Teaching in Tanzania — Jennifer Yin Li

I left Kenya and arrived at my volunteer site in Arusha, Tanzania a few days ago.

In the mornings I make my way down an unpaved road from our volunteer house of 20+ volunteers from around the world.

We all have different assignments––some at orphanages, some at schools, and others at hospitals. We board a mutatu, or public vans to get to our assignments. Mutatus are 12-person vans. But as they speed down the main routes, they pick up as many as 20 people, sometimes hanging from the doors. It’s not uncommon for me to have a chicken by my feet or have a child halfway on my lap.

I’m at Faraja Orphanage Centre. The “centre” is really two classrooms and a building that serves as a dorm. There are around 15 to 22 kids who rotate between between their extended families’ homes and here. We have a “baby class” for the kiddos under 4-years-old, and then we have another class for ages 5 to 8.

Lunch is the same everyday: a cup of maize flour, sugar, water, and a splash of milk.

Some of my kids look young for their age and I’ve since found out that it’s due to the lack of nutrition. But for some of them, this will be their only meal of the day. I know the kids are hungry, but the same thing everyday can kill even the biggest of appetites.