A Journey to Remember

	Sage Graduate School student and Broughton Fellow Shanel Murray says her experience at Sage fostered independence, perseverance, creativity and leadership—qualities she drew upon while working in Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania during two separate trips in 2006 and 2007. She traveled to Tanzania to research the culture influences and societal norms that contribute to the spread of and treatment for HIV/AIDS in the Moshi region. She shared her experiences with Crossroads.

As a Public Administration major, I initially traveled to Tanzania in 2006 and again in 2007 to fulfill my thesis requirements: a case study of a non-governmental organization called Women Fighting AIDS in Tanzania (WOFATA). I worked side by side with incredible women at WOFATA, advocating for other women in the community—visiting the sick, care giving to women living with AIDS, and assisting the organization as it implemented a prevention program. I was constantly in awe of my co-workers’ strength and courage. These women are HIV positive or living with AIDS. They assist others living with AIDS who are not as healthy.

Besides working with WOFATA on issues of AIDS policy, community outreach and program development, I gained a culturally rich experience which manifests itself when I reminisce about the people, places and things I miss. I recall echoing voices of laughing children, up and down the road; bright colors, and packs of children walking to school in the morning; exotic aromas and alluring sounds emanating from places beyond where eyes can see.

I miss the children of WOFATA and the village children. The beautiful thing is that children seemed to belong to everyone. Members of the community act as one family. I kissed them, hugged and squeezed them, fed them and taught them English lessons. In a way and for a short time, they were my family. They were my children and I was one of their many mothers. I miss being a voyeur and everything else the goes along with being a stranger in a foreign land.

Every now and then, I long for the smell of burning trash in the morning, and endless dusty, bumpy roads. I miss morning and evening chai after sometimes having the luxury of bathing out of a bucket when there was running water.

What I miss most is being able to take my time to arrive at a destination or to complete a certain task. Basically, living a simpler life than the one I live now.

The “blank stare” is the look I’ve gotten since returning from overseas. I bumped into someone recently at the  supermarket. “I haven’t seen you all summer, what have you been up to?” she asked.

“I’ve been in Tanzania.”

“Where?” she asked.

“East Africa.” Her eyebrows rose to her hairline, and a silent ‘oh’ slipped out.

I want to rant and rave about my incredible encounters, about both the good and bad days. I hold back, though.

Explaining my experiences could take hours. Explaining to 50 people can be exhausting, and with each explanation, the stories become diluted.

The experience led to a personal and professional journey that is continuing. Beck in the United States, I've been developing a website for WOFATA that will be live by summer. I plan to return to Tanzania in the next 12 to 15 months to continue working with WOFATA. I’m hoping to get a grant from the United Nations Development Programme or another organization to support my—and WOFATA’s work.

As my career progresses, I will smile when remembering how the journey started at Sage, as well as those who supported me.

As they say in Tanzania, Hakuna Matata!

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In Tanzania, Murray conducted interviews with the mayor of Moshi and clinical nurses from Mawenzi Hospital as a means of understanding how those in a position of authority view the present and future state of the virus, as well as individuals who are infected with and affected by the disease. Their viewpoints will provide a better understanding of why the national policy may or may not be effective.

To read more of her experiences in Tanzania, visit www.nyote76.com. For more information on WOFATA, visit www.wofata.org (website under development).