Kenyans and Tanzanians: the Disparities (part 3)

As we continue to look at the differences between Kenyans and Tanzanians, today we look at still some more of these disparities.

Water or Toilet Paper?

Most Tanzanians use water in the toilet (to do the work of a toilet paper!). You see them going to the toilet with small containers (kopo, as they are called in Tanzania) filled with water.

Kenyans use different materials as "wipers" in the toilet. Some use toilet paper while others use old newspapers, pages of exercise books and a motley of other materials as long as they can wipe.
This reminds me of something we used to do when we (my friends and I) were young. We used to keep the "Jogoo" and "Jimbi" maize meal papers. Anyone who has ever seen these maize meal papers knows how hard they are.
Before going to the toilet, we would energetically "rub" the paper between our hands to remove the "hardness" so that our a**** (!) would not be hurt in the process of "wiping". That's how crude some of us were (and are).

A Kenyan friend of mine visited a Tanzanian family sometime last year. When he came back to Kenya, he shared his experiences with me. He shared one experience with me more than once. He told me: "There was no toilet paper in the family toilet. Instead, there was a big bucket filled with water and a 'mug' inside the bucket. This is what those people used to use instead of toilet paper. I could not bring myself to using that (mind you, I feared to ask). So, I bought my own TP (toilet paper) and 'hid' it in my bag. Once, a big piece of TP fell on the toilet floor without my knowledge. Imagine the hullabaloo when the housemaid found the wet piece as she was cleaning the toilet!"

Education

In Kenya, we take Eight years in Primary school, Fouryears in Secondary school and Four years in University (i.e. for most of the degrees courses).
In Tanzania, they take Seven years in Primary school, Four years in Secondary school, Two years in High school (Forms 5 and 6) and Three years in University (i.e. for most of the degree courses).

Still on education, pupils and students in Public (and Private) schools in Kenya stay in school from morning to afternoon (after 3pm). Thus, it is rare to see students and pupils roaming the streets when classes are on.

This is quite different from what happens in Tanzania. It is a common sight to see students and pupils roaming the streets when classes are on. Why? Pupils and students go to school in shifts. This means that some go to school in the morning while others go to school in the afternoon (or "mchana" as they call it in Tanzania): When the 'afternoon students' come to school, the 'morning students' leave for home.

====================================================
This is the end of the third part in a series that endeavours to look at the differences between Kenyans and Tanzanians.
Have your shout out. Send your views and observations on this issue to undaunted_2006 at yahoo dot com and I'll post your observations here.
====================================================