My experience is unique because I started teaching at GHTA in 2018, five months after I graduated from the program in 2017 I was scared because I thought I was not going to do well with the teaching but I met a lot of volunteers from different countries so we worked together and I gained the confidence from them and from myself.

Before joining the program, I was dependant but thanks to the organisation that saw a potential in me and build me up to become the teacher that I'm right now, this made me capable of taking care of my family where I'm depended on them at first.

The program at Give a Heart to Africa is very structured. In November 60 students are interviewed and chosen for the one year program that begins in January. Students are divided into three groups. They rotate through a Business Class one day, English Class the next then two days in Vocational. As volunteers we assist the teachers. Each volunteer brings their own personal touch to the classes. The first 4 to 6 months in vocational are sewing, after that it is bead jewelry making, tie dye, cake making and decoration, soap making type things. I helped in Sewing. Classes are M-T 9am to 1pm. Fridays are a home visit to a student. I loved those visits! The students are all women, ages 20 to idk maybe 45. Strong beautiful women. The home the volunteers live in is part of the school. It’s very comfortable, modern bathrooms. Dinner is provided five nights a week. There are lots of good restaurants around, reasonably priced. The staff were super helpful. Zuwena accompanied me into town, to the bank, shopping in the markets for food and fabric. Some volunteers feel okay going into town on their own. You can walk or take a bijagi (other areas call it a tuk tuk). I wanted a local person with me. The level of hand holding depends on the individual. On weekends the volunteers I was with did trips together, a day safari in Arusha National Park, Materuni Waterfall and Coffee Tour, Kilimanjaro National Park, Rau Forest Reserve to mention a few. If you have time I would suggest tacking a safari and / or a trip to Zanzibar on the front or end of your volunteer time. I would recommend this volunteer program with my whole heart. I loved being part of it and interacting with such wonderful Tanzania people. The teachers at the school are all former students. Just an absolutely wonderful experience.

I spent three months teaching students Business Studies at GHTA in the summer of 2024. I found the experience rewarding and inspirational. The women who attended the school were totally motivated to learn and take part in both classroom and practical studies. Teaching took place four mornings a week, and on Friday, volunteers, accompanied by permanent staff, visited students in their homes, giving us an insight into their culture and the challenges faced by the students. All the staff were supportive and kind in helping volunteers settle into the school. I would thoroughly recommend this volunteering experience to anyone, young and old, singles and couples.

I just got back from six weeks at GHTA. Though I've traveled widely in the past, and lived for extended periods of time in other cultures, this experience was one of the highlights of my life so far.
I had managed to get to age 70 without visiting Africa, and I wanted to fill that gap in a way that felt meaningful to me, rather than just go as another traveler hoping to see giraffes and lions. My brother had a special relationship to Tanzania, so the minute I saw the GHTA website I knew it was exactly the kind of place that I was looking for, and in the country I most wanted to experience firsthand.
It turned out to be a wonderful choice. The students are, and I say this without the slightest bit of exaggeration, truly amazing. They come from so little, and yet show up every day beautiful and radiating goodwill. They will embrace your presence with joy, curiosity, gratitude, and enthusiasm.
The organization uses every penny of your volunteer money to further the program. The lodging is comfortable and safe. The staff could not be more caring and supportive. There is always someone around to answer any question you might have, to help you with any problem you might run into. And as an extra, it is no small luxury to have Zuwena cooking a delicious meal for you every night!

I highly recommend GHTA. I have just returned from volunteering Jan/Feb 2024 and am planning to return. GHTA is a lovely non-profit , where every cent is aimed at empowering women in Tanzania. Access to education in Tanzania is a problem that GHTA solves for 50 women each year.
As a volunteer, I felt safe and supported and was able to experience full immersion into Tanzanian culture. The guest house is very comfortable, with an unexpected bonus of hot showers! The Tanzanian staff are all dedicated and fun and quick to embrace newcomers with a warm welcome.
The students are motivated and hard-working. It quickly becomes clear that access to education has the potential to truly enrich their lives. Teaching is made easy by a well-developed curriculum and collaboration with the Tanzanian translators.
Traveling around Moshi is easy. The town is a 20 minute walk away, and inexpensive TukTuks are abundant. Free wi-fi is available in a sweet little coffee shop/ wine bar….. but worry not as data is really inexpensive to buy. If you run into any health problems, the nearby clinic, open 24 hrs, is impressive.
The weekly visit to student’s homes is an incredible experience. It provides an important understanding of their lived reality, and serves to deepen our relationships with the students.
Traveling on weekends is readily accessible, and the opportunities to explore Tanzania are many. The people of Tanzania are kind and warm and very welcoming to non-Tanzanian people.
I have volunteered in many places, but am most impressed by my experience with GHTA.

