Tanzania 7

Day eight. Our last day. Usually this kind of day means packing and waiting for the car to leave for the airport. Not for us.

A dance group had made contact with Penina and asked if we were interested in watching their show. Could it be squeezed in? Certainly! But before that Dag had asked if I could sit in when the Master students of the Gender, Theology and Health programmed defended their theses. And the leadership had promised that this was in order.

So, I also managed to listen to one presentation this last day in Tanzania and in Africa. One of Dag’s students defended and the theme was interesting. Something about the parental silence among Pare people, in relation to Sexual and Reproductive Health.

This programme, sponsored by Church of Sweden, with money from Sida, we also have at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. And at Stellenbosch in South Africa and EGST in Ethiopia. I have been a little involved at UKZN. But as far as I know, the students do not defend their theses there.

I will not say much about the thesis as I have not read it. But the comments, at the end, given by the Dean of the Faculty of Theology and by the Vice Chancellor of the Tumaini University Makumira were very interesting.

The VC asked the student if he had spoken about sexuality with his children. Before he could answer the VC confessed that his father never did that with him. When the student heard that he directly said that this was also his experience but that he had started to talk with his children, after he had begun to write his thesis.

Then the Dean made a comment, which I think was extremely important. She mentioned that her aunt had been the person who had spoken to her about these things and that one should not forget the contribution of other, significant adults, close to the children.

When I had left the one defense that I were present in, I joined a group of Master Students, that were waiting outside the building to hear the results of each and every student. With them I had a very open discussion about sexuality in general and LGBTI in particular. I was amazed how openly these things were discussed.

I am very glad that I also got this important experience from my visit to Tanzania.

It was with these students I had a very interesting conversation about rather sensitive issues.