Visit Tanzania
NTC is committed to making life in Kwala as visible and tangible as possible to our participants in The United States. Still, the best way to really “meet Kwala” is to visit it for yourself! NTC supports volunteer and exchange-based trips for Newton students and citizens to visit Kwala. Whether you would like to initiate or get involved in a project, or are just interested in better understanding the Tanzanian culture, NTC and the Kwala Community promise that a trip to Kwala will be a life-changing and incredible experience.
For more information about traveling to Kwala, please view our traveler information packet.
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NTC’s relationship between Newton and Kwala has given us the opportunity to invite an array of people and groups to visit Kwala over the past several years. Below are three examples of past trips demonstrating ways you can visit Kwala!
July 2009 NTC Group Trip
In July, 2009, seven Newton citizens embarked on a two week trip to Tanzania to learn about Tanzania’s culture, work on projects in Kwala, and do some sight-seeing. Spread out between the three teachers’ houses at Kwala Secondary School, the group participated in homestays with the families of the teachers. During the day, the group shared culture with students, teachers, and villages. Students from Newton South’s NTC Club had raised enough money (more than $4,000 throughout the year!) to allow us to build eight new latrines at Kwala Secondary School, and the group got their hands dirty helping to build them. Additionally, Jackie Schon worked with Kwala Secondary School students to help paint a mural on one of the walls at Kwala Secondary School representing Newton, Kwala, and NTC’s work in the community. Students submitted proposals for what the mural should look like, and also painted a large portion of the actual mural.
In between learning about Tanzanian culture and working on the community service projects, the group also took some time to tour Dar es Salaam (the country’s biggest city) and visit Mikumi National Park for a quick safari!
“Actually seeing what NTC has done for the school, you know that it’s not just all talk and no action. And for us to go there with NTC and be spending all these hours on the mural and latrines and to have kids be coming up next to you and wanting to be part of the projects with you, again showed that it’s not just us doing something for them, it’s us doing something with them, with the common goal of helping the school become the best it can be. You know that it really is a collaborative effort.”
– Kate Shaughnessy, NTC Group Trip Participant.
In March, 2010, 23 members from the Brooklyn Free School community traveled to Kwala with NTC last month to visit Kwala Secondary School and Mahundi Primary School, connect with the local community, and complete several projects at Mahundi Primary School. The group funded the construction of a library and a playground, and painted a mural at the school, while participating in cultural exchange activities with students, teachers, and community members throughout the week. NTC would like to thank the Brooklyn Free School for their efforts in creating a meaningful and life-changing experience for the entire group and the Kwala school community. NTC helped organize logistics for the entire trip, including plane tickets, transportation, and all accommodations. 
“The trip to Tanzania was a huge success and an unforgettable experience for all involved!! We spent time in the largest city-Dar es Salaam, and traveled to Zanzibar, a fascinating island which until fairly recently was a separate country, spending time in Stone Townand at the beach on the Indian Ocean. We also went on a fabulous safari to Mikumi National Park, but most of our time and the centerpiece of our trip was living and working in the village of Kwala, a small rural community of about 3,000 people, getting to know the people, and working on projects for their primary and secondary schools.”Individual Traveler Trip
In July and August, 2010, first year University of Pittsburgh medical student Alan Rosenbaum visited Kwala for two months to establish a relationship with the Kwala Medical Clinic. As the first volunteer at the medical clinic, Alan learned about the medical needs of the community and built relationships with the doctors at the clinic. After learning about the high prevalence of STD’s, and especially HIV, throughout the community, Alan decided the best way he could make an impact at the school was to teach sex education to students at Kwala Secondary School and Mahundi Primary School. Alan taught classes to all forms at Kwala Secondary School and Standard 7 at Mahundi Primary School, and the teachers of both schools.
Whether you are interested in staying in Kwala for two months or two weeks, please contact us and let us know how you would like to be involved!
Bring Tanzania to Newton
In October 2007and 2009, NTC received funding to bring Kwala history teacher and NTC Kwala Advisor Athuman Msangi to Newton for two weeks of guest teaching and cultural exchange. The results were extraordinary. Newton’s students, teachers and parents were deeply moved by Mr. Msangi’s vivid depictions of life and culture in Tanzania, while exposure to our culture and generosity changed Mr. Msangi’s life forever. Further, the village of Kwala now understands that it is in a true partnership with Newton.
NTC is looking for generous individuals who would like to support Kwala teachers visiting Newton. Please Contact Us to find out how you can change the lives of hundreds by bringing a teacher from Kwala to Newton!
