On July 19, five 4Hers from Maryland (including me) and two 4Hers from Wisconsin and Montana left BWI airport to travel to Tanzania, a country on the East coast of Africa and right below Kenya. While in Tanzania, we met remarkable people, learned some Swahili from Tanzanian 4Hers in Tanga and visited many 4H clubs within the community and in schools. The Tanzanian 4H program has helped 4Hers tremendously by giving them the skills to run a successful business, like sewing, embroidery or farming, which could mean the difference between living a healthy lifestyle, with a full stomach and a roof over their head, and an unhealthy lifestyle, with an empty stomach and vulnerability to the elements. Tanzania 4H not only brings communities together and rise them up economically, it also helped bring us together with other 4Hers from Tanzania, Norway and Finland and forge great friendships between us with different nationalities.
Even though most of our trip was focused on 4H, we were able to go on a safari and see many gorgeous animals like, giraffes, zebra, lions, elephants and impalas. Our trip to Tanzania was filled with learning, friendship and adventure and I hope to go back to Tanzania again and see how much 4H has grown itself as well as the communities it is in.
By Cara Bollinger, member of the 4-H Sparks Club in Baltimore County
