Africa
By Betsy Tremmel '00
News Writing and Editing
Writing Objective: Write a newspaper feature story about the experiences of Mike Harris and Kim Koza in Tanzania.
“I miss Africa. Mom.” the teary voice eight-year-old Will Harris came as a surprise to parents Michael Harris and Kim Koza. A month after their return from the east African country of Tanzania, the two Central College professors and their three children had begun to settle into life at home when this plaintive declaration came.
Harris, one of three Fulbright scholars in Tanzania, and Koza each taught two courses in the English department at the University of Dar es Saleen. Although happy to be back in Pella to resume their lives, as they recall memories of their 10-month stay in Tanzania, it is evident they were fond of many of the cultural aspects of Dar es Saleen.
Driving was not one of them. There were no clear slop signs, only faint traces of painted lines. According to Harris, confusion and reckless driving caused many close calls, but surprisingly few accidents. Harris, the only one of the family to have command of a stick shift, would brace himself each morning as he woke up, thinking, “this is the day. Luckily, the day of the seemingly unavoidable car accident never came. Although Harris and Koza were within walking distance of the university where they taught, the children, who attended international schools in the middle of the city, were not. Harris soon became weary of the two and a half hours of daily driving, and said, if he were to have remained much longer, he would have hired a personal driver. After returning home, he said, “I’ve enjoyed it here so much since we’ve been back…just walking to campus and walking home. It- so wonderful. It’s only a 10-minute walk to our home.”
Koza also missed the freedom of walking and gardening. The heat and humidity fatigued by day; the mosquitoes plagued by night. She became accustomed to sitting indoors and read more than 30 novels. The maid came in five or six days a week and did the chores: shopping, cooking, and cleaning for the family Many things in day-to-day life were different, but, as time passed, they became customary. My water had to be boiled and strained before use. Each member of the family had to lake mefloquine, an anti-malaria pill, once a week. The food was a change. The family enjoyed the fresh fruit: mango, passion fruit, melon, pineapple, banana, although the cucumber and mango salad caught them a bit off-guard. Fourteen-year-old Lech, Will, and seven-year-old Santoshi weren’t too fond of the traditional rice and bean dishes. Eventually Harris and Koza tired of them as well. “We let her [the maid] know earl) on that we didn’t want her to try to fix American food. Harris said. “We didn’t ask her to start fixing hamburgers until quite a bit later…then we starling asking her to fix them a lot.
Besides waking up to bird song each morning, watching the frolicking family of monkeys in their yard, seeing herds of mongooses, and hearing the loud voices of small tree frogs, they also were able to take part in a safari. They spent 11 days in northern Tanzania, visiting Lake Manyari, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Arusha National Park. One night, as they camped out in Serengeti. Harris awoke to a loud lapping noise. “I’ve heard a dog lap. but this was either a humungous dog…or a lion. As he peered out the window, he could see the lion illuminated by lantern-light. Harris sinned his flashlight in an attempt to scare him. But the lion was not easily intimidated. Soon Koza awoke. They decided it would be best to lie down, make no noise, and wait it out. Eventually the lion disappeared. Koza distinctly remembers hearing loud snoring during the course of the standoff. It turned out their guides had been oblivious to the tremors of fear racing through their tour group. “If he [the lion] decided I’m really hungry; my thirst is quenched—I think I’ll go eat that guy with a flashlight. –there’d be no stopping him,” Harris said. “There’s no policeman saying Lion, you can t do that. I was really scared.
There were other places in Tanzania the family wanted to visit, but because of terrible road system, they were unable. Tanzania is considered, even among African countries, an extremely poor- nation. Although it is common to see businessmen with cell phones in the city, not every household is equipped with labor-saving devices such as lawn mowers, washing machines, microwaves, or- vacuum cleaners. “Some people have them. I’m sure.” Koza said. “But not the majority.” Dar es Saleem is a sprawling city of approximately 5 million people, but it does not have (he skyscrapers large cities in the United States have. Its villages are even more traditional, with homes of mud and slick walls. covered with thatched roofs.
But the people are rich in kindness and love of family and friends. They are not focused on individualism as Americans are: they are a social, interpersonal culture, according to Harris. “You see people shaking hands, and shaking for a long time. Harris said. “They don’t just shake hands and then let go. “People have more time for personal relationships, Koza agreed. “It would be very rude there to say “Hi! and just keep walking. This is an aspect of the culture to which both Harris and Koza hope they can adhere. “If there s anything I’ve consciously Hied to hold on to. it’s just to slow down. ” Harris said. “People there were stressed, loo. Koza pointed out. “They had a lot of economic pressure; people had hard lives. But still, you had the sense that people maintained their joy in life.”
“I felt like I was looking for Africans to be in conflict between Western influences and indigenous customs. I don’t think I saw a lot of I hat. I saw people who seemed pretty comfortable with die balance, African Customs and traditions are alive and well. Harris said. “They have taken some values from lire West that they really admire, and they’re trying to become educated and more technological. They waul To enter the 21st century, loo.” Harris taught World Drama and The Development of the Novel, while Koza taught African-American Literature and Literal me by Women.
Many people in Tanzania are not educated past primary and secondary school because of the tuition many find unaffordable. College is for the elite. Usually students will attend two years of college, lake lime off to work and support their families, and return to complete two more years when they are able. Because of this system, the majority of students are in their late twenties to mid-forties. They Heal their teachers with respect. “They would speak lo Kirrr and me like ‘our distinguished professors’ and not be sarcastic—they really meant it,” Harris said. ” They would talk to each other after a presentation like I would like to thank you for your very insightful presentation; we’ve all benefited from our colleague a great research.’ I would listen to them like Are you kidding?”‘ The -indents had great respect for each other, knowing the dedication and hard work il look to achieve college status. Harris and Koza appreciated the experiences and observations the students brought to the classroom. Education was obviously a cherished commodity in Tanzania.
Although they have just returned from 10 months abroad. Harris and Koza are already thinking of the future. Harris had been anxious to see Africa. Koza had been a Peace Corps volunteer there before graduate school. Now the) are discussing leaching in Asia, possibly Nepal, where Harris was a Peace Corps volunteer.