Auli Rauvola has been volunteering with Art in Tanzania for three months. Auli is pursuing a Master’s in Hospitality Management in Finland at Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences. Last autumn, she had the idea to go abroad to volunteer work. She wanted to combine her studies and her dream of volunteering. She found a way to do so by coming to Tanzania to work on developing the kitchen operations in our Dar es Salaam, Madale village volunteer compound.
Auli has extensive experience in cooking and kitchen management, having worked for years as a kitchen manager and domestic science teacher in Finland. Here in Madale, she has focused on sharing her knowledge with local women working in the volunteer house’s kitchen to help them improve their hygiene and learn new cooking methods.
Auli began by observing the daily life in the kitchen, which Mama Nema ran with the help of 2-3 other ladies. The cooks start their work in the kitchen early in the morning by setting up the fire to cook breakfast for the volunteers. All the food is cooked on an open fire in a traditional Tanzanian way. During the day, volunteers cook three meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Lunch is served at 1:00 p.m. and dinner at 7:00 p.m. The working days can get pretty long, but the cooks know how to take it easy during the day. Chatter, laughter, and even singing echo from the kitchen all day, and in between preparing the meals, the women can sometimes be seen napping on a bench outside.
Auli says that, alongside a language barrier, a completely different working culture has been the main challenge in her cooperation with the kitchen staff. The Finnish working culture is efficient and fast-paced, whereas in Tanzania, everything happens at a slower pace. Auli hasn’t survived without a few misunderstandings, but has been able to overcome them with good humour. At first, when she started in the kitchen, the ladies assumed that she was there to learn cooking skills from them. This proved to be a fortunate misunderstanding, as it was easy for Auli to get to know the ladies and their working methods.
Auli soon noticed that the cooks had excellent practical skills, but the kitchen work was disorganised and illogical, and they also lacked creativity and initiative. With no shared language, Auli began drawing pictures to teach how to cook new dishes. She gradually managed to introduce new cooking methods and hygiene policies. Auli tells the ladies that they now playfully refer to her as “the kitchen police”.
The food at the volunteer house is a mix of Tanzanian and Western cuisine. The cooks stick to preparing familiar dishes, while volunteers sometimes hope for more variation. For example, Auli has introduced meatballs and other new dishes to the menu to increase variation. Additionally, local specialities such as ugali, a porridge-like dish made from maize flour, usually served with stews, have been added to the menu for the volunteers to sample.
During her time here, Auli has learned the importance of giving and receiving positive feedback. She has noticed that any small critique is quickly taken personally and has had to find new, more positive ways to offer suggestions. At first, the kitchen ladies were reluctant to try cooking unfamiliar dishes, but when they were complimented, they were pleased and have since cooked new dishes more often.
Even though the disorganisation of the local working culture is a challenge, Auli says there are many things Western people could learn from Africa, such as taking things slowly and not stressing about small things. You don’t always have to be efficient, and sometimes it’s a good idea to stop and sit under a tree for a while! The relaxed and positive atmosphere has also affected Auli; she says all the stress she had back in Finland is long gone. She also hopes to preserve some of the laid-back attitude she has learnt here when she returns to her ordinary life at home.
As Auli’s example shows, the possibilities for volunteering are vast. There’s something for everyone regardless of education, interests or age. Only creativity is the limit! Information about Art in Tanzania volunteering programs can be found here, but like in Auli’s case, it is also possible to tailor your project.
By Maria Kuivamäki
