Wednesday June 21

            We started our day with another language exchange in which our Tanzanian friends taught us the numbers and the alphabet in Kiswahili; we taught them some Spanish and French because they already know English so well. Many of us, including our Tanzanian friends, were pleased with all the new words that we have taught each other. Following the language exchange, we participated in a leadership activity that challenged the way we normally approach an activity. We were divided into two groups and both had to cross a “river of lava”. Jorge, our WLS instructor, explained that the goal was for the people on each side had to reach the other side of the river and no one could be left behind. The group division caused us to think competitively rather than cooperatively. In the end, we learned that the goal would have been easily accomplished if we had worked more cooperatively, within our group and with the other group. We have been learning about leadership and discussing what a leader looks, sounds like, and feels like. After lunch, BCS taught our Tanzanian friends how to play Ultimate Frisbee. The TSS students enjoyed playing it very much. To finish our cultural exchange, we taught several common table games, such as Uno, Chess, and a card game called Prez.
We are staying in the TSS dorms along with the students here and it has taken some getting used to for many of us. Even though school is on break during June, Form 2 (10th grade) students are here preparing for exams and they go to sleep very late due to chores, washing clothes, or socializing after their long day of study.
            Our campfire session was led by Jackeline, Godlisten and us. Many were eager to speak about appreciation of each other and how our relationships continue to get stronger. Didi, a Tanzanian naturalist, was also there and described the importance of the Baobab tree to the African environment; he told a story about how elephants use the Baobab as a source of food and water during periods of drought. He also explained how the Baobab is an important cultural symbol to local communities, who use the juice of the tree to baptize their children.
 
-Aurelius and Camila