Tanzania

About Tanzania

The name “Tanzania” was created by the unity of  “Tanganyika” and “Zanzibar,” the names of the two states that unified to create the country Tanzania, and means “sail in the wilderness” in Swahili. A country of beautiful contrasts and home to more than 120 ethnic groups, Tanzania is one of the most diverse countries in Africa. From the highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, to the largest lake, Lake Victoria, Tanzania is the crowning jewel of the African continent.

The Need in Tanzania

Tanzania has a social security fund that covers public and private sector employees and self-employed workers who contribute directly to the economy. The number of workers who directly contribute to the system is very low in proportion to the population, and most who contribute to the economy live in larger cities. Those who are unemployed have no access to healthcare.

In such a wild and beautiful place, there are many in great need. The healthcare system of Tanzania is unable to serve most of the population, leaving many without access to health services. ISL Tanzania partners with local communities and non-profit organizations to reach out to those lost in a fragmented healthcare system. In a country known for its diversity, there is still room for an additional demographic: volunteers who are willing to travel across the world, learn from a culture rich in art, music, and agriculture, and assist in providing health services to those in rural communities with little or no access to it.

Tanzania is located in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region, known for the vast plains of Serengeti. The side of Tanzania that often remains unseen is the prevalence of poverty and the lack of proper healthcare that has left the country 167th out of 193th in the Human Development Index (HDI).  The HDI is a summary measure for assessing average achievement in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living. Tanzania (United Republic of)’s HDI value for 2022 is 0.532— which put the country in the low human development category—positioning it at 167 out of 193 countries and territories. In fact, 68% of those in Tanzania fall below the global poverty line, which equates to living on less than $1.25 USD a day. To further the problem there is an imbalance in the age of the population. Forty-four percent of Tanzanians are under the age of 15, with vast numbers of children living in orphanages. These social factors, in conjunction with a broken healthcare system, are the reasons the work of ISL in Tanzania is so important.

Where We Serve in Tanzania

ISL Tanzania’s service-learning volunteers primarily serve the interior of northern part of Tanzania. The urban and rural communities in close proximity to the ISL Tanzania Base Camp in the city of Moshi.

Rural Communities Served by ISL

In northern rural Tanzania, the communities are defined by their ability to grow crops. Many of the houses in these areas are made up of mud with poor repair, increasing exposure to the elements and promoting an unsanitary environment and a high rate of infectious diseases. Limited transportation between communities creates an extra challenge for rural Tanzanians to obtain adequate healthcare.

Urban Communities Served by ISL

Tanzania faces many of the same urban socio-economic factors that plague other urbanized areas in the world. Like most crowded cities, the urbanized areas of northern Tanzania can be a threshing floor for infectious disease and exposure to substance abuse.

Cultural Exploration

With ISL Tanzania, you’ll get many opportunities to experience the culture of those you serve as volunteers. Part of the cultural experience starts with where you stay. The Stella Modgearis Lodge is a nonprofit hotel and school that will serve as your ISL Tanzania base camp during your time of service. The lodge opened in 2012 to support the neighboring Stella Maris school for orphaned and vulnerable children of the Mailisita village area in Tanzania.  All the proceeds from your stay go exclusively to provide food and teachers for this school. Cooking Classes provide you an opportunity to learn how to make one of the many famous and delicious Tanzanian dishes. Batik is an indigenous style of painting using dyes and waxes.  You’ll have an opportunity to learn how it’s done. A walking tour through the city of Moshi, gives you an opportunity to explore the markets and absorb true Tanzanian culture. The Stella Maris School is completely funded by the Stella Maris Lodge where you will be staying and seeks to educate vulnerable children in Tanzania. It is located on the same grounds as the Stella Maris Lodge and is what makes ISL Tanzania Base Camp so special.

Recreation

When it comes time to get out and explore, you’ll see why Tanzania is said to be one of the most breathtaking places on earth. Many opportunities exist for recreation such as a visit to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Take advantage of the incredible opportunity to visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania. Named after the Ngorongoro Crater, it’s a great place to see the wild beasts that roam the Serengeti today. The Tarangire National Park is teeming with migratory wildlife during the dry season (June-October), the Tarangire National Park is known for its spectacular transit of thousands of elephants and other herd animals drawn to the Tarangire River. Expect to see wild Tanzania up close, with opportunities to see lions, zebras, ostriches, leopards, and gazelles. Located three hours from the ISL Tanzania base camp, you’ll have a full day of driving and safari. Just remember to bring insect repellant! Hike to a 450-foot waterfall flowing from the waters of Mount Kilimanjaro. This great photo opportunity and pleasant hike is accessible for all fitness levels.  The trail head is only a 45 minute drive from ISL Tanzania Base Camp. In addition to the hike, you’ll also have the opportunity to learn about Tanzanian coffee from seed to cup after you stop at one of the many coffee plantations on your drive to the waterfall.Walk from the dry desert to a vibrant green oasis in just a few steps. The Kikuletwa Hot Springs is a hidden gem few know about.  Although it’s technically a natural hot spring, the clean blue waters are actually the perfect temperature for escaping from the Tanzanian heat.

Recreational opportunities may have an extra cost so check with your ISL Representative when scheduling your activities to make sure that you prepare well for those expenses.

Country Coordinator

International Service Learning (ISL) is very proud of their Country Coordinators, and we would like for you to get to know them, before you visit their beautiful country. All of our Country Coordinators are hardworking, passionate individuals who enjoy serving their communities and working with ISL volunteers, and they all have their own very unique stories.

Teddy Chuwa has worked for ISL since 2012.

