On this tour, I not only got to help teach local women and men of Zanzibar, Tanzania English, but I was also able to help build an examination hall within the town's school system. I could see all prior school buildings for various classrooms and ages that were built over the decade-long volunteer relationship GIVE has with this neighborhood which meant upon our arrival the locals knew exactly who we were, embraced us, and were so excited to share their lives with us. I have met the most genuine and enthusiastic volunteers on my trip and created long-lasting memories. I was able to experience a new culture and language in a fun and exciting way. I swam in the ocean every afternoon to wind down my days and played soccer as well as volleyball with the locals on the beach and swam with dolphins. The food was delicious and the chef was so kind to everyone, catering to everyone's dietary needs. To finish the trip off we then head to Mainland Tanzania where we get to tour spice gardens and learn where our spices come from, enjoy a 2-day long safari, and camp under the brightest stars you have ever seen. I not only made an impact and made long-lasting friends, I truly had the best time of my life traveling sustainably and giving back to a community that deserved it.

Needless to say, traveling across the world alone can be a little intimidating and scary. However, I can say with 100% certainty that despite the nerves, it is something you must do if you can. From the first moment I met the other volunteers and guides, and we boarded the Dala dala to explore the city of Stone Town, I knew this would be an incredible experience.
Whether it's talking to locals after a day of volunteering at the school, snorkeling in the Indian Ocean, seeing wild Dolphins, getting the perfect selfie with a giraffe 30 feet from you, or exploring the city around you, this trip offers the best balance of seeing many parts of Tanzania and experiencing its culture.
It is evident that the guides and local staff that help the volunteers on this trip care about them and want them to experience the culture and have an overall positive time. My guides for this trip were Khamis and Hannah, and they were phenomenal. They were always smiling and brought energy to every meeting and excursion.
The other volunteers and I agreed that these were some of the best weeks of our lives. Anyone who has the chance to positively impact a community while learning about a new culture and the environment around them will find that they will also learn many things about themselves and those around them. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that should be taken!
Thank you GIVE for these opportunities!

The love I have for Zanzibar is so surreal. I am still trying to process the past 2 weeks. Coming into this with no expectations had brought my experience to the next level. Thank you @givevolunteers for this opportunity to travel with a purpose. Every second was memorable and meaningful because of the love and respect built around. It was truly an unforgettable experience because YOU. With that being said have fun, live in the moment, and take in everything. Time goes by real slow when disconnected from the rest of world.

I had never traveled internationally before I went on this GIVE trip. I felt so safe, supported, and had so much fun! The lead guides were always there to help you and answer questions, while also being the most fun and cool people. I grew close with fellow volunteers as we experience this incredible time together. Finally, being immersed in the local village was indescribable. The locals are so warm and welcoming; I was genuinely sad to leave the village, my friends, and my guides. Go on this trip!

I also did the Kilimanjaro add-on, which was amazing. The Kili guides were also so supportive and fun. How often can you say you summitted Kilimanjaro??

This trip met and exceeded all the expectations that I had going into it! The connections that were made will last a lifetime and everyone I met are the most genuine people I’ve ever stayed with. The work and teaching that I did changed my life for the better and everyday was amazing. You really are able to form connections with all your students and see how fast they learn. Their motivation motivated me in my life coming back home. This was the happiest I have ever been in my life was when I was on this trip!

This trip was absolutely incredible!!!!!! This was my third time traveling with GIVE and each trip just gets better and better. You are truly immersed in the culture and get to form long-lasting relationships with community members and other volunteers. It was an adventure of a lifetime that everyone should take. If you are considering it at all, just take the chance and go!

During volunteering, we got to teach English to local members of the community of Kairo. We also worked in construction and helped build the new school hall building. After volunteering, we were immersed in the community even more with extra activities like learning how to weave from the local women and getting to support the local economy. There were many adventure aspects to this trip as well like snorkeling with dolphins and exploring Stone Town. Many nights we had group discussions to talk about our impact in Kairo and Zanzibar and how we can take the knowledge we learned and the love we have felt back home with us. It truly is incredible how much you are able to do in just a couple of weeks and the amazing discussions you can have with volunteers, community members, and local guides.

GIVE is an amazing organization that cares about each volunteer experience and places everyone with a welcoming community! Tanzania was a great opportunity to learn from local men and women in remote villages of Tanzania. The guides are extremely knowledgeable and excited to share what they know about the community and culture there. It was so hard to leave the beautiful town of Cairo. It feels as though we made a great impact on the community, and I know that they made a huge impact on us as well. I’m so grateful for this experience!

If you didn’t know already, I went to Tanzania 🇹🇿

I was planning on writing a lengthy post about how this trip has impacted me but no words are going to do my experience any justice.

I loved every single second of my time spent in Tanzania, whether it was taking dance breaks from mixing concrete, doing sunrise yoga, laughing with my students as they tried to teach me Swahili, jamming out to music in the dolla dolla (car/bus), swimming with dolphins, or having nightly group discussions about how to be more socially aware.

I’m so thankful to have been able to experience this beautiful culture and to be accepted into the local village of Kairo with open arms and warm hearts. So, asante sana (thank you very much) to all of the guides, volunteers, and locals. I love you all and I’m so blessed to have been able to meet each and every one of you ❤️