Testimonials

My volunteering experience -

I came to Tanzania unsure of what I would find, or who I’d work with and what we would be doing. Little did I know it would be a life changing experience not just for me but for the adults and children we’d be helping. The development we put into the three schools I worked with in my time here was incredible, we built toilets, renovated a classroom and a food store and created an inspiring and affordable mud fridge prototype that could help the community tenfold.

LTT is run professionally meaning volunteers are not the only people that enjoy and benefit from the work done. The projects assist the developments of the community which is something much more rewarding to me than anything else.

I’d recommend anyone and everyone to work with LTT possibly one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Michaela Vyse  -20 (Quest – Summer 2011)

I came to Tanzania because after booking a trip to New Zealand for the rugby world cup, I realised how fortunate I am and how so many people do not have what I have and it is too easy to not appreciate what we have and how lucky we are.

LTT are making a change that will last and hopefully inspire many people to try new ways to improve their lifestyles.

By working with LTT it is clear that you cannot just turn up build a classroom and leave, the work must be on going and sustainable. LTT try new methods and inspire communities to adopt these methods to better equip themselves, whether it be to increase the longevity of a classroom, increase fuel efficiency of a cooker or to allow people to loan livestock to kick start a new business venture. The work we have done here have been very rewarding and it is comforting knowing that the livelihoods of the local community have been made better by what is essentially “inspired development”

LTT has allowed me to make a change and help me make a better impression not only on the local people but also on myself.

Alastair Walker -22 (Quest – Summer 2011)

I’ve always been active in raising money for charitable causes but it’s only since working with LTT that I have truly appreciated the difficulties faces I developing nations. For the frst time in my life I have felt completely involved in helping a community, getting my hands dirty and getting my face even dirtier! Living side by side with the locals allowed us to immerse ourselves in true Tanzanian culture, none of the fake Westernised Shananagons. My time volunteering with LTT has been a joyful life changing experience.

Niroj (Summer 2011)

The best part of working with LTT was the people we met during out time in the country and seeing how LTT is making a difference I n their lives. Everyone was hugely generous and friendly and seeing the improvements being made in their lives was incredibly rewarding. Nothing can compare to experiencing LTT’s work first hand, as this really open’s your eyes to the challenges people face and the many ways help can be given. As well as the work we were doing we were immersed in the culture and way of life in Tanzania and that was another highlight of the project.

Evie McGregor – 16 (Quest – Summer 2011)

Dear Lord Page!

What I like most about working with LTT is the long term investment and commitment as well as the emphasis on helping the locals to help themselves. I am amazed to see what you have already achieved in the last 4 years and hope you will continue long into the future. My best memories are of visiting the houses where your ideas have been put into practice and how they have changed people’s lives. Best of luck finding sponsors and I hope the classroom is up and running soon. If you ever need an undergrad civil engineer, just drop me an email !!

Jo (Quest Summer 2011)

Our time volunteering with LTT was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Just seeing how simple ideas and projects benefited not only the individuals but the entire community was highly rewarding. Despite sometimes being hard work it was always fun and enjoyable and the whole group developed many skills throughout the project. Working and living with the Tanzanian culture helped to enhance the whole experience.

Katie Fletcher  -21 (Quest Summer 2011)

Such a phenomenal trip – diverse and exciting. I would recommend a visit to Babati to anyone. Being able to involve ourselves in the community, as well as help with building facilities at school meant that there was always something for everyone to do. Julian’s ideas such as the keyhole garden and rocket stoves are very inspiring and I hope that I will be able to come back in the future to witness the progression

Steph Smith (Quest Summer 2011)

I really enjoyed my chance to volunteer with LTT. We stayed at two different schools and were welcomed with open arms (and fed delicious food) at both, I found the work tough but rewarding, nothing beats seeing finished bathrooms, foundations etc. I also enjoyed the fact that we were in a place in Africa where white people don’t come that often so we could appreciate the culture better. I would encourage anyone to volunteer in sustainable development and think that LTT have got good principles which they stick to. It was on the whole an incredibly worthwhile experience.

