Making A Difference in Tanzania: Sally

Volunteering for Make A Difference (MAD) in Tanzania this summer was truly a life changing experience. I’ve known for years what a great organization it is and have participated in two charity hikes. But it was something much different to be able to witness and experience first-hand the impact that Make A Difference has made – and continues to make – in the lives of so many vulnerable and impoverished youth. From the moment we arrived we were warmly welcomed and so well taken care of by everyone at MAD – Theresa, Flora (our amazing cook), Paul (our driver) and Yusuph (MAD’s program coordinator). The students we spent time with and worked with were equally as welcoming and so inspirational. Despite their difficult lives, they were joyful, open-hearted, hard-working and so happy to have us visit and help them. They openly shared with us their difficult lives, their dreams to become doctors, pharmacists, economists and entrepreneurs, and the difference MAD has made in their lives. Theresa and MAD also immersed us in the culture of Tanzania. They took us to visit one student’s village; we visited a museum about the culture and history of the Chagga tribe, one of the largest ethnic groups in Tanzania; we hiked to a beautiful waterfall near the base of Kilimanjaro; and a couple of the students gave us a lesson in Swahili. This trip will stay with me forever and I look forward to returning to Tanzania someday to continue to support MAD and the important work they are doing to educate, train and equip youth to rise out of poverty, become independent and realize their dreams.