Yesterday, I walked into town by myself. Paul and the students had already walked to the Lutheran Hotel in town to attend their Swahili class. The students planned to go to the library after class and work on their essays all day. Paul and I were to meet after class had finished so we could eat lunch together in town.
Walking into town alone is intimidating. I don’t think I like to walk anywhere on my own (I liked to zip around Oakland, Pittsburgh and around Susquehanna’s campus on my bike rather than walk). I do enjoy the silent reflection I am allowed while I walk on my own; I seem to fill every moment of my life with noise and distraction, and some quiet time alone is refreshing. But, when I walk by myself here, I am ultra-aware of my Otherness. People stare and children yell “Mzungu*, how are you?!” As I was walking yesterday, I passed a teenage girl walking with a younger girl, maybe around the age of ten. The girls matched my pace, and the older girl said quietly, “Good Morning.” I smiled and greeted her, happy to have some company along my way. Her name was Agnes. I made some small talk (in Kiswahili), and felt much more confident walking into town with my new companions. I said good-bye to them once I arrived at the hotel, and they continued on to the market to buy tomatoes for lunch.
I want to be for people what Agnes and her friend were for me yesterday. I want to emulate Agnes once I return home. It is easy for me to feel comfortable in the United States as I am part of the racial majority and a U.S. born citizen. During my time in East Africa, I have learned how it feels to live as a racial minority in a different country than my own. With this new awareness, I hope to bring comfort to the people living in the United States who are feeling like The Other. It can be as small as a simple greeting, or you can go the extra mile and volunteer with a non-profit helping refugee families acclimate to a new environment.
* Mzungu can be loosely translated as “white person.”
-Caitlin
Caitlin and I have been experiencing a similar emotion when it comes to venturing into town alone. However, I venture alone while I run which has been more frequent over the past 3 weeks. I’ve been blessed with a quick recovery from my ankle sprain and I have been running 4-5 times a week. With such high expectations for my running in Tanzania I am thrilled to be back on the roads and trails of Karagwe. The elevation will have me in tip top shape when I return home!!!
Most of my time on the road is spent greeting people who are delightfully surprised to see a Mzungu clad in so few clothes running for no apparent purpose. Recently I have been joined by a young man in his twenties. His name is Jackson and he works a 10 hour shift at the local coffee processing plant 6 days a week. The plant is about 1 mile down the road from Misha and I get lots of cheers from the workers as I pass by. Jackson has helped me discover new routes and reminded me of how fortunate I have been to have so many friends through running. He has been a nice companion for portions of some runs and I’m grateful that he breaks up the solidarity I have on the runs.
It is hard for me to not look ahead and think about running with friends back home. I do miss you all and look forward to rekindling our friendships on the roads ahead wherever they may be. As always, take care and be safe!
-Paul
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