Women's Empowerment Outreach Program in Arusha

Six weeks that changed my life — and a journey that continues When I first contacted Medi Trip about volunteering in Tanzania, I had no idea that I was about to embark on a journey that would change my life forever. From my very first conversation with Pearl, the founder and director, I felt something special. There was genuine warmth, openness, professionalism, and, above all, a sincere passion for making a difference. I felt confident that I had made the right choice. The preparation was excellent. All the information I received beforehand was accurate, clear, and complete. Arriving in a country and culture so different from your own can be overwhelming, but Medi Trip made the entire experience feel welcoming and well organised. The accommodation was comfortable, the Tanzanian staff were wonderful, and there was always someone available for guidance, questions, or support. But what makes Medi Trip truly special to me goes far beyond the practical arrangements. I originally came to Tanzania for six weeks of volunteering. Today, I am on my seventh trip, and what started as a volunteer experience has grown into something I could never have imagined. Those first six weeks opened my eyes, touched my heart, and ultimately changed the direction of my life. Through the experiences, people, and communities I encountered, I discovered a passion and purpose that I hadn't known existed within me. Over time, I have grown from being a volunteer into someone actively involved in philanthropic work, supporting vulnerable women, girls, and children in Tanzania. And throughout that entire journey, Medi Trip has remained by my side. That is something I value enormously. My official volunteering placement may have ended a long time ago, but the relationship never did. Pearl and her team continue to follow my work, offer guidance, provide assistance when needed, and genuinely care about what I am trying to achieve. Even now, during my extended stays in Tanzania, I am still welcomed into the Medi Trip hostel, where I feel very much at home. I have never felt that I was simply another volunteer passing through their programme. I have always felt seen, supported, encouraged, and valued as a person. What I particularly admire about Pearl is her vision of what meaningful volunteering and philanthropy should be. It is not simply about arriving somewhere with good intentions and wanting to help. It is about listening, learning, respecting local knowledge, building relationships, and understanding that sustainable change comes from working alongside communities rather than deciding what they need. That philosophy has deeply influenced the way I approach my own work today. Of course, volunteering in a different country comes with challenges. You encounter unfamiliar situations, cultural differences, and realities that can be difficult to understand. But those experiences are also part of what makes volunteering so valuable. Having an organisation behind you that understands these complexities and is willing to guide and support you makes an enormous difference. I can only speak from my own experience, but after seven trips and years of continued involvement, I feel I have come to know Medi Trip not just as a volunteer, but also through the relationships and work that have developed since. And I can say wholeheartedly that my trust in Pearl and her team has only grown stronger. I arrived in Tanzania hoping to contribute something meaningful during six weeks of volunteering. I never expected to find a new direction in life, a community that feels like family, and a purpose that continues to inspire me every single day. Six weeks changed my life. And under the wing of Medi Trip, I found my calling. For that, I will always be grateful. Thank you, Pearl, Emmanuel, and the entire Medi Trip family, for opening a door that I never knew would lead to so much. I cannot recommend Medi Trip highly enough to anyone who is willing to approach volunteering with an open mind, an open heart, and a genuine desire to learn as much as they hope to give.

I planned a trip to Arusha, Tanzania through Medi Trip primarily for my son, who is a Pre Med student at university. Medi Trip and Pearl, in particular, did a wonderful job making the arrangements and sending excellent and relevant information relating to the volunteer assignments. My volunteer assignment was with WEHAF--Women's Encouragement HIV-AIDS Foundation. The accommodations were great. The staff at the hostel was friendly and very helpful--everything was kept very clean and orderly. Careen with Medi Trip was available and extremely helpful in showing us how to travel to our assignments from the hostel and how to get around Arusha. When I was seeking recommendations for a safari, Pearl placed me in contact with a local safari operator, and we enjoyed an amazing three day/two night safari in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. I also sought recommendations for a hiking trip to Mount Kilimanjaro with a locally-owned guiding service. Pearl placed me in contact with Nyange Adventures, and they took very good care of my son and I as we climbed Mount Kilimanjaro via the Machame Route. Praise Nyange is an amazing guide and environmentalist. His farm and tree planting operations were outstanding, and his team of guides and porters second to none. My son's volunteer assignment went extremely well. He was able to work with the anesthesiologists and anesthesia techs at the hospital in the general and OBGYN operating rooms. He witnessed and assisted in numerous operations and procedures over the course of the two weeks we volunteered in Arusha. He logged over 60 volunteer hours in just 8 work days! My experience with WEHAF was equally rewarding. I assisted Thedy Lengoje, and her team at WEHAF, with providing sorely needed assistance to widows (the majority of whom are HIV positive) from the community with food supplies, mattresses, beds, gas stoves, and other items needed to alleviate their difficult circumstances. I also helped complete the parking lot and perimeter wall painting at the "Mama Center", where women in the program go to learn how to sew and obtain other skills to be able to start their own small businesses. I did not think I would be doing manual labor during my assignment, but I saw a need and was given the freedom to complete those projects while I was in Arusha. The Medi Trip staff were professional and responsive to all my inquires leading up to our assignments. Travel and housing accommodations were both timely and comfortable. I cannot recommend Medi Trip enough. I am so pleased with the time my son and I spent in Tanzania and we will remember all the people with whom we came in contact (Pearl, Careen, Kombo, etc.) fondly and forever. Jambo!

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