Tanzania-Zanzibar: Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management Fall 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS COUNTRY OVERVIEW.......................................................... 3 GENERAL INFORMATION ...............................................3 CLIMATE AND GEOGRAPHY .........................................3 LOCAL CUSTOMS ..............................................................3 DIET .........................................................................................3 SAFETY, SECURITY, AND HEALTH...............................4 HOMESTAYS .........................................................................4 OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS .......................................4 TRANSPORTATION ...........................................................5 COMMUNICATION ...........................................................5 PHONES AND E-MAIL .......................................................5 MAILINGS ...............................................................................6 MONEY ...................................................................................6 VISITORS AND FREE TIME ...............................................7 PACKING GUIDELINES .......................................................... 8 LUGGAGE ..............................................................................8 CLOTHING GUIDELINES .................................................8 EQUIPMENT ..........................................................................8 COMPUTERS AND OTHER ELECTRONICS...............8 GIFTS .......................................................................................9 WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT OBTAIN IN COUNTRY .......................................................................... 10 ALUMNI CONTACTS ..................................................... 10 PACKING LIST ....................................................................... 11 SIT Study Abroad - 2 Country Overview and Packing Guidelines 4/29/2019 COUNTRY OVERVIEW GENERAL INFORMATION comfortable. February is the warmest month while August is the coolest. There are two rainfall seasons, the Zanzibar is an archipelago of islands off the coast of East heaviest from March to June and lesser rains from Africa that, with mainland Tanganyika, formed the United September to November. Republic of Tanzania in 1964. For centuries, the islands were an important stop for trade routes between India, LOCAL CUSTOMS the Middle East, and Africa, and its people represent a In Zanzibar, people are very friendly and it is important variety of cultures. Although a part of Tanzania, Zanzibar to acknowledge and greet people in general. It is polite elects its own president and has its own House of to shake hands as well as to greet verbally. Most Representatives for matters internal to the islands. Often Zanzibari people do not show their emotions publicly, referred to as the “Spice Islands,” Zanzibar’s main apart from geniality. When invited for a meal in a local industries include tourism, spices, agriculture, and fishing. person’s house, we recommend you eat with your right SIT’s Study Abroad Center is located in the city’s old hand and always wash your hands before starting. It is quarter, Stone Town, a place of winding narrow streets, polite to try all the different foods but do not feel that carved wooden doors, raised terraces, and beautiful you have to finish all the food on your plate. When mosques. Most of the people in Zanzibar follow the staying with a local person, always let them know if you Islamic faith, and throughout the island visitors hear the are going out or returning late as they will feel daily call to prayers by the local muezzins. Religious and responsible for you. cultural behavior traditions on the island require conservative dress by residents and tourists. Swahili is spoken throughout Zanzibar and Islanders will DIET appreciate your efforts to learn their language. SIT Study Abroad provides experiential learning opportunities where students become embedded in their host community. As such, we strive to accommodate serious food allergies where possible but simply cannot ensure that all dietary restrictions or non-medically mandated diets can be accommodated. Students are encouraged to participate in the local food culture as a central aspect of daily life. By trying to replicate your diet at home you may miss out on an important part of your host culture. Due to the unique living and learning community central to all SIT programs, we cannot separate food and eating communally (including with your host family) from the program experience. Please consider local diet seriously when selecting your program of choice. Your admissions counselor is a great resource in better understanding the local diet. CLIMATE AND GEOGRAPHY You should be able to enjoy a healthy stay in Tanzania if Zanzibar experiences a warm tropical climate, with high you drink only filtered or bottled water and are temperatures and humidity year-round. The average observant about hand-washing and diet. It is probably temperature is about 80 degrees, but it can be as hot as wise to consider altering your eating habits slightly while 95. Because of the ocean breezes during the daytime and you're here. If you are a vegetarian, you can continue to the continental wind at night, the conditions are fairly SIT Study Abroad - 3 Country Overview and Packing Guidelines 4/29/2019 be one while you're in Tanzania. However, due to health the Safety, Security, and Health document and concerns, eating salads and raw vegetables is not Student Handbook. advisable. If you don't usually eat seafood, it is wise to get accustomed to eating fish before you come. Fish here HOMESTAYS is delicious and it will be offered to you routinely. Other As many SIT Study Abroad alumni will tell you, the common foods include rice and curry dishes, chicken, homestay experience can be one of the most rewarding beans, lots of carbohydrates, and some fried food. and most challenging aspects of the program. We hope Breakfast usually includes tea and mildly sweet bread and you will come prepared for the experience and is traditionally eaten between 7:30 AM-10:00AM, lunch committed to moving beyond cultural immersion, at around 2:00 PM, and dinner between 7:30-9:00 PM. especially as you begin to question, distinguish, and analyze the host culture vis-à-vis your own culture and Note: if you have special dietary needs, including come to a deeper understanding of both. allergies, please inform our office prior to the start of your program. We will advise you on realistic Family structures vary in every culture. SIT Study expectations about avoiding or incorporating certain Abroad values the diversity of homestay families, and foods within the program context. your family may include a single mother of two small children or a large extended family with many people coming and going all the time. Additionally, please bear in mind that, in many countries, the idea of what constitutes a “home” may be different from what you expect. You will need to be prepared to adapt to a new life with a new diet, a new schedule, new people, and new priorities and expectations. Each program’s homestay coordinator will be responsible for placing students in homestays. These placements are made first based on health concerns, including any allergies or dietary needs, to the extent possible. Please note: in order to ensure the best fit for students and families, SIT may make final adjustments to homestay placements after SAFETY, SECURITY, AND HEALTH student arrival in country. Therefore, SIT will not provide information about your homestay family Maintaining good health is critical to having a successful before you depart for the program. semester. To help you do that, we provide Health Guidelines and Requirements for your program. You will spend a month with a Swahili family in Stone Town, Zanzibar and a minimum of six nights with a It is very important that you read the Health Guidelines family on Pemba Island. The families in both locales will and Requirements document as early as possible and be Muslim and will represent a range of socioeconomic examine it with your medical provider. The guidelines levels. include recommended immunizations; a suggested calendar for immunizations and other prophylaxes; and OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS valuable information on how to avoid exposure to common carriers of disease. When not living in homestays, other accommodations during the program will include guesthouses and Students are thoroughly briefed on safety considerations university accommodation. During your Independent during in-country orientation and are updated Study Project you will likely stay with your homestay throughout the semester if and when circumstances family or in modest guesthouse lodging. change. For information regarding safety and security, emergency communications, SIT policies, accident and illness insurance, and general program tips, please read SIT Study Abroad - 4 Country Overview and Packing Guidelines 4/29/2019 TRANSPORTATION you depart – we would like to avoid having anxious parents waiting by the phone. Although taxis are available, you will probably want to walk through Stone Town and other parts of the Island. PHONES AND E-MAIL Many of the alleys in Stone Town are barely wide enough for a bike to pass and walking will enable you to As part of SIT’s commitment to student safety and view the ornately carved Zanzibar doors and greet security, all students are required to have a working merchants and