Tanzanian Entrepreneur Shares Why She Chose Home Over Europe

Rehema Remi, a healer, curator, educator and farmer, has built a thriving life at Offbabylon, a center for organic farming and community building where she cultivates and prepares plant-based food, including ugali, pounded young papaya salad, smoked plantain and sweet potatoes.

The German-educated mother of two has returned to Tanzania, describing the move as embracing "freedom." When asked why she relocated, her answer was simple: "Home is beautiful." She has fully immersed herself in art and culture, working as an arts, culture and education consultant for various institutions, including the French cultural center Alliance Française de Dar es Salaam.

Additionally, she is exploring her cultural heritage and studying traditional African healing practices, among her many endeavors.

Community and Child-Rearing

Remi expresses gratitude for the Tanzanian approach to community life, where extended family members, friends and neighbors all participate in raising children—something uniquely African that she found absent in Western culture.

In Tanzania, children can freely play outside without worry. "Here you can tell your kids to go eat at your neighbors and have my neighbors’ kids come to my place, without being scared," she said.

This freedom puzzles her when she considers why many African youth are determined to reach Europe. "People do not realize how much freedom we have in Tanzania compared to other countries. Even in Germany, I found it restrictive," she explained.

Work-Life Balance and Creative Freedom

Unlike Tanzania, Germany’s work-life balance can be limiting, she notes. Life becomes monotonous and repetitive, with restricted work opportunities, while in Tanzania, she is free to explore and unleash her creativity.

Remi has her own understanding of freedom—even the type of food one chooses to eat represents liberty.

As an organic farmer practicing permaculture at Offbabylon, she recognizes the privilege of accessing fresh vegetables, fruits and grains in Tanzania—food that would be expensive in Europe.

She also values the kindness and warmth of Tanzanian people, who openly welcome friends and neighbors who arrive unexpectedly. "In Europe, you can’t just show up at someone’s door unannounced," she noted.

The Reality Behind the European Dream

The social freedom Remi experiences in Tanzania has been refreshing. She points to the influx of European tourists visiting Tanzania for vacation as evidence of the country’s appealing lifestyle.

"I can decide where to go, I can go to the beach today and decide to go anywhere in Tanzania, boundless," she said. The simple act of moving freely throughout her motherland might seem insignificant to some Tanzanians who take it for granted, but Remi has witnessed the other side of restrictive movement for people who look like her.

"Some people and politicians in Germany have on several occasions boldly stated publicly that they do not want to see black people in public," she revealed.

Europe’s high-pressure work culture, driven by high living costs and widespread debt, often traps people in a relentless cycle of labor and repayment. "That’s no way for one to live," she said.

Savoring her freedom in Tanzania, she named her pet dog ‘Freedom.’ Being part of a generation whose parents witnessed Tanzania’s early years after independence, she cherishes every aspect of it.

A Message to Young Africans

Thousands of young Africans have in recent years risked their lives crossing turbulent oceans to reach Europe, with many drowning or remaining unaccounted for in the Mediterranean Sea.

While acknowledging that some Africans flee internal conflicts and wars, Remi notes that Tanzania enjoys peace. "Tanzania—we are not there as a country where our people would be forced to seek asylum," she explained.

However, she points out that the European lifestyle being sold to Africans is contrary to reality. Most fall for a mirage and the allure of European life, which is likely unattainable, even if they reach European shores.

"It’s just a picture perpetuating the modern world in Europe, but we all know that is not the life for black people," she said, pointing to the rise of right-wing politics across America and Europe. "Every day they kill black children, you see the Black Lives Matter movement, the incarceration of black men."

Far-right and anti-immigration political movements have been gaining strength in Germany and voicing racist rhetoric. Remi noted that while pursuing education in Europe worked well in the 1990s and early 2000s, politics have changed.

After completing her studies and securing employment, she witnessed systemic racism growing bolder, with people publicly voicing their bigotry. This drove her to become politically active, joining human rights activists and confronting everyday racism—an experience she admits was exhausting.

Finding Balance

Africa and Tanzania are no paradise, she acknowledges, but at least here she is not judged for the color of her skin. In Western countries, black people must constantly seek approval and work harder to silence doubters.

"The image they portray of black people in Europe is so negative and black people have always had to prove them wrong; it’s exhausting and many of us have committed suicide because of it," she said.

She has also experienced positive aspects of the country that provided her education, including supportive friends and community. She appreciates certain conveniences like quick-cooking foods and efficient infrastructure. "I wish we had that kind of transportation from Dar to Mwanza or Bukoba," she said.

Many of her German friends have visited Tanzania and been amazed by its beauty.

Practical Advice

Remi emphasizes that she doesn’t want to discourage young Africans from pursuing their dreams of going to Europe, but Africans must be pragmatic about the reality that comes with such decisions.

"If you have the opportunity and the visa, you can go and be smart," she advised. "Be a quick learner, pick up things fast and learn to adapt."

Job opportunities are not equally distributed to unskilled or even skilled Africans; some end up taking odd jobs just to survive.

"Success doesn’t come overnight; patience and hard work are vital," she added. "Most importantly, do not forget home."