What started as a lifestyle travel brand quickly became a humanitarian aid project to support self-sustainable development in Africa during my first trip to Tanzania in June 2022.
I was the cultural exchange coordinator for Nurturing Minds in Africa and traveled to Tanzania to foster partnerships with the locals and the Secondary Education for Girls’ Advancement School.
There, I realized I was working for a white savior organization (WSO) that relied on trauma porn and sensationalism to fundraise. Nurturing Minds in Africa generalizes all Tanzanian girls as child brides who are helpless, “vulnerable,” and traumatized by genital mutilation, poverty, and gender-based violence. I drank the Kool-aid and thought I had to save these “poor girls.”
When I visited Tanzania, I learned early on that the narrative these people created could not be further from the truth. Students were pulling me to the side to share their opinions on how Nurturing Minds in Africa was using their images (without permission) along with disparaging, and often false, information to pull on the hearts (and purse) strings of European Americans.
It was then that I knew I had to do something. Five days after I returned to America from Tanzania, I was fired. Below you can read the letter I sent to my ex-boss, Laura Dedominicis. But first, I want you to keep in mind that I am NOT a victim, and sharing this is very difficult for me. I experienced a great deal of emotional trauma as Nurturing Minds employee. Writing this has allowed painful thoughts and feelings to resurface; however, I know I must share my story.
Subject: My termination is a result of retaliation
Date: June 29, 2022
Wow, Laura-
Where do I begin? How foolish of me to think that you and I bonded on the Tanzania trip, and I felt that you had my best interest at heart. The last seven days have been full of shock, confusion, heartache, and utter disappointment.
It hurts me deep down in my soul to think I may never see the SEGA students again. Laura, I promised many of them that I would return before the end of the year, and the thought that I would let them down is heartbreaking. I do not understand how you could watch me fall in love with SEGA and Tanzania for ten days knowing that you were planning to terminate me as soon as I returned to America.
Laura, you did not say anything about my job performance, and when I asked you if I was doing something wrong, you did not respond to my question. I know I achieved ALL of my objectives for the business trip despite my brother's suicide attempt, jetlag, sleep deprivation, harassment, and a hostile work environment.
Every day I showed up with a smile because I was in the most beautiful place in the world with the most amazing people I have ever met! Several SEGA students told me that I am their role model. I received more affirmations from them than I ever have from you. Those girls see me as an ally. They shared their struggles, frustrations, joy, and cultural traditions with me.
My termination is a result of retaliation.
Laura, I find it ironic that I was terminated 12 days after informing you of how the three girls harassed me in the van on the way to SEGA. Their behavior created an unsafe and hostile work environment that made me feel stressed and anxious during the trip. I cried every day because I was exhausted, jet-lagged, distressed, and unsupported. When I came to you for solace, you dismissed me. It was agonizing to hear those three young ladies make disparaging and biased comments about Tanzanian people, culture, and cuisine. They yelled at and made fun of several Tanzanians in Mikumi and Morogoro.
My heart hurt for Latifah's mother when your niece Katia rudely asked her to dry off the plates because she was afraid of typhoid. How inconsiderate of her to assume the mother did not use safi maji (safe water) to accommodate us! And you know what, I am no longer surprised because I realized that I had heard the same negative opinions and stereotypes of Tanzania since my first day of work on May 2. Some of Nurturing Minds's staff and board members have negative and biased views of Tanzanians. Why are you really there if you feel that way about Tanzania? I wonder.
Let's get into your reasoning for my termination.
1. The Instagram post you posted on June 10 disparaging the organization was a gross violation of the organization's social media policies outlined in the employee handbook (to which you acknowledged receipt and understanding) and the confidentiality agreement you signed.
It is evident that someone from Nurturing Minds began surveilling my social media account on June 10, one day after I told you that the three girls you invited were harassing me and creating a hostile work environment. You said my story post included disparaging opinions of Nurturing Minds; however, I never identified the organization and only expressed grievances about the hostile work conditions I experienced during the Tanzania trip. I will gladly share the entire 4-minute video.
2. While I reminded you several times in conversations that under our social media policy, you are not authorized to post any content of SEGA students, staff, or the campus taken at SEGA on your personal social media, and all such content should be posted on the NM site, you continued to post these images and video on your personal social media. To the extent you have not removed these images and video already, they must be taken down immediately.
Laura, you never reprimanded me for posting content about the SEGA students, staff, and campus. You knew about the posts for a week and didn't say anything. I told you that one of my objectives was to create social media content to boost awareness and bookings. Unfortunately, you only scheduled one meeting with me on June 9 to criticize me for being late to an assembly that was not on my itinerary.
I have received consent from each person I recorded. Nurturing Minds could learn something about asking for permission before sharing the media of SEGA students. On June 11, a student told me that "SEGA is perfect," but she "hates" Nurturing Minds because The organization used her photo without her consent in a recent ad. One day she saw a poster with her face and 'vulnerable girls' in big, bold letters. The student told me she wanted to "snatch the poster off the wall and throw it in the trash." She did not allow me to record, but I was permitted to take notes. These are her words:
"It bothers me when White people come to SEGA and stare at us. Most of the White people look at us as vulnerable people. When they look at us, they assume we are poor, and our parents can't take care of us. We need sponsors to know that we are not poor. We are not all vulnerable girls, and we are not all child brides."
