Intern Explores Eastern Region of Africa

July 29, 2015
In addition to working with the U.S. Foreign Service this summer, UA student Leishara Ward has had opportunities to travel.
Travelers between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar have the choice of flying in a 12 seater plane or taking the crowded ferry with several hundred other sea-sick people. A few years ago, the ferry was more than double capacity and it capsized. We chose to fly.
Our first view of Zanzibar Town as we approached the island and came in for a landing. From this angle, you can see the many houses with corrugated iron sheets, a common roofing material in East Africa.
A Maasai village is located in the valley within the Tarangire National Park.
The old German Fort in Stone Town, Zanzibar. Today, they hold public events inside the fort and happened to be hosting the Zanzibar Film Festival the weekend we were there. There are all kinds of vendors inside the fort, and this is where I eventually got
I have always loved henna on fingernails and jumped at the chance to get it done while in Zanzibar. She got a little more creative than just fingernails. It has been 1.5 weeks already, and although most of the finger design has worn off, the red fingernai
Stone Town in Zanzibar, a World Heritage Site, is rich with history and culture. This sign hangs outside the former British Consulate and is written in both Kiswahili and English.
The entrance gate and offices to the Ngorogoro Crater.
Wildebeest in the Ngorogoro Crater. Flamingoes can be seen by the thousands in the saltwater Lake Magadi in the background.
Yellow Billed Storks at Lake Manyara National Park.
Black-faced vervet monkeys are greeting and preening each other in Lake Manyara National Park.
Thousands of zebra reside in Tarangire National Park.
Our safari group overlooking the Tarangire River in Tarangire National Park. The group members are Blake Bynum, Christina Parisi, Ruby Kirby, Lauren Hovis, Shaun Watson and Leishara Ward.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A fisherman off the coast of Zanzibar. The view from Stone Town.
The Tembo Hotel is a popular place, situated in the heart of Stone Town right on the beach. The hotel was originally much smaller, but revamped and expanded in 1995. Because of the World Heritage designation, the new portion had to be built in a manner th
When harvesting coconuts, it is tradition to sing loud and clear in order to warn passersby of the falling fruits. Apparently, dropping coconuts on people can be dangerous. In this photo, a gentleman is climbing the palm tree and serenading us with an Eas
Tipu Tip was an Zanzibari-born Swahili trader known for his ruthless treatment of slaves. For the better part of the 19th century, Tipu Tip controlled the largest slave market in Zanzibar. He also sold ivory and eventually invested his fortunes in clove
Site of the former slave market in Stone Town Zanzibar. The market has since been replaced with an Anglican Church and a Mosque, side by side. The church is actually located in the exact spot where the whipping post once stood.
A sun dial commemorating donor agencies at the Tarangire National Park
These dhows are ready for hire, and an inordinate amount of them were named "Mr. Bean" for some odd reason.
Co-workers Blake Bynum, Shaun Watson and Ruby Kirby on safari having stopped along the way at the Africafe in Arusha.
Zanzibar is famous for two things: the African slave market and the spice plantations. Here, a local has harvested fresh ginger and is giving us a taste.
Lychee fruits fresh from the tree. They look strange on the outside but once the spikey-looking rind is removed, the fleshy fruit inside is delicious. It's so fleshy in fact that it felt somewhat odd eating it.
Lunch on Mbudya Island. The seafood was caught fresh that morning and cooked to order on the uninhabited Mbudya Island. We had lobster, fish and chicken served with "chips," lime and salt. The cost was $7-12 per plate.
Fellow summer interns Lauren Hovis, Christina Parisi and Ruby Kirby.

This summer, Leishara Ward has been working in Tanzania with the United States Agency for International Development, which is part of the U.S. Foreign Service.

While away, Ward has had the opportunity to travel with other summer interns and co-workers.

She has flown out of the Kilimanjaro Airport en route to a safari where she was able to see the yellow billed stork, flamingoes, black-faced vervet monkeys, wildebeest, lions and other animals.

She has traveled to Mbudya Island by dhow, dining on lobster, fish, and chicken.

She also has visited an old German fort and a former trading location for slaves in Zanzibar.

As Ward is wrapping up her summer internship abroad, she says: "I will be happy to be home in a few short weeks, but I will surely miss this place."

Photography credit: Leishara Ward

Leishara Ward, who is in the Master's in Public Administration program in the School of Government and Public Policy while working toward a certificate in collaborative governance, is one of four students selected as a 2015 UANews student columnist. The columnist initiative was launched in June by UANews and provides students the opportunity to share insights about the work and research they will be doing over the summer in various parts of the United States and abroad. It is the UA's 100% Engagement in action, and the students' experiences will prepare them to be real-world ready upon graduation.

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