A Partnership in Action: First Two Students, Then Moshi’s Mayor at the Steinmühle - Steinmühle

A Journey into Another World: To get to know their partner school in Germany, Fahad Mohamed Mukhandi (18) and Joseph Richard Saitoti (17) from One World Secondary School Kilimanjaro in Tanzania spent two months at Steinmühle. At the end of their stay, they accepted an invitation to Marburg City Hall to meet with Mayor Dr. Thomas Spies. The Tanzanian students’ visit was preceded by a trip to Tanzania by a group from Steinmühle earlier this year, which we reported on in the March edition of this chronicle. The partnership between people from two continents culminated in the visit to Marburg by the mayor of Moshi, Tanzania, and his delegation.

An impressive title

“Honorable Mayor of the City of Moshi, Zuberi Abdallah Kidumo —‘a fine title,’ remarked the mayor of Marburg, admiring the title of his counterpart from Moshi, whose visit had already been announced when the two young men from Tanzania, accompanied by Steinmühlen School Principal Björn Gemmer and a group of students, arrived at Marburg City Hall. Fahad and Joseph spoke with Marburg’s mayor about the partnership between Moshi and Marburg, which has been in place for a year and a half, as well as other topics.

Break down prejudices or prevent them from arising in the first place

“Engaging in dialogue with people from other countries broadens one’s horizons and helps break down prejudices—or prevent them from arising in the first place,” said Marburg Mayor Dr. Thomas Spies during the reception in the City Council chamber. “I am delighted to see how our partnership with Moshi is being brought to life by our students and how the younger generations are also connecting with one another.”

Moshi, Marburg’s sister city, is also connected to Marburg on another level. There is a hospital partnership between the two cities, coordinated by Dr. Christian Kreisel. He is also a board member of the Freundeskreis Marburg-Moshi e.V.

Financing was a challenge

Fahad Mohamed Mukhandi and Joseph Richard Saitoti speak English and a little German. Financing their stay in Marburg was not easy.

Michael Müller, an employee of the City of Marburg, was particularly committed to overcoming these challenges. Ultimately, they succeeded in securing funding for travel expenses, in part through the City of Marburg’s sister city program. The Rotary Club of Marburg and the Steinmühle School Association also pitched in. This is because the parents of the Tanzanian students do not have the money to finance such an exchange. The average gross monthly income in Tanzania is just over 90 euros.

“I liked schnitzel and the Allianz Arena”

During their stay in Marburg, Fahad and Joseph were hosted, one after the other, by the families of six students who had previously visited Tanzania. The host families provided room and board. They also organized and paid for an exciting leisure program that included trips to various places in Germany, including Munich. Fahad and Joseph were particularly impressed by the architectural style of the houses and the food. “I liked schnitzel. And the Allianz Arena in Munich.”

They all agreed: “We really enjoyed our stay here and would love to come back.”

A farewell party attended by Principal Björn Gemmer and the host families marked the end of the stay for the two young men from Tanzania, who once again warmly praised the friendliness of the people in Germany and bid farewell with a heartfelt speech.

The Steinmühle would like to thank once again everyone who helped make this exchange a success.

The mayor of Moshi arrived with a delegation

Accompanied by two female staff members, he arrived at the Steinmühle: the head of the Tanzanian city of Moshi, who bears the impressive title of Honorable Mayor of the City of Moshi, Zuberi Abdallah Kidumo. He is the mayor of this city of 200,000 residents, which is considered the cleanest city in Tanzania. The mayor was accompanied by Ms. Mwajuma Abasy Nasombe, Municipal Director of the City of Moshi, and Ms. Monica Charles Sana, Planning and Coordination Officer of the City of Moshi. They spoke with teachers from Steinmühle and a group of 11th-grade students about the differences in the school systems, teaching methods, and the significant differences in the atmosphere regarding the relationship between students and teachers.

Punishments and rote memorization

The biggest differences in the schooling of young people between Tanzania and Germany can be summed up quickly: Punishments and beatings are the most severe measures in everyday school life in Tanzania and, unfortunately, are commonplace, whereas here, in more serious cases, a serious conversation with the principal usually suffices. Questioning the curriculum is not encouraged in Tanzania. The focus is on strict memorization, not on discussing the material. There isn’t always a genuine interest in the subject matter: students study to avoid punishment. Opportunities for learning are often limited. It’s not uncommon to have just two books for 80 students.

In addition to the differences in school curriculum, there are other distinctions between Tanzania and Germany: “The biggest difference is the weather,” the Tanzanian students Fahad and Joseph had already remarked with a smile. When it comes to interacting with the older generation, we here in Germany could learn a thing or two from Tanzanian customs: Older people are treated with explicit respect there. Greeting one another upon meeting is the norm.