Location
  • Tanzania
    • Zanzibar
    • Kilimanjaro
    • Dar es Salaam
Length
2 to 3 weeks
Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, Payment plans
Health & Safety

Program Details

Age Min.
18
Timeframe
Short Term Summer Winter
Housing
Guesthouse Lodge
Groups
Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30) Large Group (31+)
Travel Type
Budget Family Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price
2895
Price Details
What's included:
-All accommodations
-Group and ground transportation, including airport pick up and drop off
-All meals and drinking water
-Epic adventures and cultural immersion activities
-Funding toward volunteer projects
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Meals Transportation
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
Jan 30, 2024
Feb 05, 2025
26 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

GIVE’s Tanzania Program takes you from the tropical paradise of Zanzibar Island to the wild plains of mainland Tanzania. Work with the community to build addition classrooms for the first school ever in the community of Kairo, teach English lessons to students of all ages, and support the Tengeru Women’s Co-op. Experience the ultimate adventure swimming with wild dolphins in the Indian Ocean, sail over turquoise waters, snorkel above coral reefs and experience an overnight safari through the African savannah.

If you want the ultimate adventure, extend your trip and climb Mount Kilimanjaro with our fellow group members! We also offer an optional academic course with our optional Eco-tourism course.

Video and Photos

Impact

GIVE's mission is to inspire growth, empower global citizens, and ignite sustainable change worldwide. To truly inspire growth and achieve sustainable travel internationally, GIVE has adopted the Asset-based community development (ABCD) model, a set of proven best practices in sustainable development that mobilizes a community’s assets and resources as the basis for development. Furthermore, through providing hands-on and eye-opening learning experiences that foster authentic connections between participants and host community members, we can empower global citizens who will continue to spread GIVE’s values and ignite sustainable change worldwide.
Exploring the world with GIVE is all about responsible travel, but what does that really mean?
Mindful Tourism + Community Partnership = Economic Growth & Community Empowerment.

Part of what makes GIVE trips so special is being fully immersed in the cultures and communities we visit. However, we take extra steps to ensure we minimize our influence and always respect local cultures. We prepare all participants before travel and ensure they understand the culture and how to dress appropriately.

Program Highlights

  • Build a primary and secondary school for community of Kairo
  • See wild lions, elephants, and giraffes on safari
  • English education
  • Swim with wild dolphins in the Indian Ocean
  • Empower local women and learn about their co-op

Program Reviews

4.99 Rating
based on 102 reviews
  • 5 rating 99.02%
  • 4 rating 0.98%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.95
  • Support 5
  • Fun 5
  • Value 4.85
  • Safety 5
Showing 1 - 8 of 102 reviews
Default avatar
Jaiden
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Traveling with a Purpose

Going into my trip with GIVE, I was nervous and wasn’t sure what to expect, I kept an open mind though, and was ready to experience the culture of Tanzania, see what the other side of the world was like. After leaving Tanzania, my perspective of the world was completely changed. I learned what being a community really meant, I learned so much about the culture of the Muslim community in Tanzania as well as some Swahili, I especially learned that living life pole pole (slowly) is so important. Through this trip I was put into a completely different culture and living style, saw how amazing people can be. Everyone I met along the way was so kind and appreciative of everything and just happy to be alive with each other. With all of that being said, I now have life long friends with the people I met along the way and I’m still in touch with people in Zanzibar, Tanzania. If you’re considering traveling with GIVE, do it! You will not regret it, you’ll want to go back asap, life is short and this experience will change your perspective on a lot of things!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
If you're considering traveling with GIVE, do it! The amount of culture and community you will experience, as well as a sense of belonging is indescribable. The love and care that you will find along the way is worth more than a million words. If you're hesitant that's okay but remember that life is short, there's so much out there in the world to experience. Making a difference is so gratifying and life changing, going with GIVE is worth it 100%.
Pros
  • Community
  • Caring
  • Belonging
Cons
  • Long flights
2 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Tatum
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Two Weeks of My Life

I can’t even put my trip to Tanzania into words. It was the most inspiring and incredible trip I have ever done. I have never traveled outside the States and this is by far the best choice I have ever made. Waking up in the village of Kairo with amazing volunteers, the kindest staff, and locals was rewarding enough. I highly recommend this trip and traveling with a purpose. Nothing was better than teaching the local women English, having dance parties, swimming in the Indian Ocean, exploring the island of Zanzibar, and traveling on the mainland on a boat and jeep safari. If you're looking for a sign to be spontaneous and travel without knowing anyone, take this as your sign! I can’t wait for my next GIVE trip!!!!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
My biggest piece of advice is to keep an open mind and do things outside of your comfort zone! You'll never meet more kind and genuine people than the people who are involved in this program, from volunteers, staff, and locals.
Pros
  • Kindest people
  • Wildlife/ Nature
  • New experiences
Cons
  • None
  • None
  • None
26 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ahna
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Truly an unforgettable trip!

