The Happiness Now Project in Tanzania - Sara Ede's Story

Today was our travel day from VHTTI to Ngorongoro Crater for our scheduled Safari. We had a few pre-designated stops to make and one impromptu one on the way. The entire journey to the lodge we were to spend the night at was breathtaking. From the stretched green landscapes and rolling mountains, to the kind warm welcome from the staff and students at Folk Development College, to a special sighting (and my very first time ever seeing) an elephant. The journey took hours but if I could have stretched it out longer, I would have. This became my aspiration for the trip, to slow every moment down and appreciate the journey to its fullest. I studied the lush, dense landscape and took close notes of the way the elephant moved methodically and with such precision I wouldn’t expect out of an animal so large. We got to cross the Great Rift Valley and was told by our guide that this is where many discoveries of fossils and artifacts of early hominid species have been found. This profound thought, that we were this close to where the first humans may have originated from left me speechless. As we traversed closer to the Crater, we saw round humanmade structures amid the vegetation and were told this is where the Maasai tribe lives. Here they have lived for generations alongside some of the big five, most iconic wildlife. The history, traditions, and cultures are so rich in Tanzania to slow time down would still not be enough to experience and learn its entirety. One thing I am sure of, this will not be the last time I visit this beautiful country, and I have NSCC International to thank for that.

Sara Ede
Emergency Management Student
NSCC Truro Campus