Presentation on Tanzania

On Wednesday December 6, 1995, Barbara Langston, a Peace Corps volunteer, gave a presentation on Tanzania in Miss Gobert's African American Studies class. Mrs. Langston was sent to Tanzania, where she lived for two years. After discussing the history and goals of the Peace Corps, Mrs. Langston gave the class a brief political history of Tanzania. She told them that Tanzania is actually made up of two countries, Tanzania and Zanzibar, which have combined their names to create Tanzania. She discussed the language of Tanzania which is Swahili and some of the tribal languages spoken in the area of Tanzania where she lived. She also gave the class an example of a Swahili conversation and then compared it to a conversation spoken in one of the tribal languages.

Mrs Langston also brought many props. She showed the class the main article of clothing worn by women in Tanzania, which is a large square of cloth called a Conga. She demonstrated how it is both worn and used in work activities. Mrs. Langston ended by showing the class a variety of baskets. Some were used for buying and cleaning rice and beans. Tanzania women used the other baskets to carry things on their heads such as laundry. The presentation was both interesting and informative, and Mrs. Langston was asked to return after the Christmas break to tell the class more.