I can not even put the words together to justify how amazing this opportunity was. I went into it without very many expectations and I was blown away. I learned so much about the company, such a wonderful organization truly working out of kindness with only the best intentions for the people and communities they are serving. I was able to see firsthand how the company works to provide not only service but also jobs and knowledge to the communities they work with. The guides are amazing people inside and out and I could see how much of a community is built by the long relationships between give, the volunteers, and the local community members. I will definitely be taking another trip with Give!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Keep and open mind, and be ready to live out of your comfort zone and you will have the best experience by far!
Pros
  • Amazing guides and local staff
  • adventure days were very fun
  • you can feel the impact you are making on the world!
31 people found this review helpful.
Response from GIVE Volunteers

Ahna, thank you! All of GIVE and the Kairo community are forever grateful for you and your passion for serving others! We are so happy you could experience the loving, inspiring, and encouraging community that is built on GIVE trips :) Can't wait for your next trip with us!

Default avatar
Adalyce
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

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 ❤️

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and one of the guides stayed behind to make sure i was okay and kept encouraging me to keep going and I wouldn't have made it without him!
Pros
  • Community
  • Empowerment
  • Exploration
29 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Olivia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Asante sana!

My trip to Tanzania impacted me more than I could have ever imagined. Each day was filled with so much joy, so much passion, and most of all a bigger purpose. Each day was a new gift, engaging and getting to know each of our students and in return getting to learn about their cultures in an immersed way. By the end of this trip each of the locals truly left an imprint on my heart, Kairo is a place with the most beautiful souls and the most love to give. I also did the Kilimanjaro add on and it was one of the best ways to end this amazing experience! So challenging, supportive and beautiful all at the same time.

What was your funniest moment?
Trying to figure out MC's games everyday during construction breaks! #forgetaboutit #thelaststick
21 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Georgia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Trip of a Lifetime

This was the experience of a lifetime with GIVE. The guides are so amazing, literally giving the volunteers the shoes off their feet and the shirts of their back. GIVE staff put their full effort into truly making this experience the best it possibly can for volunteers and the locals. Would go again!!! More specifically, my trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar was a blast. It was a great mix of culture, volunteering, education, and fun! The people I met will be friends for a lifetime and I will never forget this experience. Highly recommend!

25 people found this review helpful.
Response from GIVE Volunteers

Asante sana from all of us at GIVE! We loved having you join us this summer :) Sending you all the good vibes as you settle in back home!

Default avatar
Naylah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Naylah Hartley

My experience on this volunteer trip was nothing like I expected in the best way possible. It was fun, interesting, exciting, in an amazing welcoming community getting to do things I would have never dreamed of and being able to help others while I did. The things that you never knew you never knew will baffle you and leave you searching to learn everything more that you can. It put an entirely new lease on traveling and being a tourist and showed me how you can see the world without damaging the communities you want to learn about. I would recommend this trip to anyone I know who’s ready to work hard and learn something new!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would tell myself that there is nothing to be scared about and that I have and amazing guide that does everything she can to make sure our trip runs smoothly so that we don’t have to worry about the details and we can just enjoy what we went there to do.
Pros
  • Getting to spend so much time with some amazing new people
  • Getting to try all locally made and prepared foods
  • Seeing so many things for the first time ever
Cons
  • Getting food poisoning
  • Some amazing people weren’t able to join until days after the trip had started
  • Not getting to pet all the cats in stone town
22 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
McKenna
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Book the trip!!!

This was my second trip with GIVE and as always, I felt so safe the entire time during the trip and the community itself was so welcoming! This trip is definitely life changing and I have made the best friends during my time there. I got to teach locals English and work on building walkable pathways for the students to get to their classrooms more efficiently. It was so hard saying goodbye to the village of Kairo because it changed who I am as a person and will forever hold a special place in my heart. I will definitely be booking another trip!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Embrace the trip fully. Become present with yourself and the community while you are there. There are so many stereotypes in different countries around the world but don’t let them cloud your judgement and your time there because I promise you, these places are not the stereotypes that you have been presented. They are so much more! Also, don’t be afraid to be yourself because you will be loved and accepted just as you are!!
Pros
  • Community
  • Adventure
  • Cultural immersion
Cons
  • The fact that my trip came to an end! I wanted it to last forever!
29 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers