Tanzania: Grace Ackerman (A New Experience)

One experience from this program that really stood out to me was our visit to the Amani Children’s Home in Moshi, Tanzania. This is a children’s shelter for homeless children that provides housing and education for the kids who reside there. The children ranged in age from as young as 3 to 18. During our visit, we had the opportunity to play soccer with the children living in the shelter. The soccer game was incredibly fun, as it put the ten UW students in our program against ten Tanzanian children. Of course, the kids won. I was the goalie for this game, and to be honest, I was impressed with myself as I had never been the best at soccer. After the game, we were able to speak with the administrative staff of the school and learn more about Amani and all that it does. This was incredibly insightful. The school works very hard to teach children not only academic skills but also life skills such as gardening and laundry. I appreciated this approach because it provides a sustainable way to help these children grow into successful adults. This experience is one that I hold very dearly because of how welcoming the staff were and how excited the kids were to beat the group of American students in a soccer match.

Grace Ackerman

Hometown: Circle Pines, Minnesota

Major: Nursing

Program: UW Health, Education, & Tanzanian Culture

I chose this program because I am passionate about global health as well as sexual education and these are some the of the main topics of our program. I am looking forward most visiting the birthing center and being able to meet new mothers.