Changed my life

Volunteering in Tanzania was my first real experience travelling for long term and it was unforgettable. I spent one month in Arusha from June to July (high season) and worked at a school/daycare. While I signed up for childcare, I ended up teaching and met such incredible children and local teachers!

Going in, I had some qualms about volunteering abroad, but IVHQ (at least with this program) seemed great at working with and involving locals instead of just planting themselves in another country. Their are over 50 Tanzanians employed by IVHQ's Tanzanian partner TVE and you get to work closely with many of the coordinators. They'll show you how to get the best prices, teach you how to get to placement, or even just bring you to market to get your dress tailored by a woman they know! Having these local connections right-off-the-bat really helped with getting involved and immersed.

The amenities provided were also stellar. I went during high season, so there were a lot of people in the house, but the house itself was great! My room, which I shared with 6 people had a full bathroom (including a shower with hot water) as well as a common room and porch for the many volunteers to hang out in.

The social life (beyond working at placement, which was the crux of the experience), was probably the best part of the whole time! I made unforgettable friends, and we got to go to incredible places. The hotsprings in Moshi, Safari in the Serengeti, and more every-day trips into the square or market were all quite the adventures. Transportation is cheap and easy, with a dala-dala ride costing only 500 TZN (about $0.20 us) or the more luxurious indriver (basically Tanzania's uber) being an easy and safe way to travel when the daladala can't provide.
All-in-all, the country was incredible, and my experience with IVHQ was an important part about it. While there were some flaws in communication, the country itself is incredible with kind and open-hearted people.