Tanzania SERVICE TOUR

Matipwili - an education hub in Eastern Tanzania

Scotch College and PLC have raised funds and coordinated contributions from other organisations to build and stock educational facilities in Matipwili for over 15 years. Previous projects have included building and renovating classrooms, establishing a library and the construction of a Trade Training Centre and Resource Centre. As well as these infrastructure projects, a huge amount of resources, including educational materials and computers have been donated.

Accommodation is at ‘Kisampa’, a quintessential African bush camp located along a ridge not far from the village, that was specifically identified for its geographical location and potential conservation and wildlife potential. The property has had herds of buffalo, elephants, hippopotamuses return to the area and many other animals, including the extremely timid leopard.

The tour will also visit Kibasila High School in Dar es Salam, Tella Primary School in Moshi, and The Jane Goodall Institute on the foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro. We will climb to almost 4000m on Mt Meru and go on Safari in Taringere National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater.

The Tanzania Service Tour has become embedded in the Service and Citizenship programme at Scotch College and PLC. The tour centres on a relationship with the village of Matipwili and a major priority of the trip is to build the leadership and cultural awareness skills of the students and to inspire a passion for a life of service.

2019

Timeline

17 June Information evening for students, parents, staff, and alumni at Scotch College

30 July Applications close

7 August First deposit due

30 August First meeting

Jan-March Fundraising and planning

April-June Preparation and training

5–22 July Tanzania Service Trip

August Reflection and slide show evening

2020

What they are saying …

This tour left me with an incredible sense of appreciation for what we have in life, as well as a new-found sense of maturity that I would have been unable to discover before. I shall never forget these life altering experiences and these will always shape the way I perceive or react to anything from now on.

– Nick Rogers (OSC, 2018)

We were all students with dreams, ambitions, interests in basketball, dance, music or reading. While there were cultural differences these didn’t build a barrier between us but rather gave us all the opportunity to understand each other’s cultures.

– Lucie O’Sullivan (Year 12 – 2019)

Daniel has come back to us suddenly very grown-up, with highly attuned social values and a sense of duty.

– Parent

Our son has come back a changed person and is so happy that he went. We couldn’t be happier for him to have had such an opportunity and the outcome for us is greater than we expected. This will be a stand out memory from his time at Scotch.

– Parent

Ethical volunteering

Volunteering and service expeditions are notoriously difficult educational trips to engage in. How do we know we are not contributing to the scourge of fake orphanages or that donations are ending up with those in need and contributing to sustainable projects? And how do we answer the more complex questions around different beliefs regarding health, education, what makes for a ‘good’ life, and other issues associated with service work in foreign countries?

To mitigate some of these concerns, we choose activities that have been planned in conjunction with local organisations and, most importantly, with the recipient community. Scotch College and PLC have been working with the village of Matipwili for more than 15 years, we have had teachers from Matipwili visit our Colleges and we keep in close contact when we are not in Tanzania. We are engaging in ‘best practice’ when it comes to educational service projects and this has been reiterated through support and funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Our focus is on educating our students and building empathy and understanding of the complex world we live in.

Visas

Visas are included in the cost and obtained via the Tanzanian Consulate in Canberra through the Consul General in Perth.

Risk and Security

Comprehensive risk assessments and mitigation plans are carried out prior to departure. We have access to up to date information and 24 hour support through our membership of International SOS. We can provide personalised risk management plans for medical conditions and have access to immediate evacuation options and security, should the need arise.

Health and Insurance

Student health is paramount and we take a conservative approach to all activities in the program. Travel insurance is covered under the College’s insurance policies but vaccinations are the responsibility of the individual student.

Cost

$8500 - 9000 Cost includes all program preparation, training, flights, accommodation, meals, transport, tipping, insurance and activities.

For further information visit the websitehome.scotch.wa.edu.au/service-and-citizenship/trip/tanzania