Friday, June 23

           Our morning began with an energizer called ‘bird and perch.’ The game was a twist on musical chairs, where instead of using chairs, we were put in pairs and when the music was done one person (the bird) would jump on the other person’s back (or arms).
            Afterwards, the group separated by gender and discussed gender roles in both The United States and Tanzania. We were given prompts to answer in pairs, and then shared with the larger group. It was surprising how many things the Tanzanian and American students had in common in terms of gender roles. The girls agreed that men were viewed as ‘stronger’ while women were viewed as more ‘responsible.’ This was shown in the roles people have played in society where women typically stay home, while men do physical labor.
            We then brushed up on our dancing skills with Lucian (Lorelle and Devon got to do a fun little duet!) before going on a nature hike with Didi, a former poacher but now conservationist and guide. We were all taken by surprise when Didi arrived covered in ashes, holding a spear, wearing only a loincloth made out of Baobab bark, and smoking elephant dung. Although some of his techniques seemed a little bizarre, we were all able to learn a lot from him.
To wrap up the day we sang both the Tanzanian and American national anthems before doing ANCHOR.
We all thought the day was over, until an impromptu dance party erupted in the girls’ dorm. All the girls danced in a circle way past lights out time, until finally deciding to go to sleep.
-Lorelle and Diego