Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DAILY LIFE
Family life is central, with weddings, funerals and other events holding centre stage. Cel-
ebrations are generally splashed-out affairs aimed at demonstrating status, and frequently
go well beyond the means of the host family. It's expected that family members who have
jobs will share what they have, and the extended family (which also encompasses the com-
munity) forms an essential support network in the absence of a government social security
system.
Invisible social hierarchies lend life a sense of order. In the family, the man rules the roost,
with the children at the bottom and women just above them. In the larger community, it's not
much different. Child-raising is the expected occupation for women, and breadwinning for
men, although a small cadre of professional women is slowly becoming more visible. Vil-
lage administrators (called
shehe
on Zanzibar) oversee things, and make important decisions
in consultation with other senior community members.
The HIV/AIDS infection rate is about 5.6%. Public awareness has increased, with AIDS-
related billboards throughout major cities. However, real public discussion remains limited,
and AIDS deaths are still often explained away as 'tuberculosis'.
BACK TO BASICS?
For a country that was founded by a teacher (Julius Nyerere is still referred to as
Mwalimu, or 'teacher'), Tanzania ranks near the bottom of the heap when it
comes to education. It wasn't always like this. Nyerere was convinced that suc-
cess for his philosophy of socialism and self-reliance depended on having an edu-
cated populace. He made primary education compulsory and offered government
assistance to villagers to build their own schools. By the 1980s, the country's lit-
eracy rate had become one of the highest in Africa.
Later, much of the initial momentum was lost. Although 90% of children enrol
at the primary level, about 20% of these drop out before finishing, and barely 5%
complete secondary school. The reasons include not enough trained teachers, not
enough schools and not enough money. At the secondary level, school fees are a
problem, as is language. Primary school instruction is in Swahili, and many stu-
dents lack sufficient knowledge of English to carry out their secondary level
studies.
Religion
All but the smallest villages have a mosque, a church or both; religious festivals are gen-
erally celebrated with fervour, at least as far as singing, dancing and family gatherings are
concerned; and almost every Tanzanian identifies with some religion.
