Tanzania Summer Team Leapers Diaries

Emily John

Hey everyone.

Thanks for the email. Having a fantastic time here! Have not managed to burn yet, I'm slapping on the Factor 50 though! I'm surprised how quickly I've adjusted to being away from home, and being in a group etc.

Absolutely loving working in a team, and am finding the placements very rewarding. We were all pleased with the work we did at Whisperers of the Jungle orphanage and I’m sure we'll feel the same for the CCF orphanage. The children there are a bit wild! They're so sweet though.

Hope you're all well! Xx

Lean Royle

To Guy,


Here’s the answers to some of your questions : )
- living conditions in Arusha are close to luxury! I’m embracing the cold showers and resisting the offer for hot water!
-The projects have been good. I have enjoyed Whisperers of the Jungle (the orphanage) and it was well organised by Kifa. I absolutely loved the kids at CCF even though they are a handful it was such a great challenge!

- The people looking after us here - Mathius, Mama Jo Jo, Giggs and Griff have been so supportive and helpful - it's really good to be staying with them and it feels like we are part of their family.

- The group though are getting on so well- we have some awesome days - especially the safari which was out of this world!
Overall the trip is amazing and Tanzania is a beautiful country!
Hope this has helped. Thanks for all your help.

Leanne xx

Sian Bolton

Hi Guy and Alice,

We are all fine and having a brilliant time. Mathius and his family are so lovely we all feel very at home- like adopted sons and daughters! We are working with the CCF at the moment and having a fantastic time. It’s so good to get to know them and build up some trust with the street boys. Me, Faye and Sophia are creating a website to raise the profile of CCF this week which is great.
We’ll email again soon.

Thank you- Leap Tanzania 2008 xxx

Eliza Brennan

Hi Guy and Mathius,

Thanks to all of you in London and Tanzania for making the trip such an extraordinary experience, especially in the face of such difficult circumstances.  We want to give a special thanks to Mathius and Mama Jo for their warmth, caring, advice, support, work, organizational skills and for the extra help you gave to Eliza, both for the Kili trek and at the end of her stay.  She had an amazing life-changing experience!  Thank you!

Eliza and Vicky Brennan

Jodie Shimmen

Hiya Alice!

Thanks for your email, we are all ok and having a great time. Mathius is lovely and the family are really welcoming so we feel right at home! We think you will be joining us at the safari phase so cant wait see you then.

We are going to a snake park tomorrow - where we are camel riding and munching on some goat…which is all a new experience. Thank you for all your hard work and this amazing opportunity.
Lots of love
Jodie, Verity, Charlie and Jen

Hi Guy its Jodie.
I’m having a really good time, not quite what I expected but nothing ever is. Mathius has been an amazing host from the beginning and am so excited about sharing all of these new experiences as a group. My favourite bit so far has been the camel ride - I was so scared but had such fun and a laugh with verity holding on to me for dear life.
I haven’t had a conversation with my parents and I don’t think I will as it costs such a lots of money - but I have been texting them a bit. I had to phone mum the other day and said “I’m fine .. have to be quick.. What’s the recipie for scones!”.

We made Mathius, his family and the staff at the house scones and they all loved them next I think is chocolate sponge cake - which I’m sure will go down very well.
Thanks
Jodie x

Hi Alice.
Hope you are well. Just thought I would drop you an email whilst I had the chance before heading to Dar tomorrow for the next phase of the placement. Everything is getting better and better here - as I said before the placements have definatley improved and this has been my favourite week so far.

Yesterday we went to an underground house up in the hills of Moshi where the Chagga people used to hide from the Massai during the war 200 years ago. It was amazing, me and Jen, Mathius and chief went into the tunnel, with only an oil lamp for light, we went deeper into ground and found a kitchen area still with a stove and pots from 200yrs ago - we took lots of pictures so when I get back I will send them to you - as the computers here are too slow. We then saw where the Chagga would keep the dead bodies of the Massai during the day and then take them outside and bury them at night. All very exciting!

We are all looking forward Zanzibar - we are going next Friday. As soon as we get to Dar I’m going to start researching good diving companies to do my PADI with - I cant wait- that’s another thing I’m really looking forward to! I persuaded the other two to walk into town with me today as its the public holiday and we went to our local coffee shop and got talking to some other volunteers which was nice. It’s Eid, the Islamic holiday today so we have been invited by the Roots and Shoots manager to celebrate with him - by eating lots…I don’t have any complaints about that. Hehe! Anyway - say hi to Guy for me. I will keep you up to date with what’s going on here, wish us luck for the journey - although I’m sure it will be fine ...  xxx


