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My
Brothers and Sisters in Africa:
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"One's destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things." Henry Miller
"Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lesson later." Hindu Proverb
| Would you like to join several seasoned wildlife biologists and a National Geographic photographer to study the behaviors of African reptiles, amphibians, and mammals? Are you interested in learning about health care and education systems as you engage in service-learning at an orphanage in a Zimbabwean village? Would you like to collaborate with a sociologist to record the stories of the men, women, and children who live and work on a large farm in rural Zimbabwe? Want to learn about the impact of colonialism and the roles Westerners have played in the history and development of Africa? Would you like to see with your own eyes the impact of human activity on the wildlife in Zimbabwe, a country recovering from economic challenges, and then in Kenya where lions, elephants, giraffes, wildebeasts and other animals roam in carefully managed game preserves? If you would like to team with 1-3 Wofford students on one of these intensive service-learning projects based at Africa University in Zimbabwe followed by five days on safari in Kenya, then you should seek more details from Dr. John Moeller and Dr. G.R. Davis who can help you design a meaningful experience for yourself and your African brothers and sisters. |
Children of Africa University farm workers gathering firewood
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Joel Nyabunze manages the piggery
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The primary focus of this interim is service learning at African University (AU) in Zimbabwe, building upon the special relationships developed over the years by Dr. C.L. "Ab" Abercrombie and Dr. Chris Hope (Sociologist, retired from the College of Charleston.) Students will work in small teams (2-4 students) on individual projects at the university or in the surrounding community. In the initial offering of this interim, we have conceived of four major projects: 1) working at the Hartsell Orphanage (adjacent to the AU campus in Old Mutare) with health care delivery and education, 2) working with Dr. Randy Babb in his field work with mammals on the AU campus, 3) working with Drs. Abercrombie and Hope in their field work with reptiles on the AU campus, and 4) working with Drs. Davis and Hope on an ethnography of farm workers at the AU Farm. Thus the students will directly experience and work side by side with diverse individuals and organizations (agricultural, healthcare, and scientific) that impact a local African community and college. We anticipate this immersion into different activities will generate interesting and provocative discussions and broaden our students' understanding of a Zimbabwe and its ultimate connection to a global community. In turn we hope that our students will have a positive and observable impact in these communities as well. We also expect to have smaller side trips to towns and nature preserves in Zimbabwe and Kenya to gain insights into the connections between local communities and natural areas. Finally, we will finish our travels with an exploration of the natural environment in the protected game reserves of Kenya where conditions are managed to sustain African wildlife which supports tourism, an important component of the economy. We will notice the stark contrast with Zimbabwe and especially the natural areas on the AU campus which have been exploited and depleted of wildlife as local people search for firewood, food, and dig mines in the river valley in search of gold. Although each student will be involved in a research or service-learning project, we intend for every student to realize that ecosystems and the organisms that live therein must be given consideration when we humans contemplate issues of sustainability and development in African nations and that Westerners, whether missionaries with good intentions or settlers seeking to tap the great resources, often failed to consider local traditions and customs in their attempt to "colonize" the Dark Continent. To that end, each student will read a memoir or biography by an author who has lived in Zimbabwe and in so doing develop a sense of how interactions between Westerners and native peoples have produced the current conditions. Because humans, the landscape and the wildlife form a fragile system in which human activities can endanger wildlife, we expand our sense of family (brothers and sisters) beyond the human inhabitants of Kenya and Zimbabwe to include the wildlife native to these special places. In comparing the managed wilderness areas of Kenya with the human pressures on the environment surrounding AU and its 600 hectare campus, our students should gain an appreciation of the challenges faced by these communities which should sharpen their awareness of the interplay between humans and nature back at home in the USA. |
The Main Entrance to the Campus
| This project is open to all interested students; there are no pre-requisites. Participants will be expected to walk without complaint for several miles on many days during the travel portion of the project, to function cheerfully in all weather conditions (including chilly nights and hot, rainy days in Zimabawe and Kenya), to be prompt, courteous, cooperative, reliable, responsible, and sensitive to cultural differences. All participants must be able to tolerate unforeseen changes to schedules, power outages and water shortages which are common on the AU campus, and unreliable internet connectivity. Students who do not cope effectively with stress or with new or uncomfortable conditions are advised to seek other Interim opportunities. Students with restricted diets should discuss this matter with instructors before enrolling. |
Fields of the AU farm
