Tusaidiane - Part One
Our time is Moshi has ended. 4 weeks turned 7, a place that became home. We spent our time exploring, navigating, making friends, having fun, drinking konyagi, Tim turned up clubs and I practiced Swahili (a language I hope to continue to fluency). There is a lot to reflect upon about our time there, but primarily what will stand out in my mind forever, what will bring me back there in (hopefully) the year to come, is the time I spent working with Tusaidiane - as I've mentioned, is a women's empowerment group in a village on the Moshi outskirts. To begin with, when we set off to have this journey, it was pertinent for me that we spent time doing as meaningful and ethical volunteer work - for which we were qualified respectively - as possible. I spent close to 6 months researching opportunities in Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa and Tanzania. It took this long because every organization that I could come across was highly expensive, with questionable ethics and moreover, not offering anything I was particularly qualified to do. After googling for ages, going through forums, I came across Hostel Hoff - a volunteer house which offered "free and ethical" volunteer opportunities in Moshi Tanzania. The jury is out whether Hoff is all that it claims to be it is, but nevertheless, it was through this organization that I found Tusaidiane. I began communication with Amanda - an American woman, and cofounder of the group - sometime last year, and we discussed how and what I would be doing with the group. I read all of the literature about Tusaidiane and it's membership. I investigated into Wanawake - an affiliated non-profit which Amanda started in the US to help fund the ambitious projects of Tusaidiane. I felt like it was a good fit and that I had something legitimate to offer - courtesy of my training and years of experience in sexual health education with PPT. And as much as I was interested in the work I was going to be doing, as much as I hoped the experience would not only benefit the women of the group, but also help to inform my future decisions, nothing could have prepared me for how much my time with Tusaidiane has left me no less than inspired and honestly, changed as a person and a woman. See Parts 2 & 3 (video diary).