My Zanzibar Research Field Trip: A South-East Asian visits Africa for the first time

My recent trip to the State University of Zanzibar was my first time to travel for work. It was also my first time to Africa and I am especially grateful to Dr Maryam and Umayra for hosting Dr Ben Daniel, my supervisor and I. I am also grateful for Ben’s patience and guidance that helped me to successfully collect rich data from my interviews. Here, I share some of the experiences I enjoyed whilst I was not conducting my research. These experiences, whilst extremely enjoyable, also helped inform my understanding of the research context.

I am thankful that our lovely department administrator, Candi, chose an excellent hotel in Stone Town that was within a 10-minute walk to my interview location. Stone Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the name was chosen because the buildings were constructed using coral stone. I was living in a 19th-century town and in the middle of historical and cultural sites. The buildings’ architecture have Arab, Persian, Indian, European, and African influences. Because the buildings are interconnected, the town is like a labyrinth of small alleys. Needless to say, I had a marvellous opportunity to explore the alleys and cultivate my photography skills!

People in Zanzibar are really friendly and polite. Most of the time, the Zanzibaris are fine with their pictures being taken. However, if I were to take pictures of specific individuals, I would usually ask for their permission first. Also, I mastered some very basic greetings quickly such as “Jambo or Habari” (Hello/ How has your day been) and Nzuri (Fine). I felt I could have mastered Swahili easily if I was to live there for 3 months (not because I have a good linguistic brain for language, but because many were so patient and kind to teach their language)!

1 The Darajani market

The Darajani market is a central market and a good place to learn about the locals. This market exploration was made even better because Ben and I were shown around by Dr Maryam. I was certainly pleased to be shown the daily life of Zanzibaris. I was delighted to see a plethora of tropical fruits that were similar to Malaysia and was excited to see durian too!

One of the highlights for me was the traditional coconut shredder that my grandmother used to have. As coconut is in most of the dishes of Zanzibaris, I was told that this shredder is essential in all houses. What excites me most was Dr. Maryam convinced a trader to demonstrate how to use the shredder and that allowed me to relive my childhood memory of the shredder.

2 Former Slave Market Site and the Anglican Cathedral Christ Church

UNESCO Heritage - The Former Slave Market

The Former Slave Market was where Slaves from the mainland were brought to and traded. I felt a chill by being in the two slave chambers alone. The ceiling was low, a difficulty for people above 1.65m to stand straight. There would not even be any space to stretch when about 50 males were forced into the smaller chamber and about 75 women and children were forced into the bigger one. They would be chained and confined for at least three days in these appalling conditions. Their survival was regarded as the minimum requirement for their good health before being sold at the market.

After the abolishment of the slave market, the Anglican Cathedral Christ Church was built. According to the Wikipedia, the whipping post was where the altar stands now. However, I did not get to see this as mass was being held when I visited the church.

Zanzibar - the Anglican Cathedral Christ Church

3 The fort

The Fort

I enjoyed visiting the fort which was built in the late 17th century by the Omanis to defend the island from the Portuguese. Today, the fort houses a café and 4 or 5 stalls selling tourist merchandise. It would have been great if I could have hired a tour guide to tell some stories and bring the place alive with my imagination. Ah, well, what can one do when you’re on a student budget. 

4 Never-never land

Acrobatic time for the boys: Somersaulting 

Many boys spend their past time at the beach and sea in the evening. They seemed really
free and happy doing what they enjoy. I observed their tireless jumping or somersaulting into the sea. Probably enjoying the limelight too.

Final thoughts

Stone Town Alleys

It was fun walking in the maze of Stone Town’s alleys but by the time I could memorise the connections, it was time to leave. Being able to visit Zanzibar for my field trip was an amazing experience and helped me to better understand the history and culture of Zanzibaris for my research. I left this exotic country with great memories and hope I will be able to visit again one day.