Category Archives: Uncategorized
Evolution
In some American school districts there is an ongoing debate about whether evolution should be taught to students. Many Christians believe that evolution is “only a theory” and that it is incompatible with their creationist worldview. As a result, ideas … Continue reading
The colonial legacy in schools
“When Europeans came to Africa, they saw that Africans were lazy. To make them work hard they knew that they would have to use the stick to teach them about how hard work is important. Somehow, that is why we … Continue reading
Freemasons and Tanzanian Superstition
One of the more interesting queries I get from Tanzanians involves freemasons. “What do you know about freemasons?” they ask. Often this simply comes up out of the blue, as though it is simply a topic that they have a … Continue reading
“At home” – Living in Tanzania
I was asked recently by a friend what I feels like to be living in Tanzania. I have tried to keep my blog detached from my own emotions and feelings, in order to try to capture, somewhat objectively, what life … Continue reading
Travel in Tanzania
Some previous posts have discussed Tanzanian travel, but having just finished a weekend trip with its own share of adventures, I decided to take a post to discuss the bus system in a little more depth, in light of that … Continue reading
My Tanzanian Diet
One of the best things about living in Tanzania is the food. While Tanzanian cuisine isn’t (generally) that amazing, Tanzanians do the simple things well, and basic foods like rice, pilau, stewed plantains (green bananas) potatoes, beans, green vegetables, fried … Continue reading
The short trip to Kigali
A couple weekends ago I went to Kigali with the other Ngara WorldTeach volunteers (there are four of us in all). We had all wanted to visit the city for a weekend, and having been told by my Field Director … Continue reading
Tanzanian Debate
After a great deal of building anticipation I have finally seen a Tanzanian Secondary School Debate. Other volunteers across the country have told me stories about how these debates proceed, and so I was not entirely surprised about what awaited … Continue reading
Teachers on Duty
I promised another post about “teachers on duty” (hereafter TOD) in secondary schools, so here goes. As I said previously, every week two teachers are assigned the position of TOD. These teachers are responsible for the day to day operations … Continue reading
The rain
My first week or so in Ngara was spent in the rain, but during that period I was assured that the rain would stop for a while. Then, around a week ago, I was told that the rainy season would … Continue reading