Kindness

April 15, 2010
Yesterday I was in stonetown, Zanzibar, shopping for a few souvenirs. I visited a cooperative consisting of 65 women who made pillows of all sorts of colors and designs - they were beautiful! Just as stunning were the women's warm hospitality and friendliness. Meghan and I explained to the lady who spoke the best English that we were volunteer teachers in Rwanda. As expected, she asked us if everything was peaceful there and we assured her it was for the most part. She said that her husband had died fighting in the civil war in Tanzania and that she fears for her children' safety. She was very glad that we were teachers, providing education for children.

We perused the piles of colorful fabrics and after much deliberation made our final selections. We took out our cash and began to tally up the bill. Now, usually at a women's cooperative there is no bartering, the prices are set. But to our surprise they began "bartering" for us. First, instead of exchanging from dollars to shillings, they told us we could just pay the US price tag in shillings, meaning an $8 pillow would be 8000 shillings, which is a 27% discount by itself. On top of that, when I added up my bill, it should have been 53000 shillings. When she added it up, she got 50000. I said okay, 50000. Then, she gave me a huge proud grin and said 45000. And 45000 it was.

I am still amazed at this kindness to a complete stranger. We (Americans) live in a culture so focused on profit that it isn't even a choice to sacrifice kindness, but apparently the default. Moreover, instead of trying to rip off a muzungu tourist who's almost always a target, these ladies put aside their own culture's stereotype of me as well as the stereotype of money being the most important thing in life, in order to show the most pure act of kindess.