Tanzania: Myles Carpenter (Sustainability in Morogoro)

I’ve always thought that a reverence for our environment is a value that American’s lack compared to the rest of the world. My experience here has shown me there is nuance in this idea.

One thing that has shocked me here is the littering. It is so normal to drop your empty bottles/wrappers on the ground when you are done with them. In fact, there are times where I felt awkward carrying my trash home with me. This behavior is evidenced by the state of the roadsides and hiking trails we’ve been on. The occasional water bottle I get upset about in American seems like nothing compared to the clutter of crushed bottles and biscuit wrappers on the path.

The streets are often swept by teams of locals wearing hi-viz vests. Likewise, public workers generally sweep all the sidewalks where street sellers set up. Our friends here tell us that people selling products at the market don’t bother cleaning up their rotted fruit or rubbish. Rather, they rely on the sweeping teams in the morning.

One sustainability practice that I hope to bring back with me is the emphasis that Tanzanian’s have on the first two R’s of the big three. Plastic bags are banned here; everybody uses reusable bags. Additionally, people are a lot more creative about reusing their waste. People use glass shards from busted bottles at the top of their walls to enhance security. Plenty of people make a living melting down old tires into soles for shoes and sandals. Ryder, the badger on this program with me has been crafting candle holders out of old water bottles and soil. I often feel like American’s rely on recycling as a silver bullet, while consuming more and more.

Myles Carpenter

Hometown: Sturtevant, Wisconsin

Major: Computer Sciences; Mathematics

Program: FIEN Foundation Internships