Volunteer Programs in Tanzania with African Impact

My two weeks in Tanzania were short but sweet! Getting to volunteer on so many different projects was an unforgettable experience and one that I will treasure forever. Teaching English to adults was one of my favourite parts of the projects. The food at the house was absolutely excellent and the staff was extremely reliable and approachable. Learning about Tanzanian culture was a bonus! I would recommend this project to anyone looking for an unforgettable way to spend a few weeks!

Not only have I had the privileged to experience African Impact Moshi once, but twice. I have volunteered over the last two years, in July-August 2017 and in June-August 2018 as a Skills Development Intern. I have experienced first hand what it was like to teach alongside such committed and enthusiastic project coordinators and teachers, and I was also able to form so many friendships with staff and volunteers alike from across the world. The dedication to the projects, the wellbeing and the enjoyment of the volunteer from the staff is amazing and completely inspires you to mirror such enthusiasm and positive energy. African Impact Moshi is not just a come and go project and organisation, but a place where you are always welcome - even after you leave, there is opportunity to stay connected and involved in the development of the projects across Moshi.

Well,
About this volunteering experience I wanted to focus on how I felt myself being useful and helpful to the world.
I worked on the Marine Conservation Project with dolphins, where we collected data for research everyday on hoe many dolphins there were and how many tourists and how the tourists were affecting their behaviour.
For me, as a Biologist, doing things that come with science and conservation is my passion and what I aime to do for life.
So, having this amazing experience allowed me to see what I really want for my future, specially when it comes to deciding the group of animals I want to work with: marine mammals and how feeling useful as a scientist is absolutely essencial for my well-being.

The contact with the locals and the boat drivers was something that made me to even love more the project. This close contact allows you to see how important it is to have the community working with you and to be able for the project to work. Besides that, you get to see how their life is and how they live, how is there culture, their food,...
For me, having this experience is essencial and I could find it all at this project.

But, I had some little disappointments when it comes to the high price that we pay and how I couldn't see this money being truly used: the food wasn't very good; one of the teaching projects was going to stop because they had no money for fuel.
For the amount of money we pay and the amount of people at the project it makes no sense, at my point of view, for this to happen.
We were told that to feed all the kids from the schools the project worked at, for 1 month, they spent only 200 dollars! Each one there was paying around 2100 dollars per week!
The maths don't match.

But, even with these problems, I would recommend it, specially because I see the project changing things and helping people. And because it allows you to have amazing experiences that you will never forget!

The teaching and community project in Jambiani, Zanzibar, promises amazing surroundings and a true impact on the local community. That is partly true, the site is beautiful and the locals are interesting and normally fantastic to interact with!

The African Impact organization on site have cute ideas for how to make an impact on the community. Cute, but not sustainable. This is a very good destination if you are an unexperienced teen and requires detailed schedules in advance which you don't need to plan yourself. When you feel that the possibility to take part has to be more important than the actual impact. Unfortunately, African Impact tweeks that picture a little.

I am a teacher, educated in environmental sustainable development and multiple times volunteer. My conclusion was unfortunately that none of the activities offered at the site today is actually sustainable. However good African Impact makes it all sound, it is not sustainable to fly in people from across the world to paint houses (when a local painter of course would have done a better job and get a job opportunity) or litter picking without continously involving the locals as part of a long term and well planned environmental project. There are even environmental activities that are called 'recycling', even though they don't actually involve any recycling. Neither is it sustainable to fly people in to teach subjects they are not educated to do. To teach English in an European school requires several years of university studies, but at African Impact in Zanzibar it is obviously considered a hobby. The locals in Jambiani deserves the same quality of education as everyone else and there is no reason to see their education as 'whoever, however'. A positive attitude and even good knowledge in English does not mean that you know how to teach it. As a volunteer project, which is a form of charity, the African Impact teaching and community project is to much Hakuna matata and not enough professionality. Charity is not to lure as many volunteers in as possible, it is to secure the quality by engaging people with the right skills or utilizing different skills for different parts of the project.

Above is simply my honest analysis of the project. If you think differently and believes this project is right for you, then make sure you ask African Impact for a detailed description of how your money will be used. Do that before you pay the deposit, since you have the right to know.

I have done 3 African Impact volunteering trips and found the Tanzania education program in Moshi to be the best run and planned for those interested in teaching. I loved the variety of activities that were still clearly scheduled- work with adult English education in the early morning, nursery students in the late morning, and the elderly in the afternoon. There were also opportunities to work with a women's group or teach English to the elderly. A real cross section of the population!

