The section of the apartment that we live in is the"Oklahoma Family". We always have people coming over to visit our homestay “mama” Shemsa so it can get pretty crowded in her apartment sometimes. The children that live on the same level also like to come over either because they can watch cartoons on her TV or because they want to see what we, the mzungus, are all about. To me, it seems like the only interest they have in us is to get money, candy, or toys, but they primarily ask for money. They have the idea that because we're "white" so we must be "rich", there is the expectation that we can easily give them what they want. This mentality is frustrating because how will giving handouts to people in developing countries help them be sustainable in the long run? We don't give the children anything for that reason as it would be an irresponsible gesture, even though we really do feel sympathetic towards the children. So we read books to them and play with the balls we brought instead!
In comparison to where the volunteers working in Morogoro are living, I have to say that we are pretty spoiled here in Zanzibar! With a bit of fixing up in the kitchen and bathroom, the apartment that we live in would be fairly comparable to some apartments you could find in Vancouver.
Bedrooms in Zanzibar (above) and Morogoro (below)
Bathroom in Zanzibar and Morogoro
Courtyard in Morogoro and living room in Zanzibar
Not everyone in Zanzibar lives in an apartment, especially one as nice as this. In the communities where we work and run our programs, the houses are made of mud or cement walls with tin or straw roofs, typical of what people might expect when coming to Africa.
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