Program Reviews

I decided to go on a Raleigh expedition during my gap year after hearing about them through a friend. I had never travelled to a developing country before, so Raleigh's good reputation and safety record made travelling independently less daunting. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made!
Arriving in Tanzania was a massive culture shock. The busy streets, vibrant colours and music really opened my eyes to a world beyond textbooks and exams. On our sanitation project, we built tippy taps and taught the children the importance of hygiene. The school was so remote, it was never somewhere that you would be able to visit as a tourist. The work we did at the school really did make a difference and it was great fun to interact with the children!
What is truly unique about a Raleigh expedition is its combination of helping rural communities in developing countries, at the same time as developing volunteers as individuals. The volunteer managers (aged 25+) are exceptional in offering advice in life. They recognise the potential of 17-24 year olds and their importance in ensuring that future generations are developing in a sustainable way.
On my gap year I also travelled independently to New Zealand and completed more volunteer work in Fiji. My experiences in these countries were fantastic, but nothing compares to the Raleigh spirit and ethos on expedition. It is truly a unique environment combining people of all ages and backgrounds from countries around the world. I made friends for life on my expedition; I even went on holiday a year later with 3 girls I met in Tanzania. I am proud to say that I took part in a Raleigh expedition: quite simply it changed my life. It gave me time to think and evaluate my life at the same time as helping those in need rural communities and helping to conserve their stunning environment. I would recommend Raleigh to anyone!

Raleigh Tanzania changed my life. This amazing adventure was made even better by all the great people I met in the communities and who were on phases with me. You get to do some fascinating and very rewarding things, such as helping families by building stoves that mean they won't have to walk over an hour to collect fire wood and carry it all back. Also working with farmers to protect their crops from elephants. Although the trek is tough it teachers you so much about yourself, and gives you leadership and team working skills. The trek is probably the most self rewarding thing you can do. A lot of the people I was in Tanzania with I am still friends with and talk to regularly, even the ones I was on any phase with I got to know very well because of the time we spent together at base.

Basically this was the best thing I've ever done and I can't recommend it highly enough. If you want a great adventure with great people in a beautiful and welcoming country, look no further than Raleigh Tanzania.

Raleigh Tanzania gave you the opportunity to see very remote and interesting cultures and achieve both personal and physical challenges in a fun and exciting way! It was a great cultural experience and I would highly recommend it.

This was really one of the best experiences of my life. For my first phase, we went to a small village called Usevya and built firewood-efficient stoves for the locals there. We also got to interact with the community, who was apprehensive at first, but very receptive. I grew very fond of the kids and youths there.

Second phase, we went on a character-building trek through the mountains of Iringa. This was tough. But seeing my teammates pushing through it beside me motivated me and we all completed it in the end. You really find out that are capable of so much more than you think in this expedition.

All in all, I felt like what we were doing was really going a long way to help the local community. Also, great character development.