Do's & Don'ts

There are cultural values which differ form one society to another and sometimes within the society itself. In order for a foreigner or visitor to live comfortably in the host society, he should be aware of these values. Listed below are some of the Tanzanian cultural values.

DO'S

1. Greeting people
Greeting is one of the most important cultural aspects in Tanzania the foreigner should be aware of, since it might enhance or distort good relationship. If someone greets you, he means he respects you and he is ready to begin conversation at any time. If you need any help from someone, it is very important to greet him first or else you won't get help. If you don't greet your neighbors, it means you are not in good terms with them and if you are in a problem they won't help you.

2. Respecting elders
Tanzanians are very much age conscious. They try to respect their elders as much as they can. This is due to the fact that,, elders are considered to be wise and having a lot of knowledge. Also Tanzanians believe that elders have the power to curse any young person who shows misbehavior to them. For that reason Tanzanians try hard not to annoy the elders in anyway. They tend to give them first priorities in various situations i.e. giving them their seats in public transport, greet them, remove hat when talking to them, etc.

3. Respect funeral and death ceremonies
Death and funeral ceremonies are very important to attend. There is a saying, which says "a friend in need is a friend indeed". For that reason anyone who helps you during difficult times is a good friend of yours and vice versa. According to Tanzanian culture, death is the most critical situation to the bereaved, therefore helping them during death period is the first indication of friendship and ignoring them during this time indicates a big degree of enmity. People usually ask permission from their work to attend funerals even if one is not a close relative with the bereaved family. If one happens to meet a funeral procession to the graveyard, one joins or stops to let it pass.

4. Relationships with neighbours
Neighbours are the most important people to be in good terms with. Normally neighbours are considered to be your close relatives. This is due to the fact that in case you are in a problem they are the ones who will help. The best and easiest way of making friendship with your neighbours is by greeting them whenever you meet them and by trying to talk with them. Also it is a good thing to visit them especially when one member of their family is sick or when they are in trouble.

5. Being offered food/drinks in people's homes
If you visit someone's home and offered food or drinks don't refuse, you can at least taste small amount and make any excuse e.g. "I am full"; "I have stomach ache"; "I am not feeling well today".

6. Shopping
DO bargain at the market and at the shop before paying for an item, you will have fun doing it. But modern shops have fixed prices.

7. BE tolerant when people come late to the meetings, it is not only because they have a lot of work but also the different concept they have on time and indicators of time they use.

8. IF you are the one to suggest going for a meal or a drink then the assumption is that you will pay.

DON'TS

1. Smelling food
Tanzanians value and respect those who cook food. And to the Tanzanian culture, women /wives cook food. Smelling food indicates that the food is bad and so the cook is. Therefore it is considered rude to sniff food. Sniffing anything implies that it is rotten or it smells bad. Most of the foreigners smell various things at the market when buying them. This is not common in our culture. In case you want to know if a fruit is ripe or not, you have to press on the fruit and if it is easily pressed in, then it is ripe and vice versa.

2. Putting legs or sitting on the table
Some Tanzanian families eat either on the mat or on the table and so they value these places and they are kept very clean. Tanzanians think that legs/feet and buttocks are the dirtiest parts of the body. It is because we think that legs step on dirty things when you are walking and we use buttocks to pass out excrement. People value the table/mat and they want it to be always clean because they use them for eating or sleep on. For that matter people think that it is un hygynic to put legs on the table/mat. Also putting legs on the table in front of elders or a boss shows disrespect and it is considered rude.

3. Index finger
In Tanzania people value and respect each other. The index finger is used to call dogs as dogs are not valued and from the Islamic religion, dogs are not allowed to get into a mosque because they are dirty. For that matter, calling a person using the index finger, is like calling him a dog. Also calling a person using the index finger shows arrogance or superior attitude. This is mainly because the colonialists used to call the natives by using the index finger. Not to be considered having the colonial mentality which people hate, better not use the index finger when calling people in Tanzania. Instead use the palm of your hand or if the one you want to call is far and cannot see you, use your hand to call him/her.

4. Public affection
Love is very much valued, respected as it is within love the African families have been brought up. And as love is related to sex, it is considered a private and very secret issue and it is not something to be displayed in public. Kissing and hugging in public is not common. However holding hands between two people of the same sex is considered proper as it signifies close relationship.

5. Guests and meals
Food equals hospitality, friendship, love and good relations in general. When a guest is being asked if he/she would like to stay for a meal, he/she will respond "no" although he/she actual wants to. If he says "yes" then he is considered not to have eaten at his home and has come there for food. If you have Tanzania guests, be prepared to offer them food rather than ask if they want any. This goes for drinks as well. Ask what kind of drink they would like as opposed to whether they would like one.