I also really appreciated how helpful and understanding the people at the project were about my other travels. I was able to get a discounted rate to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro for volunteering, and later was able to take a day off of work to travel to the Serengeti for the weekend, again at a discount, with one of their travel partners. My flight for that trip had to be canceled and rescheduled and the staff was super understanding and helped me with everything. It allowed me to accomplish some major life travel goals along with having the experience of living and working in Moshi. There are also options to travel on day trips and safaris on the weekends once you get there. I recommend Lake Chala- super cheap and easy. The photos I took there of the scenery were some of my favorite of the trip.

The way the program was set up allowed for consistency and continuity so I never felt like my help was for nothing. You are part of a system that has existed before you arrive and will exist after you leave so all of the people you work with and teach will continue to grow even after you leave. You also get to work in a room with a staff member- this is so nice. I teach for a living and having someone else in the room who knew the people I was working with made it such an easy transition. It felt like fun, not work.

Finally, I have been in contact with the program even though I have left. I love keeping up with the people I met and with the group itself on facebook. There is such a community of volunteers and it is clear how much the experience meant to everyone who was there.

When I decided to make this trip to Africa, I had no idea what to expect. Where do I start!!! I did the education and community project. The African lmpact people are so friendly, with an amazing attitude and passion for what they do.The projects were great as it was equipping the community with the skills the require through everyday life. The Maasai are amazing people with the ergerness to learn English . They are so lovely and have such a generous spirit. And the wazee(elderly)!!!! I will miss them dearly. And the little ones!! They run to you calling you name the minute you walk through the school gates.

I got a good balance between work an play as Africa has loads to to in your down time. I did an amazing safari while I was there and when climbed the Kilimanjaro to base camp. All organised through AI and their counterparts. One of the highlights was actually getting my hair done by the Maasai guys while I was there. It was soo cool.

And the food!!!! Oh boy!!! That was amazing!!!!
Now words cannot express how good a month I had in Moshi with African Impact. The only way for you to find out Is to jump up and get yourself on this journey of a lifetime . I hope to get back again soon and hope to see you all there!!!!

I had contemplated on going to Africa to teach for quite a few years. Until one day I finally realized that it wasn't going to happen unless I got the ball rolling. That is when I found African Impact. The entire process could not have run more smoothly. It was stress free and I felt very comfortable with entrusting them with everything in regards to my trip.

Once I arrived to the lovely town of Moshi, from day one I was welcomed and felt right at home. The entire staff was amazing and everyone is just a big family. We eat together, hang out together after school gets out, go to town together, and on the weekends sometimes go on excursions with one another. I could not wait to go and meet the kids either! You literally fall in love with them immediately. You really do form special bonds with some of the children as well; which makes it even harder to leave them everyday when school is out!

I cannot wait for their to be a point in my life where I can go back to Moshi and see everyone again. I miss it everyday.

After spending the last 3 weeks in Jambiani, Zanzibar, I'm having a really tough time leaving. The days flew by with nursery school visits in the morning (where you played with the cutest of cute children and fed them porridge), adult English classes in the afternoon, and my favorite, Kanga ladies in the early evening. The people are warm, friendly, and so appreciative; it makes the experience that much more inviting. Well that and the abundance of activities on the island.
Though the island is conservative by nature, the project is the perfect combination of work and play... it's fun in the sun all weekend with snorkeling trips, scuba diving, dhow rides, scurfing, subwinging, sunset BBQs on private beaches, the list goes on... that's the magic of Zanzibar. This project is a MUST! Don't stay for anything less than three weeks, and enjoy every minute of it!

In just a few weeks I will be heading back to the volunteer project for the third time in just under 3 years!
African Impacts project here, boosts the community in so many ways, if it is not teaching adults their ABC's or teaching children how to swim, it is cleaning the beach to make the village more attractive to tourists, or visiting the local diploma course on a Friday night to try the students fusion cooking. There is always some way to help the community, and they always make you feel like you belong.

Toni and Dulla are inspirations, having to cope with up to 15 volunteers coming and going constantly, with injuries, homesick people or just people who do not want to leave!

I could not recommend a more successful project than this, and if you ask my family they will definitely tell you that I do not shut up about this project.

I just have to say asante sana African Impact for introducing me to a country that I will never forget.

It was the most wonderful experience in my life so far. I would recommend it to everyone! It feels great to help te people and te community. You really feel important. And the most wonderful thing is when your kids from nursery school scream your name (Teacher Stephanie!)when they see you in the village. They really do need our help. It is really amazing what African Impact is doing there. It felt like a second home to me and I would love to go back (if I find the money :)). I really have a hard time getting used to my life back home. Africa was/is wonderful!