Our program director didn’t have an information sheet for me so I’ve been trying to piece together what the placement might be like. Overwhelmingly people who’ve worked in the detention center talk about how sweet and fun the boys are, so while I may be a little out of my element, I know that this month in the placement is going to be amazing. I found this from a former volunteer:

I was fortunate enough to visit some other placements of fellow volunteers. It was an eye opening experience in so many ways. It’s amazing how some people are treated in Tanzania. I was lucky enough to visit the Juvenile Detention Centre (less formally known as Juvi). Juvi is a place where children that have committed a crime stay before they are sentenced in court. Generally, the kids either get released or are placed into jail. It all depends on what the judge rules. The crimes these kids commit are not necessarily crimes either. One child got in an argument with her grandmother and was sent to Juvi for disrespecting her elder (of course, this is the abbreviated version of the story). An 11 year old boy was play fighting with his friend, kicked him in the stomach, and his friend died (probably due to a pre-existing condition). Now this 11 year old boy is waiting to stand in a Tanzanian court before a judge that will decide if he is guilty for manslaughter. Amazing.

Despite all of the horrible stories Juvi is actually a fun place. Or at least the volunteers try and make it fun. All of the kids are released from their rooms when the volunteers arrive to begin the days activities. The day I went we decided to paint a mural on the wall. All the kids helped us brighten up the walls….and maybe a little bit of the floor. Ok, maybe a lot bit of the floor. Good thing they weren’t expecting a professional paint job. All in all, it was a great experience and I was happy to help out.