This was the third time that students from Steinmühle visited One World Secondary School Kilimanjaro, their partner school in Tanzania. Over the course of seven long weeks, four tenth-graders had the opportunity to explore: What matches up with the stories of those who’ve already been there? What do I learn that’s different? And what might be new?

Mattis, Miklas, Timon, and Felix returned to the Steinmühle with somewhat differing impressions.

“My expectations were zero,” recalls Miklas, who wasn’t very enthusiastic about his first meal of rice flour and water, but was impressed by the surroundings in a broader sense. “The immediate surroundings took some getting used to,” he recalls of the simple living conditions at school. On the other hand, he fondly remembers the “beautiful natural surroundings.”

 

Exuding Contentment

“The people there are much happier,” Mattis says, reflecting on his impressions. He still vividly remembers the many smiling faces. He also made friends in Tanzania. In his view, limiting cell phone use to one, or at most two, hours led to a general sense of relaxation.

The mattresses made a lasting impression on Timon. But that term isn’t quite accurate, since the base of the sleeping pad was actually made of insulation material. “You get used to it,” he says with a wink—and that was probably true of many things. Positive experiences on a human level tended to push the lack of comfort and unfamiliar circumstances into the background.

 

Traveling with a Companion

For the first 10 days of the seven-week program, boarding school counselor Julia Ploch remained in Tanzania to support the students. Three eleventh-graders from Steinmühle even stayed with the group for the first three weeks. The rest of the time, the four students spent time among themselves—alongside the other students at One World Secondary School, integrated into their daily routine of classes, as well as sports and leisure activities.

 

To the Beach and on a Safari

Felix, the fourth member of the group, was a bit put off by the somewhat dirty, bustling metropolis of Dar es Salaam, but—like his classmates—was “rewarded” with a safari or a trip to the beach at Bagamoyo, located a little further north.

Would he fly back to Tanzania? Unlike at least two of his classmates, he’s a bit hesitant about that.

Be that as it may, no one can take away from him the experience of having once learned the difference between life in Central Europe and life in East Africa.

(Angela Heinemann)