A Learning Experience Like No Other

In January 2024, we had the opportunity to travel to Tanzania to participate in various volunteer projects with the Seeway foundation and enrich ourselves in the Tanzanian culture. 

Upon arrival at camp - Shamba Kipara - we were amazed by the natural beauty surrounding us. As you first walk in, you are greeted with a spacious common area, where you can overlook the majority of the camp, as well as the great Mount Meru. The common area includes a dining area, a coffee/tea bar, and cushions for you to relax on and have meetings with your guides. Walking down from the common area, there is a clear blue pool and two more areas for relaxation. The tents that we stayed in are spacious- enough room to fit five people-  and they come with mattresses, cubbies, and bedside tables. The camp is beautiful: it not only has amazing facilities, but the surrounding areas of greenery are exciting to explore, and you can also learn a lot from the information plaques round the camp. All the staff are extremely friendly and the food is AMAZING!

Over the course of the trip, we participated in many social impact projects, including two days working at Dolly Primary School and a day of building a goat shed, smokeless stove and a solar light system for a local family in need. The social impact projects were by far the most eye-opening experiences for us and they definitely taught us more than we anticipated they would. Not only did we develop practical skills like how to mix cement, lay bricks AND build an entire goat shed, but we also learnt about the importance of gratefulness, and being appreciative of what we have. And we even learnt some Swahili!  Despite the progress we made in both projects, it’s important to know that the work of Seeway is ongoing and it takes more than one trip to accomplish lasting impact. 

We also walked through local village with our guides Sammy and Amari and visted Kahawa Roastery. We learnt how important the coffee industry is in Tanzania and how the changing climate has impacted the lifestyle of the locals. Sammy also taught us about some Tanzanian customs and traditions.

Another highlight of our trip was experiencing an overnight camp at Tarangire National Park. The drive to the park was long, but our tour guide Good Luck was very entertaining as he shared his knowledge about the Maasai tribe, landscapes, buildings, and animals that we passed along the way.  During our safari, we were lucky enough to encounter a huge heard of elephants and a whirl wind of circling vultures, as well as getting up close and personal with a family of giraffes.  But the best moment without a doubt was when a male and female lion appeared from out of nowhere and crossed right in front of our bus.  When we got to the camp site in the late afternoon, tents were already set up and we had a delicious dinner waiting for us. We spent the evening around the campfire singing songs with the guides and eating cake to celebrate our friend’s birthday. 

Throughout this life changing experience, we had the opportunity to meet some fantastic people and make new friends.  Everywhere we went, our guides were always friendly and welcomed us into their communities.  We were also lucky enough to share this experience with another Nord Anglia school and really enjoyed meeting new students from another part of the World. 

Community is at the heart of this experience and we learnt a lot about working together and the importance of being globally minded citizens.  We all wish that we could go back again next year, and would encourage other students to seize this opportunity.

Watch a few of our highlights here.

Tanzania Blog written by Year 12 students Joseph, Julianne, Orla, Sophie