Volunteering Experience in Tanzanya

Week 1

After almost three weeks at the Assalam Community Foundation, I am very happy with my experience here. The atmosphere is like a family and not too formal, which I really like. This is not my first time volunteering in Tanzania or visiting Zanzibar, so it was very easy for me to settle in.Speaking Swahili is a huge help. It has helped me earn the trust of the local workers and build great relationships with them, both as colleagues and friends. It’s nice when they jokingly call me 'half-white,' meaning that even though I am white, I am well integrated into the Tanzanian culture.

I am very satisfied with the activities so far. I enjoyed supporting the local staff during the school camps. I have also started learning 3D modeling and printing; I designed several objects to show the students how useful this technology can be. At the same time, I’m happy to use my photography and video skills for the foundation. I have already made a video about the workshops, and I am currently working on promotional videos for Assalam.

The school camps have just finished, and the school will open in a few days. I am ready to move on to the next phase and start helping with the classroom activities. My goal for the next few weeks is to stay productive, improve my technical skills even more, and give as much practical support as possible to the foundation's projects.

Week 2

Another week here at Assalam has passed. The Tanzanian Young Leaders who managed the school camps, and whom I had become friends with, have left now that the camps have ended. I really enjoyed supporting them in their various activities and spending time with the children.

This week, therefore, I focused on what I do best: editing the videos I filmed the previous week. I spent practically every day editing footage of different activities that will eventually be posted on Assalam's social media channels. I enjoy video editing very much, but I must admit it was a bit stressful being in front of the computer for so many hours every day. It exhausted me; in fact, almost every day after work, I went to the village near Assalam to relax a bit and practice speaking Swahili with the local people.

Living at Assalam is very nice, but living where you work every day can become a bit monotonous over time. There isn’t much to do in the surrounding area because it is a tourist zone full of resorts, and most of the local activities are mainly for tourists.

Next week the school will open, and I have already had the chance to meet some of the local teachers. Knowing that the school is opening gives me a sense of relief; alternating filming and editing with supporting school activities will prevent me from getting too tired by doing only one sedentary task. I hope to have the opportunity to assist the teachers with their duties, as I love teaching and have previously taught a class of Tanzanian students at a vocational training center.

Week 3

Time here at Assalam passes quickly, partly because there is no shortage of activities to do. This past week was dedicated to planning, together with the social media department team, the various contents that will be filmed and then published on Assalam's social pages. Particular attention was given to Ramadan. Together with the social media team, I looked for ideas to create content regarding Ramadan that would be useful for those who do not know what it is or how it works from beginning to end.

In the past few days, I had the chance to view the video footage for the creation of the promotional trailer for the Assalam Sufi band. During my first days here at Assalam, I had created a storyboard for this video to ensure professional filming. I would have liked to film the videos personally, but due to time and cost constraints, it wasn't possible, and that’s okay.

In the middle of the week, I had the opportunity to go to Stone Town to create photographic and videographic material to promote the activities of the 'Spice Route Museum,' a museum dedicated to the various spices that made Zanzibar famous. At the end of the week, however, I created a video promoting volunteering here at Assalam. The video is entirely dedicated to my role and my activities here; I must say it wasn't easy to create because I have very few videos of myself, as I am generally always behind the camera.

In my previous weekly blog, I wrote about my interest in school activities. Lately, I have only attended one lesson because I was quite busy with my filmmaking tasks. From what I understand, I unfortunately cannot intervene in teaching during regular lessons, but I have the opportunity to teach extracurricular activities after school, such as basketball, chess, and more.

Week 4

February has recently begun, and the activities here at Assalam have been quite demanding lately. The preparation for a festival concerning Sufism, its music, and its dances has kept all the staff and volunteers busy. It is the first time that Assalam has undertaken such an enterprise, inviting musicians from all over the world to give those who participated a truly unique and suggestive experience. My task during this preparation period was to create, together with the social media department team, video content for the promotion of the festival on social media. It was not easy as we had to create many different and eye-catching videos to attract the largest number of people to the festival. I was even the protagonist of some videos.

