Plan to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania (Agricultural extension). What do I need to read?

by theislandisbig

Some time early next year I intend to serve as an Agricultural Extension Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania. For those who don't know, the Peace Corps is an organization run by the United States government. Volunteer service entails at least two years living in a homestay with a local family and engaging in 'development' projects.

Service will not begin for at least another nine months. My current employment allows me enough free time and relaxation to actively read for two to four hours per day. I want to put this time to good use, which is why I am asking /r/askhistorians: What books/articles do you think might be germane to someone working in Tanzania's development community? This could be about African history, Tanzanian history, "development", agriculture, Indian ocean, economic history, anthropology, Theory.....whatever. I just want to avoid being a dumbass.

I currently live in a country where I have very limited access to English books, let alone academic texts. I do, however, have access to jstor and libgen.

Here are a few books I've read that I have found especially helpful when thinking about these sorts of things. I've been trying to hit as many different topics and perspectives as possible. What am I missing?

Arturo Escobar, Encountering Development: The Making and Unmaking of the Third World

Marcel Mazoyer, A History of World Agriculture: From the Neolithic Age to the Current Crisis

Marjorie Shostack, Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman

Jeff Sachs, The Age of Sustainable Development

Aichille Mbembe, On the Postcolony

Amartya Sen, Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation

Fred Cooper, Africa in the World: Capitalism, Empire, Nation-State

Robert Young, Postcolonialism: An Historical Introduction

Chris Bramall, Chinese Economic Development

I realize my question is broad, but I am hoping that a shotgun approach to this will get me as many interesting things to read as possible.

Thanks! Sorry if this question isn't really appropriate to this subreddit.

mtu_fulani

Volunteer service entails at least two years living in a homestay with a local family

I've never heard of Peace Corps Volunteers staying with home stay families during their entire service in Tanzania. Unless there's been a recent change, volunteers stay with a family during training (~ 2 months) and then typically live alone in a house provided by the community or institution that they serve with.

I'm not a historian, but here are some titles that come up for Tanzania, colonialism, development, etc. The first few are more scholarly, which seems to be more what you are looking for based on the list you provided

John Illife, A Modern History of Tanganyika

Abdul Sheriff, Dhow Culture of the Indian Ocean

Adam Hochschild, King Leopold's Ghost

Dambisa Moyo, Dead Aid

Ngugi wa Thiongo, Dreams in a Time of War

Paul Theroux, Dark Star Safari

Abdulrazak Gurnah, Admiring Silence

You might try spending some time gathering electronic resources that might be useful during your service. For instance, I would download Rachel Shamba, which as a lot of agricultural related articles (including some in Swahili).

7of

Which area of Tanzania?

MwalimuG

Hey there! RPCV-TZ here. Check out the Peace Corps Tanzania wiki on /r/peacecorpsvolunteers for more info on the country.