This was my first time volunteering in Africa, and I felt safe with my experience going through Give a Heart to Africa. Even prior to volunteering, I had a lot of questions that were answered by Monika, and you can tell you're not getting generic responses, but thorough ones addressing my specific questions. It was important to me that I choose an organization, that uses my volunteer fees to good use, and you can see it go a lot towards the students for school resources for them, and funding for them to start their own business ventures. Every day was very structured, as to which lessons to deliver on, and we had flexibility on how we wanted to deliver our lesson plans as well. Monika also knew the right tour operators to connect me with for any sightseeing I wanted to do as well, and it was easy to make friends at the volunteer house, I'm still friends with them several years after volunteering! This was a very rewarding experience.

I gave myself a "gap year" for my 60th birthday and spent four months of it in Africa.

I arrived at Give a Heart to Africa the beginning of October 2022, which is springtime in Tanzania. I was surprised by how lush and beautiful Moshi was. There were so many flowering trees and plants. (It reminded me a lot of Southern California.) And the views of Kilimanjaro from in front of the school were spectacular - when it decided to show itself!

As a older, solo female traveler, I was very concerned about safety. Now that I've been to GHTA, I can tell you that you will be 100% safe and sound. The volunteer house is within the school's complex, which features a high wall, an alarm system, and two wonderful security guards who you will quickly think of as family. (Seriously, they are the nicest guys.) It's also within a university complex, which has its own security. AND, you will quickly realize that Moshi itself is a pretty nice town. Tanzanians treat everyone like family. You will feel very welcome. I also appreciated that the vendors were not super aggressive. Just say you are a volunteer and they will leave you alone - and thank you for coming to Tanzania.

The volunteer manager and her grandson live in the house with you. The volunteer bedroom has a bunk bed and I was very happy to discover that the mattress was well-supported on wooden slats. The volunteer bathroom has a western-style toilet! (You will appreciate that in East Africa.) And there's an electric point of use water heater on the shower. Because I was the only volunteer, I had it all to myself. Although there was no air conditioner, the ceiling fan had a turbo speed, so even as spring turned into summer, I was comfortable under my mosquito net. (And it drowned out the time-challenged rooster next door - LOL!)

I taught for the last two months of the school year and was able to attend graduation (which involved a lot of dancing) and help interview students for the next school year. I travelled during the December summer break, then returned to GHTA for another two weeks in January. The Tanzania co-workers are so nice, helpful, and welcoming. I still keep up with them on WhatsApp and social media.

Besides my December overland tour (camping in seven southern and eastern African countries), I took some short trips on weekends, led by a fabulous and enthusiastic guide who was once a GHTA student. I also hired a Swahili tutor for a couple of hours four days a week. It was lots of fun and helped me understand some of the problems my students might have learning English.

Whether you travel with friends or solo, whether you are young or older, and whether you have teaching experience or not, GHTA will be an unforgettable experience and you'll make lots of friends. I'm already thinking about returning!

So glad I was able to come to GHTA and help at the school where my Aunt & Uncle have been volunteering at for years. All the students welcomed me with open arms, many of them came to me to practice their English or ask me math questions. The school's staff and volunteers I met were equally as welcoming, and I felt at home. GHTA really does make a difference improving the education and lives of it's students. The volunteers brought me to several stores in Moshi that were run by past graduates, it was wonderful meeting the former students! Sadly, I learned that in Tanzania most citizen's education ends at standard 7, which is the American equivalent of 6th grade. It is very expensive to attend private high school in Tanzania, and the majority of families can not afford it.
The women that attend the school work extremely hard. In my short time here I've watched students stay late for extra help, hold their baby in their arms while writing notes in class and help other students. I can't wait to come back and stay for longer next time. Everyone here feels like family, and it's so amazing helping women in another country change their lives for the better.