5 TAKEAWAYS FROM MY TRIP TO AFRICA
In July, I spent time traveling in the Kigoma leadership in Tanzania teaching youth how to create a roadmap to achieve their wildest dreams. During my trip, I met amazing people immersed in a beautiful culture. I learned a little bit of Swahili to be able to communicate and I was inspired by the kindness of the people, their traditions, and habits. I want to introduce several of these into my own life and I hope that my 5 takeaways can also inspire you.
1. Walk slow and be present
From the first day that I met my team (the organizers and translators for my course), I noticed the way in which they walk down the streets of Kigoma. On the way to lunch, they were walking slowly, much too slowly for me but I looked around and noticed others walking with this elegant slow pace. It is almost like slow motion. My first reflex was to accelerate the pace. It didn’t work. I was left alone 20 feet ahead. So, I joined their cadence. I quickly felt more aware of my surroundings. I noticed that people looked at each other in the eyes. They greet each other and smile, even if they don’t know each other. Then I started to see more of my surroundings. I felt the uneven ground under my feet and the breeze on my face, my nose captured all the different smells in the air, and I saw the vibrancy of all the colorful dresses women were wearing. I was more present. I was in the moment. It felt like a silent walk meditation practice. Just be, slow down, and enjoy.
2. Rituals and habits
People in the village do not have much. They share very tiny houses between big families. Sometimes the chickens share the room with you (they have a little basket with sand to sleep in). People have few clothes and minimal kitchenware to cook. Often the house floor and the courtyard are dirt. I was invited to one family to celebrate a new birth, a little boy. I noticed the rituals and habits that they have around their house. Here are my top three for you:
Washing hands before and after you eat. When you go to a restaurant, they either have a sink outside or a big bucket of water with a faucet and soap. If you don’t see it outside, don’t worry. They will come to your table with a big bowl, soap, and a pitcher of water. They will go around the table and pour water over each guest’s hands. The same will be done at the end of the meal. This is a ritual they all observe. I really liked it. Don’t you wish to have this ritual too? Try it at home. Wash your guest’s hands and see what happens and how they feel… some may be shocked, right? But when you think, isn’t this basic cleanliness?
Cleanliness. The dirt street or the dirt floor is made from compacted dirt which creates a lot of dust when dry. It has the same consistency as flour. During my travels, I visited many places; homes, schools, official buildings, shops, airports, etc. Everywhere I went people were cleaning the floor by whipping it with a broom or with water. I have never seen the ground so clean. Yes, you see trash and plastic along the road. But not on properties. In all that dusty air, people still keep their places clean. Their clothes are always pristine. They don’t have a washer and dryer. All hand-washed with soap in big buckets of water. It was impressive.
One last thing; the government decided a few years ago to ban all plastic bags in the country. This country has 60 million inhabitants. No plastic bags (and believe me, during the rainy season, it would be very handy). Why can’t westerners do this? They are showing us that it is feasible. When are we stepping up to prioritize a cleaner environment?Manners and respect for the elders. I was amazed by the “etiquette” and manners that people have when they serve you in a restaurant, greet you in a shop, or invite you into their home. I have experienced excellent service in restaurants, even in very simple and small places. There is so much kindness and care shown in how they serve you. It is as impressive as a 5-star restaurant in the US. I was wondering where they were learning it. For sure we could learn from them!
In Swahili, there are many ways to greet people depending on the relationship that you have with them, the circumstances, and the time of the day. But one thing you need to know is how to say hello to older people than you. And you cannot mess it up. It would be seen as disrespectful if you don’t greet someone the proper way or ruin the response.
For people of the same age or younger than you, the two most comment greetings are:Hujambo (ooJAmbo) or jambo (Jambo) (how are you?) – Sijambo (seeJAmbo) (I am fine / no worries)
Habari (haBAree)? (Any news?) – nzuri (nZOOree) (fine)
Now when a young person greets an elder, they use:
Shikamoo (sheeKAmo) (how are you). This is a way to show respect.
The answer if you are the elder is marahaba (maraHAba) - (I am fine). This shows respect back. The answer is as important as the greeting. This simple distinction makes all the difference when you start a conversation. I really liked this ritual of showing respect to elders. It is not dependent on status or position.