Hi Alice,

It’s great to hear from you. I’m having a brilliant time here now - the best it’s been for the whole placement!
Today I have been to the secondary school and worked with some of the teachers and then went to the museum where I sat with 3 Masaai women and made jewellery for them to sell…they then dressed me in full Massaai clothes to say Thank You!! Don’t worry I have tons of pictures and will send them as soon as I get back.
Mathius is being brilliant and I don’t feel alone here at all. - infact I feel more part of the family and community than ever.
Zanzibar was amazing!! I met so many travellers and made so many new friends - the full moon party was excellent and well worth staying for, the diving was out of this world and I am so pleased I passed my Padi - I cant wait 2 dive again somewhere else now.
I cant believe I’ll be back in 2 weeks - I have finally chosen not to stay on as I feel I’m ready to come home now…or at least I will be in a couple of weeks time!
Jodie x

Nicola Philip

I just wanted to send a quick email to say how much I enjoyed the trip to Tanzania.  It was an amazing experience and has definitely had an impact on my perspective and attitude to life as well as increasing and improving my teaching skills. 

Also I would like to say a huge thank you to you and all the others at The Leap for the help and support both myself and my parents received before and during my travels.  I think the phone updates my mum received really helped to keep her mind at ease!

Mathias, Mbassa, Jimmy, Fidel and Safiel were also amazing.  They were all really friendly and made us feel very welcome from the word go, which was comforting being so far from home in unfamiliar surroundings.  I could not fault any of them for the help they gave me.  From Jimmy picking us up at the port and letting me have a much needed cuddle and a cry on him when I wasn’t feeling well, to Mathias and Mbassa coming to check that I was ok and Fidel bringing me food in bed and sitting with me and boiling some water so I could have a warm bucket shower, they were all so attentive.  The support and friendship they gave us went above and beyond what I had originally anticpated, so much so that I think I speak for everyone when I say that the guys became like our family.  It was great to come back from a weekend away and receive big welcome hugs and smiles!

The entire experience overall was amazing. Towards the end of the trip we all travelled to Arusha and had the most fantastic time, a lovely way to end our stay in Tanzania. Mbassa and Jimmy also enjoyed showing us around their home town which I feel was a great experience for us girls and an opportunity for the boys to share part of their lives with us.

I had such an amazing time in Tanzania. It could not have been better, we all got on so

well.  We are already thinking of when to have our return visit as a group, this time climbing Kili to raise money for the schools we volunteered in.

I'm also seriously considering teaching over there for a couple of years after my degree I loved it that much.  Unfortunately a trip this year is not possible due to my dissertation and final teaching placement :-( but nevermind.

A big thank you again Alice for everything. If you ever need anyone to share Tanzanian experiences with future leapers and generally sing praises for the country and the staff over there i would be more than happy to do so!

Take care

Nicola xx

Rebecca Brown

Hi everyone,

I've had a great week! We've been in Moshi for a week which is at the foot of Kilimanjaro, the weather is a lot hotter here, and we're all starting to get much more tanned.

We started the week collecting trees and taking them to a street kids centre, which is just a short walk from the house. The rest of the week we have spent at a school for deaf children. It’s been such a rewarding week. We've done lots of painting and have finished painting the 2 large dormitories, we have also fitted a ceiling in the staffs room/office.

I’ve also had lots of time to spend with the children. Its been really challenging to communicate with them, as I obviously can't do sign language but when they do understand it makes it much more worthwhile and you can tell their faces light up when u understand them and the fact that you are interested in talking to them. This has been my favourite placement so far, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to go back and see them next week.

Anyway hope everything is good at home, I'm trying to upload some photos onto facebook so have a look and hopefully they will hurry up and upload before I run out of internet time Lol!

speak to u soon
Becs xx

One of our lovely past volunteers Rebecca Sutton, wrote a beautiful poem about her time in Tanzania. Its called We all need help.

Words cannot describe Africa, one must see it for real,

home of the lion, the sunset, the corrupt political deal.

The endless plains of the Serengeti, the mountains, the acacia trees,

the home of malaria, of aids, the sounds of children’s silent pleas.

Its all big smiles, toothy grins and swarms of waving hands,

but beneath, the children of Africa, implore us to understand,

the struggles of day to day,

the immense pain in their life where they must work hard, no play,  just toil and strife.

For so young its impossible to see how they are able to cope,

getting up in the morning, parent less, yet with glimmers of hope.

They have no one, nothing, just worries and tears,

the fragments of hope, eclipsed by fears upon fears.

Lives destroyed by disease, by aids and HIV

Governmental promises unfulfilled-its down to you and me.

Yet all seem to have an inner strength, so difficult to comprehend,

when their lives seem so helpless, stuck in a complete dead end.

Dreams of becoming lawyers, teachers, to play for manu city.

We must be there, to love and support, overwhelmed with pity.

How can we ignore the Children of Africa, surrounded by squalor and flies?

We must look deep into our hearts and theirs…its all in their eyes.