| Since this is a service-leaning project in which small groups of 2-4 students will engage in projects of their own interest and design, the instructors will assist students in locating reading materials and other resources specific to their projects and schedule meeting with these student teams to discuss their specific projects. Since all students will need to be knowledgeable about the context of their work, all will be exposed to (1) the history of Zimbabwe and Africa University, (2) the cultural and colonial history of the Africa with special emphasis on Zimbabwe and Kenya, (3) the geography and biota of Zimbabwe and Kenya, and (4) Africa and Africans as objects of missionary work. Our group will have lectures and discuss readings about each of those topics in the pre-departure sessions and continue those discussions throughout the travel portion of the project. In order to assure effective use of cameras, students will be given instruction in digital photographic techniques. Standard orientation-issues about safety, health, conduct-expectations, cultural sensitivity, responses to emergencies, etc. will be addressed. |
The Africa University Chapel and Mount Chiremba
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Week 1:
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Weeks 2-3:
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| Week 3 Travel in to Kenya with Drs. Moeller and Davis for wildlife safari: Late night arrival in Nairobi from Harare with a one day stay in the city and visit to the university. The following day we depart for Kenya National Park (1 night); Lake Nakuru and Thomson's Falls (1N); Masai Mara Game Reserve (2N); return to Nairobi for one evening and depart the following day to USA. |
| Week 4: Complete travel portion. Return to Wofford. Summary sessions for 2-3 days; students will work on campus with computers in a room in Milliken Science Hall to complete work on project reports and compile the booklet and/or website. |
| January 20 Depart Harare on ET#873 departing at 1:35 p.m. arriving into Addis Ababa at 8:25 p.m. Connect to ET#803 departing at 11:00 p.m. January 21 We're considering several options for this "free day": Giraffe Manor, Carolina for Kibera, and Kazuri Beads Factory Tour. January 22- TO MOUNT KENYA NATIONAL PARK This morning depart Nairobi and journey north, passing near Thika, which boasts the world's third largest pineapple plantation, and Dratina with its colorful market. We'll turn off the main road and head for the Serena Mountain Lodge ringed by dense rain forest that comes alive hours before dawn. This is a tree lodge set in a forest glade with a waterhole that attracts all sorts of wildlife during the day and night. The waterhole is floodlit and there is an underground viewing platform. Local game includes elephant, buffalo, rhino, waterbuck and hundreds of bird species. (B,L,D = Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner provided.) January 23- TO LAKE NAKURU January 24- TO MASAI MARA GAME RESERVE January 25- MASAI MARA GAME RESERVE January 26- to NAIROBI January 27- RETURN TO USA After breakfast (provided) at the Safari Club Hotel, we'll have the morning free until our afternoon transfer to the airport for our flight to Washington DC via Addis Ababa. Depart on ET#800 at 5:45 p.m. arriving Addis Ababa at 7:45 p.m. connecting with ET#500 departing at 10:15 p.m. January 28- Arrive in WASHINGTON D.C., fly to Charlotte. Arrival into Washington D.C. (Dulles Airport)
at 8:40 a.m. and connect with our domestic flight to Charlotte, arriving
Saturday mid-afternoon. |
A Rock Python near the AU faculty housing area
Dr. Abercrombie and friends capture
a python that will be measured, weighed and released on a remote part of the
AU Campus.
We'll meet in the Olin Building on Thursday and Friday starting at 9:00 am sharp. We'll take a break for lunch and continue as long as necessary in afternoon sessions.On Thursday, bring all remaining documentation, your cameras, binoculars, passports, and yellow fever certificates.Be ready to discuss Abercrombie's letters and the book(s) you've read. We'll expect each of you to recall several examples from Ab's letters that you deem to be especially relevant/interesting/confusing/surprizing.We'll review packing information, rules and expectations, and the various activities and projects that are anticipated.Each student will select from a list of questions a topic to research and share with the class during the Friday class meeting.We'll have a session on Essential Photography one of those afternoons.A tentative list of questions. |
Required Reading for All1Ab at AU: Friday Afternoon Meditations from the Campus of AU, Fall 2010Read these
14 weekly letters (list on right side column) from Dr. Abercrombie
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Choose one to readTo become familiar with the culture and history of Zimabawe, each student should choose to read at least one of the following or select an alternative and be prepared to lead a discussion about what they've read.Roberts, Janine. Dare to Love Completely. Highly recommended for those intending to work at the orphanage. Fuller, Alexandra. Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood. A white girl grows up during the turbulent years when revolution turned Rhodesia into Zimbabwe. Fuller, Alexandra. Cocktail Hour under the Tree of Forgetfulness. In her second book, Fuller writes the biography of her wobbly mother and revisits her childhood and family history. Godwin, Peter. When A Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa. International travel journalist Peter Godwin periodically returns to his home in Zimbabwe to check in on his aging parents. As Godwin's father grows ever sicker, his native country also experiences difficulties associated with land reform and resettlement. Lessing, Doris. African Laughter. Acclaimed author Doris Lessing looks at changes in her Zimbabwe homeland. Lessing, Doris. The Grass is Singing. In this novel of mid-century Rhodesia, Lessing describes the racial and ethnic tensions that complicated (and sometimes destroyed) the lives of white Africans of English descent. Meldrum, Andrew. Where We Have Hope: A Memoir of Zimbabwe. An American journalist moves to Zimbabwe and chronicles the continued struggle for political and economic freedom within the state run by Robert Mugabe. Benatar, Isaac. The Song of Africa. An autobiography of Jewish boy who was born and grew up in Salisbary (now Harare) after World War II. Dodge, Ralph Edward. The Revolutionary Bishop. An autobiography of an Iowa farm boy who became a Methodist missionary to Angola and then a Bishop responsible for Central Africa. (You'll meet Dr. Ed Dodge, the son of the Revoluitionary Bishop when he arrives mid-January to teach for the spring semester at AU!)
