Sep. 25, 2014 (All Africa Global Media) -- When the US Ambassador to Tanzania swore in American Peace Corps volunteers in Dar es Salaam recently, it marked a turning point in their lives as it was the beginning of their two-year journey to different parts of rural Tanzania.
And, among them was a 22-year-old multitalented, Carol Marie Noronha, whose presence did not go unnoticed. Besides taking the oath, Carol was part of the group of musicians who played the national anthems for both Tanzania and US at the function. MOHAMED MAMBO tracked her down and the following are excerpts from the interview: Who is Carol Marie Noronha? I am Carol Marie Noronha (22) and I hail from Michigan, in the United States. My parents are originally from India, but migrated to the United States as young adults. My father is an engineer for an automotive company while my mother is a doctor. I have an elder sister who works as a computer science engineer in New York City. I grew up in a small town of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and completed my university degree this spring at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. I studied Psychology and Biology in a BS/MD programme. I decided to leave the programme after completing my bachelor's degree to serve in the Peace Corps in Tanzania. When I return home after two years in Tanzania, I will attend medical school at the University of Michigan Medical School, the university where the Peace Corps first began. What motivated you to come to Tanzania? I have been blessed my whole life, and fortunate to have taken advantage of many wonderful opportunities. Service in the Peace Corps is another wonderful opportunity to work, learn from, and share my skills with Tanzanian people. I hope to foster the potential of the students of Tanzania in a growing movement towards higher achievement, as well as learn lessons from becoming a part of the Tanzanian community. How long have you been in the country and how have you found it so far? Along with my training class of 61 volunteers, I have been in Tanzania since early July of this year. So far, I have been able to travel to Tanga, Kilimanjaro, and Arusha regions, as well as Dar es Salaam. The scenic beauty of this country has amazed me; from the rolling green hills in the villages surrounding Korogwe to the herds of cattle resting at watering holes in the Maasai villages in Arusha. These are scenes remind me of my childhood favourite animated movie about Africa. Tanzania is a country full of natural wonders. How do you find the life in general in Tanzania? Life in Tanzania is centered on family and community relationships, and this a beautiful foundation for culture. Life is more relaxed in Tanzania, and this fosters a sense of togetherness in the community. How have you managed to integrate so far what do you like about Tanzanian cultures? So far, I have integrated in the Tanzanian culture by living with a host family in Korogwe. My host mother and host sisters patiently taught me how to light a 'jiko' (charcoal stove), and how to prepare traditional Tanzanian foods such as rice, ugali, beans, vegetables, and meat. My favorite part of the Tanzanian culture is the singing and dancing. I was able to join a church choir while in Korogwe - the Maranatha Gospel Choir at St. Andrew's Anglican Church. Learning Kiswahili songs and dances helped me to understand the language and culture, as well as become close with members of the community. How have you solved the language barrier issue, especially in rural areas? Sometimes, the language barrier can be rather difficult to overcome. Luckily, living with a host family and training with the Peace Corps has provided me with a practical knowledge of Kiswahili. My class was privileged to have excellent teachers who helped us to understand Kiswahili vocabulary for daily activities - for example, buying food at the market and 'duka', buying tickets for the bus, and health needs. These have been very useful in urban and rural settings so far. Peace Corps' strategy prepares us well to know Kiswahili that is useful in everyday life. How fluent are you in Swahili right now? Right now, I am comfortable in conversing in Kiswahili for most daily activities. However, I do have more to learn, and I am looking forward to increasing my knowledge with my new community members. How do you like the food in this country and what is your favourite food? I really do enjoy Tanzanian foods - luckily for me, I think rice and beans are delicious. My favourite foods so far have been chapati, sambusa, and kachumbari. What is it that you have seen in this country that is unique and inspiring? The dedication of Tanzanian students to their education is truly inspiring. They are extremely attentive in class, and are careful to help the teacher in any way possible. In one experience at my internship school, Nyerere Memorial Secondary School in Korogwe, I was studying in the classroom one evening when a group of girls came in to visit me on their way home. They too, had been studying in an open classroom. After I had helped them with some Biology topics on their upcoming exams, we began excitedly talking about women presidents around the world. When I visited Malawi last summer, I was so pleased to see that Joyce Banda, a woman, was able to lead the country. They asked me if the US had ever had a woman president, and I was sad to say that we have not. I asked them if a woman had ever been president of Tanzania, nodding their heads they said in unison. But one girl, sitting closest to me, said in a low but fervent voice there will be one. A chill travelled through my spine as I imagined intelligent and determined girls like these all across Tanzania, and across the world. This is an inspiring moment from one of my early days in Tanzania that will remain in my mind for my whole life. Have you come across any challenges so far? The vast majority of my experiences in Tanzania have been very positive. However, sometimes it has been a challenge to be treated as a tourist in Tanzania. This is inevitable in the larger cities, but I am working on my language skills so that I can better present an image of myself as an American ready to live and work in partnership with Tanzanians - and an American here to stay. What are you expectations as you will soon be teaching in a rural school? A: As I go to teach in a rural school, I expect to spend some time integrating in my community. Before I can be an effective teacher in the classroom, I want to know my students well, as well as understand the surrounding village. As I begin teaching classes, I know that I will face many challenges, such as the language and culture barriers. I want my students to achieve high goals throughout their education, but more importantly, I want to foster a love of learning within my students. I hope to do this by teaching through interactive activities that help students to realise that science is all around them. At the end of two years of service, I hope that, along with improved achievement, my students will realise that the world is a classroom. Learning does not stop when a student leaves the classroom, or when a student completes "A Levels"or university studies. We are all students at each stage of our lives, and we can learn new and wonderful things each day. Since you are a science teacher what will you do to encourage Tanzanian girls to like science subjects? Since there are a shortage of girls and women in the science fields in Tanzania, I hope to empower both my male and female students in the sciences. I think that the best way for me to do this is to make studying sciences fun and interesting everyday - through activities and learning laboratory exercises. Since many girls need extra encouragement to undertake science subjects, I also hope to put on workshops for my female students to understand how to enter into different careers in science. I hope to invite local high-achieving women to explain their educational paths, and how they became successful in their respective fields. In America, we speak of a "glass ceiling" that often is a barrier to women achieving as quickly and as much as men. In Tanzania, I hope to encourage both my female and male students to reach their full potential, breaking through barriers as necessary. Yet, I have much to learn about Tanzania and my community, and I look forward to developing my plans in partnership with my students, school community, and village. Thank you for your interest in my opinions and support of the Peace Corps programme. We are very grateful to be offered the opportunity to live and work in Tanzania, and look forward to seeing the fruits of our labor in this wonderful country! Copyright Tanzania Daily News. Sep/25/2014