A TAFES Associate who is also a psychologist posted on her Facebook profile about why a man might beat (but not kill) his wife. She wasn’t trying to give justification for it, but to unpack what his assumptions or mental situation might be. The reasons listed were: he might do […]
I’m writing to exorcise a demon before I go to bed tonight. Not a literal demon of course. What I mean is I feel the need to make a confession before I can sleep. Confession features in Tanzanian culture as an expression of power – I make you confess because […]
Because Elliot is at a school which is about half Indian-background kids, I am having a chance to learn more about the Wahindi at school functions. I was at a parent consultation the other day where it was clear that my concerns were vastly different to the other parents. (No […]
We had a friend over for a 6pm dinner, later than usual for us, but very early for him. Like, 3 hours early. It is not unusual for Tanzanians to eat dinner at 9pm. While it is a symptom of modern life, and the pace and busyness at which middle-class […]
I was at a Christian seminar on parenting with Tanzanian peers. The facilitator made the argument that your first priority must be God your spouse your children and only after that, your career or money or anything else. This stuff makes sense to me. I am in a highly companionate […]
One of the TAFES staff asked for advice on Whatsapp from senior associates about a student’s question: Is married people having one bank account good or not so good? We ask for your view and experiences. What ensued was a fascinating discussion of husband and wife’s roles in marriage, that […]
We’ve been discussing TB Joshua on and off for weeks, but thus far I’d mainly been listening and asking questions. They had obviously picked up that I was not enthusiastic about him, but I haven’t actually said why. But this week I decided to take the plunge, and what it […]
Meet Jesus at uni 