Louisa Gomes Munro – 19 (Quest Summer 2011)

I have really enjoyed my 4 week long stay in Tanzania. The culture is exciting, interesting and the people are welcoming. I have found working with LTT as a volunteer has been highly rewarding. They have done and continue to do much for the communities within Tanzania. Tanzania is a beautiful country and LTT help to improve the country’s educational standards, its quality of life and its rural countryside. I highly recommend visiting this country and while you are here assist LTT to improve the life of its people.

Jordon Currie  – 17 (Quest – Summer 2011)

Lorna says…. Thanks to LTT I’ve had the best, most rewarding 6 weeks ever. The work me and the group did was challenging and fun even if I wasn’t the best builder or teacher in the world I came away from every task feeling like I had made a difference to people in need. The community were amazing and I’ve met so many fantastic people I don’t mean to sound soppy when I say this but LTT is a fantastic charity and working with them was a super smart idea.

Ps. Julian is cool (January/February 2011 – Quest Volunteer)

Emily says…….. I am not really sure how to sum up the past 6 weeks without sounding outlandishly cliched and like I am being told exactly what to write to make the trip sound amazing; but to be honest the opportunity to work for LTT has been one of the most rewarding experiences I could image.  The work being done by the charity making a substantial and positive difference without causing dependency on it and the community is extremely welcoming of it; eager to help and get to know you and accept the help you were there to offer. The benefits of the charity became especially clear when Julian arrived and explained the effect that our work will have on the community and future projects. Without a doubt the gratitude expressed by the children and the teachers at the school were worth it and the community and Julian himself was what made the experience even more worthwhile as it gives the confidence that everyone’s efforts were not on vain. (January/February 2011 – Quest volunteer)

Kari says…. Working with LTT was an honour and a pleasure. The school children are incredible and all the opportunities to interact with them and the community were great ways to learn about life in this part of the world. It also made our work feel worth it, to see the people it was affecting. I always struggle with donating money or time to charities because it is difficult to tell if it is helping or hurting. Working with LTT it was clear to me that all the projects are respectful, thoughtful and unobtrusive to the community. Projects such as the fish ponds and the pig sties are clear examples of this. On our homestays were able to see the community which we were becoming part of. I hope to continue supporting LTT in whatever way I can. (January/February 2011 – Quest Volunteer)

Dominic says…… LTT is a charity working to improve the prospects of young individuals and the future of the rural community. When I arrived I felt greatly welcomed. The community embraced us openly which was most keenly felt during the homestays. The work in which we engaged felt very worthwhile and profitable for the community. All the work we did really felt as if it was making a difference, I really like that LTT is always working at the long term in its projects, the fact that LTT is community based encourages the volunteers that we are not just taking over from local jobs and installing western ideas, the community seem to be very behind LTT with a great deal of spirit. A major issue with general charity work is dependency upon the charity, LTT does not fall victim of such a trait, it helps to teach the community give them ideas and helps them in practice, a perfect example of this is the pig project which is run by the community which is a major step to improving the livelihoods of the people within

I felt that LTT is the most engaging and thoughtful charity I have come access, I wish it all the best for the future and also to its charismatic and most well informed leader. I will continue to support the hard work done by LTT and will make sure I encourage others to do the same. (January-February 2011 – Quest Volunteer)

Wema says…. In the 8 weeks I spent in Babati with the Livingstone Tanzania Trust I couldn’t have asked for more.  I went without expectations and was blown away by what I found.  I have never felt so welcome by so many strangers (all of whom are now friends).  Despite the language barrier I became part of their community and I won’t forget one occasion in particular – whilst visiting the Waangwaray Women’s group I’d thanked the ladies for having us and the response I got was laughter. Slightly bemused I asked for a translation – I didn’t need to thank them, I was one of them.  The children were also fantastic, so bright and happy – there were more than a few tears when I left!

