February 02, 2016
Essential Question: How do access to water, culture, history, politics, and wildlife conservation all intersect in the daily lives of the people in Northern Tanzania?
This question will best be answered by our experiences in Tanzania. Through personal interaction with local people as well as with our Rustic Pathways guides, we will undoubtedly gain a deeper understanding of what may be one of the defining crises of the twenty first century - access to water, and the management/protection of the environment in the context of human life. We will be immersed in a wide variety of settings as we explore the lives of ordinary Tanzanians and examine how they grapple with some of the biggest challenges facing our planet today - from economic growth to environmental conservation and public health, we will explore the realities of life in urban and rural settings, with farming and nomadic peoples. Through physical work as well as recreation and exploration, we will also gain an appreciation for the diversity of Tanzanian cultures. Students will learn how to use firsthand experience as a research tool for written and oral expression as they gain respect for those around them who share in this global awareness endeavor. Furthermore, we will explore a wide variety of topics, including a deeper dive into the question of how can we as Westerners gain compassion and understanding of the basic needs in a developing country while gaining knowledge of and appreciation for a culture vastly different from our own.
