Tucked into the foothills of Mt. Meru, Arusha is our first stop and the undisputed safari capital of East Africa. The streets of this vibrant town are filled with 4x4 game viewing vehicles, suited businessmen going about their daily work, and Maasai warriors in full regalia. Arusha serves as our home base while we become acquainted with each other, our service project, and the adventure that lies ahead. We begin with "Hujambo," a lively greeting, as our deeply knowledgeable in-country guides give us a captivating orientation of Swahili language, history and tradition.
We learn of the hundreds of rural villages in Tanzania that suffer from poor educational and medical facilities, most of the time lacking electricity and proper resources. Our project site is one such village. We work to advance the village school, while building relationships with the community and each other - painting, roofing, laying water pipes and building additions to the structures. In our free time, we hone our Swahili language skills with community members as we enjoy soccer games, handicraft workshops, traditional cooking lessons, and excursions around the area. Most of our time is spent with the village children, women, leaders and elders, learning and understanding life in the Tanzanian countryside. We visit NGO's and orphanages managing the effects of HIV/AIDS, and learn what is being done to empower women and children impacted by this disease.
Once our project is complete, we move up and over the Mbulu Highlands and through the Rift Valley. Very few people journey this far to visit the Hadza tribe, hard to find with only 600 to 1,000 left in the massive Yaeda Valley; we are not only fortunate to find their tribe, but to also share camp with them.The Hadza people are the last functioning hunter-gatherers in Africa and remarkably not closely related to any other. Living among the rocks and beneath the trees of the dry savanna in groups of about 18 adults, the Hadza move every two weeks. Men often hunt in pairs, and spend entire nights lying in wait by waterholes, with hand-carved bows and arrows treated with poison made from the branches of shrubs. Together, we practice archery, gather honey and learn it takes less than 30 seconds for a Hadza to start a fire by rotating wooden fire drills between their palms. We experience their way of life, learn of the threats to their existence and wonder what the future holds for this rapidly disappearing culture and people. Some of us may choose an optional trek across the Yaeda Valley to the Gederu rock outcroppings, offering an unmatched view of the valley at sunset.
From our extraordinary time with the Hadza, we move north to Ngorongoro Crater, the largest unbroken volcanic crater in the world. A UNESCO World Heritage Site often called the “eighth wonder of the world,” its crater walls form the largest unbroken basin on earth. The 14 mile wide hollow is home to the world’s highest density of thick-maned lions, and it is one of the few places in the world to catch a glimpse of the endangered black rhino and the other 25,000 animals within the crater itself. Lake Manyara National Park is our next destination. Recorded by Ernest Hemingway as the "loveliest lake in Africa," the park is occupied by hippos, elephants, gazelles, leopards, and giraffes which roam freely through its plains. Famous for its legendary tree climbing lions, we see blue monkeys and ancient mahogany trees as we watch the sun set in a haze of purples, oranges and reds.
On our final day, we travel back to our village house near Arusha to say "Kwa heri" (goodbye) to our Maasai guides before boarding our planes home.
| AGES |
DAYS
|
TUITION |
DATES |
ARRIVE/DEPART |
| 15–19 |
24 |
5,995 |
6/26/10–7/19/10 [session 1]
7/21/10–8/13/10 [session 2] |
Newark, NJ
|