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Thy Wonders Displayed...Africa UniversityC.L. "Ab"
Abercrombie, G.R. Davis, Terry Ferguson, and Chris Hope
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"Teeming with beautiful photographs and engaging prose, Thy Wonders Displayed: Africa University, is a remarkable presentation of landscape and life. Readers of this book will quickly find themselves exploring the Africa University campus in a wise, thorough, and compelling manner. A.U. is contributing faithfully to a hopeful future. This book is a first-rate presentation of science with a soul."Dr. Ron Robinson |
"I thought I knew the University, and in a way I did-- its main campus, dormitory, and classroom and activity buildings, library, administrative offices, and the chapel. This book, however, introduced me to a much larger understanding of the campus -- its geological landscape, its wildlife, and its farm... This lovingly crafted text is complemented by a striking collection of photographs that bring the campus alive with their witness to the goodness, wonder, and beauty of the place."from the Foreward by |
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Participants will be selected based in part
on the following criteria: The instructors seek students who are willing
to seriously engage in academic preparation during the on-campus class
meetings prior to the travel portion, and who will maintain serious interest,
energy, and enthusiasm during the travel segment, and who will engage
in thoughtful reflection and discussion throughout. These instructors urge students to select their top choice of interim project based on the academic topic and avoid trying to guess which projects will "make" and which might be "oversubscribed." Also, though it may be comforting to travel with friends, we believe that an interest in the subject matter and service learning opportunities will provide sufficient stimulation such that whomever your travel partners may be, the experience will be superb. |
Margarit manages the greenhouse and tomato garden
Mary gathers eggs
| Students are expected to a) attend all orientation and concluding sessions b) participate in all aspects of the project, to include .....i) read and report/discuss at least one of the assigned memoirs or novels. .....ii) design their service learning projects which involves background readings directly related to their projects. Such readings will be selected in consultation with the instructors. .....iii) fully engage in their service learning project .....iv) report in oral form their progress during the service-learning project .....v) interact with instructors, local individuals, AU campus personnel, tour guides, etc. .....vi) become knowledgeable of the biota, landscape, history and especially cultural history of Zimbabwe and Kenya .....vii) keep a diary/chronology for the travel portion of the project to document their daily activities, accomplishments, insights, and impressions. c) contribute a written report of no less than 5 typed pages supplemented with photographs and other supporting material that summarizes the purpose, impact, and outcome of their service learning project on the local community and on themselves. These reports or versions thereof are to be assembled into a booklet or website that will document our activities and serve as a resource for students in subsequent years to consult as the successors to this first AU service learning project propose service learning projects of their own. |
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Grading: F = failure to complete any of a-c above |
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Here are some examples of good student writing from a previous travel interim to South Africa and Namibia. Use these as models when you're writing about your experiences. They include sufficient detail about daily activities and personal reflections about the meaning of those encounters.
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Class meets in Olin 219 promptly at 9:00 am. Thursday: bring passport, yellow fever certificate,
your camera, binoculars, outstanding documentation for Wofford, the book(s)
you read, pen and paper for taking notes and teamwork. Optional: bring laptop for some searching during class time. Topics and Activities:
Questions students will prepare for Friday presentations. Students will draw a number that determines the order in which they are to choose one of these questions to research and share their answers during a Friday class session.
