Best volunteer, travel, and learning experience ever!

Habari Marafiki! 🇹🇿

A year ago, I encountered a bright green flier with the words “GIVE” in bold while sitting in my math class at Illinois State University. Feeling reverse culture shock after a transformative first semester of college living in Costa Rica, I can’t explain the happiness I felt when I saw this bright green opportunity in front of me. I now realize these moments we encounter, when our heart beats, our smile grows, and our minds turn their gears, are signs of a manifestation awaiting our presence. ✨

“If you have YOUR WILL, you’ll find YOUR WAY”. 🗺

This summer, I was blessed to travel to Africa, the motherland, for the first time, volunteer as an English teacher to a hardworking Masai tribe, sweat with the construction crew as we built cement pavements for the Yakairo GIVE primary school in Zanzibar, Tanzania, and go on insightful excursions: safari, swimming with dolphins, visiting the original slave market and museum in Stone town.

Last week we ascended 5,895 meters to the world’s tallest freestanding mountain, Mt.Kilimanjaro! I couldn't have made it to the roof of Africa if it wasn't for every hand who helped make this experience possible for me, including the best guides, porters, chefs at Green Paw Adventures and supportive GIVE Volunteers in Tanzania! 🇹🇿

Congratulations to everyone pushing their limits and conquering new heights for themselves! 🏆

“Travel is not a place outside of reality, but into reality”. - Professor Kent, Suny Cortland, Ecotourism Course 🌏

Thank you GIVE (Growth International Volunteer Excursions) and the family of Kairo for touching me deeply with your smiles, your laughter, your dreams, your pole pole “slowly slowly” and hakuna matata “no worries” lifestyle. Above all, thank you for sharing your abundant love and care, without hesitation of giving me the shoes off your feet or a warm meal inside of your home. Thank you GIVE guides, volunteers, teachers, chefs, and the many helping hands that continue to help build our community up from its roots. 🌳

“Thank you again for supporting my beautiful village of Kario, it misses you all very much”. - Baboi, GIVE Tanzania Guide ❤️