And So It Begins -- Sarah Griffith

 The journey began months ago, almost a full year ago for me. In the summer of 2023, I took an Elder Law course with Professor Cook, and there were a handful of students, plus the professor had just returned from the International Children’s Rights class that was part of an in-country experience in Tanzania. Their stories about the experience were intriguing; everything they discussed, from the people they met to the locations they visited, had me hooked, and I knew that I had to take advantage of the opportunity provided by Professor Buske the following summer. As law students, we spend most of our time studying, reading, and learning law. However, law school offers few opportunities to experience law in the “real” world, much less internationally. Now, as a 3L beginning to see the finish line, with graduation and the bar exam looming in the not-so-distant future, the opportunity to study International Children’s Rights in Tanzania spoke to me, and I had to jump at the opportunity. The anticipation of travel has finally concluded, and we begin our trip to Tanzania at PDX. Nine thousand two hundred sixty-four miles between Salem, Oregon and Arusha, Tanzania, two, ten-hour flights and we finally arrive.

Our diverse group of 7 students ranges from new to seasoned international travelers, yet we are all equally excited. While there is an understanding that this trip is not a vacation, our goals and desires vary for each student. Yet, all of us want to take our law school curriculum and use it in an authentic world way. After spending the last week in class, reading, and discussing the challenges of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and how it is applied in some African countries, we must take our experience out of the classroom and into the real world. The United Nations CRC is an international treaty that establishes a global child and the rights that this global child should have, which the state should establish. The 54 Articles include children's economic, social, health, civil, and cultural rights. The United States is the only country that has yet to ratify the CRC, and we had interesting discussions about why that is. Taking this information into the trip was both exciting and heavy. The content is disturbing because it is difficult to understand, especially from a privileged position. It’s hard to know why children aren’t cherished, and that’s why this class is so important.

Professor Buske has been clear that while she is creating an itinerary for us, it is all subject to change. She introduced us to the phrase TIA—This is Africa, which is the phrase that lets us embrace the flexibility of a country that isn’t going to cater to us.  Our day-to-day is not set in stone, yet some of the aspects of the trip that I am most looking forward to include working directly with the children to understand how, as attorneys, we can make the world a better place. It will be interesting to see how Tanzania children are educated, how they are treated when they lose their parents, and what we can do as Americans to help these children.

After a long day of travel, we finally arrived in the evening. The air was humid, yet a distinct freshness and floral smell existed. We are greeted by Buske’s friends, Earnest and Eki; they welcome us with friendly grins and enthusiastic demeanors. Eki teaches us Swahili as we drive to the Arusha, and our group is captivated by the cutthroat driving and the dark scenery. Upon arriving at the Outpost, the staff was so kind as to stay late to provide us with a delicious dinner of curried chicken. We devour our dinner and head to our rooms, excited and exhausted about the Tanzania adventure that awaits us.