Hi Pinmapple Community,
Today I want to write a short story about my experiences living in Tanzania for the past 3 years and why other diasporas should make the decision to live in Africa, even if just for a short time.
I made the decision to move to Tanzania in 2020 due to the ongoing covid-19 restrictions that were being put in place at the time. I wanted to escape the feeling of being in prison, and decided to move to Africa, Tanzania in particular, because at the time, President John Pombe Magufuli removed all COVID restrictions in Tanzania. This was the perfect opportunity to return to the motherland and reconnect with my roots.
Not knowing what to expect and the only language I spoke fluently at the time was english, I was in for trip of my life. When I first arrived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the first thing that struct me was the language barrier. Swahili is the first language of the country and english is only spoken in business settings. If I was to judge it from just the first 5 people I met in the airport then I would have never thought that majority of people in the country don't understand english at all. This occurred to me while trying to get a taxi from the airport to my hotel. I was forced to use google translate just to get my message across. This is what I had to do for the first few months, just to communicate simple things as the language was so different to what I was expecting.
The beautiful thing about Tanzania which I found out very early in my stay, is that the people here are very friendly and willing to help even with the language barrier. They seem to have a patience to understand what your trying to tell them and they help you as though your family. This is something I was used to as a kid in Barbados, the community involvement and respect for your fellow man. This is something that is no longer existent in Barbados or most communities in the caribbean. We lost the love and respect for each other replacing it with selfish goals and internet fame.
Tanzania is also one of the biggest African countries and one of the most fertile places on earth. Being here I never saw so much green in my life, your eyes get lost in the vast forest of trees and vegetation. There is nothing in Barbados that I can compare to what I've seen here in terms of natural beauty. I want to make this a short story but there is so much I can talk about, including night life, beaches, food & wines, natural resources, mountains, lakes, serengeti park, women, too much to mention.
Being here is like having natural therapy from the motherland, it embraces you so much that you don't want to leave. From the big five which I've seen, Lions, Elephants, Giraffes, Rhinos, Buffaloes and more. I literally was in the middle of the jungle sitting in a huge tamarind tree, overlooking the jungle in all directions. The misconception of animals being aggressive and attacking people is not entirely reported in a positive light. I literally took pictures and recorded video of one of the most fear if not the most fear animal in the jungle, the Lion or "Simba" in Swahili. Lions in my opinion are the most fearless creatures I ever came across in my life. It was totally unfazed by the noise of the safari jeep or from us who were so excited to see them.
At the time, I had my iPad Pro and iPhone X using to record and take pictures. I uploaded a bunch to my instagram at the time which was Jahlive_Tallman, but the account was removed in 2022 for whatever reason I don't know. All it said was I violated some rule on the platform which is a mystery to me as I only post personal content about my travels and life. I did get to salvage a picture or two so all wasn't lost. Plus I need to recover my iCloud to get access to my photos and videos I had saved on cloud.
Before I end this story I have to mention another major thing that stuck out while being here. Tanzania is a very religious country and it's basically split between Christians and Muslims but both are still strongly influenced by traditional African culture. But that is not what is amazing, the fact that they get along without any issues whatsoever is mind blowing. Knowing the tensions between these two religions across other countries in Africa and around the world. What is causing this bond despite different religious beliefs? I boiled it down to the core African culture that is very prevalent in the country. Both the Christians and Muslims see themselves as Tanzanians first and everything else second. The mere fact that Swahili is the most widely spoken language in the country which has over 120 different ethnic groups/tribes, each with their own language, proves that unity and communication is a key part of the culture. Almost everyone in Tanzania is bi-lingual as they speak their mother tongue along with Swahili.
Now after 3 years, I can comfortably communicate in Swahili with anyone, both written and verbally. Still not a 100% fluent but I can understand anything someone is trying to tell me. This is something i am very proud of as it's my first time really learning a new language. I had french classes in school but never took it seriously.
I have to mention briefly before i end this story the incredible number of financial opportunities available for people from the diaspora. Tanzania is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa and the world. The are opportunities in mining, agriculture, education, energy sector, manufacturing, tourism, restaurants & Bars and so much more. Even an investment as simple as building your dream home and living debt free is very affordable on the African continent. The world is becoming more digital and working from online is the future, so where you live will not be depended on where your job is but whether it's the most safe and comfortable. If you are someone in the diaspora that works from home and doesn't have to stay in your country to make an income, I would suggest moving to Tanzania and explore the number of opportunities available for repats.
I will continue to write more articles about my experiences in Tanzania as there is so much to say it can't all fit into one post. I will have to eventually write an entire book about my life in Tanzania.
Natumaini ulipenda hadithi yangu 😀
To All Diasporans, Karibu sana Tanzania! 🇹🇿