Kelsie Comeau's Story
To Participate in The Happiness Project, myself and 9 other NSCC students and 2 faculty members went to Tanzania in May of 2023. This trip was full of incredible opportunities, including but certainly not limited to experiencing and learning about a culture completely different from my own, seeing a different way of life, and creating strong friendships and bonds with people whom I never would have met had it not been for this project.
When arriving at the campus of the Veta Hotel and Tourism Training Institute (VHTTI), I was overwhelmed with the warmest welcome, smiling faces and open arms, of students and teachers singing and dancing, encouraging us to join in. We were able to get a lot done in our short two-week stay. We visited many cultural centres as well as many tourist attractions and were able to do mini-ventures on top of it! Pictured is the garden of one of my favourite moments, visiting the Nano-Filter plant and learning about the way the filtration system works as well as the biogas system they engineered. It was amazing to see so many powerful business women doing excellent work for their communities.
Leaving after only two weeks was one of the hardest things I have had to do in my life, but I have formed lifelong connections with the people who were involved. It was very hard to leave and while there were tears shed, it is not goodbye, but “see you later”. I am looking forward to returning to Tanzania in the future, and I will be doing everything I can to get back! Having a limited amount of travel experience, this was a very formative experience. I will be forever grateful for the connections I made with students and staff, both from NSCC and VHTTI.