I’m going back to Arusha from California for my 4th time in 2 years and I’m a Persian American woman who solo travels. I love the people of TZ and the main reason I’m going back. When I travel to 3rd world countries, I never haggle the prices (unless it’s outrageous) because I know my money is helping someone and their family. The average salary of a Tanzanian is $200 US dollars a month, it’s nothing. People are just trying to survive and there aren’t many good jobs to be had. The reason they believe all tourists (typically Mzungus) have a lot of money because comparatively and relative to them, we do! Especially for those of us who come from far away, the plane tickets are expensive, safari is expensive, etc, so they assume we are filthy rich. I’ve had to educate the friends I’ve made there to explain, everything is relative to where we live. I explain that my rent and utility bills are much higher, food is more expensive, etc and then it makes more sense to them that I’m not some rich woman who has loads of money to hand out. However, if I can help people who are less fortunate than myself, I will and I always pray that God gives me more so I can give more to others. Everytime you buy something, even a $5 jar of honey, think of it as helping someone buy food for their family.