3. Support system (community)
In Africa, you can’t survive alone. Yes, it takes more time to have things done. Yes, the resources are very limited (I will talk about it later). Transportation is more adventurous, that’s for sure. Many houses don’t have water. It must be carried in canisters. People there have learned to work together to be more efficient. When you need some help, people show up. If you are stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire, people will stop. If you run out of spare tires (it is not uncommon to have 3 flat tires on a road trip), they will drive you to the next garage to fix it, and then make sure you have a way to get back to your car. People support each other in a way I have never seen. Community is at the core of their culture. People gather together often whether for faith reasons (religion) or for handling projects like harvesting. I sometimes wish that we had less technology to help us in our busy schedules instead returning to basic manual work where collaboration is needed. Where you can sit together, share stories, have tea, laugh, and smile with each other. That would make our days much more interesting and fulfilling than communicating through a computer screen in a video conference or on the phone, whilst sending emails, wouldn’t it?
4. Entrepreneurial spirit
In every Tanzanian, there is an entrepreneur. Life is hard, and often one job is not enough to sustain a family financially. Resources are limited (water, food, utilities, transportation). Almost everyone has a ‘side hustle’, as we say it. When they see a need or an opportunity, they jump on it. They don’t procrastinate or overanalyze it. They just do it. They are courageous and take their shot. Though they may not know exactly how to do it, they will figure it out. I was amazed to hear people sharing what they were doing to create a better life. Some had sewing machines and were creating dresses or bags. Others were using their backyards to grow vegetables or have chickens to sell at the local market. I had a friend who bought small three-wheelers (the tuk-tuks you see in Asia; they call it badadji here) which he leased to drivers for a daily fee. Another person was sculpting little wood statues which he would sell in the local shops. Everyone is a mini entrepreneur. I wish we could see more of that where we live. Too many people are afraid to fail or ashamed to start small. One thing I will teach when I am back home is to try and create. Don’t be afraid to start small. Start something that will ignite your creativity and ingenuity, which is also my last takeaway.
5. Ingenuity and creativity
This one is my favorite because I love to work with my hands fixing or building things. One day, I was walking down the street where I lived. Across the street was a mechanic shop, a little 6’ x 6’ shack with metal sheets covering the roof. There were a few wood planks on the dirt, a plastic bucket used as a seat, and a handful of tools. Two men were working on the engine of a motorcycle. They completely took apart the engine outside the shack on the dirt. One guy was cutting a tin can into a part for the engine. I thought that this will never work, but he took a hammer and shaped it the way he wanted. He was confident in what he was doing. I don’t know how crucial that part was for the functioning of the engine, but he was working diligently on it. I didn’t stay until the end but the next day the motorcycle was not in front of the shack, so I guess it must have worked!
There are very few resources here on the west side of Tanzania. When something breaks, you cannot go to the Home Depot, the local garage or ask an expert to repair it. You must find a way yourself. They recycle everything. They repurpose a tin can for 3 different projects. A tire will be used to make shoes, shelves, or garden decorations. A broken piece of wood or metal will be used to create art. It was amazing to witness how much ingenuity and creativity these people have. They recycle everything. I think we should be inspired by this. Instead of throwing away things and buying new ones, we should take the time to fix them, recycle them, or even create art with what we have. I personally think that is a good way to develop inner growth, stimulate our brains, and live a simpler yet fulfilling life surrounded by meaningful creations.
Final words
My Africa trip opened my eyes to leading a simpler life that provides greater meaning, purpose, and fulfillment.
Think about it for a moment.
Don’t you want to just slow down and be more present, have more awareness of your surroundings, and most importantly look people in the eye, smile, and be kind.
Don’t you want to create rituals and habits that will enhance your overall wellbeing? Don’t you wish to see more good manners in your community? Well, it starts with you being a role model and paving the way for small changes in your family and community.
Don’t you wish to be more connected with people? Wouldn’t be nice to just be together creating and contributing towards the community?
Don’t you think it is about time to start to manifest your dream? To take that step forward towards the project you always wanted to start, confident that you will figure it out along the way and that support will come? Just ignite your entrepreneurial spirit, NOW!
Don’t you think it is time to be more resourceful? Don’t you wish to be more creative? Isn’t it about time we stop polluting and wasting what can be repurposed?
You and I can all do our share to create a better world, a tighter community, and become better role models. It is time to care more about our limited resources on earth and develop a more conscious lifestyle by being aware of our surroundings and the people we interact with.
One thing I want to share in conclusion. Go and travel and discover the world in a purposeful way. How? You have talents, skills, and knowledge. Wherever you go, share them. When you will plan your next trip, make sure you reserve time or days to do something meaningful and purposeful. Teaching youth during 4 long days in the bush made all the difference in this trip. Those memories will stay with me forever, and they will be for you too.
- Hubert
YourHPcoach
P.S. Hey guys, Hubert here!
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