I choose to do my elective in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania with one week’s Village Experience in Zanzibar.
Prior to doing my village experience I had previously explored Zanzibar, however this was very limited to the touristy side of things so all I knew very well of Zanzibar were the beautiful beaches, local shops and crafts. Little did I know that I was yet to uncover the ‘real Zanzibar’!
Fishing
My village experienced complemented my elective very well. Although in a completely new country and cultural environment, most of my time in Dar was spent socialising with other fellow English people that lived in the house . It was almost like a microcosm of the UK – our spoken language, English snacks and shared culture. However when in the village I was completely surrounded by a very different culture. Most of my interaction was with local people, which meant I had to put myself outside of my comfort zone and not rely on communicating in English. I think I utilised every single Swahili word I had learnt (referring back to my notes from Swahili lessons to jog my memory)!
