The People of Zanzibar

Posted by Adrienne Miller, RAS NUNGWI, ZANZIBAR, TANZANIA – Zanzibar is a semi-independent island of the United Republic of Tanzania and its east coast is located in the Indian Ocean.  At the northern-most tip is the town of Ras Nungwi. This photograph was taken along the beach walk to Ras Nungwi during low tide. When the tide is low, you can walk out towards the sea for nearly a mile, eventually reaching Ras Nungwi and then, soon after, the edge of the shelf.  One more step from the edge will land you in the tremendous depth of the sea – even during low tide.  But low tide is the only time you can get to Ras Nungwi by foot without having to go up to the dusty and hot village roads. In the photograph, the women’s buckets are for toting water to their homes from the water truck that makes its rounds throughout the island’s villages where running water is nonexistent.  They are waiting in the shade until they get word that the truck is on its way.

While life in Ras Nungwi is peaceful, poverty is prevalent. People work very hard for their meager sustenance, mainly through fishing in the beautiful surrounding seas. Only a very small number of citizens make higher wages in the tourism and resort industries.

Adrienne Miller is a recent graduate from Georgia State University with a major in Sociology. She is also a freelance photographer who has traveled the world taking photographs of everyday life. She can be contacted at adriennebeth@gmail.com . You can also view her Social Shutter post: On the Roads of India.