The festival was held on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th, and I must say it went beyond everyone's expectations. Many people participated, bringing joy and cultural diversity and truly appreciating all the work that went into organizing the festival. Although the festival was not of a similar scale, even in terms of attendance, to other festivals such as the much more famous "Sauti za Busara" held in Zanzibar, there was still a good general response. The goal of this first festival was to lay the foundations for future festivals that will take place here at Assalam Community Foundation. Now everyone knows what to improve to realize a larger-scale festival in the future. Working hard these days has been tiring, but at the same time, I am proud of what we all managed to create together in such a short time.

In addition to the festival, there has been a new development in this last period: I held my first photography lesson here at the Assalam international school. It was very nice to teach something I like. I saw many of the kids interested in what I was teaching, although I must admit that holding everyone's attention is very difficult. Not bad for a first start, but I still need to improve.

Week 5

We are now at the end of February, and the beginning of Ramadan has brought an air of change to Assalam. I must admit that I had never experienced firsthand what living through Ramadan truly means. I have always been aware of it, but my only knowledge was related to the fact that Muslims had to fast for many hours. I thought the fasting would be more apparent in terms of the fatigue shown by the workers here in Assalam, but that hasn't been the case.

Despite the numerous humanitarian aid activities during this period—such as distributing school stationery, fabrics, clothes, and food in the villages—the willpower to complete these tasks to the best of their ability has not faltered. Many have suggested I try fasting because it purifies the body; however, although I would like to try, I prefer to avoid it as my physical constitution does not allow it. I have always been very thin, and fasting for many hours over many days could lead to weight loss, which I honestly want to avoid. Fortunately, Assalam provides food for those who are not fasting.

The activities I am carrying out during this period involve, as always, creating social media content regarding Ramadan. The social media team and I are working hard to create content that can show a wider audience what Ramadan is and what it means to experience it firsthand. As for my photography lessons here in Assalam, they have been paused for a while because several events were held at the school that prevented me from teaching on the agreed days, but I will be teaching again soon.

Week 6

March has started, and the Ramadan activities are coming to an end. These days, I have been very busy distributing food during Iftar in a village near Assalam called Kanga Village. The name comes from the decorations made by volunteers on the walls and doors in the "Kanga" style, which is the typical fabric used by Tanzanian women. My main job is creating video and photo content for social media, but I also help prepare the Iftar in the village.

One of these days, I had to fast, not by choice, but because of specific circumstances and I must admit it was not easy. I did not follow the Ramadan fast perfectly because I drank some water, but it was still difficult for me not to eat for many hours. Now I better understand how everyone feels when I see them tired and without strength. After eating, however, I felt a pleasant sense of well-being and satisfaction that I had never felt before after a meal. These are clearly the famous effects of fasting. Many times during Ramadan, I had to explain to those who fast that for Christians, fasting is linked to the period of Lent, and it depends on the will of each individual. Often I felt strange and different for not fasting, but it is a normal feeling when living in a culture different from my own.

Finally, the whole social media department is happy because Assalam bought a drone to improve our content. I have never flown a drone before, so learning how to do it is a great opportunity for me.

Week 7

Life in Assalam: After Ramadan

Now that Ramadan is over, things here in Assalam are much calmer. The past few weeks were very busy with food and clothing distributions in different villages. It was hard work because we spent all day in open fields under a very hot sun. Since I couldn't eat while I was out, I had to fast too.

However, being outdoors was great for one thing: practicing with the drone. I’ve learned the basics now, but I still need more practice to take really beautiful videos. We had a wonderful time celebrating Eid together. There was a big party at Assalam with lots of guests and delicious food. It was fun because all the men wore the traditional "Kanzu" and the women wore matching dresses.

Now, I finally have some time to relax. I am also finishing some projects, like editing videos about Assalam, that I started before Ramadan.

