My Amazing Journey to Tanzania

The trip I never Imagined by Samuel Brathwaite

The continent of Africa and a map of Tanzania are provided for context – The trip from California to Tanzania is approximately 20 hours in the air; Arusha is approximately 300 miles from Dar es Salaam; Zanzibar is approximately 60 miles off the coast from Dar es Salaam; and, the Tarangire

National Park is a 3 hour drive from Arusha; Shinda Village is on the outskirts of Arusha

Tarangire National Park

Sign Leading to the Shinda Basic School – note the motto at the bottom of the sign

The Shinda Basic School view of the eastern side of the school looking towards the southwest

View of the southern side of the school looking towards the north – Mr. Moshi stand proudly in front of his school

Additional Class Rooms on the western side of the property

The school kitchen

Inside one of the class rooms in the building on the northern section of the property

Class room in the building on the eastern side of the property

Students greeting me with a song

Cross Section of the families, very interested in their children development

Community immediately northwest of the school

Community immediately northeast of the school

The neighborhood

Water is a scarce resource in Arusha, many of the rural communities fetch water on a daily basis as running water is not readily available

Drill rig setting up to drill water well

Drilling crew

Cuttings used to log boring

Water encountered at approximately 100 feet below ground surface

All reports indicate that the well is producing abundant clean fresh water

8/30/2013

Students look on eagerly as the drilling penetrated the aquifer unit

Victor’s sisters and niece and the home where he grew up in Shinda

Victor visiting with his 96 year old grandmother in Kilimanjaro

Life in Kilimanjaro

Tarangire National Park - Wilder beasts and Impalas in their natural habitat

Tarangire National Park - Elephants in their natural habitat

Tarangire National Park - Giraffes in their natural habitat

Dar es Salaam Sky Line – Capital of Tanzania – photo taken from the Indian Ocean

Ferry shuttling between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar

The Island of Zanzibar

Zanzibar is well known for its spices – here is a photograph of a spice farm

Former slave transshipment point on Zanzibar

Church built on grounds where slaves were assembled prior to transshipment – the church is approximately 130 years old – Slavery was abolished in 1873 – this is now considered sacred ground

Photograph shows exactly how the slaves were brought to the assembly ground – the chains in this photograph are the exact chains that were used on the slaves

Former slave dungeon used to house slaves prior to shipment – this unit typically housed 50 to 75 slaves, there was no lighting and little ventilation and standing room, many slaves died before being shipped

Victor and Sam at Dar es Salaam International Airport on our way back from Zanzibar