I’m not one known for enjoying dirt, but working on the projects I did, it was unavoidable.  I got over my clean complex after the first day! I found it was thoroughly satisfying knowing that I’d done a hard days work, be it digging, harvesting, painting, or building and I was proud of my dirt! Don’t get me wrong, I was glad for a nice hot shower at the end of the day at the guest house but it felt really good to know I’d achieved something worthwhile and that I had the mud in my nails to prove it!

I was lucky enough to have 2 months to enjoy this beautiful country and I look forward to a time when I can go back and see what further progress has been made by both LTT and communities themselves. I cannot fault the work of LTT. They are not just pumping money into the problem. They’re making a real difference to these peoples lives by providing long-term sustainable solutions and it felt great to be part of it. Also, it has to be said that Julian Page is an absolute legend! He made me laugh everyday.  A friend for life. (June/July/August 2010)

Esther from Roadmonkey says…

“Hardest work, cement making and slapping scarred!  But the fruition of witnessing this kitchen rise up right before our eyes,  what a group of collaborative people can do in 4 days and to compare it to the hut used before, to imagine the food/tea/laughter/warmth that this kitchen will generated? It was an important, worthy and transformative experience indeed. ”

Sophie says….. “Working to help people help themselves was immensely gratifying. To know that once you leave, what you have built might just endure enough for the people to trust someone different and reproduce that idea and help themselves and their community. It is the perfect circle. I so glad that my two boys , Oliver 16 and Adrien 15 learned that others are not as fortunate but that with an open heart, mind and work you can built a better world for all . It is a lesson that they will take with them in their life .” (August 2010)

Sam says….

After a year travelling the world, Tanzania and my experience volunteering with Livingstone Tanzania Trust in Babati still ranks number one!
Snapshot memories include: the female volunteers heading back to the school (from the farm up the back) early and joining in with a group of girls in an impromptu singing, dancing circle. They had never seen anything as funny as our stiff hip movements; the song “we will willy, willy miss you” at the farewell presentation, and the sound of a thousand children screaming with laughter as we performed a local dance at the same ceremony; shopping in the market each day with our newly-learned Swahili, especially Chris and Naomi’s effort to buy beef stock yielding a cheese grater; not remembering the word for eggs, so asking Mama Asha for “no chicken children” for breakfast one morning; the walk up every day as people told each other stories about what we were doing there (the best – we were all convicts from Europe who were serving our sentence in TZ) while children ran from all directions to high five us once they got up the nerve; and the walks back down with people calling sorry for your work and thanking us for being there; the hilarity of the locals as we trundled past on a tractor that we hitched a lift on; safaris; the wonderful people I met – JP, the volunteer crew, Fundi Thomas, Dezzy, the girls who showed us how to move our hips (both the young ones at school and our age ones at bongo star search), the mandaazi and chai ladies on the way up, and so many more.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this volunteering experience to anyone who is considering it, what a way to spend a holiday…

Pete says

I worked with a team of seven other volunteers for the LTT in Babati, northern Tanzania.  The task was to build animal pens at Waangwaray primary school so that the children, with the help of a dedicated farm manager, could learn the rudiments of animal husbandry.

We built a cow pen for six cows, a goat shed for six goats, a duck shed, a chicken shed and a fodder store.  We also helped renovate the teachers’ accommodation and decorate the kindergarten classroom. The work was satisfying in that we could see that it was directly relevant to the children’s welfare, and that it would have lasting benefits.

I have a lasting memory of the spontaneity of the children, their greetings, smiles and laughter. From time to time, whole classes joined in the labour for a short while, bringing lengths of timber, sacks of sand, or other materials. They would usually finish with a song, encouraging us to join in.

The project was well organised and thought out, and I’m pleased to have been part of it.  I have a secret wish to go back in about three years, to see the whole thing up and running.  Who knows?

