“Having a mzungu is something special”

Last week Abbey Secondary officially said goodbye to Jeff Rodwell, their first ever Peace Corps volunteer, and welcomed their second, me. Mndeme, the chair of the social department, organized a volleyball and soccer match between the students to start the evening. The students were competitive and seemed to really enjoy the games as much as we did watching them play. I’m really hoping I will have an opportunity to play with them sometime soon; I’ve definitely been missing the active competition.

 

Simba vs. Yanga to celebrate Jeff's departure from Abbey.

Jeff's going away dinner.

After the games the head of each department, some of the non-teaching staff and the administration all went to Subiako in Ndanda for dinner and drinks. Dinner was the typical Tanzanian celebration fair with fried chicken, sambusa, chips and kachambali. Father Amani and Headmaster Brother Sixtus sat with Jeff and I (the wageni rasmi or guests of honor) at the head table. The best part of the evening though came after dinner, when everyone in the room was invited to say a few parting words to Jeff.

Jeff and I with some of the teaching staff.

Hearing the teachers share their experiences with Jeff was refreshing. It reminded me of why I was here and gave me even more hope for what I can accomplish in the next two years, both in my work and the relationships I hope to build. They shared funny stories about Jeff’s duties as TOD, about some of the issues he faced when he originally came to site and about being his neighbor. His neighbor even more or less apologized for being so loud over the past two years, something Jeff has jokingly complained about often. Jeff said his thank you and goodbye in Swahili, which was a bit intimidating and I’ll be honest, only reminded me of all the work I still need to do, but once he had finished Brother Sixtus welcomed me (in English) and allowed me to say a few words myself.

I was happy to have the opportunity to address everyone, something I really hadn’t had a chance to do yet. Now that I think back on it, it was really an important moment. Jeff was leaving and my turn had finally come. This was my site now, these are my colleagues and you could see the acknowledgement in the staff’s eyes. That acknowledgement and acceptance I saw in their faces as I thanked Jeff for the work he’s done and explained the work I hoped to do was really gratifying. It made me feel more at home than I have since I’ve been in country. All of my concerns and fears disappeared in that moment as the family of Abbey Secondary officially accepted me as one of their own.

Abbey really does feel like a family. You can tell that the people here enjoy each other. They love being here and they love what they do. Getting to see the appreciation the staff had for Jeff also reminded me of the impact I hope to have. My relationship with the teachers and students are my top priority. Far too often these past few months I have sat up at night and worried about my ability to build these relationships, my lack of Swahili skills or missed opportunities.  But that night reminded me that the people at Abbey want that friendship as well, and that the work I have ahead of me is only half of what I thought it was.

In Brother Sixtus’ closing remarks he thanked Jeff for all of his work over the past two years and spoke of how important the computer program was for both the students and for the school. “Dunia letu ni kijiji kwa agali ya technologia,” he said. “The world is a village because of technology.” Access to a computer program like the one at Abbey is rare for many students in Tanzania and it has helped raise the profile of a school that has gained a lot of national recognition in a short amount of time. The students really seem to enjoy the program as well, so much so that it has become a common topic amongst the parents at the school’s regular meeting in Dar es Salaam, where a large majority of our students come from.

One of his final remarks was to me directly. “Don’t walk in Jeff’s footsteps,” he told me, “walk past them. If you walk in his footsteps you will be slow.” I certainly don’t intend to be slow. Jeff has done an incredible job taking the computer program at Abbey this far and I plan, with the help of the students, staff and community, to take them that much further.

“Having a mzungu is something special,” he said, and I couldn't be happier to be the mzungu here.

Jeff's departure also meant it was time for me to move into my permanent residence while I'm here. A few photos follow.

The larger of the two rooms in the house.

The larger room doesn't have a ceiling, so I've been sleeping in the smaller room.

 The courtyard.

The choo. (Pit latrine)