The discipline I have received is on par with someone who has been adequately trained and employed by Nurturing Minds for several years. I have had to take charge of my training since I started on May 2. An orientation with Tracey Dolan was scheduled for June 21- the day you terminated my employment. Laura, you had the opportunity to train me in person in Tanzania, and you could have pulled me aside to address any misinformation or miscommunication. I feel like I was set up for failure from the very beginning, and I am now being disciplined for the lack of training for the culture exchange coordinator role. The way you are treating me is grossly unjustified.
3. You were habitually late to meetings and for group travel departures.
Laura, this is based on the opinions of the three girls who were harassing me and making disparaging comments about Tanzania and its people. There was only one meeting and one airport departure that I was late for. I was about 2 minutes late for the assembly meeting because I was sleep-deprived and jetlagged. I stayed up until 4 in the morning working because I didn't want to neglect my work. As soon as I returned from shopping in Morogoro Town, I sat on my bed and passed out. I would have missed the assembly if it were not for Isabella tapping on my window to wake me up. Not one person in our group, including you, thought to notify me of the actual time for the assembly. I did not receive a text, call, or email. Also, SEGA is a large campus with no map or signs to let visitors know where they are going. I couldn't begin to count the times I got lost and had to ask a student for directions.
On June 16, I told you that I wanted to extend my trip. You said that we would have a meeting that day to discuss my options. We walked past me twice in Hotel Slipaway when I tried to engage in conversation. I figured you would follow up later, but the next message you sent was to remind me of our departure time. The miscommunication and my overweight bags were why I was late for the departure.
4. You did not productively engage with, plan with and assist your local SEGA counterparts. Really, Laura? I met with every SEGA staff member on my itinerary and have the meeting minutes to prove it. I also engaged with dozens of students, several teachers, security guards, and the Maasai community on campus; of course, I have proof.
I would love to share my tribal research project, where I recorded the tribe and hometown of each person I met on SEGA's campus. This is how I learned about the tribes of Morogoro.
Remember when you introduced me to the graduate students? One of them said that she was from Morogoro, to which I asked, "Is your tribe Luguru or Kaguru?" Laura, you interjected and told me, "Oh no, you must be thinking about the mountains. Those are called the Uluguru mountains." The students smiled at me and replied, "Yes, Luguru is the name of my tribe!" Here's what I learned in just a few days on SEGA's campus: Luguru is the name of the tribe Kiluguru is the name of the language Mluguru is what you would call a member of the Luguru tribe Uluguru is the name of the mountains I find it ironic that you and Polly have been working in Tanzania for almost as long as I have been alive, and you both have never heard of the Maasai whistle until I recorded it and shared it with you. It was the shock on both of your faces that confused me. How could you not know? Julianna has been a student of SEGA for three years.
One of your partners has blog posts about the private details of her family and trauma for the whole world to read. https://connectinggrowthglobally.com/2019/01/02/something-about-my-sister/
The Maasai is one of the most prominent and popular tribes in Tanzania. I wonder if the issue is that you all do not have the time to learn about Tanzanians, or you do not care to know about Tanzanians? The truth is that I learned more about SEGA, Morogoro, and the Tanzanian people, culture, and cuisine in 10 days than you have in the 14 years that you have been with Nurturing Minds. Just imagine the amount of information and cultural knowledge I could learn in 14 years! There is a dire need for an African American liaison to bridge the gap between Nurturing Minds (America) and SEGA (Africa). Moreover, the disparaging comments you and another board member made about John Magufuli and the Tanzanian people were disgraceful. You both mocked Magufuli's death. It was then that I knew that there might be some ulterior motives. Why are you so eager to help people that you think poorly of? Tanzania is not a charity case. One month of wages to waive liability is not enough for the pain, suffering, microaggressions, racism, exclusion, and harassment I endured as the cultural exchange coordinator. Laura, I disclosed that I was planning to relocate to Massachusetts to be closer to you. Don't you think it would have been helpful to let me know that I should not relocate because you were planning to fire me? I have proof that I told you about the harassment, and you did nothing. I have evidence that I asked you if I was doing anything wrong, and you did not reply. Where are the justice and equity? Will the next cultural exchange coordinator be subjected to the same experience that I went through? You can do better,
Azania
Marion Ballard, a Nurturing Minds board member whom I have never met before, wrote a response and tried to send it only to my ex-boss but accidentally hit 'reply all' upon sending. 👀
"Unbelievable! How can we help her understand that when two people are like
oil and water, it is better not to try to mix them together? Azania is not a fit for Nurturing Minds. She should realize that and just go away.
Did she accept the offer of “one month of wages in exchange for a release from liability”? I am so sorry you are being weighed down by this. -
Marion"
Let's be clear, that I never signed the liability waiver even though I several people advised me to do so. If Nurturing Minds is not at fault, why should I have to sign a liabilty waiver? Two weeks after I sent that email to Laura and the board, Nurturing Minds sent me about six weeks of wages through direct deposit.
So what's next for me? I'm working with The Good Shepherd Orphanage in Okaafor, Ghana to support self-sustainable development and economic empowerment. We, myself and Rich Moore, are fundraising to build a fence, start a garden, renovate the chicken coop, and provide a monthly income for the teachers at the orphanage who have not been paid in four months.
Thank you for reading. ❤️
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