3 Reasons to Stay at the UAAC in Arusha, Tanzania

Jambo rafikis! That’s Swahili for ‘hello friends.’

When I was 17, I spent 5 weeks in Tanzania. I traveled with The Experiment in International Living (EIL). This global nonprofit specializes in experiential learning, which is learning through experiences (as opposed to learning exclusively in a classroom). EIL has been connecting students with host families abroad since 1932. Learn more about The Experiment here.

My group and I spent a few days in Arusha, a serene city next to Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa! We were also close to Mount Meru, the fifth highest mountain in Africa. We stayed at the United African Alliance Center (UAAC) and had an amazing time!

Pete and Charlotte O’Neal are the owners and founders of the UAAC. They lived in Kansas City in the late 1960’s – early 1970’s and were members of the Blank Panther Party. They are passionate advocates for racial equality in the U.S. and beyond. They relocated to Tanzania in 1972 and have lived there ever since. As of 2018, Pete and Charlotte O’Neal have adopted and educated twenty-one children! They organize local community service projects, too. You can learn more about their philanthropic efforts on the UAAC website. It was a unique privilege to meet Pete and Charlotte O’Neal, and I recommend staying at the UAAC to help support their mission.

Sarah and I with Charlotte O’Neal (middle)

During our stay at the UAAC, my group and I collaborated with local musicians and artists, including Charlotte O’Neal, to record a song about our experiences in Tanzania. Our song is called “Nakupenda Tanzania” which means “I love you, Tanzania.” The lyrics alternate between English and Swahili. Click here to listen to our song!

I don’t sing, so I mainly helped write lyrics, but I can be heard at the very beginning of the song saying, ‘Hoedee!’ This loosely means, ‘Hello, may I enter your home?’ and the standard reply is ‘Karibu,’ which means ‘Yes friend, come on in!’

Entrance to the recording studio

After days of writing lyrics and recording our song, my group and I went hiking in Arusha National Park. We hiked to a waterfall and saw water buffalo, zebras, flamingos, and monkeys along the way. It was incredible! I was blown away by the park’s variety of animals and beautiful landscapes.

View of Mount Kilimanjaro

Have you been to Arusha? Would you like to hike Mount Kilimanjaro someday? Let me know! Asante sana (thank you) for reading!! 🙂

– Travel Alli