Intercultural relationships in Tanzania

I was in a relationship with a British man for about a year. We were engaged to be married but sadly things didn't work out for us and we broke up three months before the wedding. His parents were strongly against him marrying a Tanzanian woman and so, he decided to return to the UK, leaving me severely depressed for months.

One of the greatest benefits of being in a mixed relationship IMO, is a child or children that will be the bridges between two worlds.I really, really, badly wanted to have such children, but as he was gone, so was my dream.

I know my relationship didn't turn out well, but to all those who are in a mixed relationship, if you want it to be a successful one, remember that it takes a lot of trust, respect, honesty, patience, understanding and ENDURANCE. I bolded this last word, as I have witnessed many mixed relationships fail all because they could not endure the challenges that come with it - such as finding
difficulty in adapting to a partner's culture, traditions, lifestyle, beliefs, religion, behavior, difficult in-laws, environment, country.....and the list goes on!

I know one amazing foreigner who has been married to a Tanzanian man for over 40 years. When asked how she coped, knowing that her life has been full of struggles in this country, she says, "Well, I'm a tough old bird!" 

Also, we African women are not as liberated as our western counterparts when it comes to cohabiting. Living with a man without marital ties here is against cultural norms - even though some young women are nowadays having a lax attitute toward it.