There is also some news! I’ve been asked to teach English to the staff and the local villagers. I have taught English using Swahili before in Tanzania, but that was to children. This time, I will be teaching adults. I’m a bit nervous because I want to make sure they really learn the basics to communicate, but I’m ready for the challenge!

Week 8

My new role as an English Teacher

This period here in Assalam is very peaceful. Activities have slowed down, and there seems to be more time to organize one’s day. Many employees are on vacation, so the smaller number of people contributes to the general sense of calm.

Lately, what keeps me busiest is teaching English to the staff and the people from the village. I enjoy this activity very much because all my students are truly interested in learning. I can see their hard work, even though the lessons take place in the afternoon after they have already worked for most of the day. Their tiredness is visible, and I understand that it’s not easy to work all day and then attend classes.I started by teaching the basics. Even though some people are more advanced than others, I want to give everyone the chance to reach the same level by the end of the course. What satisfies me the most is seeing how my students trust me; they treat me like a real teacher, even though we are also friends. My class is currently made up only of men; a separate class for women will be formed in the future, but someone else will be teaching them.

In the last few days, I also started teaching photography again, but this time to a group of older boys. There are only three students in this class, so in theory, it should be easier, but I actually think it’s not. Photography is definitely an interesting subject, but keeping the attention of just three students isn't as simple as it seems. I probably need to find ways to make the lessons more engaging.

Week 12

Coming and Going, Staying and Growing: Reflections from Assalam

June is also coming to an end, and I have to admit that I'm starting to feel the proximity of the end of my service here at Assalam, even though there are still a few months left until the end of the project. I say this because recently both short-term project volunteers and some long-term volunteers, who were here before my arrival, have finished their volunteer period and left Assalam. Seeing people come and go leaves me with a sense of permanence, as if I were truly part of the Assalam Staff and not meant to leave anymore. Leaving makes me a bit anxious, as I have integrated very well into the context and everyone here cares about me and trusts me. Actually, the end of the project itself doesn't scare me, since this isn't the first time I've carried out a long-term volunteering project here in Tanzania. When the project ends, I will have spent a total of three years in Tanzania, so I would really like to stay here and find a job. We'll see how things go in the future.

In the meantime, my stay here at Assalam is going well and has been quite busy lately, especially in terms of video editing for various activities I've filmed over the past few weeks. Recently, I've been dedicated to shooting and editing videos to publish on YouTube. I'm the only person in my department with a camera, so whenever an activity needs to be documented to create a horizontal documentary style video, I'm always called upon. Moreover, I'm the only one here at Assalam who knows how to fly the drone, so if it needs to be used, my time and presence are required. Editing videos for YouTube is not simple, as it takes time in selecting the filmed footage, choosing the right music, and in the editing itself, which requires experience in matching music and video to make everything pleasant to watch. English lessons continue, and lately I appreciate the students' consistency in attending the classes.

However, some of them are part of the Assalam band and are quite busy with their activities, so they don't have time to attend the lessons. This makes me a bit sad because they are students I care about a lot, and I would like them to learn to speak at least a little bit of English. Soon, my students will have a debate on a specific topic with the female students from the English class. It will help them practice their speaking skills and test what they have learned over these months.

Week 9

Media, Education and the Road to the Mainland

Days here in Assalam pass peacefully, and activities follow one after another regularly without any rush. There is nothing new to report regarding my duties, as I continue to film and edit videos for the social media pages, but primarily for the Assalam YouTube channel. Lately, a colleague from the Social Media department and I have been working hard on a series of interviews with the local staff. Our goal is to show our followers what it truly means to work at Assalam and how the organization manages to transform the lives of those who work here in so many different ways.

