Harambee in Tanzania: My Baba is Cuter Than Your Baba

My host family is absolutely wonderful. Our first meeting consisted of me climbing out of the PC car to my Mama, Baba and 20 very curious watoto. They marveled at my luggage, laughed that I was taller than Baba, and had two of the best smiles across their faces that I’ve ever seen. The perfect match. After I sat down and was welcomed with fresh chungwa, I introduced myself with the 5 minutes worth of Kiswahili I knew. Soon after I realized I had NOTHING LEFT TO SAY, and they just stared at me expecting more! I think they thought I should know as much Kiswahili as the previous volunteer knew…when she finished training. From that point on it was like performing the skit ‘who’s on first’ over and over in two different languages. It was easily the most motivating moment to learn Kiswahili quickly and well.

It is incredible how giving people are when they have so little to give. My kaka is the most handsome 6 year old on the block, and he is completely in love with his best friend Zoudea (my jirani) who reminds me of little orphan Annie-Tanzanian style. All of the other children love her and follow her around. She is the perfect chemistry of sweet and sassy, and her jack-o-lantern teeth make her completely irresistible. The worst part is she knows she’s my favorite.

My Dada is the most helpful/demanding teenage girl I know-always showing me how I’m carrying water incorrectly, washing clothes the wrong way, or sweeping dirt without making the right pattern. She is also very competitive when it comes to playing Uno so I let her win even though she has no idea how to strategize. My mama laughs with me every day and is so patient with my language. She works in the shamba during the day and sells shark (on the down low). The first 3 weeks she responded to every ‘sijui’ I had with ‘pole pole’ and a smile. She is also thoroughly entertained by my inability to peel a chungwa right handed, in one piece.

My Baba is adorable, fascinated by my guitar, and calls me Mama Asha. I rarely see him because he works in Muheza during the night, but he does take the crown for cutest Baba on the planet, with pink glasses nonetheless. I have been spoiled by their love and support, and couldn’t have asked for a better host family. I will forever be Asha Husseini Hoza.