The focus of my project this week (and probably a big chunk of next week) is record-keeping. Being an attorney in the U.S. has taught me one thing if anything and that is that you always keep a written record. The problem I am facing is that in a country where literacy rates are in the 70 percent range, it may be difficult to express how vital it is to keep a written record of everything that transpires. Not only to cover bases within the organization itself, but also because under the Law of the Child Act, enacted in November of 2009, there is a mandatory reporting provision of any evidence of violations of a child’s rights. This would place an affirmative obligation on all volunteers to report any allegations that arise out of their discussion with victims. In order for this program to work, it is clear that it will probably need to work on an anonymous basis if the victim so chooses. However, even if anonymous, in order to comply with the law the volunteers will still have to report any allegations of infringements. Whereas where I practiced law, only certain members of society (i.e. doctors, teachers, etc) are mandatory reporters of abuse, the Tanzanian law is far broader and places the obligation on “any member of the community”. To be honest, this law is not implemented as it was designed to be, however, if you are training people to stand up for their rights and the rights of others, it is imperative that they be aware that you cannot pick and choose which laws you follow or you would be no better than those that choose to break other laws. It creates an interesting conundrum in that the reporting may have a negative impact on the number of children who come looking for help, however, it is simply something that cannot be overlooked. Hopefully, by giving the option of coming to the center for help anonymously will alleviate some of the negative impact this might have.
Since I don’t have a neat little segway into more fun topics such as my weekend, I’m just going to jump right into it. This weekend I’m heading to Zanzibar. Since I worked yesterday, on a national holiday, I feel sawa about leaving a little early today so that we can grab the 3:45pm boat across the water to the island. My understanding is that Zanzibar has a large Muslim presence and is very culturally unique from the mainland. I’m very much looking forward to seeing the differences. I am also looking forward to the fantastic food they have there (do we see a pattern here? Those who know me know how important food is to me and in this blog I’m sure that is simply highlighted even more!) The plan is to go to Forodhani Gardens Market for some super fresh, very authentic food. Apparently you just move stall to stall trying different things at each one- it’s like a foodie heaven and I am definitely eating a light lunch to prepare myself J Yes, there will be plenty of pictures (of the food and all the other culturally intriguing things I will be doing). I am hoping not to get seasick as I have been warned that the late afternoon boat ride is the roughest and they hand out barf-bags as you get on. I usually am pretty good on the water, but having said that, I’m sure I’ve jinxed myself! I just need to remember to look at the horizon J Just to stay positive, if I do get seasick, it wouldn’t necessarily be the end of the world as I would certainly have more room for when we go to Forodhani Market! But all in all, I do hope that my iron stomach (ha!) holds up and that I can brave the rough waters between Dar and Zanzibar without problems. Since I like to keep things educational... a little known fact is that Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar.
I also want to take an extra moment to thank you for the additional donations that I have been receiving. They are all very generous and I am truly grateful for the contributions. It is also very important to me that my sponsors are all aware that although I am having a lot of fun while here (not at your expense) I am working very hard and do feel that this project will have a lasting impact even after I leave. If it is as successful as is hoped and CDF maintains momentum the goal is to have this manual be used throughout the country to establish a network of centers. In order not to dream too big, even if it is a success in only a few areas, the thought that this could quite possibly help so many children by giving them a place to seek not only help but also knowledge about their rights, is very powerful. With that in mind, I wish everyone a fantastic weekend and I look forward to telling you about my newest adventures on Monday!
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