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Credit toward African/African American Studies ProgramStudents may be able to apply this interim
toward the requirements of the A/AA
Studies Program. Check with the A/AA Studies Program coordinators
for further details. |
Norman works at the AU dairy
American Methodists provided a new
Massey Ferguson Tractor for the AU Farm
Date |
Flights |
Origin-Destination |
Depart-Arrive |
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8 Jan
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United Express # 6075
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Charlotte (CLT) to Washington, D.C. (IAD) | dep 6:00 am arrive 7:29 am |
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8 Jan
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Ethiopian Air (ET) # 501
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Washingon to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (ADD) |
dep: 10:45 am arrive 8:05 am 9 Jan |
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9 Jan
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ET # 873
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Addis Ababa to Harare, Zimbabwe (ARE) | dep 9:20 am arrive 12:45 pm |
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20 Jan
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ET # 872
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Harare to Addis Ababa | dep 2:40 pm arrive 7:55 pm |
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20 Jan
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ET # 803
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Addis Ababa to Nairobi, Kenya (NBO) | dep 11:15 pm arrive 1:20 am |
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27 Jan
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ET # 800
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Nairobi to Addis Ababa | dep 6:20 pm arrive 8:25 pm |
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27 Jan
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ET # 500
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Addis Ababa
to Washington, D.C. with stopover in Rome Fiumicino for refueling |
dep 10:15 pm arrive 8:40 am 28 Jan |
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28 Jan
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USAirways #3686
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Washington, D.C. to Charlotte | dep 1:40 pm, arrive 3:03 pm |
Ethiopian Airlines is a member of
Star Alliance
Flyer Miles Program so if you are/become a member, you'll earn about 36,000
miles.
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Information on baggage fees and restrictions is a bit confusing, but according to an agent at United Express they will be incurred based upon our first flight. Thus our travel to Zimbabwe will be based upon the United Express fees and restrictions and travel to the US will be based upon Ethiopian Airlines fees and restrictions. United Express: |
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One carry-on bag. Clothing: Personal toiletries Other Gear Bold = put in carry-on bag or money pouch Passport*** |
The Soungweme girls
On the AU Campus, food in the dining hall is between $2.00 to $3.50, depending on how wide your varieties are. The meals are made up of starch, usually rice, potatoes and our staple sadza, meat dishes such as beef, chicken, green vegetables, fruit. Drinks, (sodas) cost 50 cents per bottle and $1.00 for the canned drink.For those who stay for some time at the Fairfield Guesthouse, you can buy food in town and use the kitchen that is shared with the other guests.Most meals are provided during the Kenya
safari but while in Nairobi you'll need money to purchase meals.
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AU Campus: Agriculture Building
Sadza, beans, and cabbage in the AU Dining Hall
Dorms on the AU campus
The Soungweme family
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During the travel portion of the trip, if it becomes necessary to contact a professor or student, please do so only in the case of emergency and then only via Dean Amy Lancaster.
Dr. G.R. Davis, Professor of Biology Dr. John Moeller, Dr. Clarence "Ab" Abercrombie A letter to the Wofford students from Dr. Abercrombie
Amy Lancaster, Assistant Dean for Academic
Administration and International Programs Boyce Lawton,
Emergency Contact Numbers during Travel SegmentSharai Nondo, Acting Director, Information
and Public Affairs Pollmans Tours and Safaris (while in Kenya) Nariobi Safari Club Hotel Serena Mountain Lodge near Mt. Kenya National
Part Lake Nakuru Lodge, Lake Nakuru, Kenya Mara Simba Lodge near Masai Mara Game Reserve,
Kenya |
Ponds near the AU field are home to many species of frogs
Sarudzai, a field hand
Ponds on the AU campus are home to many species of amphibians
An AU Security Guard
| There are no US State Department travel warnings or advisories for Zimbabwe or Kenya as of 12 March 2011 and 17 November 2011. Likewise, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom have no restrictions recommended for Kenya and Zimbabwe. The US State Department issued a Travel Warning to Kenya dated 28 December 2010 for potential terrorist threats stemming from events in 1998 and 2002. The State Department website cautions against travel to regions of Kenya bordering Somalia. Our itinerary does not include travel in that region. Our travel plans have us spending one day in Nairobi, Kenya before traveling to Kenya National Park, and we expect to make arrangements for activities that day that minimize risks associated with travel in that city. Upon our return from the safari to Nairobi, we will depart in the late afternoon for Addis Ababa and thence onward to Washington DC and Charlotte NC. We (Moeller and Davis) have enrolled in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program which will automatically notify us via email with State Department updates related to Kenya and Zimbabwe. |
Shem, a diary worker
Spiny mouse captured near the Gold Mines
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Consular Information Sheets published by the State Department provide information on entry requirements, medical facilities, crime, traffic safety & road conditions, aviation, and embassy locations. Check the Information Sheets for Background Notes (country Profiles) for Zimbabwe and Kenya. They are posted on the State Department website and provides information about the population, ethnic groups, geography, government and political conditions, history,economy, travel and business information. The State Department also publishes "Tips for Student Travelers" which is very sound advice. "A Safe Trip Abroad" is also packed with useful information. The organizers of the travel trip are cognizant of safety and security issues and will not knowingly endanger themselves or students by traveling to dangerous regions. We will be monitoring US State Department information. |
Old AU Campus and Farm Fields from the Hill of the Cross
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Students are to consult with their physicians regarding immunizations which are appropriate for travel to Zimbabwe and Kenya.
