Tanzania

Karibu sana! Explore the wild Serengeti, practice Swahili in colorful markets, volunteer on a community development project and live with a Maasai family in enchanting Tanzania.

Photos and music from the 2011 EIL Tanzania program narration by Experimenter Siri McGuire.

Orientation in Dar es Salaam

Learn about Swahili culture and language during an exciting four-day orientation in Dar es Salaam, the “Haven of Peace.” Practice your new language skills in bustling markets, taste traditional Tanzanian foods, visit the ebony “Makonde” carvers’ market, and meet with community development experts to learn about vital social services.

Homestay

Journey to the coastal town of Tanga and wake up to the morning call to prayer as the first dhows return with the night’s catch of giant kingfish and octopus. Continue to develop your Swahili in a local language school while living with a welcoming Tanzanian family.

Sample activities:
Study traditional African medicine; learn about Islamic culture from prominent civic leaders; join a local dance troupe that fuses Swahili and Western music.

Maasai Village Stay

Travel into the African bush to become a member of a Maasai village. While living with a local family, you meet with local elders over tea, herd livestock with your host siblings, and participate in traditional evening dancing and drumming.

Community Service

Participate in a series of community-driven service projects that connect you with local school children, health advocates, and environmental experts focused on making a positive impact on their society.

Sample projects:
Engage in an ecosystem management project with Maasai villagers; help dig a clean water well with local youth and environmentalists.

Eco-safari, Kilimanjaro, and the African Savannah

Explore the breathtaking African savannah during a three-day eco-safari. Observe elephants, lions, hyenas, and giraffes in their natural habitat during hikes through the famous Serengeti. See the staggering beauty of the Ngorogoro Crater and enjoy a traditional African meal of banana-beef stew under the shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro before returning home.

"As we said goodbye to our Maasai families, I realized that I had just finished an experience that I will reflect on and tell stories about for decades to come."

-- Akilah Sanders-Reed
Sandia Park, New Mexico