Zee States' Story
If I’m being honest, I do not know where to begin. My time in Tanzania was educational; it was eye-opening, beautiful, exceptional, emotional, and life-changing. Thanks to the NSCC and my family for giving me the opportunity to join the happiness project while I was there, I gained new friendships and skills that I will have for the rest of my life. Not only did I learn how to work with people and create a team in a short period of time, but I also learned how to break through communication barriers and learn about new friendships and skills that I will have for the rest of my life.
Not only did I learn how to work with people and create a team in a short period of time, but I also learned how to break through communication barriers and learn about a new culture and community, as well as how to make friendships that will last a lifetime. This trip was amazing in so many ways, but the biggest impact for me was when I and the rest of the NSCC community came together to raise money for the school to receive clean water. On the 5th day of our trip, we were invited to learn about Nano-Filter, a company that creates clean, filtered water, and sells it at stands employed by the women of the community it serves. During that, I learned that the very students that we were working with did not have the clean water option available to them at school.
That information did not sit well with me, so I decided to change it. I figured out that in order to make sure all students had access, I would need 55 water jugs. 1 per dorm, it came up to just shy of 1 million tzsh. With that information, I went and posted on my personal social media, as well as told the other Canadian students and faculty of my plans and intentions. Within the next 7 days, I was able to purchase the water jugs and get them delivered to the students. Not only was I able to serve a community that welcomes and teaches me so much, but it was also a way to make sustainable change there, as the jugs can be refilled at an affordable price for the students at an accessible Nano-Filter location just outside the gate of the school, and in turn, it will create profit for the woman who owns or sells at the stand. This is only one of the many astounding experiences I’ve had in Tanzania, and I cannot wait until I can go back.