Women's Empowerment Project - Volunteer in Tanzania

Whether you are an experienced traveller, international development student or even a first time volunteer, Give a Heart to Africa is an incredible organization to work with. Monika runs an amazing school for adults who are truly striving to better their situation. In every classroom you will be building personal connections and interacting with students who have an unbelievable desire and dedication to learning. These students will show you what it really means to take nothing for granted. This organization also encourages and promotes friendship and cultural exchanges with the students. As a result, you will learn just as much as you teach during this experience.
Monika and her staff are incredibly welcoming, hospitable, and helpful. Working for a smaller organization allows you to witness what really goes into making projects like this work. You understand your role more fully and I believe you build stronger connections with the organization's staff, your fellow volunteers and the students.
Tanzania is a beautiful country, filled with beautiful people and this is a beautiful organization. Do not hesitate to volunteer with Give a Heart to Africa.

GHTA delivered everything I wanted in a volunteer experience: a beautiful location that was neither too remote nor too urban, helping adult women in a world that undervalues them, housing with your fellow volunteers, safety and reasonable cost. Monika makes you feel a part of a family and is an effective school director, where every dollar goes directly to the school's mission unlike many volunteer programs. Tanzania is an incredible place to visit and the location is hard to beat. Plus the students: you really get to know women of Africa at GHTA. I strongly recommend this program!

I spent months searching for a place to volunteer in East Africa and kept coming back to GHTA, because of the variety of the program and the fact that all my money was going directly to the project.

I could not have made a better choice!

From the moment I was met at the airport to my departure almost six months later I had the most incredible experience. The highlights were: teaching the women - English four mornings a week - and building up a relationship with them; the Friday morning visits to the students' homes- sometimes a 40-50 minute journey on foot or by dala dala into the Kilimanjaro foothills; making new friends with the project workers and volunteers; and the variety of things to do - teaching adults, working with their kids, making home visits, helping at the women's co-op, learning Swahili, and becoming familiar with Moshi and African culture.

For me the challenges were few, as Monika, the project leader is so supportive and does her utmost to make the volunteer experience a rewarding one. Getting used to watching my step all the time so I didn't twist my ankle in one of the many potholes on the Moshi streets was one and having to take a taxi after dark was perhaps another. Though the project does have a very reliable taxi driver!
There are periods when the water or electricity is turned off, but it's something you quickly get used to and learn to live with. Some of our best evening were spent chatting with the volunteers in candlelight.

The project is very well organized and targeted at people who really need support. All the Tanzanians who work at, or for GHTA, are past students. When students graduate some of them are offered a place in the Women's Co-op, whilst for others sponsorship is sought for continued education or business support. You really feel a part of an organization that is changing women's lives.

GHTA is a diamond among NGO's and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I volunteered at GHTA twice in the last 12 months. It was such an amazing experience teaching the students that I returned for their graduation. It's hands on volunteering where you get to know the students and learn about Tanzanian culture first hand.The volunteer house is a comfortable,western style house in a safe area. You teach 4 days a week and there is plenty of time on the weekends to check out the spectacular sites in the area: Mt. Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara, Zanzibar. Can't wait to go back to GHTA.

I taught English to adult women. It was an amazing and rewarding experience. Highly recommend it to anybody who wants to volunteer abroad. The students were really good to me, very welcoming, didn't mind if I made a mistake. Visiting them in their home every Friday was the highlight of my experience. It was such a great way to get to know them.
The organization is very transparent so you can see where your money goes which was very important to me also.
Moshi is quite safe and there was always something to do on the weekend.