Youth Volunteering in Zanzibar

I went on a trip with GIVE in 2023 to Tanzania. I want to preface with the fact that all of the staff and people who work for GIVE were very kind and accommodating. I will also say that I had a very good time on the trip. It’s super well organized and the activities they plan for you are great. However, if you’re looking for a chance to properly experience a culture and to volunteer, there are better ways to do so which cost a fraction of what GIVE requires you pay. It may take a bit of research online, but there are definitely programs out there that will house you and allow you to stay for various durations. AIESEC is an example of a student run association which has chapters worldwide which is focused on global exchanges and leadership. My Swiss cousin always managed to find ministries in countries like Uganda and Tanzania where she goes to care for children for practically FREE. This isn’t a coincidence. I think that in the US, we are very easy targets for companies like GIVE because we don’t question international trips when they cost a small fortune. With how much we already pay for our college tuitions, who better to convince to shell out money for glorified two week vacations abroad to peer from the outside looking in at other cultures than young naive Americans with cash to burn? I spent at least $5,000 for my two week trip, including airfare. When you compare how much accommodation and food cost in Tanzania (seriously, Google it), it’s clear that most of the money probably went into paying GIVE’s staff, the excursions themselves, and funding their school project. You pay to participate, voilà. You get to pat yourself on the back after two hours of work then go snorkeling with dolphins. If that’s the kind of experience you’re looking for, then absolutely go for it! I would say it’s much more about sustainable tourism than anything else! But to call it a true volunteering experience, I’m not sure I would venture so far as to say that. Personally, I feel like that’s more of a marketing ploy to reel in young Americans looking to get out of their comfort zones and are tired of their usual vacations to Cancun, Mexico where they drink margaritas on a cruise ship deck while slathering on skin tan lotion. It feels more altruistic to be called a “volunteer” than a “sustainable tourist”. Better for marketing and for convincing parents and relatives to help pay for the trip. So, would I recommend GIVE Volunteers? That depends on what kind of experience you’re looking for. All in all, I considered it to be a very cool vacation with fun excursions. We went on a safari, snorkeling with dolphins, on walking tours, to a spice farm etc. I had a lot of fun. However, I’d recommend you look at different options for authentic volunteering experiences for much less money (most of these destinations GIVE offers are very inexpensive in general, $3,000+ USD is a substantial sum for locals, aka an average year’s salary in some cases)

Absolutely amazing! The local guides were so knowledgable and made the experience extremely unique and one that will stay with me forever. The entire trip I felt so safe, was well fed and learned lots about the culture and how I can apply different lessons to my life that I learned in Zanzibar.