The Meaningful Conversations

Hi! My name is Benedicte-Marie, I am 24 years old. I participated in the Norec project in Tanzania from January to April 2024. I was at Patandi Secondary School in Arusha, together with three other students from Norway. Many of the students at the school had physical disabilities, while a small group did not. At the beginning of the exchange, we attended a Swahili course, which gave us some useful tools to break down language barriers.

When we arrived at the school, we were warmly welcomed. The students were showing great interest in getting to know us and our culture. During my stay, I got to know a group of students well. 

I found that many of the students and people we met in general found it very amusing and nice that we tried to communicate in their language. Many of the students at the school also wanted to teach us their language, both the verbal students and those who used sign language. Since the teaching was mostly in English, I found that many of the students communicated well in English. Many of the hearing students also knew sign language, which allowed us to communicate with the deaf students, as they helped us with translation. Eventually, we learned simple signs that enabled us to have basic conversations in sign language. We also used a notebook to write down English words, and they taught us the words in sign language.

We got to know each other well and had many conversations during our time together. Conversation can be a powerful tool for building relationships between people from different cultures. Through conversation, we learned about each other's cultural backgrounds, traditions, and values. Having open and honest conversations helped us build trust with the youth. I found that when we shared our personal experiences and thoughts, we created a bond that strengthened the relationship.

Through dialogue, we could also find common interests and goals, which contributed to cooperation across cultural boundaries. This was very useful in relation to the project's goal of sharing knowledge between cultures. When it comes to communication, the language course we had in the first week was very useful. Daring to try and fail in their language was also a nice way to build relationships, as the students found it very amusing. Opening up by daring to try can also be a gateway to deeper cultural understanding. The conversations also gave us an opportunity to share personal stories and experiences, which enriched both parties' perspectives and led to a deeper cultural understanding. I also found that these conversations meant a lot to the students at the school, as many of them were far from their parents and families. Experiencing how much something so small can mean really puts things into perspective.

By promoting open, respectful, and meaningful conversations, people from different cultures can develop strong and positive relationships that can contribute to a more inclusive and harmonious society. This is an experience I would not be without. I am extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to go on an exchange. I feel that it has strengthened me both as a social educator and as a person. I would recommend everyone who gets the opportunity to go on an exchange!