‘SANSIBAR’ BY CHRISTOPH

‘Sansibar’ as Christoph would call and write it gave me the opportunity to witness different perspectives and to experience different emotions. I’ve always known how to hide emotions, how to keep them inside and I always thought that exposing them as I did in Zanzibar was impossible. I never couldn’t quite hide how I felt or even how I expressed them during my stay in Zanzibar. I experienced a different side of opening up and being vulnerable. And I realised that I also had insecurities as much as I didn't want to admit it. I have to say it all felt liberating and I felt I was being true to myself.

Jabiani, Zanzibar

I ended up in Zanzibar through an abstract I did that was selected for presentation at the 2nd African Conference on Key Populations in the HIV Epidemic that took place in the country's capital Dar es Salaam. During my stay in Zanzibar I visited a small village called Jabiani located on the southeast coast of the Island between the villages of Paje and Makunduchi. Bliss! Her cool ocean winds that gently hit my skin always left a soothing effect on me. The sand on my feet felt pacifying going through my toes, her clear crystal blue waters were always a beholding sight. Each day’s big blue beautiful sky felt peaceful just looking at it and her majestic night sky dazzling with stars and with a moon that stood just at the right spot shining her rays on her blue waters with occasional shooting stars reminded me of how fast life moves and if I don’t take time and look around I might miss it. Jabiani reminded me of Earth’s magnificence and grace. From the hills, plains, mountains and lakes of the Great Rift Valley (which also splits the African Plate into two new separate plates), to the astonishing Giant’s Causeway of Ireland, to the blazing liquid fires of the big island of Hawaii USA and the magnificent Halong Bay of Vietman, earth glows with beauty and grace in the solar system. I was also reminded of how today’s capitalism is killing this beauty bits by bits. How its individualistic centered nature continuous to exploit it in the name of maximizing profits without paying regard on how it affects the community and the environment. Twenty years ago a school of dolphins hoping gracefully along Jabiani’s beautiful shores were a normal occurrence. But continuous pollution and over exploitation has turned this to a rare spectacle- that is if it does happen. Today to see this, motor boats have to drive you to locations where they have been spotted which mostly is further into sea. Twenty years ago in Jabiani natural corals across its ocean were a frequent sight and were a habitats to rich diverse aquatic life.When I imagine this I see life rich in shape, color, form and character. But climate change and the use of dynamites and other unsustainable apparatus while fishing have destroyed the corals killing the rich life in the process.

The Sultan's palace, Stone town, Zanzibar (1960s)

Jabiani and the whole of Zanzibar still has its beauty but I'd like to believe it probably was seventh heaven twenty years back. Barrack Obama’s words during the 2014 climate summit in New York solidified what different leaders, scientists, organization and even various faiths have said on how our interaction with the environment is important as it brings different consequences. The US head of state in his speech pointed out that no nation is immune to climate change with the global carbon emission still being on the rise. That this generation is the first generation feeling the effects of climate change and that we also are the last generation that can do something about it.  But maybe for most people today; climate change is sweating more because it is getting hotter or it's getting caught up in the rain more often than we're used to or it's just another issue on TV. How swift have we been in addressing this issue? How swift are we and our governments in creating awareness on the implications of not taking care of our environment? Are the commitments being made by the major contributors to climate change enough in sustainably addressing this problem? Climate change is causing war, immigration, poverty, disease and death.  The global government and the global community which includes you and me need to create more awareness in any way they are able to, We all need to invest and accustom ourselves to sustainable living methods or we end up killing our cultures, believes and legacies along with it.

Night street food, Forodhani, Stone Town, Zanzibar

My taste buds also experienced Zanzibar's richness and beauty. I felt new taste, familiar tastes, sweet taste, sour tastes and tastes that were both sweet and sour. I had deserts tha varied from cold deserts made from boiled bananas, spices and coconut milk and had a rich vanilla taste. To warm deserts made from pumpkin, spices and warm coconut milk that left a rich chocolaty taste behind making me ponder on all the creativity it must have taken making it. This made me appreciate and love the food even more. It was amazing. Just like the richness in their recipes I also got to interact with a rich and diverse set of individuals who I met while volunteering for the Youth Movement for Change (YMC), a grass root organization in the district of Ugunja Zanzibar that advocates for the rights of women and the LGBTI community of Zanzibar. I met individuals who showed me kindness, who taught me how hospitality felt like and who made me feel special and beautiful. Individuals who I got to know more and shared mos. and meals with. Individuals who have taught me to work hard especially where motivation lacks. Individuals who produced positive energy in the room by just being around them and working with them. Individuals who showed dedication and commitment to seeing a better society. And most importantly, individuals who experience different challenges far from that of mine when I'm at home but are experiences unified a common kryptonite, that of tolerance, unity, equity, fairness and love in leadership and life generally. Seeing and experiencing the growth and change the organization has and is making to it’s staff and the community since I started working with them made feel amazing and refreshed. I am truly humbled to have met and worked with all this individuals. It reminded me of those little things I probably might had forgotten about myself. It made me feel ready for tomorrow in determination and confidence.

