Goals 2 and 3

Two-thirds of the goal of the Peace Corps is cultural exchange. Volunteers become ambassadors both directions serving as an example of Americans while at their sites and then a source of knowledge of the culture of their service country when they get back. It’s a cool responsibility and one that’s relatively easy to fulfill as it doesn’t take much effort beyond being yourself. Still, often times these aspects of PC service are considered the most successful and effective examples of Peace Corps’ impact on host countries.

Recently I’ve been doing a lot of just talking with my students since my opportunities to do so are becoming increasingly limited. It seems they have a set list of questions to ask whenever they get an opportunity to ask whatever they want, which is frustrating at times because I feel like I have already answered everything. But then again, I would imagine the same questions would come up in America. It doesn't help that since I'm a novelty everyone wants to ask questions, which makes it understandable that the same things come up. I’m not sure what media outlet started the Free Masons craze here but every Tanzanian student is convinced they’re one of the biggest concerns right now. I do my best to explain that they are regular people meeting in a club-like environment but I still get the same question so the answer is not getting passed around like the conspiracy theory that started this. I also get tired of the why don’t you like our Tanzanian women question. I still am not sure of the motivation behind that question, if it is to say I should be dating a Tanzanian because I’m here or if it’s more joking since I have said I have a girlfriend in America. I’ve even had that question asked of me by PC staff so it is clearly very much on the mind of most Tanzanian people.

Regardless of some minor nuisances, I still find the back and forth of asking questions to be a very enjoyable time. The questions asked are very telling about the community and their feelings and it’s a good opportunity to quell rumors about America or Americans that might not otherwise be addressed. The more times I’ve had these conversations the more pointed the questions have become, which is the benefit of having an American around and comfortably accessible. Just this last time one student asked if America was trying to recolonize Africa. To a PC volunteer that seems ridiculous but I can see how the right cynical perspective could pull that out of America's involvement in so much of the global stage.

It’s also an opportunity to realize some of the impacts you’ve had on your students. One student asked about something I had said the first day on classes which I don’t even remember saying. Granted, it didn’t help that the student couldn’t quite remember the words either, but I got the gist of it and it was an idea that I want the students to remember, so it's exciting to know my words are not falling on deaf ears.

Finally, I often use these back-and-forths as an opportunity to explain why certain things frustrate me. For example, I recently moved into my room that I’ll be staying in for the next 6 weeks or so, but the whole ordeal was an exercise in patience with Tanzanian culture. The day started off with me needing to reference a paper that should have been very easy to obtain. But instead I spent my time searching through boxes filled with papers laying in all directions once the librarian looked at the boxes and shrugged it off as difficult work. While it makes sense to an American that that just means you need to give more effort to the problem, the Tanzanians would see no issue with her giving up and saying it wasn’t meant to be. The fatalism in this country is infuriating and it is helpful to be able to explain that to my students even if they might not agree. Later in the day, I was ready to move but the work to build the door was ongoing, despite having started a full 48 hours before. So I paced, impatient with the situation while my Tanzanian counterparts did not understand my frustration. This might actually be an example of failed cultural exchange because I don’t think people understood my frustration with the issue and blamed me rather than the situation for the problem. Hopefully, if, over time, enough people show issue with the complete lack of timeliness in this country, Tanzanians will realize they need to change. I try to do my part in that process by showing them now that foreigners may not see that lack of concern for time as professional and I think simply exposing them to that fact gives them a leg up since they will be more ready for that expectation in the future.

Apologies for the choppiness of the post. It’s been kind of an idea dump more than a well thought out piece. However, I find it quite interesting to consider the seemingly peripheral effects of things like the Peace Corps that will shape the perception of Americans the world over.