Jambo! I've made it to Zanzibar and am so excited to spend the next five weeks in Tanzania on a Fulbright-Hays project through SIT - the School for International Training. 11 educators, high school and university, are on the trip to learn about Tanzanian creativity and perspectives in an era of climate change.
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The Zanzibar archipelago is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania off its Eastern coast, comprised of many small and two large main islands: Unguja and Pemba. Zanzibar has its own government and President, but is part of the Tanzania nation (in fact, the President of Zanzibar is the Second Vice President of Tanzania - yes, there are two VPs).
In 1964, after gaining independence from British colonial rule, Zanzibar united with the mainland area known as Tanganyika. So TANganyika and ZANzibar united to form the United Republic of TANZANIA. (mind blown!)
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I'd been emailing Rubin, an informal educator from San Francisco, in the days before our trip since we'd be flying out of SFO together. It made me feel better that they also had little information about how to prepare, and we muddled together through packing and sorting out our clothing, bags, visas, and malaria meds. Since Zanzibar is a predominantly Islamic island, we were instructed to wear dresses that covered our shoulders and knees. But we were also hiking along the base of Kilimanjaro, so we had to prepare for cold weather... we both ended up with huge bags, but at least we're prepared!
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| The Doha airport jungle |
Our flight would first take us on a 15 1/2 hour slog to Doha, Qatar - which btw is an AMAZING airport that just won the "best in the world" award, and which we found to be well deserved. It made our 8 hour layover quite pleasant, especially since we were able to get a 'sleep pod' where we could nap or just relax in our own private little bunk rooms. We also spent time wandering around their indoor jungle - it was so cool!!
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| Exploring Stone Town with Ann, Rubin, and Biko |
Rubin (and we later discovered Biko and Jennice) and I landed in Zanzibar at around 7:30 in the morning, which meant a whole day to rest and relax since the other half of the group wasn't arriving until 9 that night. We were met by Richard (known locally as Rashid), our fearless group leader, main instructor, and program director, who brought us to the Maru Maru Hotel, our home for the next 4 nights. Ann, who had been in Kenya right before this, arrived in the late morning, so we spent the day wandering around the streets of Stone Town to see the sights.
This is the only place in the world where the predominant building material is fossilized coral - an homage to the island's unique geologic history. Millions of years ago, ancient coral reefs developed when the sea levels were higher. Tectonic activity created the East African Rift, leading to the formation of the Zanzibar Channel and separating the archipelago from the mainland.
Stone Town is an old Swahili trading town on the central western coast of Unguja, Zanzibar's largest island. Because of its location on the edge of the Indian Ocean on the East African Coast, it was an important port for the trade of ivory, slaves, and spices (Zanzibar is also known as the Spice Islands).
Old Town's personality is oozing with charm due to its cosmopolitan heritage - there are African, Indian, European, and Arabian influences in the architecture. Narrow streets lined with gorgeously carved wooden double doors (reminiscent of those I saw in India) maze their way through the town. Along the main streets, hawkers do their best to lure tourists into the shops by calling out the stereotypical "Hakuna Matata!" and "Jambo!" greetings. We soon discovered that it was easy to deter them by responding in Kiswahili: "Hapana, asante" (No, thank you) or "Sio leo" (Not today). According to Rashid, speaking simple Kiswahili meant we had been around for long enough to study the language, and therefore weren't just average tourists who would be interested in buying their common, generic souvenirs.
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| In the old Omani Fort |
But that didn't mean we didn't talk to shop owners. The custom and culture of the people is to take the time to meet and greet everyone you pass on the street, and everyone we met was open and friendly - especially if you took the time to speak Kiswahili. With my 3-ish months of Duolingo, I was in no way proficient in the language, but I was gradually learning some vocabulary and basic grammar. To a one, every waiter or waitress, hotel worker, and shopkeeper was patient and even eager to chat and listen to my muddled attempts at conversation. In the souvenir stalls inside the Omani Fort (on Old Town's waterfront), I practiced reading the carved wooden signs with the shopkeeper, who quizzed me on Kiswahili vocabulary and taught me new words.
To me, this willingness to converse is a reflection of the importance that Zanzibaris place on community. Every individual is valued - Rashid explained how even people with disabilities are treated with kindness and grace - to the extent that schools with limited resources will still have a braille schoolbook, even if there aren't enough regular textbooks to go around. Every person is valued - just as it should be.
SUNDAY, June 30
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| Old Town walking tour |
On our first full day of the Fulbright Hays program, I met the other 10 participants (6 University and 4 other high school instructors) and had a full day of learning. After an introduction to the program, we had a brief walk around Stone Town and lunch at an Indian restaurant in the Old Town. We then had our first Kiswahili lesson - and I was glad I'd been diligent with my Duolingo, as it gave me a great foundation and put me ahead. I'm hoping to get a more advanced lesson (along with Ann, who is actually conversant in Kiswahili so she might be way too advanced for me!) Lastly, we got a health talk that informed us of the unique tropical diseases that are present in Zanzibar and the mainland - malaria, cholera, and typhoid are all present, so we need to be vigilant to stay safe!