6. Hanging underwear outside
Underwear is considered to be secret or private clothing. Hanging them where people could easily see them, is considered as exposing ones' nakedness. Normally when drying them outside, people cover them with either a piece of ' Khanga' or any other clothes.

7. Abusive language
Language is a means of communication. People become friends by talking in a good language and also people become enemies using the language as well. Children are brought up using good language to people. Using abusive language in African culture, is considered to be rude and it shows disrespect to those whom you are talking with. For that matter it is better to avoid using words like ‘shit, bullshit, uncivilized’ etc. Since these words may lead people to disrespect you.

8. Farting in public
Farting in public signifies immaturity and it is not hygienic. Also it shows misbehavior to those who are present. It is a good idea to walk away from people around you if you feel like farting.

9. Talking to elders
Tanzanians are very much age conscious. They try as much as they can not to annoy or show misbehaviors to elders as elders are respected people in the society. Putting hands in pockets is something done at leisure and with age groups while talking to each other. While talking to elders and putting hands into your pockets and/or a cap or hat on, it is as if you are talking to a person of your age and this shows disrespect to elders.

10. Wearing torn/dirty clothes or immodest dress
Be sure your clothes are clean and mended. You’re whom you are with. Women should avoid waering immodest dress that is tight, transparent, and low-cut or shows the knee.

11. Giving and receiving things with left hand
Is considered to be rude ;people they think left hand is not clean.

12. Blowing your nose at the dining table
If you need to blow your nose during meal, excuse yourself from the table (or eating) to do this.

KIU CROSS-CULTURE ORIENTATION TOPICS

The following are some of the cross-culture topics KIU provides so as to help foreigners and visitors to Tanzania:

To work successfully in Tanzania, to know the difference from their own culture,to minimize their cultural shock, to have fun and to practice a different culture.

KIU cross culture orientation has been divided into two main areas:

First:
Class room sessions e.g. Do's and Don'ts; How to Say 'No'; and gestures.

Secondly: Outings and Assignments eg. to attend local entertainment, activities and shopping.

Topics and Objectives

1. Do's and Don'ts:
The aim is to enable a trainees to understand the acceptable and unacceptable behaviors according to the culture.

2. Relationship:
Aims at making a trainees to be able to have good relationship with Tanzanian people.

3. Exploring How to Say "No":
The goal here is to give skills to the trainees on how to say "No" on culturally appropriate ways without offending people.

4. Body language/gestures:
This will help them to recognize the body language, facial expression and hand gestures applied and later practice them.

5. Personal safety:
To enable the trainee to be aware of different circumstances during travelling in Tanzania eg. to be aware of thieves (presented by a role-play, followed by a discussion).

6. An introduction to cultures of Tanzania:
Here a trainee will get some ideas on Tanzanian culture and compare them with his/her customs

7. Traditional beliefs: Trainees will be able to recognize different forms of superstitions due to cultural diversities (mainly beliefs and superstitions exist in the following forms: witchcraft and curse.

8. African medicines: The trainees will be able to recognize some of the African medicines which traditional healers use and which have now been proved to be effective to some of the diseases which were not able to be cured medically. (To name a few are donkey's urine, a lion's oil, a famous plant called "mwarobaini", n.k.)

9. Traditional religions:
This will enable the trainees to understand how people used to worship different idols before the coming of Christianity and Islam.

10. Dressing /Clothing: Since the trainees will live in Tanzania this session is very important to them , as they will learn the way to dress decently in our culture. The trainees will avoid dressing indecently while being together with Tanzanians, though in their culture that might be a decent cloth. So they will learn different types of clothes like "Khanga", "Kanzu" etc. also by "whom" and at what occasions should these cloth be worn.

11. Songs:
The goal of this session is to enable a trainee to sing some of the Tanzanian songs. It should be noted that all songs have significances although they also entertain eg. The Nation Anthem song , Malaika nakupenda, nk. The session will help a trainee to know where, when and how to sing it.

12. Concept of Time:
Identify ways in which cultures differ in how people conceive and handle time. Tell how their concept of time affects their interactions with each other.

13. Attitudes towards work in Tanzania (workplace values and norms)
As foreigners will be working deligently with the Tanzanian communities in their workplaces, they need to be aware of the host country positions on key dimensions of culture that affect the workplace, e.g. personal and professional lives. In Tanzania workplaces it is impossible to separate personal and family matters from work. You may have to interrupt your work to take care of personal business. Personal and professional lives inevitably overlap. People will understand if you plead a family emergency. Relationships are given a higher priority than work itself. One can leave doing work and go to do something else either personal or not related to work.