Want to Go MAD again!

Our group of 6 did a 5-week stint with MAD in Moshi, Tanzania. We helped start the library building at Royal School in Himo and taught arts classes (singing, drawing, acting, dancing), spent time at Kilimanjaro Kids Care (who all attended Royal School) and at the local YWCA with at-risk youth, mostly goofing around and learning traditional dances. We also went on safari and to the beach as part of our program (MAD collaborates with local tourism businesses to organize these vacations).

The thing I liked most about volunteering with MAD is how down-to-earth everyone and everything is. You really see the difference you are making because they work on a grass-roots level. They stay focused on what works and always work to improve it. They grow when they know they can achieve their desired result.

The biggest difficulty for us was personality clashes and culture shock. Being really close to poverty and bare minimum conditions can be extremely difficult for people, and being around the same 7 people for 5 weeks can add to the stress. But we made it through because everyone stayed focused on Making a Difference.