Pernille Bærendtsen - is she louder than Swahili?

Pernille Bærendtsen is leaving Tanzania for Copenhagen after almost five years working for MS in East Africa. Here she is interviewed by a colleague for the newsletter.

‘It has been a privilege and in fact a dream job,’ says Pernille about her work as Information Officer for MS Tanzania ActionAid Denmark for the past two and a half years.

‘Imagine, I got to go to Africa to be tasked to produce articles from places with exotic names which used to be only dots on a map hanging in my office in Copenhagen.

‘Nobody took me by the hand, in Tanzania I had to go bara ya Afrika – inside – all by myself, locate the partner organisation and the story.

‘It’s somewhat crazy, and it still gives me this feeling of extreme confidence.’

Many hours spent behind the wheel driving to remote areas, visiting local civil society organisations, taking photos and sniffing up good stories has been the life of Pernille for the last five years. Pernille’s work with MS in East Africa has taken her first to Northern Uganda and since to Tanzania, where she has spent the last two and half years working closely with MS Tanzania’s partner organisations.

‘The kind of information work as I like it is when you go out there and interact,’ says Pernille.

MS Tanzania Country Director Kristian Petersen describes Pernille as ‘an Information Officer who in a unique way has managed to connect the local development issues which our partners are engaged in with the national agenda of MS as well as global political trends.’

In your experience, is the work of MS mainly driven by demand from the South or from the North?

‘The agenda is increasingly driven by the demand from the North, probably because of the demand for funds. Fundraising often takes priority because of the pressure from the donors and in that process it is easy to forget the people it is all about. I have really tried to make the voices of the people represented properly, and that is why it is so important to be out there. I don’t write fiction when it comes to MS!’ stresses Pernille.

You have worked for MS for around a decade. What are some of the changes you have experienced?

‘MS has changed a lot since I was a volunteer in 1997 for MS in Bosnia - and of course it had to. MS has become much more professional and focused, but I also see a shift from working with solidarity and political standpoints as a driving force to a somehow more popularity-seeking political approach, which is more and more inflicted by trends and funds in Europe than the actual situation in the African village.’

What is the most outstanding part of Tanzanian society you have experienced since your arrival?

‘If you make an effort you can get to know people from all levels of society. I know rural women and well-educated young people living in Dar es Salaam, Muslims and Christians - you name it. The diversity is amazing, and it is a gift to have the option of making friends among such different groupings.’    

You also have a life outside MS: your blog ‘Louder than Swahili’ is read by many Tanzanians, wazungu and people from around the world. Staff at my workplace sometimes refer to something they have read on you blog. What has your experience of blogging in Tanzania been like?

‘My original intention was to provide personal reflections on development, as I believe a lot of the material already there is too politically correct and lacks passion – many NGOs like to filtrate and add layers to how they present their image of what it really feels like when your staff live and work in Africa.

‘But the blog has also become a tool to understand what is happening in Tanzania, as I have tried to turn my own lack of specific knowledge into asking questions. You invite dialogue when you seek an answer instead of classifying something as ‘strange’. I have learnt a lot about cultural vibes, and it has definitely taught me something about nuances.

‘But one thing is certain, nothing is louder than Swahili!’

What is the secret behind a fruitful stay as a DW?

'I’ve done a lot of other things outside of my work. Living in Tanzania is my life, and I’m not talking about getting the right house, car or staff, but about building personal relationships and an interesting life wherever you are. I think I have been very lucky in this regard.’

After 5 years in Africa you are returning to Denmark. How do you feel about that?

‘I think it is scary. It is so much easier to leave Denmark than to return.’

What have you learnt from Africa? And what do you think you will be able to use in Denmark?

‘Africans are masters of persevering – of not giving up. My car was once stuck in the mud in Lushoto in the Usambara Mountains, and after a couple of hours trying to get it out, I reconciled with the idea of staying in the village until the rainy season was over. But the Tanzanians with me digged on, and with the help of about 35 villagers we got out.

‘I think experiences like these make you both humble and confident at the same time. As the Kilimanjaro beer slogan says: “Make the most of it”. I really think it is all about not wasting your time, but making use of the opportunities you are given.’