Sarah Hensley's International Blog

First African Thanksgiving...

Thursday marked my first African Thanksgiving.  I have an amazing family, so I knew that they would call me and include me in our Turkey Day traditions.  They called and passed the phone around the table to all the members of my family and each person listed three things they are thankful for.  This is what we do every year, and as our family grows, it gets even more fun.  My personal favorite this year was my niece (3-year-old Kaleia) saying..."Ummm, I'm thankful for Mommy, Grandmama, Daddy, ummm and you Aunt Say".  I think she would have listed every person at the house and probably have moved on to the grass and trees and animals if you'd let her.  After the phone call, I decided that I would....invite (a.k.a. force) out my two roommates and make them celebrate Thanksgiving with me.  So the three of us went out for dinner and I made my friends list what they are thankful for.  It was fun to celebrate my holiday with a British guy and a Norwegian guy.

I then decided to trek to the beach for more Thanksgiving contemplations on my own.  So, I took my usual two dalla-dallas into town and took a ferry over to Kigamboni beach (very beautiful) for the day.  I took my journal and wrote, and slept, and thought about Thanksgiving.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to be in Tanzania for a year.  It feels like home to me.  Although I missed my family, I love being here...and I'm happy.

I had my first research interview this week.  It was intimidating.  When I think about the word 'researcher', I envision a very stately, distinguished-looking person with glasses and 12 degrees.  For me, I just got my undergrad and here I am being funded by the US government to research NGOs for a year.  Sometimes, I can't believe how lucky I am.  Anyway, the interview went well and he gave me the names of some contacts to interview, which was good.  I'm ready to get everything in gear.

Pictures will be posted as soon as I get a camera.  Mine decided to break, but I promise soon.  Next weekend, I am going to Zanzibar, so I'll definitely want to post pictures of that.  Until later, baidi rafiki!!  Siku njema!

Karibu Tanzania!!

Welcome to Tanzania....Karibu Karibu Karibu.  As an 'mzungu' traveling in East Africa, people pretty much assume you're from out of town.  So, inevitably, everyday, you hear the term 'karibu Tanzania' at least 10 times from strangers strolling down the dusty roads.  And, if I had to choose one term to summarize Tanzanians, I would choose 'welcoming'.  It's a beautiful country...filled with beautiful, amazing people.

So, how did this small-town Tennessee girl end up in Tanzania for a year?  QUEENS!!  Queens whet my appetite for seeing and experiencing the world.  While attending, I studied abroad in Hong Kong (everyone needs to read Elisabeth's blog, because HK is AMAZING), and spent last summer in Tanzania teaching at a primary school.  During my Senior year, I applied for a Fulbright grant through the US government to apply my Honors Thesis to on-the-ground research.  My purpose here is to research non-governmental organizations.  The title of my project is 'Assessing the Efficacy of NGO-Sponsored Anti-Poverty Programs in Rural and Urban Tanzania'.  It's a long title that basically just means I get to go around on dalla-dallas (minivans with about 30 people crammed inside) everyday and interview NGO directors and project beneficiaries...that is, after sorting out all my paperwork with the government...which was an adventure in and of itself!

I look forward to updating this blog with interesting stories and pictures and hope that you enjoy it!