My stay and interactions in Zanzibar also reminded me as to why politics clumped with ethnicity is still offered to account for why African countries have little to show for. Although the general political atmosphere in Zanzibar was calm since the October 2015 Tanzania general elections I couldn’t help but feel the tensions that existed. At times I found myself in political arguments that were rooted in ethnicity and reminded me of home. Of how ethnicity continues to hinder development in my country as well. Zanzibar being a semi-autonomous archipelago island from mainland Tanzania elects its own President and members to its sub-national legislature. On the 25^th of October 2015, the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) annulled Zanzibar’s elections citing violations of electoral laws. Zanzibar's 500,000 registered voters also cast ballots for Tanzania's national president, and despite the cancellation on the islands, a new President was sworn into office. But this isn't what is causing most of the tensions. The incumbent semi-autonomous islands President Ali Mohamed Shein existence in office despite the majority's preference to the opposition's key candidate Seif Sharif Hamad is what is causing most of this tension. Today, this is what is making headlines in other East African states like Burundi or Congo or even other African states. It is estimated that as many as 2000 people were killed in 1992 during Kenya’s political tribal clashes while another 1, 300 died and 600, 000 displaced in the 2008 political tribal clashes, 309, 200 are still leaving in IDP camps since 2008 as of 24^th April 2015 (estimates by IDMC). An estimated 40 million Africans have died in civil wars (which includes tribal wars) in the past 5 decades scattered across the continent, this  is  equivalent to the population of South Africa and twice the Russian lives lost in the second world war. Ethnicity has cost us many lives and many years that could have been used to promote development. Once locked into the ethnic argument, there is no obvious policy prescription, IT'S A DEAD END!

Tanzania's population is predominantly between 15-24 years with an unemployment rate of 7.1% amongst this age set (2011 World Bank statistics). One of the major observation I made through my work with YMC is how unemployment affects the already marginalized group in the society. Economic hardships usually lowers self- esteem. It makes it hard for one to attain there full potential. Economic hardships makes the community treat one as a stranger and a nuisance to society. Some of you may have gone through this you. Statistics show that this kind of environment makes one much more vulnerable to drugs or HIV/ AIDS than any other person in the society. This is what the youth of Zanzibar and Africa experience today and the marginalized LGBTI community of Zanzibar and Africa as a whole is the most hit. In Zanzibar for instance, it's mostly as a result of being ostracized from the family and the community and having their education interrupted by the fact of their sexual orientation or their gender identity. And just like in any other country in Africa violations and discrimination of the LGBTI community only gets offhand mention in the press mainly when it is impossible to ignore because the issue has been dominating the world news headlines surrounding neighbouring countries.

And just like in any other society religion also forms an integral part in the community and it influences the different aspects of life. But today it at times fails to teach and practice its faith based on fundamental principle it was founded in such as the golden rule. It fails to teach of tolerance and love becoming legalistic ending up teaching and practicing the opposite. Like in many African countries, Zanzibar's religious and political leaders decry of how homosexuality is undermining the traditional values of society and yet it is known to have existed in the island through time but yet there is no concern about western women exploiting local beach boys or how distinctly foreigners and expats display a sense of post-colonial superiority that comes from the often- royal treatment they get, a treatment that they come to expect which to some extent contributes to racism like I personally witnessed, shows me how religion whether Christianity or Islam is often seen as the only authentic and local safeguard against this many- headed hydra of post- colonial exploitation and poverty that has gripped many countries in my continent. Organizations such as YMC and others in Zanzibar and across Africa carry initiatives aimed at bringing change renewed my hope. YMC is carrying out entrepreneurship trainnings to the youth of it's community and more so the LGBTI community of Zanzibar with not only aiming to equip them with skills needed for sustainable economic growth but they also aim to use it as a way of fostering family and community reconciliation once the individuals attains their full potential. Or projects such as LILO that aims at moving towards a positive identity, a strong self- worth and a regard for themselves as individuals that will ultimately help them advocate for their rights made me see that change is possible and that humanity and diversity should be celebrated not hated.

Stone Town, Zanzibar

This experience was completely an unforgettable one for me, There were times it frightened me being away from home, and at times I felt like people were taking advantage of the little kindness I showed or maybe even the kindness I showed was causing harm. But it gave me the opportunity to live in a beautiful and fascinating place. All this taught me how liberating it feels if you stay true to yourself, it has taught me to face each emotion whether good and bad and to allow myself experience them, This opportunity allowed me to gain better understanding on how exploitation exists at many levels and how the effect of the colonial project in Africa has had many long lasting consequences across the continent. This experience has reminded me of the bondage that intolerance and greed has engulfed in as a society. How it's killing our men, women and children. Ultimately, we must be the change we want to see in the world just like Mahatma Gadhi said. By focusing on our common humanity, equality and fairness, whether through religion, or by simply acknowledging the man serving your food at the cafe or through supporting the effeminate local hair stylist, we will be able to overcome these divides brought by capitalism, race. ethnicity, religion or even culture.