The importance of building strong relationships with collaboration partners

Hi! My name is Marianne, I am 21 years old and a social educator graduate at Western Norway University of Applied Science in the spring of 2024. During an enriching exchange program from January to April, I engaged in fieldwork in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania together with eight other students.

Prior to our departure for Dar es Salaam, we spent a week in Arusha, having a Swahili course. This training equipped us with essential communication skills such as self-introductions and greetings as well as other practical communication skills. The language course enabled me to connect with the teachers, children and local community effectively during the project.

We had a project about bullying in school amongst the students, collaborating with the teachers at the school. Throughout our project work at the school in Dar es Salaam, we learned the importance of building strong relationships with our collaboration partners. We had a diversity in the form of language barriers, but this proved to be valuable because we shared insights and reciprocally shared knowledge throughout our project.

Personally, it took some time in the beginning developing strong relationships with the teachers because we were new to the culture, country and a whole new language. However, rather than hindering the progress, these differences provided valuable learning opportunities. Embracing initiative, openness and curiosity allowed us to navigate these obstacles and establish meaningful connections with the collaboration partners.

For me, I discovered the importance of taking initiative and actively engaging in fieldwork. By immersing ourselves in the school system, interacting with the children and teachers, and learning from each other, we established a solid foundation for our collaborative project. I learned that showing a genuine interest, taking initiative, having conversations with the teachers, dare to be open and curious was some key points in developing relationships with the collaboration partners. I learned a lot from the collaboration partners as our relations grew stronger, I gained valuable insights about different perspectives and knowledge that will inform my future as a social educator. I even learned that it is completely fine to do things differently than what you know, and view things from another perspective. 

Reflecting on these three months, I am filled with gratitude because it has been incredibly educational, and I am left with many new experiences, impressions, friends and memories that will last for a lifetime. These experiences have not only shaped me personally but have also equipped me with a wealth of knowledge that I will carry forward into my future as a social educator.