The New Year Brings New Things
Written on December 31st , 2024 by Ben Weber
The last month here in Tanzania has been very quiet for me.
My cohort and I finished our pre-service training on Nov 21st. The morning after swearing-in, we left our Tanzanian host families and began the journey to our villages where we will be working for next two years. The first week at my village was a bit rough since we were instructed to stay away from populous areas during the local elections. Once the election had concluded, I was able to travel into the larger city nearby me and begin buying things for my house.
I am staying at a replacement site which had been used by two volunteers prior to covid. I have lots of leftover furniture from them. I am very happy with my living environment as there is plenty of space and the shower room is indoors. Also, I share the courtyard with my neighbors who own the house I’m staying in. It’s been nice to have them around when I’ve needed things for cooking or cleaning. I’ve been placed in the southern highlands of Tanzania where the environment is quite like the PNW. I’ve been wearing sweaters and sweatpants I had brought with me a lot.
The school I will be teaching at closed for the break in early December and doesn’t open until the 2nd week of January, so I haven’t had much to work on these last few weeks. I’ve been going on walks through my village and taking in the environment. To my north there are rolling hills and forests and to my south there is a chai plantation. I’m excited for the New Year and to start teaching. I’ll be spending these next few weeks before school starts to get the last few things I desperately need for my house. I’ve been having a fantastic time in my village and am very excited to stay here for the next two years.
