Tanzania Study-Service Term
Emily Bowman and I attending Swahili language classes in city of Dar es Salaam
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About Me
My name is Leah Thill, from a small town in southern Indiana. I'm a recent 2012 graduate of Goshen College. I have a passion for science, the environment, and social justice issues. The first was sparked by excellent science instructors in both high school and college. The second by a childhood spent outdoors in beautiful, rural Indiana. My interests in science and the environment came together in 2010 as I spent the summer working on a chemistry-related alternive energy research project at Pennsylvannia State University. My third passion for social justice issues was sparked by my first visit to Africa for the 2003 Mennonite World Conference in Zimbabwe. My concern for the oppressed and exploited people was strengthened by my time at Goshen College as I took courses like Transforming Conflict and Violence, War Peace and Non-resistence, International Politics, and Women's Studies.For my Study-Service term at Goshen College, I chose the Tanzania location to learn Swahili because I hope to return someday to East Africa for voluntary service, to teach science, or to work. Currently, I am engaged in a year of voluntary service wit PULSE Pittsburgh. I am placed with the environmental nonprofit Allegheny CleanWays, whose mission is to empower people to eliminate illegal dumping in Allegheny County. Afterwards, I have vague plan to attend graduate school to earn a degree related to alternative energy. I believe this is very relavent to the the challenges that Tanzanians face-- as deforestation limits trees as a source of fuel and the price and availability of oil worldwide poses a challenge particularly for people living in poverty.
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Knowledge
The journal article on display is representative of the themes we explored in the academic portion of SST--poverty, the human-environment relationship, and aspects of human nature. Through this process my assumptions about poverty were changed. I have a greater understanding of the multi-faceted systemic and historical factors that construct and sustain poverty. As a result I am less critical of the individual and more aware of how society and culture shapes practices and beliefs. I have a better understanding of how poverty shapes the choices people are able to make, especially relating to the envirnoment.
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Skills
For my final project I compared the experience of one village, Shirati, during British colonialism, with the general Tanzanian experience. I analyzed Shirati through the lens of specific issues that sparked conflict between Tanzanians and British colonialists elsewhere in the country. My communication skills and intercultural competence were strengthened in the process, as I had to conduct interviews in Swahili and with people using English as a second language. I integrated the data I acquired to form a tapestry of the factors shaping that period of history and the identity of the Shirati people today. My critical thinking skills were utlitized as I reflected on how--and why-- the data I gathered might differ from a historically accurate representation of the time period This led me to think about how history is recalled and transmitted within the cultural context and who has power and authority in the community to shape history and be trusted as an "expert".
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Responsibilities
Understanding the culture, language, history, and challenges that Tanzanians face has equipped me with skills that will enable me to have positive interactions with a broad spectrum of people who are different from me. I am more sensitive to differing world views, religions, and cultures. This has opened my mind to new ways of thinking and being. After experiencing and studying the effects of environmental degradation, I desire to be more conscious about how the lifestyle, political issues, and products I support affect the environment. I have learned more deeply that the environment is a social justice issue as well. Power, technological, and monetary inequality enables the Haves to take resources from the Have Nots. Those who are exploited do not have the resources to protect themselves from the aftermath of the choices that the more affluent and power make. The fallout from global warming and energy scarcity are prime examples of who will bear the brunt of the consequences for humanity. Through this lens, I have a better understanding of how the decisions and policies of my government and the dynamics of my economy can potentially harm the global community. I am inspired by my faith in God and in the human capacity to resist oppression and injustice nonviolently and develop creative, collaborative solutions. I observed many examples of this in action while serving among Tanzanian Mennonites and learning about Julius Nyerere's admirable commitment to equality and peace. Julius Nyerere is the founding father of Tanzania. He lead Tanzania in the nonviolent transition from British trust territory to form an independent state. I am also inspired by the perserverence and faith that friends, co-workers, my host families, and strangers exhibited in Tanzania. They put a human face on statistics.Finally, I am reminded by my time in Tanzania that it is my responsibility to walk humbly in my efforts to bring about positive change in place where suffering and poverty are present. While in Nata, we heard from partners of the Grumeti Fund about failed attempts to reconcile the conservation of wildlife near the Serengeti with the needs of the local community for food. I learned that sustainable change is possible when the community has a sense of investment and autonomy in shaping solutions and bringing them to fruition.
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Integration
As a science major, SST has strengthened my desire to integrate my academic pursuits with the justice issues I care about. By focusing on history, culture, politics, and humanities, I experienced "learning" in ways that differ significantly from the bulk of my studies at Goshen. Each week, we were encouraged to explore and expand on our themes by writing Reflective, Integrative, and Investigative essays related to readings, lectures, and personal experiences. The Reflective essays focused on critical thinking, creative analysis, and asking questions about phenomena we observed. In the Investigative essays, I pulled from the assigned readings to probe multi-disciplinary questions and synthesize our learning in a cohesive manner within the historical, political, or cultural context.
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Teaching in Shirati, Tz
For my service assignment, I taught young children at a kindergarten. It was a rewarding challenge to work entirely in Swahili and observe and participate in the Tanzanian education system. I also spent some time at a secondary school interacting with students and dialoguing about differences in Tanzanian and American culture and education.
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Challenges and Hope
This windmill represents the efforts of NGOs, church organizations, and individuals to develop and implement solutions to the challenges that Tanzanians face.
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Updated on 05 February 2019, 6:42 AM; 19739 page visits from 30 July 2012 to 12 August 2018
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