There was lots of drumming, dancing, singing, acoustic guitar, more dancing, and even more drumming. The powerful sound of the drums, the singing, the stars, the sound of the waves, and the smell of the ocean and of burning coconut wood made the whole experience feel a little surreal. I kept thinking wow, this time has gone by so fast! Next week I will actually be back in America...
Don't get me wrong, I knew I would be elated to see my family and friends, but I also knew that I would miss it. Now that I'm back I can say I miss it much more than I thought I would. I had gotten a lot more attached to the people in Tanzania and Bagamoyo in particular than I realized… Feeling a sense of community everywhere I went... Not worrying about my personal safety at all, even when walking around town late at night (and there are no street lights, you have to use a flashlight)... Being around people who are so grateful for everything, and so welcoming... I really miss it.
I felt like I was a part of the community and part of the family there... Like if I decided to move there, or if something happened and I had to stay there, I would have been taken care of. I would have a community of people who would treat me as their sister, their aunt, their daughter, their granddaughter… People really did view me as a part of them. Some of that likely has to do with me being of African descent, but even in talking to others who aren't, they also felt this incredibly strong sense of community. People in Tanzania were always eager to teach us about the language and their culture, which in a sense is also part of my culture. I can't even count the number of times people said to me "welcome home" when I told them this was my first trip to Africa from America.
Would I go back? Most definitely. As much as I’d love to, I'm not sure that I will be able to go back for another 2 months, but I can definitely see myself going back and working with the amazing women at Bawodene... seeing the impact that volunteerism has on that community in particular... and seeing how the town of Bagamoyo develops.
Would I recommend this to someone else? Definitely. I think volunteerism, international volunteerism, is important and can be life-changing. This has been an experience that has challenged me in ways I never imagined... probably ways I needed to be challenged. It hasn't always been easy, but it’s definitely been life-changing.
To my new family in Bagamoyo: Thank you for making me always feel so at home in Tanzania. I will miss laughing with you, learning from you, cooking with you, and dodging bats with you (well, me dodging bats while you laughed!). To the other volunteers: I had a blast getting to know all of you and wish you all the best! Finally, to my friends and family here in America, thank you for taking this journey with me!
