as the main language.
Julius Nyerere fought for the independence of Tanganyika, achieving his goal in 1961. Under the government of Abeid Karume, Zanzibar gained its independence through a revolutionary process on the 12th of January 1964. Both united on the 26th of April in 1964 becoming the current United Republic of Tanzania.
POLITICS
Soon after the Union, two governments were established, one for the United Republic of Tanzania and the other for Zanzibar. In the United Republic of Tanzania the English colonies left the country soon after the independence and in 1967 Julius Nyerere introduced the African Socialism during the Arusha Declaration.
In 1977 Nyerere unified the TANU political party from Tanganyika with the ASP from Zanzibar to form the CCM which is the revolutionary party that governed Tanzania ever since. The current president of Tanzania is John Pombe Joseph Magufuli who belongs to the CCM party. Apart from CCM, many different parties play a minority role in the elections as Tanzania is a democratic country. Those include the CHADEMA, the CUF, and the TLP among many others.
The system of multipartism emerged in 1992 and the first multiparty election was conducted in 1995. Every 5 years Tanzania undergoes a general election.
Tanzania is a democratic country that is divided into 30 different regions and the capital city is Dodoma, although Dar es Salaam is the main commercial center of the country.
SHOPS
In Arusha city, you can find many different small shops as well as shopping malls and local markets that differ from the common stablishments found in the developed countries.
The shops available are clothes shops, electronic shops, banks, ATMs, book shops, furniture and construction shops, basic pharmacies, petrol stations, hotels, cinema halls, stadiums, photoshops, food stores, cafés, and restaurants as well as cultural shops for the tourists within many others.
GASTRONOMY
Tanzania has a wide variety of typical foods and drinks. Some of the most common cultural dishes are Ugali (made of maize flour and hot water), rice with vegetables and meat, machalari (which includes cooked bananas with potatoes and meat sometimes), chapatti (local bread), and makande (which is a mixture made with cooked beans and maize).
The Tanzanian drink by excellence is porridge, which is made of maize flour, milk, and hot water. Other common beverages are Masala tea, ginger tea, local coffee,e, and beer. You can also find soda, coca-cola, Fanta, Pepsi, and other soft drinks that are available in the shops.
Also, in nightclubs, alcoholic drinks are available such as cocktails, wine, shots, and others.
ENVIRONMENT
The landscape of Tanzania varies depending on the region of the country.
In the case of Arusha, you can find tropical vegetation containing mainly banana trees as well as avocado, papaya, mango, and guava trees among many others,
At the same time, there are many plantations in the rural areas including cabbages, onions, pumpkins, oranges, maize, tomatoes, cucumbers, oranges, carrots, potatoes, coffee, beans…etc which provide the main food supplies for the community.
Because of the northern location of Arusha, the topography is quite mountainous so you can find several natural landscapes such as waterfalls, rivers, valleys, and mountains like the Meru and also Kilimanjaro from far away if the weather is clear.
There are two types of roads with different functionalities depending on the weather season. For instance, modern roads are only available from and to the main towns of the country whereas the surroundings contain rough dust roads that work as a canalization system for the rainy season.
We advise you to bring something to cover your eyes and nose from the dust as well as appropriate shoes to avoid any disturbances.
The traffic is quite chaotic in certain regions of the country so you must be careful all the time for your own safety, although we will help you to manage yourself if needed.
Also, you will be able to see unusual animals in the middle of the streets like cows, chickens, goats, sheep, donkeys, and other domestic animals which you should not be afraid of.
As soon as the sun sets, it is very important to not walk alone in the streets at night because it can be quite unsafe and dangerous. Unfortunately, alcohol is one of the main issues in this country as well as drug dealing, so for this reason, you should be with your host family or always with other local people who can protect you.
The prices in the shops tend to rise for the musungus (white people), therefore, it is advisable to be accompanied by Tanzanians to ensure the fees are fair.
WEATHER
Because of the northern location of Arusha, the weather is quite cold all year round with a rainy season that ranges from April to May.
The temperatures oscillate between 17 to 26 degrees. Therefore, we recommend you pack warm clothes with you for your best comfort. Also, if you decide to travel around Tanzania such as Zanzibar or the southern part of the country, you should bring summer clothes because the climate changes quite drastically.
In addition, if you consider doing a Safari, you have to know that the weather can be very cold, especially at night, so we advise you to be prepared for this.
CLOTHING
Tanzanian clothing is very different compared to the fashion trends around the developed countries.
For instance, there are many kinds of patterns with all sorts of shapes and bright colors. For example, women usually wear a type of blanket around their waist called Khanga.
They also wear sometimes a rope around their heads to transport all sorts of objects such as bananas, jars, baskets water galloons, etc. The mothers, also use a type of blanket to carry the babies in their back. The shoes are usually handmade sandals as well as trainers made of pneumatic materials and leather.
Furthermore, Maasai usually wear big blankets with a squared pattern, normally in red color as well as big gaugings in their ears, traditional Maasai necklaces, and bracelets. In addition, you should keep in mind that especially the Muslims are quite restrictive with their clothing.
For this reason, we advise you to avoid wearing short clothes as it might offend their culture.
TOURISTIC ATTRACTIONS
There are many activities that you can do in your leisure time in Tanzania such as visiting the country or trying new types of local food.
Close to the Arusha region, you can visit the Meru Waterfalls, the Arusha National Park, the Maasai markets and villages, the coffee plantations, the Duluti Lake as well as the Chemka hot springs in Moshi among many others.
If you are more adventurous, you can also climb Mount Kilimanjaro as well as do a Safari trip to any of the most important national parks of Tanzania such as Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Tarangire, and Lake Manyara. If interested, we can provide you all the details of the entrance, transport, and accommodation fees to avoid any kind of swindle.
Also, you can visit the island of Zanzibar, where you will fall in love with its amazing beaches and astonishing wildlife. We will also help you at any time if you want to arrange any trip for a good price to make sure you make the most of your experience in Tanzania.
RAINBOW SCHOOL VOLUNTEER PROJECT 