Don’t Touch, That’s My Body! by Abby Cohen

Jambo!

After almost a week in Africa, it’s safe to say that just about everyone has acclimated to the time and environment change. Safari was a blast, but I’m excited to explore children’s rights in Tanzania.

During our inter session class on international children’s rights, Professor Buske explained to us that with every issue, there are two categories of solutions. The first is a down river solution which provides a fix to the immediate problem. Although this may seem effective, down river solutions generally act as a bandaid to a deeper issue. The second type of solution is up river which address the larger issue at hand. These solutions take much longer to come into effect and are more complex in nature. Even so, this type approach is most effective.

In Tanzania, women have practically no inheritance rights. If their husband passes, all the property passes to his son or another male relative rather than the widow. One solution to this issue is will creation. The problem is that either Tanzanians don’t know what a will is or believe that creating a will places a curse on them. This begs the question: what rights are there for a woman to inherit if they are not recognized to inherit anything?

Today was our second curriculum based day in Arusha. We visited the NGO Inherit Your Rights and Kakute. Inherit Your Rights works to address the larger issue through a predominantly upriver approach. They provide legal aid to women and work to educate the community on women and children’s rights.

We first attended a meeting led by the NGO staff. They presented their mission and various issues regarding inheritance rights for widows as well as prevailing inequalities women and girls face both in the rural and urban areas of Tanzania. One of my biggest highlights from this meeting was the discussion of conflicting customary, statutory, and religious laws within Tanzania and how it affects proper establishment and enforcement of a uniform rule. 80% of Tanzanians follow some sort of customary law!

I have two big takeaways from this discussion. My first takeaway is that while tension among laws may seem like strange and distant idea, the United States is similar because there is tension between common law and statutory law. My second takeaway is that most Americans are unaware of the diversity of African countries. Prior to coming here, I wasn’t nearly as familiar as I already am of just how diverse Tanzania is. It is truly a shame that many Americans are so unaware of African history and culture.

After the meeting, I went with a small group to lunch at a shopping center. There were all sorts of businesses at the center including various restaurants, electronic stores, pet stores, and even a Regalz Cinema! My favorite store was the “Pet Smart”, although the theatre is a close second. It might be fun to watch The Little Mermaid in Swahili!

As we entered the food area, waiters from at least three restaurants hurried to give us their menus. The competitive nature among the workers was fun to watch. America is quite different, restaurants back home wait for you to come to them!

Later, I went with a group of students and some of the NGO staff to a local public school. I noticed several differences between this school and the Maasai school we previously visited. Here, there were tile floors, desks in every room, students with less distressed uniforms, proper backpacks, and smaller class sizes. Some of the NGO staff informed us that this school was in a relatively middle class area where the parents fundraised to build it and continue to provide support.

At the school, I went into a classroom of ninety students with a classmate and the NGO director. The director spoke with the students about what their rights are and about domestic violence. I enjoyed watching how interactive the students were with us and noticed that their reactions to uncomfortable topics is akin to students in the States. I spoke to the students about how domestic violence is addressed to children in the States and how to act if they are being harmed or fear harm.

My favorite part of the school presentation was song that the NGO staff sang with the kids. The staff sang “don’t touch “ in English and the students responded “that’s my body” in Swahili. Watching the students engage with such enthusiasm for a song with an incredibly impactful message was truly heartwarming. Plus, it was extremely catchy!

We went to Khan’s BBQ “Chicken on a Bonnet” for dinner. The restaurant is a multifaceted business; by day it’s a mechanic shop and by night it closes up shop to serve delicious barbecue! As we sat outside, we observed Arusha night life and listened to Islamic prayer calls. It was fun to see the local night life and eat some great food!

Today was packed with so much activity, excitement, and enlightenment. Learning about issues on children’s rights in a classroom is wildly different than actually observing it. I look forward to what the next couple weeks bring!

Abby Cohen

5/30/2023