I read about Roadmonkey and liked the combination of adventure AND philanthropy. It was a unique mix that I hadn't seen previously. I was also impressed with the background of Roadmonkey founder, Paul von Zielbauer. As a former NY Times reporter, he took a very thorough approach to researching his trips. And the groups were small and very custom.
Alumni Spotlight: Joanie Wynn
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Why did you decide to volunteer abroad with Roadmonkey in Tanzania?
Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.
We spent time building desks, refurbishing classrooms (painting, scraping paint, etc.) and installing a clean water filtration system.
What was the highlight of your trip?
Meeting the kids at the Bibi Jann Children's Care Center. That was so amazing and really brought home the importance of what we were there to do. On the adventure component, we got to interact with our Kilimanjaro porters and really felt a deeper cultural exchange than I think most tours offer. I am still in touch with our lead guide to this day.
How has this experience impacted your future?
We came back from our trip and started Journeys for Good. As a documentary film couple, these are the stories we are excited to tell.