Ecology and Anthropology in Tanzania

Faculty Director

Anna Estes, Faculty Director of Ecology and Anthropology in Tanzania and Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies

Dr. Anna Estes (aestes@carleton.edu) is an ecologist with over 20 years of experience teaching and doing research in Tanzania, where she also spent part of her childhood. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, her MS from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and her BA from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. As an ecologist and conservationist, Anna’s goal is to produce science that can help further human-wildlife coexistence.

Anna’s primary interests are in human-wildlife interactions through the lens of changing landscapes and habitats. Her research has included land-use impacts to biodiversity and ecosystem health, landscape-level predictors of human-wildlife conflict, land-cover change around protected areas, wildlife movement, habitat use and population connectivity, human demography and movement, and eco-health and zoonotic diseases. She loves teaching and has been involved in experiential education for almost 20 years.  She is also particularly committed to expanding STEM education and opportunities, particularly in ecology and human-environment interactions, to groups that have been under-represented in these fields. She is an adjunct professor in Life Sciences at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology in Arusha, Tanzania, and a member of the IUCN African Elephant and Connectivity Conservation Specialist Groups.

Assistant Director

SOAN 326: Cultural Anthropology of East Africa

Dr. Ahmed Sh. Ibrahim (aibrahim@carleton.edu) is a socio-cultural anthropologist with a PhD from the Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY). He earned his undergraduate degrees in Global Studies, International Relations, and Political Science from the University of Minnesota. He has held teaching positions at several insitutions including Carleton College, Hunter College (CUNY), the University of Dar es Salaam, and Mogadishu University. Dr. Ibrahim has done research in East Africa and among the African diaspora in the U.S. with a focus on the anthropology of religion and politics. His research has appeared in academic journals, edited volumes, and popular websites such as Africa is a Country and Responsible Statecraft.

Sample Independent Study Projects

Students enroll in five courses required courses, earning the equivalent of 16 semester credits upon successful completion. Course credits are awarded in Carleton College academic credits. The student’s home institution is responsible for converting the Carleton credits. Please see the recommended credit conversion.

Required Courses

SOAN 326: Cultural Anthropology of East Africa

The course introduces students to East Africa – its geography, people groups and their cultures. The focus will be on the peoples of Tanzania and their linguistic groupings.  We shall look at what scholars and the citizens themselves say about their origins, social, economic, ecological and modern conditions. The course explores the history, social structure, politics, livelihoods and gender issues of the Maasai, Arusha, Meru, Chagga and Hadzabe cultural groups. Homestays, guest speakers and excursions in northern Tanzania offer students and instructors enviable interactions with these groups and insights into their culture and socio-ecology.

ENTS 355: Ecology and Conservation of Savanna Ecosystems in Northern Tanzania

This course focuses on the foundational principles necessary to understand the ecology and conservation of savanna ecosystems in northern Tanzania, and the important roles that people and protected areas play within them. The course is based on the premise that a thorough understanding of Tanzania’s ecosystems and the challenges facing them cannot be achieved without understanding the human and political contexts in which they exist. The course incorporates primary literature, frequent guest lecturers, stakeholder interactions and student-facilitated discussions. The experiential, site-based approach allows students to gain insight into the practical application of ecological concepts in monitoring and maintaining savanna ecosystems.

AFST 101-07: Elementary Swahili

Elementary Swahili introduces students to the communicative use of Swahili, emphasizing communicative competence in real contexts. Ninety percent of instruction is conducted in the target language. Vocabulary and grammar are taught in context. Instruction pays attention to the cultural information in relevant contexts of communication. The main learning/teaching styles used include role plays, prepared presentations, interactive lectures, classroom conversations, and dramatization. In addition to the class textbook, authentic source materials are used, such as pictures, songs, short stories, poems and essays. Student assessment is continuous, and includes classroom participation, homework, written exams and oral exams.

ENTS 255: Field Methods in Ecology and Anthropology

This course enables students with interests in both Ecology and Anthropology to conduct studies in partnership with Tanzanian host communities. The challenges facing cultural groups and socio-ecological systems in northern Tanzania are inherently multi-disciplinary, and students must be able to bridge disciplines. The Field Methods course provides students with a common set of skills from both the ecological and anthropological disciplines to be applied in their ISPs. Topics covered in the course include: introduction to research ethics; conducting a literature review; design and implementation of data collection protocols and survey questionnaires; summary, analysis and presentation of qualitative and quantitative data.

ENTS 392: Independent Field Research

Students spend three weeks of the program working on a field research project with a small team of other students. The research projects are designed to be carried out in collaboration with local communities, NGOs or regional research organizations. The multi-disciplinary nature of the projects encourages students to identify roles on the team which align with their academic interests and abilities. Projects may be carried out over a number of years, giving each year’s students the opportunity to build on the research carried out in the previous year. Students present their research at the end of the ISP.

