Overview
The Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania is dominated both geographically and spiritually by Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain on the African continent. The mountain, waterfalls, coffee plantations, and banana fields create an incredible setting for the Global Leadership Adventures teen community service program. During the program we will journey on an authentic African safari, hike around Mount Kilimanjaro, and visit a Masai village. And most importantly, you will have the opportunity to spend time volunteering at a local school and positively impacting the lives of Tanzanian children.
Watch a short video of Lisa talking about her experience in Tanzania.
Community Service
We will work at a local school teaching English and math and assisting students with their homework. We will also rebuild and renovate the facilities by painting and building playgrounds for the children. You will have the opportunity to play sports, build friendships, and be a positive role model to the children.
Learning
Through your community service work you will also learn about Tanzania’s rich culture. Specifically, you will experience the traditions of the Chagga people who live around Mount Kilimanjaro. You’ll experience the Chagga way of life by visiting their farms and homes. We will participate in workshops to learn batik, traditional dancing, and folk music. While English is widely spoken, you will have the invaluable opportunity to learn to speak some Swahili. You will learn from guest speakers about social issues facing the community, such as the devastating effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Excursions
On the first weekend, you will visit some of the world’s most spectacular safari parks and wildlife reserves: Ngorogoro Crater and Lake Manyara. You will have the opportunity to take photos of zebras, lions, tigers, elephants, wildebeest, rhinos, flamingos, and many other creatures in their natural habitats. We will also visit a Masai village and learn about their traditional way of life. Students participating on our 21 day program will spend the second weekend hiking to a waterfall on the side of Mount Kilimanjaro and will spend the night at a lodge on the mountain.
Lodging
Staff and students live together at the GLA Home Base—an African compound located in a village about 10 minutes from the town of Moshi. Three to four students will share one bedroom with two bunkbeds and a private bathroom. There is no internet access or public phones in the village, but students will be able to visit an Internet cafe twice a week. One of the greatest experiences of traveling is tasting new and exotic foods. Tanzanian food is hearty and consists mainly of vegetables, beans, and ugali—a dough-like cornmeal staple that is a typical dish in East Africa.
