Under the Yellow-barked Acacia

Today we had a unique opportunity.  We did another field exercise for our Environmental Policy, but this time we studied village and community governing bodies and leadership.  We traveled to a nearby village called, Kainam, to meet with the local leaders and village elders. 

In African tradition, particularly in the Iraqw tribe, meetings are held under trees.  Before the meetings would start, the elders would give thanks for the tree, which provided shade and usually fruits for food.  Most tribal stories are connected to a specific tree, and each story must be told under its correlating tree.  For example, if I had a story that was first told under the tree in my backyard that our swing set used to be next to, under that tree is the only place I could tell the story.  I think it is a beautiful tradition, though as we have learned, with deforestation has also come a loss of the traditional stories because they can’t be told if the tree is now gone.  I love trees so I love the idea of holding meetings under trees and giving thanks to Mongu (“God” in Swahili) before beginning the meeting for His sustenance and His creation. 

Though we did not give thanks before our meeting, we did hold our meeting under a yellow-barked Acacia tree, which may be one of the prettiest trees in creation.  The elders brought out a bunch of benches and we sat in a circle under our tree.  There were about 12 village leaders and all thirty of us students as well as two of our professors who acted as translators.  The meeting started with introductions of everyone in the circle, then the village leaders went one-by-one, describing their role in the village governing committees. 

There are several tiers of governing committees in the village.  There are sub-villages, which are committees dedicated to economy and finance, security and safety, and social services.  Within each sub-village there are more divisions.  We only met with the members of the social services sub-village which was divided into the education, health issues, water, and environment committees.  Above the sub-villages is a village council, comprised of selected village members.  There is also a general assembly, which is the entire village and in order for a meeting of the general assembly to not be considered null and void, there must be a member from at least 50% of the households present. 

The village leaders were all the chairman or chairwoman or members of one of the four divisions of the social services sub-village so each division stood and told us their main responsibilities and challenges.  After they briefed us on their responsibilities and challenges, we had the opportunity to ask them how their councils worked and enter into a discussion.  We had four hours for this meeting and it flew by, in fact most of my classmates that I talked to all thought we should have gone longer.  After our discussion, the village members were adamant that we give them suggestions how to be more efficient or how they could do things better.

When we got back to camp we had a time for reflection.  We were all very impressed with how the village councils were run and organized.  I was kinda taken aback by their insistence that we give them suggestions.  I felt like, here we are, thirty college aged students who don’t know anything about running a village, but they still want our suggestions.  The goal of the meeting was to learn from each other, however I got this feeling like our being Americans had something to do with it as well.  I have gotten this feeling a lot in Tanzania, people thinking that because we’re from America that we automatically have the answers to a lot of questions and know the right way to do things.  Honestly, I think that is a unhelpful mindset.  I do feel like America pretends to know the right way to do everything, like the right way to do business, government, school.  I don’t think we do. 

These incredible people in Koiman work under extremely tight budgets and often can’t fulfill their action plans because there isn’t enough money, but they continue to stay motivated and push for improving their village.  Another thing that stood out to me was the communal mission.  The people in Koiman, and from what I’ve seen, most villages in Tanzania are very focused on community.  They aren’t trying to see how they can get the most for themselves, but if their neighbor is lacking something, they share what they have.  Everything is about community here, washing clothes, fetching water, cooking, farming, herding animals.  I especially saw this in the education division of the sub-village.  The main goal is ensuring there is education for every child so that the whole community can prosper from the education the children receive. 

I don’t know if we have as much emphasis on community in America.  I don’t want to demonize America and herald Tanzania, but I think there are tough questions that Americans need to ask themselves.  We as Americans can learn a lot from our global neighbors.  During our reflection time, one of the students mentioned how he really liked this community government, that in his community he never feels like he has much say in the way policies and decisions are made.  I believe that to be true as well.  Our government is supposed to be “for the people and by the people” but I think a lot of people would agree there is a lot of disconnect today.  Goodness, I hope this post isn’t coming across as political because I don’t want that to happen, I just want to share what I’m seeing and learning and hoping to take back. 

Another insight shared during our reflection time: a girl brought up the divisions of “developed” countries and “developing” countries.  Essentially what she was saying was how the language calling America and other westernized countries “developed” and countries like Tanzania “developing” hinders growth.  It makes America sound like we don’t have any more growing to do, and that we have everything settled while it sounds like were waiting for places like Tanzania to get to the place where America is.  I completely agree.  Granted Tanzania has some growing to do in areas, but America isn’t exempt from growth.  America doesn’t have everything figured out and neither does Tanzania.  I see a lot of enthusiasm about learning and striving for the best communities in Tanzania, I just hope America can catch some of that enthusiasm for growing and if need be, adapting and learning from places like Koiman, Tanzania. 

Maybe someday I’ll take my children to Koiman, Tanzania and tell them a story under the Yellow-barked Acacia.