The warmth of Tanzanian culture

I have been in Tanzania exactly one month today and I have spent a lot of my first month getting adjusted and just observing my surroundings. As would be expected, I tend to make comparisons to Rwanda. The two countries are very close to each other but their cultures are not identical, similar to how American and Mexican lifestyles are not identical. Of course, my experiences differ because in Rwanda I lived in a small town on the suburbs of the capital. In Tanzania, I live in a small town that is a plane ride from the capital. In Rwanda, more people spoke English whereas Tanzanian educations focus on Swahili.

 For one thing, Tanzania is not a post-conflict society. It has been fairly stable since its independence in 1961 despite the diversity of tribal connections, linguistic backgrounds, and religious beliefs. Another major divergence is Tanzania’s proximity to the ocean.  Naturally, their geographic location has led to greater mixing with other cultures, to their benefit (lots of trade opportunities!) and to their detriment (my city, Kigoma, was near the heart of the Arab slave trade). 

Majaliwa, my coworker, helping me get a palm tree to my porch

My major project outside of work has been to study Kiswahili, the national language that everyone speaks. (Actually, the most common native language in my city is called Kiha, but everyone uses Swahili to communicate across tribes.)

I love learning about languages because I think it can communicate so much information about a culture. This is especially apparent with my newest vocabulary word, mgeni. Mgeni translates to stranger. However, it also translates to guest. In English, stranger and guest mean very different things but in Tanzania you are always a host.

This very much summarizes Tanzanian culture. They are friendly and chatty and say hello on the street. Everywhere I go, I am greeted with a friendly Karibu (meaning welcome) and every time I leave, my new friends invite me to come back soon. No interaction can happen without a customary few minutes devoted to polite banter about news of the other person and their family.

If you are trying to get the attention of a mgeni whose name you do not know, you use familial terms. For me, people will call out “dada!” (sister) or the dreaded “mama.” The term varies based on age and gender both parties. An individual my age would typically call out sister but not always. It seems to go about 75% dada for me. Considering my age, I would certainly be married with a few children if I were Tanzanian, so I must forgive the mamas. Either way, it is more familiar and pleasing than the American version of “hey!”

A photo from the Seed Change Instagram

People also approach all children in a more familiar way and Tanzanian children are not as cautious and needy as children in the US. Children are more independent but their parents also seem to have the knowledge that the entire village is looking out for them. Any adult can scold or touch a misbehaving child. On the way home from work, kids walking home from school are always holding their arms out for a ride even though they do not know us. When I explained to a Tanzanian teacher how American children were afraid of mgeni kidnapping them, he laughed out loud at the thought because it is so ridiculous in a Tanzanian context.

Overall, Tananians are a friendly and trusting bunch! It helps me to be more relaxed, friendly and open to anything that comes along.