Sustainable Development Study Abroad Programs in Tanzania

Mt. Kilimanjaro served as the backdrop for many of our field drives in Amboseli National Park. The timing of our trips, an early beginning to the wet season as it were, obscured many carnivores from being found. For those who are unaware, an unfenced park such as Amboseli may serve as a dry-season refuge for the wildlife. When the rains return, the animals migrate out and into the community areas. We were lucky to be in the park on the day of one of the most famous of these migrations: the elephant migration. Cars idling, the air hot and humid, and our breaths shallow we watched hundreds of elephants cross just meters ahead of us. Behind us, Kilimanjaro stood proudly, not a cloud for kilometers to block its view. We were literally living the moment shown in postcards (be wary though, if you see a postcard in Tanzania with Kilimanjaro and elephants, it was actually taken in Amboseli National Park, Kenya), and if for one day the beauty of the largest of land herbivores reigned dominant over all others. I chose it for the location, the immerse home-stay aspect, the language (Swahili) classes, and the research opportunity.

My most memorable experience is the 5 day camping expedition to Serengeti National Park. We spent a this time performing field research each day on all animals. We attended guest lectures with people that were working on special projects within the park as well. Also, playing soccer nearly everyday after classes with the local people with a view of the sunset of Ngorongoro Crater on one side of the field and a view of Moyo Hill on the other. I am a Biology major who was able to get 2 sciences courses in and completed my capstone (directed research) abroad. I also wanted to go abroad to a country where English was not the first language, I would be living simply, and I would be exposed to a new culture. We lived inside a field station in which each student lived in a room with 2 bunk beds for 2 students with a private bathroom for each. There was one classroom for all the classes located inside the camp.

My favorite experience of this program was the week-long camping trip done in Serengeti National Park near the end of my stay in Tanzania. During this trip, students were given the opportunity to continue wildlife research, hear prominent wildlife management speakers that work on programs in Serengeti and observe all the wildlife that the African savanna has to offer. I picked this program because I was looking for a study abroad experience outside of the "norm". I knew that I wanted to pick an intensive program in a unique destination that I probably wouldn't have the chance to travel to until later years of my life. This program also combined my love for environmentalism and international conservation issues at the core of many of our studies. When living in Karatu, we had our own fenced community that was protected by guards. Each student shared a living space with 3 other people - this included showers and bathroom spaces. We had communal eating and studying areas, in addition to a computer lab and library. The camp also had full Wifi access. Our accommodations in Tanzania by far exceeded my expectations and were pretty nice for life in rural Tanzania.

I attended the SFS Summer Session II in Karatu, Tanzania and would recommend this program to anyone. If you are looking for a unique study abroad program that allows you to gain real world experiences with African wildlife, Tanzanian culture and live in the bush then this is the program for you. This program really focused on environmental and conservation issues that relate to wildlife management in Tanzania. You will have the opportunity to travel and study in many famous Tanzania national parks during your study abroad program. It is an opportunity of a lifetime!