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The island of Zanzibar, which has become so popular with Bulgarian travelers lately, has many faces. Without a doubt, this corner of the earth has dizzying views: endless beaches, pure white, almost like snow, sand, crystal clear turquoise water and an abundance of several meters of palm trees. All of this definitely makes the destination extremely attractive to tourists right now, especially considering the pandemic measures around the world. There are no restrictions because of COVID-19, but not because Zanzibarians don’t believe it exists.
But the island has another side. This for the locals, much harsher and more inhospitable. The mass of people is miserable. Those who have jobs are lucky, even if they are satisfied with a salary of $ 70 a month. This is the case with teachers, for example. The best paid are the police. They can earn between $ 350 and $ 700 a month. That is why there is so much interest in the profession, while the motivation of children to learn is much lower.
When they see you on the street, in their town, or on the beach, they know you’ve probably heard of the famine there, and they reach out to beg. Definitely the sight of barefoot, dusty and scantily clad children is moving, but there are other kinds of encounters. Visiting a local public school in the Matemwe area, where between 500 and 600 students study, a woman is literally attacked before even entering the courtyard. A swarm of 50 children, resembling rather furious wasps, surrounded the lady in question, pushing, pulling and reaching for her hands as they looted the presents she had prepared for them. It is impossible to remove any of them, because the perimeter around their “victim” becomes huge and their epicenter is unreachable.
Suddenly, anger seizes the pitiful faces of the children. It is as if the survival instinct that exists in jungle animals is manifested. The strongest will loot more by hitting others, be they girls or boys. Dressed in uniforms that give an initial sense of order, the supervisors barely restrain the students. However, the appearance of a stick in the hand of an educator is not something incomprehensible. It’s like we need security to restrict angry kids’ access to us so they don’t attack us. A second attack case follows. This time even in vain, since the bag is empty, but it also disappears.
There are three or four people in a class. The classroom resembles a bomb shelter that has received dozens of shells. Walls missing in places – bare brick, windows. It is studied at temperatures above 30 degrees. And in front, a large empty board is waiting, waiting for chalk. The notebooks by rank are not visible, except for one thrown on the ground in the yard. At least it is clear that they are writing with a ballpoint pen. And despite the lack of amenities, there is no shortage of shouts of joy and games among the students during breaks.
Zanzibar’s education system is divided into two parts. From first to fifth grade, students are taught in the local Swahili language. Then they begin to learn all subjects completely in English. At this point, a large number of students in the state system drop out because they cannot adapt to the new language. The private school “Tamani” is trying to tackle this problem and several others. There the image is quite different. The children line up and patiently wait to receive the prepared gifts. “Thank you” is heard after each coloring book, marker or chocolate received. Although it is not a toy or something to eat, they all shake hands when I want to tie a martenitsa to them, since our visit to them is exactly around March 1. I explain that this is a Bulgarian custom and the red and white “bracelet” will bring them health.
But there the children have the opportunity to receive and be educated in a much calmer environment. The school’s chief financial officer, Bashiru Abdallah, tells us that they only accept 24 students in each class. An average of 100 people fight for this number. The choice is emotionally difficult: who to give the opportunity for a better future? The selection is made after an interview with the parents of each candidate. It is important that Tamani management ensure that families are aware of the need for education and its value and that they support their children at home. Thanks to general efforts, almost 90% of students continue their education at university. Abdallah shares the practice of teaching English in the early grades so that students can function better.
Besides children, Tamani also educates adults. During the evening classes they are taught to read and write. Most of the inhabitants of the island do not work, they simply exist. Those who have a profession are usually fishermen, farmers, drivers, tour guides. The souvenir business on the beach is another common activity of the people of Zanzibar. Commerce is definitely the industry that saves many families from starvation on a daily basis. Families sell what they grow. They exchange eggs for milk, meat for vegetables, etc. That is why the confinement there is canceled. Due to the lack of online commerce, training, etc. Authorities are faced with the choice of letting the population starve or learning to live with the virus. They do not deny the existence of COVID-19, they simply have no other choice and decide to ignore it in order to survive.
And despite the poverty that weighs on much of society, the people of Zanzibar are seemingly humble, friendly, and helpful. They can definitely live much better if they work harder and prosper, something many visitors blame them for. But then it was unlikely that these virgin beaches would still have this shape and Zanzibar would be this pearl in the ocean. If you are still going there, take some other toy, reserve or treat in your luggage, because children everywhere are children of the world they live in! Forgive them.
Tamani Private School PHOTOS: The author
The financial director of the Taiwanese school Bashiru Abdallah PHOTO: Hristo Georgiev
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