Tanzania is a country in East Africa which borders the Indian Ocean. Archaeologists have found human fossils and footprints there that are thought to be over three million years old. Its culture is a mixture of Arabian and Swahili influence. Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, stands 19,340 feet high in North-eastern Tanzania. Tanzania was formed in 1964 when Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form one independent country.
The mission of the Terrawatu Project is to create connections between modern and native communities. Sharing technology, people, and customs strengthens and enriches the communities and cultures.
There are two main parts to the Terrawatu Project. The first is “The Linking Lands” project, which coordinates regularly with some public schools in Seattle, Washington and schools in Tanzania’s Arumeru District. Six teachers from Tanzania travel to Seattle in order to learn about the latest computer technology and the United States Pacific Northwest. Then teachers from Seattle return to East Africa with the Tanzanian teachers in order to learn about Tanzanian culture and answer questions about technology. A computer lab is established at Siwandeti Village in the Arumeru District so the students can learn about computers while staying connected to their partner students in Seattle. All of the students involved in the project benefit by participating in a unique cross-cultural learning experience.
The second branch of the Terrawatu Project is concerned with traditional healing methods and medicinal plants. The indigenous, or native, people of Tanzania have long relied on locally grown herbs and plants for medicines because they cannot afford modern medicine. However, their methods of use and healing practices have never been properly documented. Dosage amounts can vary greatly from one village to the next. It is also important that the plants used for medicines are maintained and conserved properly. By combining modern documentation with native practices, traditional medicine can become safer and people in modernized cultures can have more medical options by gaining access to traditional medicines. The Terrawatu Project seeks to research medicinal plants, grow medicinal species all through the region, and develop traditional medical clinics.
Tanzania Profile
Population: 37,849,133
Capital: Dodoma
Largest City: Dar es Salaam
President: Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete
Currency: Tanzanian shilling
Religions: Muslim 45%, Christian 45%, Native Beliefs 10%
Literacy Rate (reading): 67%
Average Income: $300 a year