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Go further out and visit a rural health clinic
Metten Says: If it is at all possible you should try visiting some of the rural dispensaries or clinics close to Sengerema. Sengerema has a hospital, so most people go here if they live close by. But for the majority of Tanzanians, hospitals are not an option. In stead they have to go to...
Metten Says: While you're at it, you should also pay a visit to a secondary school to see how things work here. I suggest going to Sengerema Sekondari - a government school with both border and day student, boys and girls. The students love to talk to strangers, so be prepared to answer...
Metten Says: Do yourself a favour and visit one of the primary schools in Sengerema. Here you get to see close hand the beauty and the ugliness of Tanzania. It's wonderful seeing all these happy faces of children but you can't help feeling sad when you experience the beatings and the...
Metten Says: If you stay in Sengerema for a longer period of time, do yourself a favour and contact Brother/Father D. - a Dutch priest who has lived in Sengerema for 30 years or more. He knows the place like his own pocket, and is therefore the perfect guide. He frequently arranges small...
Visit the hospital - even when you're not sick
Metten Says: It is truly an experience to go to Sengerema Hospital and watch the patients and doctors there. Sengerema Hospital is a well-functioning, clean hospital of quite some standard. Ask the matrone or Mr. Mihayo if they could give you a tour. It is definitely worth visiting here....
Metten Says: Like any other African city there are a dozen of small dukas or stands where you can buy food. It's perfectly fine and safe too eat (mostly - if you have a delicate stomach or aren't used to travelling you might experience some discomfort). In Sengerema, one of my favourite...
The VIP restaurant: For VIP only
Metten Says: Well.... the name is kind of misleading as there is absolutely nothing VIP about this 'restaurant'! But then again, I have only seen well-to-do Tanzanians in here, so maybe it's not completely wrong. Its more of a dirty, small room with 4 raggedy tables than it is a...
There is no nightlife in Sengerema! That is, most men go out after dark and start drinking beers at the bars, but that is not an option for white people - at least not girls. You WILL get hazzle unless you are together with locals and the reputation that follows is not good. I always went to Mwanza in stead, where there actually IS night life and where it is not frowned upon.
Written Dec 11, 2003
Metten Says: It's good to have a reliable taxi driver in Sengerema. If anything happens you can always call him and get him to pick you up. Trust me when I say that standing as the only mzungo in pitch darkness outside the broken off-road, preparing to spend the night in the middle of...
Metten Says: A really good way to get around town is to use bicycle-taxis. You find young guys standing around everywhere with their old bicycles with padded seats on the back. They are actually quite comfortable and is probably the best means of transportation(apart from walking) if you...
Helpfulness
Go down to the "sokoni" (market) and walk around the dukas and see all the wonderful kangas and fabrics. It's SOOO cheap if you want to buy these fabrics or have a dress custom made for your exact measurements. The tailors are actually good, and they can make justa about anything. Talk to them about what you like, have them measure you and settle for a price. You can usually pick up a dress the next day if you are in a hurry, but if you need a full dress it might take a couple of days or a week. A tailormade skirt typically costs around 3000 shillings. You bring the fabric yourself.
Written Dec 11, 2003
Metten Says: Try learning a bit of swahili. It's amazing the kind of good-will that follows from a few frases. You do have to learn the greetings, though. No way about it. ALL elders should be greeted with a bow (!) and a "shikamoo" (Literally I hold your feet). If children or young...
Metten Says: Please consider that Sengerema is a rural town, so dress conservatively. No naked shoulders, tummies, knees and what have you. It's absolute no-go-area. You stand out because you are white, so no reason to make yourself stand out even more. They will treat you with a lot...
Metten Says: Malaria aside, the biggest danger you will encounter in Sengerema, as well as the rest of Tanzania, is the traffic. Watch out when the dallas and especially the off-roads come swirling in from Kamanga. The Tanzanians themselves make a run for it and literally jump off the...
Metten Says: Stay inside after it gets dark. This really applies to all of Tanzania, so it can't come as a big surprise. You risk getting robbed or attacked if you walk outside after dark, so avoid it at all costs. There is no risk of getting robbed in Sengerema at day time - it is...
Considering the fact that the only people who go to Sengerema are Tanzanians or mzungo who work there (which is around 4 or 5 people), it can't come as a surprise that there are absolutely no tourist traps in Sengerema. And that is what makes it wonderful!
Updated Dec 11, 2003
Metten Says: If you have a camera with APS make sure to bring loads of rolls of films from back home, as you won't be able to buy it in neither Sengerema or Mwanza. You have to go to either Moshi, Arusha, Dar or Kampala (!) to buy them and they are often more expensive than if you had...
Metten Says: Bring a mobile phone from back home and simply change the SIM card in Mwanza and buy VodaCOm Vouchers when you need to call. Communication is really important down there, and it is crucial you have a way of getting into contact with people if you need help. A lot of...
Metten Says: There is a small post office in Sengerema. It actually works - probably even better than the one in Mwanza where the staff is totally corrupted. Be friendly with the people working here and there is absolutely no hazzle at all. The opening hours change a bit and sometimes...
Metten Says: You CAN get in contact with the rest of the world when you are in Sengerema. There is a Tele Centre down town where you can use internet. There is no generator, so the whole system breaks down quite often. It's a problem especially during the rainy season, but heck! It's...
I don't honestly expect anyone to choose Sengerema as their holiday destination, and I would be lying if I said it was an absolute 'must' to go there. I literally thought I was going to die, when I......
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