The English classes are continuing steadily. The students' interest grows more and more as the lessons become more complex, yet simultaneously more useful. It isn't always easy to start the session, as students are often late or sometimes don't show up at all because they are busy with other activities. I would like to see more consistency in attendance from some of them. I’d also prefer not to have new students joining mid-way not because I don't want to teach them, but because I have to slow down the pace to ensure everyone reaches the same level of learning. As I’ve mentioned before, I really enjoy teaching. So far, it has been the most engaging activity for me here at Assalam, perhaps because I feel I have a specific role,that of a teacher, which isn't shared with other volunteers or local staff. I am the one who prepares the lessons and exercises, who does the teaching, and who sees the results of my work firsthand.

In the last few days, I found out that I will be going to the mainland to create content for the Qurban activities (the Islamic ritual of animal sacrifice to distribute meat to those in need). These activities will take place not only in Zanzibar but in various locations across the mainland. This news made me very happy, as I will have the opportunity to see different places, even if only for a few days.

Week 10

QURBAN IS COMING

May is also coming to an end, and the main activity awaiting us will be Qurban. To be honest, it's an event that makes me a little uneasy, as I'm not truly ready to witness the sacrifice of so many cows. The fact is, I respect the ritual itself and I understand that it serves a good cause (providing meat to those in need) but seeing cows being slaughtered and cut into pieces deeply disturbs me. As a member of the social media department, I have been tasked with photographing and filming the entire process here at Assalam, from the arrival of the animals to the final distribution of the meat. The sacrifice will not only take place in Zanzibar but also on the mainland. Several staff members will travel to different areas of the mainland to supervise the operations and collect photo and video material for our channels.

These days, I am also working on producing the music video for Assalam's official song, created by the Assalam band. I'm really enjoying the production process, especially because I have to ask staff members to dance or sing in front of the camera and it brings a lot of energy and fun to the set. The challenging part, however, comes afterward: editing the video so that the footage aligns perfectly with the song and follows its rhythm and mood. The final video will be published on Assalam's YouTube channel, and its purpose is to attract new people to our community and to promote the visibility of the band itself.

Recently, the English lessons for the staff have been slowing down a bit. The topics are becoming more difficult, and as always, there are new students joining from time to time. For them, I have to go back and reteach the basics of the language before they can catch up with the rest of the group. Fortunately, the total number of students has decreased, which means I now have more time to explain each topic in greater depth and give individual attention where it's needed. That said, I still wish attendance were more consistent, and that I didn't have to constantly adjust the pace of the class but teaching remains one of the most fulfilling activities I've done here at Assalam.

Week 11

A Challenging but Meaningful Experience: My First Qurban

June has just begun, and with it came one of the most anticipated events here at Assalam: Eid al-Adha and the ritual of Qurban. Witnessing the slaughter of the cows was definitely not easy both because of the graphic nature of the scenes themselves, and because I was asked to travel to the mainland to document the entire process as the only representative from the Assalam team.

Fortunately, I had the support of local organizers on-site who managed the logistics. Looking back, it certainly would have helped to have someone from Assalam by my side to guide me and explain how the ritual would unfold. Instead, I had to independently accompany a group of Turkish guests who were there to document the slaughter for the donors. Thankfully, they took full responsibility for filming the actual slaughtering, which was the part that distressedme the most. My role was to take general photos and videos, including drone footage, of the entire process to later publish on our social media platforms.

The metallic smell of blood made me feel a bit nauseous, and seeing the cows being butchered was certainly unpleasant, but I pushed through because it was my responsibility and I understood how crucial my role was in that moment. In the end, I was able to provide invaluable support to Assalam: not only did I gather all the necessary photo and video coverage, but I also managed and guided the Turkish guests who struggled with English. Fortunately, my proficiency in Swahili allowed me to communicate effectively with the locals and keep everything running smoothly.

Looking back, it was a unique and intense experience that gave me a deeper insight into Islamic culture and traditions. However, it is definitely not an experience I would choose to repeat voluntarily.

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Fatma Sümeyye Şahin

Çengelköy, Kalantor Sk. No:6 Üsküdar/İstanbul

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