Carleton Program Assistant

Nganashe S. Lukumay is a dedicated professional with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and Management. She has over seven years of experience in managing community development projects, with a focus on education, youth and women empowerment, communications, and donor relations. Nganashe’s career has been marked by her passion for uplifting communities through sustainable initiatives. Her work at the Pastoral Women’s Council and Digital Opportunity Trust reflects her commitment to improving education and economic opportunities for vulnerable populations, particularly women and youth in Tanzania.

As an alumna of the East African Young Women Leadership and Mentorship Initiative (EAWLMI), she developed her leadership abilities through a two-year leadership training with Akili Dada in Kenya. She has honed her skills in monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) through training with the Regional Education and Learning Initiative (RELI), gaining hands-on experience across East Africa, including Dar es Salaam, Kenya, Uganda, and Zanzibar.

Fluent in English, Swahili, and Maasai, she combines her extensive experience, leadership skills, and passion for community development to drive impactful change, particularly in Tanzania’s most vulnerable communities.

MS Training Centre for Development Cooperation Leadership, Instructors and Staff

Dr. Irene Mkini Lugalla is a lecturer and the Academic Dean at MS TCDC. She holds an MA in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies in the Hague, where she majored in Women, Gender, and Development. She earned a  PhD from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands where her research focused on women’s business growth and development.

Dr. Lugalla provides coaching and capacity to organizations in gender equality processes: gender mainstreaming, gender analysis and gender audits. Dr. Lugalla has designed and delivered a range of gender training workshops such as Gender Audit, Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in Management, and Gender Equality and Emotional Intelligence. She has advanced skills and experiences in building capacities within organizations, and providing technical coaching and mentorship.  

Dr. Lugalla provided consultancy services to Parenting without Violence (PwV), a Save the Children project in Zanzibar. Her work with PwV focused on the use of gender transformational approaches and social inclusion to address violence against children.

Her recent publication is:  Mkini Lugalla, I., Jacobs, J.P. & Westerman, W., 2023. What Drives Women Entrepreneurs in Tourism in Tanzania? Journal of African Business, pp.1-19.

Juliana Shem is a social scientist serving as a Senior Programme Officer at MS TCDC, bringing over a decade of experience in designing and coordinating impactful academic programs and development projects. Her passion lies in individual and organizational capacity development, research, leadership and governance, and the broader spectrum of development work. She is deeply committed to empowering young leaders through education and capacity-building initiatives, believing that strong leadership and governance are key to achieving a just and prosperous Africa.

Juliana holds an MA in Educational Management and Leadership, complemented by a BA in Economics and Sociology. Juliana’s educational background provides her with a comprehensive understanding of the socio-economic and cultural factors that influence development, together with skills aimed at fostering good governance and sustainable development.

Beyond her professional duties, she serves as the Chairperson of the Staff Union, advocating for fair and effective organizational practices, and fostering a collaborative and supportive workplace culture. Driven by a passion for learning and development, Juliana believes in the transformative power of education and leadership. She is committed to advancing sustainable development through innovative program management and strategic collaboration.

Nimpher Lucas Bureta is the Swahili Program Coordinator. Her background is in library and information management. She joined MS TCDC in 2017, as an assistant program coordinator and now serves as the Swahili course and program coordinator. Nimpher oversees program logistics and participant support, including host family coordination. With a passion for networking, she thrives in the diverse environment at MS TCDC. Excited about her ongoing post-graduate diploma in education, and ready to leverage her newfound knowledge for the promotion of the Swahili language in areas crucial to development making language and cultural understanding integral to sustainable progress.

Said Omar is Head of Programs and Intercultural Unit at MS TCDC. He has been teaching Swahili for the past ten years. His passion for language and teaching was inspired by his mother and his own language learning and cultural exchange experiences. Upon receiving his bachelor’s degree in Arabic and English, Omar worked as a Swahili-English translator, interpreter, and instructor for several years before being awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 2014. As a Fulbright Scholar, Omar taught Swahili at Michigan State University where he also studied several courses in applied linguistics and pedagogy. He has continued developing his career as a Swahili Language Instructor ever since and completed his master’s degree in Swahili in 2018. He’s currently perusing PhD in Kiswahili (Applied Linguistics) at the University of Dar es Salaam and is the head of Programs and Intercultural Unit at MS TCDC.

Maureen Ndelema is a Language Trainer at MS TCDC. She holds a BA in Procurement and Logistics Management. Having always had an interest in working internationally, Maureen was drawn to TCDC because of its global reach, and was thrilled when she found work here as an Assistant Administrator and Program Coordinator with the Swahili Intercultural Department in 2016.  In this role, she has provided crucial support to international programs coming through TCDC’s intercultural department to study Swahili and Culture where she developed an interest in teaching Swahili and Culture. In 2018, she began training as a Swahili language instructor and was later brought to teach different study-abroad Programs. Maureen has been engaging with the Carleton Program for the past two years teaching Swahili and Culture. Currently, she is enrolled in a Postgraduate Diploma program in Education and intends to pursue an MA degree in Swahili Studies in the near future.