Teddy’s family is made up of her husband Baba Sharon, and their five daughters, of which three of them are biological sisters namely Sharon, Shania and Shamila and the other two, Cartherine and Clara, are their adopted daughters. They have also big extended families through their parents.

Teddy is originally from Kibosho, a community in Kilimanjaro Region in Tanzania. While she was in secondary school, she also studied in Tanga on the eastern coast of Tanzania. After passing her P7 exams, she went to Secondary school in Tanga and thereafter joined a college in Arusha where she qualified her Management professional in hotel industry. This education level and some working experience from other hotel sector has allowed her to have the skills and opportunity to be employed as a Manager at Stella Maris Executive Lodge. The most impactful moment for her was that her education and experience allowed her to work independently, learn and later become a leader and manager of her own hotel.

Teddy has great love with the people, their culture, as well as their style of life. The people in Tanzania are always welcoming, charming and they enjoy greeting one another and sharing their culture. Teddy says that every person can greet you on the street, interested to know how you are, and feel very comfortable to talk freely with anyone they meet. They are very close with their families and live together and are very friendly and helping each other in their communities.  They always work and solve their problems jointly as a community.

Teddy says she has many callings, one of those being that she is a mother to five lovely daughters. She works hard to take care of her family and acts as a role model to her daughters to show them that they can grow up to become managers or leaders in any institutions they would prefer if they studied hard. She is also happy to work hard because she knows that her work at Stella Maris supports the children of their school, and ISL helps the people in need in her country.

Teddy said her work is comprised of many different responsibilities. During clinics, she manages the ISL medical and operation teams to treat patients of different illnesses. She is also leading all the student volunteers who come to learn about Tanzania and treats the people in different areas in Kilimanjaro region. Before the students arrive, she visits the respective communities to inform them about the medical service ISL can provide to them and later brings the students through those communities to serve the people who are in need of the help/services.

She is inspired most by her family.  Every day she works hard for them, trying to give them the best life they can have. She is very close to her family and loving them most, which she feels very important to her. To see them growing healthy and acquires good education that is her day and nighttime dream. Also, her other favorite thing is that they have 334 kids at her work area (Stella Maris Primary School), and they enjoy taking care of them. Through working hard, she believes that she is helping to make enough money for the school so that they can have a better education and life for their future!

Alumni Stories:

Joshua Whelan: Tanzania Medical Reflection

Favorite memory from trip:

My favorite memory of my ISL trip to Tanzania was entering a traditional Masaii homestead and though there were multiple translations going on and people crowding around us, one seven year old boy named Baraka came right up in front of us and stood until he was recognized. He had a skin infection that covered most of his face and had only appeared in the last few days. Though we encouraged the mother to bring him to our clinic the following day, they did not show up. However on the last day of clinic, two days after visiting their home, Baraka and his mother arrived at the clinic and were treated. The ability to make relationships with and help people that live in an essentially different world is unique to ISL and the most rewarding part of the program.

What I liked about the ISL trip:

What I enjoyed most about the ISL experience was the fullness of the program. The trip provided great experience in the medical and public health fields, as well as the opportunity to broaden your world-view through submersion into a third world environment, yet it still allowed for the experience of the country and culture through dining, shopping, tourism and an amazing safari.

Joshua Whelan
University of Notre Dame
Tanzania General Med Team
December 27, 2011 – January 9, 2012

Eva Baldisserotto: Tanzania Reflection

I can still remember the feeling I had while sitting in JFK airport awaiting my first flight of the long journey ahead of me before I would arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport. I had no idea what to expect and I could almost already feel a change within myself. There was such a mix of emotions: fear, angst, nervousness… but most of all the excitement. I had never been that far from home for that amount of time on my own, and I was ready. I’ll never forget the first time stepping off the plane at JRO where even the air felt different. As soon as I got through customs and picked up my luggage, I already felt so comfortable in this place where some of my fellow team members and team leaders awaited holding an ISL sign.

The first bus ride to where we would be staying the first night was amazing, although it seemed like a long ride and we were all so exhausted from our travels, the entire bus was silent just looking out the windows observing this different way of life as we passed the small town centers, homes, and bars. I usually hate car rides but I have to say the long rides to the different destinations were one of my favorite parts, just observing the world around us and realizing truly how different everything is from what we are used to at home in the U.S. Once we got started triaging and doing our clinicals, we really got to experience the culture of Tanzania. The Masaii people were so welcoming, helpful, and kind. The ISL team leaders always helped us to feel safe and secure, not once was I ever nervous or scared of where we were going or whom we were going to see. Because our team leaders are so well known and respected, we as a team were also respected by all of the people. To think that they allowed us into their homes as complete strangers and even allowed us to hold their children and play with them is beyond me.  During clinicals I loved the fact that we were actually allowed to be a part of the patient care process under the supervision of a doctor, perhaps saving many of their lives from the tropical diseases that so many of them suffered from. I never realized how little it takes to change someone’s life or even how little it takes to save their lives.

I will never forget the one night at the Convent where our entire team laid down on the dirt pathway (completely exposed to the safari ants and giant spiders!) and just looked at the stars for hours, talking and soaking in the complete experience. I don’t believe I could have gotten this type of experience with any other program. Sure, tourists go to this country all the time, but never would they be able to venture into the villages or into the towns and be led by natives of the country and learn as much as we did. I can’t thank ISL enough for such an amazing and life changing experience. This trip truly solidified my determination to enter the medical profession and it gave me such a different point of view that I would never get in the United States.

Eva Baldisserotto
New York University
Tanzania – June 4-17, 2012

Alumni Video Testimonial

Following is a video testimonial from the UMaine Nursing International Team (May 2023) … enjoy