MONDAY, July 1
We began the day with presentations from the former head of the Department of the Environment, and the retired head of the Dept of Forestry and Non-renewable Natural Resources, to get a foundation for Zanzibar's policies on climate change and the challenges they are having due to unstable government support and lack of consistency. Sadly, each change in ruling parties means a shift in who administers the Ministry of Environment, which means it is difficult to enact and enforce policy.
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| Examining meteorological instruments with Dr. Kai |
After lunch, we visited a meteorological station to understand the trends and the science behind Zanzibar's weather. Across the Indian Ocean, variable water temperature causes shifts in the weather patterns. Warm water heats the air above it, and as warm air rises, it causes a low pressure area under it. With a higher pressure area on the other side of the ocean, winds form and can develop into powerful tropical cyclones that push into East Africa. Lately because of climate change, there is a greater variability in temperature patterns - difficult if your livelihood is in agriculture and you depend on the weather.
TUESDAY, July 2
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| Chidi an' me on the hike |
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| The topography on the way to Kuumbi Cave |
We had a great day exploring Unguja Island! We began the day at Kuumbi Cave, an example of a cave created around 20,000 years ago in the underground limestone karst system underlying the island. Within the cave, archaeologists have found pottery fragments, bones (including human!), and other tools dating back thousands of years, including from the Stone Age and Iron Age. It is still used for religious rituals and is considered by the locals as a sacred place.
We then traveled to Jambiani to visit Ali, head of a seaweed collective. This NGO helps locals cultivate and farm seaweed, sponges, and coral in the shallow intertidal area on Unguja's southeast coast. This area stretches out almost 3 kilometers offshore, allowing farmers plenty of room to grow and harvest their crops.
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| First time in the Indian Ocean! |
Driving back from Jambiani across the island was along the unnamed highway from Paje to Jozani - one of the main roads that connects the east and west sides of the island. The road is disturbingly potholed, and we were constantly slowing and swerving to navigate. Apparently the government purposefully neglects to repair the road and instead, takes visiting dignitaries across it to show how "in need" the island is in an effort to pander for financial aide. And yet, if aid is donated, the money is not spent on the local community, so the people are the ones who suffer. Yikes...
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| Hiking through Jozani |
After lunch (at a gorgeous seaside restaurant overlooking the Indian Ocean), we headed to the Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park for a hike through the tropical limestone forest. The park is the largest remaining area of natural forest on the island, and includes tropical rainforest, coral rag forest, swamp forest, and mangrove swamps.
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| Look at his cool yellow spots! |
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| Syke's monkey |
We were lucky enough to see the endangered endemic Zanzibar red colobus monkey (one even carrying a baby!), as well as several Sykes' monkeys, sunbirds (who look like hummingbirds), a yellow-spotted tree frog, and tons of butterflies. We learned that erosion and rising sea levels will gradually submerge this area, turning Unguja into two separate islands... who knows how long that will be, but climate change will definitely speed the process!
WEDNESDAY, July 3 - Haile Selassie Secondary School, High View International School, and Homestay
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| Haile Selassie Secondary School |
We visited two different schools on Unguja today to see the types of education offered on the island, and understand how climate change is being taught in classrooms. Our first stop was Haile Selassie Secondary School, a public (or "government") school, where we met with Hamid and two science teachers. In Zanzibar, high school students (Form 1-6) have general classes for the first 4 years, then specialize during Form 5 and 6. Because of various factors, only a very small percentage of students make it to Form 6.
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| High View International School |
Following our visit, we traveled down to High View International School - one of the top private schools in the country. The highlight was a visit to a Form 6 classroom, where students have been studying about climate change and where we had a Q&A session. One girl in particular was extraordinarily impressive - we found out later that she was class president, and we were all amazed by her poise and self-assuredness. She also answered more than half of the questions we posed to the students!
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| My dinner |
We transitioned to our homestays that afternoon - an opportunity for us to meet a local Zanzibari family and experience their culture. It's really interesting being in a traditional home - we were given lots of preparation beforehand on what to expect, and everything was basically true (except I don't eat with the family - I pretty much eat by myself, unless one of the daughters sits at the table playing on her phone. Awkward!). I am with Suleman and his wife Ayisha (who speaks no English and, as far as I can tell, barely speaks at all). They have three daughters - the oldest Lamha is taking classes at the local university; Raghad works in a bank, and the youngest Sundus (known to the family as Bibiye) is 6. There is also a grandma living with the family who is the most talkative and engaging, but she was rarely upstairs where I was staying.
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| My homestay house |
Suleman's home is constructed in the traditional Swahili architectural style - two side-by-side doors from the outside lead to a workshop and a small shop; these are the street-facing rooms, but the house extends back much further and goes up three stories. The house surrounds a central courtyard that is open to the elements - known as an impluvial style of architecture, it is meant to catch rain and have a more private outdoor area that is in the interior of the home. My room is on the added third story, and it is large and comfortable with a large ceiling fan and a/c!
Staying with a Zanzibari family should be an interesting and eye-opening way to see how real locals live - I'm excited for the next few days!
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