Swahili Language Instructors

Welcome to the MS-TCDC Campus!

The home base for Ecology and Anthropology in Tanzania is the MS Training Centre for Development Cooperation (MS-TCDC). MS-TCDC is located in Usa River, ca. 20 kilometers east of Arusha and 32 kilometers west of Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). MS-TCDC was established in 1967, one of the results of a bilateral agreement between Denmark and Tanzania. MS-TCDC is a Pan-African learning center, hosting short courses and training programs on a variety of topics, and is recognized as a premier institution for Swahili language and culture instruction.

The MS-TCDC campus is the center of program activity. Classrooms, library and study spaces, cafeteria, and housing are conveniently located in a verdant landscape of trees and lawn. Covered meeting spaces offer opportunities for outdoor classes and group meetings during warm weather.

MS-TCDC is tons of fun! The snack bar and sand volleyball court are great places to relax after class. Students who like to run or walk can take advantage of the walking path that encompasses the campus just inside the compound.There are weekly soccer and basketball games are played among people on campus and people living in the surrounding area, monkeys are constantly around campus, and there is a view tower, which provides stunning views of Mt. Meru, and, on a clear day, allows you to see Mt. Kilimanjaro!

Students will live in dormitories with four to five other students. Most of the rooms are doubles, with a closet, desk, and a chair for each student. Bathroom facilities are shared among the students in the dorms.

What to Expect When on Safari

Ecology and Anthropology in Tanzania offers fantastic opportunities to live, learn and study in the field. With an academic foundation established in anthropology, ecology, and Swahili language and culture during the first five weeks, the middle portion of the program focuses on excursions and safaris. The excursions vary in length from two days to five or six days. Students will visit on-going research projects, national parks, protected areas, and unprotected border regions.

Carleton College partners with Dorobo Safaris for program excursions. Dorobo Safaris is a family-owned business with a long history of working with local people to respect and preserve Tanzania’s magnificent wildlife, land resources, and the way of life of the people who live on the land.

On safari you will spend time with Hadzabe hunter-gatherers and Maasai pastoralists to learn about their culture and the challenges they face to maintain their livelihoods under changing climate and land uses, and to hear their views of natural resource management. You will also spend time in some of Tanzania’s premier protected areas observing wildlife large and small, and learning about how human influences and environmental processes have shaped the ecosystems we see today.

Transportation to the various sites is done in safari vehicles, with five to six people in each vehicle. Dorobo Safari’s staff members are experienced and very knowledgeable — a wonderful resource for students on Carleton’s program! All supplies for the excursions are provided by Dorobo Safaris, including transportation, food, tents, and bedding. Students don’t need to bring anything except for recommended clothing, binoculars, and a camera.

There will always be opportunities to get out of the safari vehicle, stretch your legs, and observe the landscape and wildlife, however, it’s important to know that reaching some sites will require long days in a vehicle. Students are expected to assist with work at the overnight excursion sites, including loading and unloading vehicles, setting up tents, preparing food, cleaning up after meals, and generally stepping into the role of an active participant rather than that of a tourist.

Interview with Roimen Lelya

Lion Monitoring & Conservation Officer, Kope Lion

Applications for the Fall 2025 will open in early November 2024. The rolling admission process begins in mid-February. Please fill out the Connect with Carleton GEP form or email global@carleton.edu to have your name added to the interest list for Ecology and Anthropology in Tanzania Fall 2025.

Program Dates for Fall 2025

Ecology and Anthropology in Tanzania runs every fall from early September to mid-December. The tentative program dates for Fall 2025 are below.

2025 Tentative Program Dates: September 3 – December 12, 2025 (101 days)

• Wednesday, Sept 3: students arrive in Arusha, Tanzania
• Friday, Sept 5: Ecology and Anthropology in Tanzania orientation begins
• Monday, Sept 8: Ecology and Anthropology in Tanzania classes begin
• Wednesday, Nov: 12: Ecology and Anthropology in Tanzania 10-week classes end
• Monday, Nov 17: All student 10-week coursework submitted
• Wednesday, Nov 19: Ecology and Anthropology in Tanzania ISPs begin
• Wednesday, Dec 10: All student ISP work submitted
• Friday, Dec 12: students depart Arusha, Tanzania

Tuition and Program Fees

Fall 2025 tuition and program fees will be available in November.

* Other:

• CISI Emergency Medical Insurance during program dates
• ISP travel expenses
• Airport pick-up and drop-off at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
• Fees for program-related field trips and safaris

Students are responsible for books and research materials, passport and visa fees, transportation to and from Tanzania, and personal expenses.

Payment Timeline