The Center for Disease Control's recommendations for travelers to Zimbabwe and The Center for Disease Control's recommendations for travelers to Kenya
You may arrange to obtain immunizations locally from Spartanburg Regional Hospital's Travelers
Health Clinic Physician's fee = $76 (special reduction to $50 for our group) plus the cost of each immunization (i.e. Yellow fever is $104.) or
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Timothy, the field foreman, oversees the planting of corn
Snakes are very common on the Africa
University campus
| $4417 Course Fee includes round-trip airfare, airport transportation, insurance, emergency cell phone for the project leaders, room and board at Africa University in the campus dormitories, tours and park entrance fees, locally-guided safari includes all meals, group transportation costs in Zimbabwe and Kenya, and hotels during transit. |
| Not included in the course fee: texts and reading materials, personal expenses, Zimbabwe visa ($50 US upon arrival in Zimbabwe), Kenya visa ($50 in Bole international Airport.) optional day trip of 25 miles from Africa University to Mutare ($25), beverages and snacks during safari and on travel days (estimated $60), bottled water if students choose not to drink the local water (estimated $20), tip for safari guide (estimated $20), entertainment i.e. tips for performances by native singers and dancers (estimated $35), passport, medical expenses (i.e. vaccinations), personal cell phones and phone cards, binoculars and camera, guidebooks, travel guides, and texts (The professors will have a sufficient number of copies to share), meals in cities (estimated $30-60 US), and souvenirs. |
Waiting for the bus in Mutare
Chorusing frogs highlight the night walks on the AU campus
Exotic insects are commonplace on the AU campus
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For students who already have a passport: check the expiration date to be sure that your passport will be valid for the duration of our trip. Passport must be valid for 6 months beyond our scheduled stay. For students who need a passport: all necessary materials and information can be obtained from the main Spartanburg Post Office at the corner of South Church Street and Henry Street. You will need to provide a certified copy of your birth certificate, complete with embossed seal. Check here for the latest US State Department Passport Information. And another update is here. |
| VISAS - Please ensure your passport has sufficient
blank pages (at least two double pages) for any visas required and for entry/departure
stamps. Visas can be purchased at all the African airports. However, long
lines could occur if visas are purchased at these airports. The fees below
must be paid in cash (US$10 and US$20 bills are recommended for this purpose)
Prices are subject to change. " Kenya Visa costs $50.00 " Zimbabwe Visa costs $50.00 |
Tongesai visits his wife's tomato patch
Linus worked at the reservoir for the AU campus
Students wishing to commit to one travel/study project should turn in a $500 non-refundable deposit and complete Interim 2012 Travel/Study Project Application (http://www.wofford.edu/uploadedFiles/Interim%20Application(2).pdf) to Dean Lancaster by no later than 3 p.m. on Friday, May 6 (checks only, made out to Wofford College with project destination and W number noted on "Memo" line). |
Frogs mating after the December rains
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General Tips for Traveling Abroad Bureau of Consular Affairs (US State Department Home Page for Travel Advisories.) Tips for Student Travelers from the Bureau of Consular Affairs |
| Students are responsible for determining which, if any, medications they should obtain. |
Walking home after a trip to town
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Some Frequently Asked Questions. (Consider that will it be dusty on the safari. Bring bags for your electronic equipment.) updated 2 January 2012 3. Will we get to shower every day? 5. How much will I be moving my luggage?
Would it be easier to pack in a backpack? 7. Are towels a necessity to bring? 10. What is the average temperature of during
January? 17. Should we bring filters or water treatment
tablets? 19. What happens if I get sick or injured? 21. Will I be able to recharge batteries
(ie. for cameras, etc.) |
