Rania Nasser's 'Watu wa Tanzania' challenging stereotypes about Africa

What you need to know:

Travelling to numerous western countries have illustrated the extent of these stereotypes as I am usually asked many absurd questions concerning Tanzania.
These experiences have made me become very passionate about this topic and I am ecstatic to have a chance to share wonderful tales from Tanzania with the outside world.

Africa is a continent that has always been plagued by stereotypes. The western gaze is a strong perspective from individuals living in places such as Europe and North America.
Usually westerners define Tanzania as a poor and underdeveloped country. However these compiled stories will express the true culture and diverse personalities Tanzania holds.
Sweeping comments about a continent encourage stereotyping and prevent people from understanding that while African countries may share some similarities, each country has its unique identity.
Africa is a continent with a stunning array of diverse cultures, however, there are a lot of misconceptions due to the stereotypical ideas .
My goal is to share stories and articles on my blog from Tanzanians’ point of view with the aim of challenging the western gaze of East Africa and educating the West about the authentic Tanzanian culture.
By telling the story of Tanzania by Tanzanians, my blog aspires to challenge the stereotypical perceptions of East Africa and in particular Tanzania by the West.
By interviewing Tanzanians from various backgrounds, the story provides the world with a glimpse of the real life of Tanzanians as a unique people from Africa and create a more realistic version of Tanzania and by extension East Africa.
My goal is to challenge the West’s perspective of Tanzania to a more practical view. Revealing true stories from Tanzanians would help challenge westerner’s outlook of Tanzania.
Ann Kaplan in her 1997 book “Looking for the other” talks about the imperial gaze. Kaplan defines the Imperial gaze as the phenomenon of looking at the world from the perspective of privileged individuals.
Kaplan a renowned author and has written several books that involve topics such as feminism, cultural studies, and media. The image of Africa and Tanzania has been constructed by the West and continues to prevail much to the detriment of its people.
"The WHO Africa region’s per capita alcohol consumption is only 0.02 liters higher at 6.15 liters a year. This is lower than Europe and the Americas, which consume 12.18 liters and 8.67 liters respectively.
"The WHO report doesn't have statistics on the number of heavy drinkers in 20 African countries (so, nearly half of the region) For instance, Tanzania was excluded.
Having been born and lived in Tanzania my entire life, I understand that even people who know that Africa is not a country, and that's not everyone, can't get past the images of poverty stricken villages, violence-plagued townships, AIDS, malaria and misery.
Although Tanzania is a beautiful nation this is rarely the image that the outside world has of it as the myths and misconceptions perpetuated since the colonial times continue to taint its image.
Travelling to numerous western countries have illustrated the extent of these stereotypes as I am usually asked many absurd questions concerning Tanzania.
These experiences have made me become very passionate about this topic and I am ecstatic to have a chance to share wonderful tales from Tanzania with the outside world.
This project also gives me a chance to understand the various cultures of the people of Tanzania, their struggles, dreams and history.
Undertaking this journey not only challenges the westerner’s perspectives and attitudes towards Tanzania but also expands my knowledge of my fellow Tanzanians.