Cross-Cultural Solutions: Volunteer Abroad in Tanzania

The Good:
I really enjoyed my interaction with all the students and teachers at the school I was assigned to, although I'm still not sure how much of an impact I made in such a short time.

I love the program that is currently in place that allows you to really immerse yourself in the culture.

The home base is a beautiful building with nicely manicured grounds. The staff at the home base were pleasant and very helpful. They went over and above in their hospitality. The meals that were prepared were not only nutritious, but also delicious.

The people of Tanzania are warm and friendly. I felt welcomed.

The Bad:
As an older adult who has been on her own for a while, it's not that easy sharing sleeping quarters with three other women.

The Ugly:
Be careful!!! Got my purse snatched right off my shoulder by a motorcyclist. Fortunately, my passport was at the home base. Unfortunately, he got my IPhone, some U.S. dollars, Tanzania shillings, and worse of all my Tanzanite earrings.

The smiles at shared were endless, the time given was always genuine- usually helping with language or working through a challenge. The sites were awe inspiring but it is the people that steal your heart and win over a piece of the soul that leave you wanting to return. After the experience and coming back home it's not a matter of if ll return to TZ but when.
The home staff were kind and considerate, working daily to provide ample opportunity of allowing us to get more culture immersion during our stay. Swahili lessons were helpful- and the locals were always willing to let us try out our new skills and help us along. The Massii locals made their friendships and expertise of the area available along with others, taking us on outings after work and keeping a watchful eye out for our best interest as well. Thanks to the Internet staying in touch with friend made while in TZ has been easier then one could imagine- and gratefully so! A wonderful and enriching experience for anyone looking to expand their minds and sights. One may assume they are there to give and serve, you are, but don't ever amuse you'll be able to pay them back in what is provided during your stay. ❤️

Pros: nice, safe dormitory style housing that was very clean and really good food. fun cultural trips. speakers that would come and talk to us about current issues affecting the country, i.e. female genital mutilation, HIV/AIDS. you are picked up at the airport by a representative and they take you back to the airport at the end of your visit. they also drive you to/from your volunteer site. one previous review said she was given a hard time about wanting to walk to her volunteer site because it was only a few minutes away. several of my co-volunteers also walked to their site daily and were never made to feel like that was wrong. it was actually encouraged. you have almost all of your afternoons off and all of your weekends so you can do your own activities (but they do get expensive).
Cons: the person that gave the informative presentations before the trip had never actually set foot in Tanzania before. she was obviously reading from a script or something. some of the information was outdated and/or false. (i.e. don't take pictures in public because the locals think having their picture taken steals their soul. maybe in the remote areas of the country, but in Moshi, there are plenty of international visitors that all the locals know what a camera is. they don't really want you taking their picture because they think you might go back home and sell it for a huge profit). I think the cost is overpriced. yes, its good if its your first time visiting the country, but if you want to return, it would be much less expensive if you rented a house with a group of people. a vast majority of volunteers will end up at schools (not the fault of CCS), but you're not really given any kind of direction for how to teach lessons or given any idea what the curriculum is for the different levels (or grades in the US). So its kind of frustrating if you have no teaching experience. volunteers are required to adhere to a curfew every night, unless you're staying away from home base (like for the weekend). I understand that CCS has our safety in mind, but as an adult, its a little condescending.
Overall, I absolutely do not regret going thru the CCS program, I had the most amazing time of my life. Just do your homework and compare as many other programs as you can. Remember to make the most of your experience, go with the flow, and have a wonderful time! And always be safe!!!

I went during a sabbatical from work. I enjoy traveling internationally and wanted to spend my time not only making a difference in the lives of others, but also making sure I was able to get something out of it too. This program from CCS is perfect in that it allows you to spend a significant amount of time working with children and the community to make their future a little brighter, but it also allows you sufficient free time to learn about the area you are visiting and take trips/sightseeing adventures, etc. I also met other volunteers with unique backgrounds and keep in touch with many of them even after returning 5 1/2 months ago. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime, and I can't wait to do another program in the future.

I left for 4 weeks in Tanzania having never really been out of the country (one family trip to cancun doesn't count...). Cross Cultural Solutions was so good in preparing me for this big trip - the resources they provided, the weekly checkins to make sure I felt ready and was prepared were so helpful. I really enjoyed the opportunity to work with the children in the orphanage, and the language and cultural classes we took really helped me to understand and relate the community that we were working in. I met some really great volunteers on the trip and have only the best things to say about the whole experience. I would highly recommend this program to first timers as well as experienced international volunteers.

Shantytown in Moshi Tanzania will forever be in my heart. From my kindergarten class to my babies at Upendo children's home the experience was incredible. CCS is an expensive organization by they do take good care of their volunteers.
My second week there I was in a horrible safari truck accident resulting in the death of a fellow volunteer. I decided to stay my remaining 6 weeks to share myself & love w the children of Tanzania. I was there to save the children yet they ended up saving me.
I went to Upendo in the afternoon each day. We fed them grain cereal several times a day & played w them outside a lot. Bath time was my favorite! Getting them all clean & ready for bed and in their pajamas was so fun!
Kindergarten at Rau primary school was equally rewarding. I was teaching English to them in simple form such as alphabet, animals, colors etc. The little stinkers got good at memorization so I got to mix it up so they actually learned separate letters not just the alphabet A-Z. I loved the teacher I taught with & got to be a special guest at her wedding!
I could write pages on my time in Tanzania! For the most part I felt safe & often walked to many places. Such a simple humble place & way of life. I made lifelong friends with other volunteers. Due to my circumstances 5 girls I was in the accident with and also the family of our friend who passed are a big part of my life to this day.
The landscape, the people, the children are all so incredible and will forever be in my heart & mind.

I absolutely loved this program! The CCS staff are wonderful and make you feel at home. The homebase was comfortable, clean, had good security, helpful and friendly staff, and food was very good! My co-volunteers were great fun, and we enjoyed each other's company.

I volunteered with UKUN, an AIDS outreach NGO in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. Daily work with UKUN included home visits to check on and care for AIDS patients, hospital visits with patients, home improvement projects for patients, and educational work with staff, patients and healthcare workers. It was an incredible experience! The relationships I developed through this NGO will last a lifetime, and I carry the patients I worked with in my heart always.

Tanzania as a country to visit is great! For the most part, people are friendly and welcoming, and there is so much to see in the country! As with anywhere, you have to be mindful that you are a traveler, and there are those that may try to take advantage of that situation.

Right from the beginning of my volunteer experience I felt at ease. I was picked up from the airport in Kilimanjaro and taken to the CCS house where I would spend the next month. The staff were soooo welcoming and supportive. The orientation is extensive and provides you with the chance to get to know your felow houseguests/volunteers. My volunteer experience wasn't quite what I expected. I was teamed with a local NGO. I expected that there would be a project that I would just pick up with and get to work. But it wasn't really structured like that. Nevertheless, I made use of my time and hopefully made a contribution to the local community. This was and experience and opportunity I hold dear and I'm so grateful I was able to participate.