Lily Higgins says

“I had so much fun on this project . it was very fulfilling to see our school go from the foundations to a built, plastered and painted classroom in just 6 weeks. It is amazing to feel part of the community and to play football with the locals and visit their homes and play with the kids in kindergarten.”

Freddie Lovett says…

“The last 6 weeks have been amazing, we have achieved so much and the building looks fantastic. It went up very quickly. The language barrier was not as a bigger a problem as I thought it would be. It was very satisfying seeing it all finished”

Hannah Bick says…

“Working on the project has been one of the best fun and most rewarding experiences of my life. The local community all made us feel so welcome teaching us their customs and inviting us into their homes. It is something I’d thoroughly recommend and would love to be part of again.”

Victoria Yates says….

“It has been the most incredible 6 weeks, not only through the work that we have done but with the community who have been so generous inviting us to their houses and teaching us to dance. All the new people and things we have done have made this an unforgettable experience.”

Charlotte Elvidge says….

“I have had an absolutely fantastic 6 weeks working with the local community to build a classroom and teachers office. It has been so much fun working with a team in order to serve the community. It has been an experience of a lifetime, so many lovely people and lots of fun and games.  Something I’d definitely do again soon.”

Michael Battcock says…

“The past 6 weeks have been one of the best experiences of my life, meeting all the people here, who are so friendly and generous, has been incredibly enlightening. Of one my most fond moments was playing football with the local Waangwaray team and then having to shelter in someones house because of the torrential rain. Now that the classroom and the fish pond have been completed and the field on the farm has been planted with maize and pigeon peas everyone is very thankful towards us and it is a great feeling to have helped them in such a way. I will never forget my time here with all the people and the children and I hope one day I will be able to return. ”

Thomas Wills says…

“These  6 weeks at Waangwaray school have been an absolutely experience – we’ve all been completely overwhelmed by how the community have embraced us, to the extremes of giving us regular dance lessons, inviting us for meals and frequent homes visits and giving a number of us a starting position in the local football team for the big derby. As we are preparing to leave, I am realising how much I am going to miss the characters at the school. Rose John, imposing head teacher with a heart of gold, Mr Marceli the chief farmer with his toothy grin and of course Mr Mmfalme, the elderly school cook with whom we’ve all fallen in various degrees of love. Aside from all the sentimental stuff, there is also a massive sense of achievement, seeing our school house take shape ad knowing we ar really contributing to the long term education prospects f all the fantastic kids at the school. A really valuable few weeks that I feel privileged to have been part of. Safi” (thank you in Swahili)

Sophie Atkinson-Clark says…

“The last 6 weeks have gone so quickly. I can’t believe we have managed to build a whole classroom. It has been amazing living in the community rather than being a tourist and I can’t believe how generous and friendly everyone has been. The children are happy and friendly and have made our time here so memorable. I am definitely going to miss it.”

Dixon Knox says

“With only one day left in Babati, Tanzania, I cannot help but think back over how amazing the last 6 weeks have been. I have helped build a school, survived on a diet of beans and rice, struggled to come to terms with my American heritage and most importantly, I have been lucky enough to meet and befriend a community of incredible, selfless and vibrant people ranging in ages from 3 to 83. While I am sure that they will not remember me in several years time, I can honestly say that my experience here in Babati, with Quest Overseas and the Livingstone Tanzania Trust and the Waangwaray school has been something that I will never forget.”

James Belcher says

“My trip in Africa has been eventful and emotional. It was amazing to see the wonderful views Tanzania has to offer from the top of Mt Kwaraa in Babati, to the flare of the sun setting over Lake Babati, knowing hippos were only meters away. Seeing children swarm as you take a picture and what to see what they look like, or making a sports day, with a severe lack of communication, work.  Playing football for an African village side is an experience I will not forget. The goodbye ceremony was very emotion and I don’t think I will ever forget it.”