Nicole, Teaching in Zanzibar
Hi Nicole! I like it here very much. I had not previously expected to feel so comfortable here. My host family is very very nice and in my office, I have every bit of freedom. So I can try out everything that comes to my mind. That's great. I need to compliment all of you. We are looked after very well here. No matter what, you can address Abdi, Josh and now Sarah at any time and they are always willing to listen. I think you should say this on your homepage! This makes it attractive to people who are afraid to travel abroad alone. A heartfelt thank you to all! Best wishes, Nicole
Inger, Elective in Zanzibar
Dear Nicole, as promised, a little report from Zanzibar. We were picked up with a nice name sign from the airport. On the way back, just 20 minutes before we were supposed to go, there was a taxi outside the door. Abdi and Josh were always there for us. Whether a power failure, a broken water pipe, a broken toilet flushing or even a sick cat - the two have taken care of everything quickly. Overall, we really had a great time, which we will probably remember always! Once again, thank you so much for your hard work before the trip! Best regards,Inger
Laetitia, Water Sports Internship
Dear Nicole, four days ago, after five unforgettable, wonderful weeks in Zanzibar, I got back. I had a great time, I met many nice people, had interesting experiences and a big part of me has grown. This was a really nice time I spent there. Greetings, Laetitia
Ulrike, Marine Turtle Conservation Station, Nungwi
Hi Nicole, I arrived safely back in Germany. It was really a very nice time in Zanzibar. I've enjoyed every second, working with the turtles was a lot of fun and the people there are insanely great. Thank you for the support and quick responses to all my mails! I will never forget the four weeks there, it was absolutely beautiful! Thank you for everything. Best regards, Ulrike
David, Football Training in Zanzibar
Hi Nicole, World Unite! has done in my eyes, fantastic work and I'm glad that I decided to go for you. Accessibility, assistance and the wealth of information and advice helped me a lot. I never felt alone and could always count on your help during my stay. I cannot wait to return to Zanzibar sometime. I would like to thank you, and the whole team of World Unite!, very warmly !!! Best regards, David
Verena, Physiotherapy, Mnazi Mmoja Hospital
These 5 weeks have passed far too quickly and just like I got to know a foreign country better, I also got to know myself better. Through the mountains of experiences, in such a short time, I have grown incredibly. I have left a little piece of my heart there, and there isn't a day that I do not long for the pulsating life from there. Something powerful seems to fascinate me there, despite the almost unbearable living conditions for us Europeans. I'm still trying to make a note of certain experiences and new knowledge about the specific wishes, dreams and circumstances of the people there. My view of the world, and also of its complexity, has sharpened in any case.
Beatrice, Cultural Art Centre Zanzibar
An escape from everyday life, away from the familiar structures, I wanted to develop new ideas for my future career after many years of work. I traveled back with great ideas, after a creative time, joy and fun at work and many many exciting experiences. I have fulfilled a long-cherished dream.
Christine, Marine Sea Turtle Conservation Station, Nungwi
Dear Nicole, dear Chris, we do not know how to thank you. You found a very beautiful place here for us. The people are very, very helpful; we can join various tours, and we get to know the local life and culture. The rooms are very clean, everything is perfect. We will be happy to write to you later in more detail. All you have to know now, is that we are in good hands and that Suma and Josh take very, very good care of us. The cheerful nature and commitment of Suma is simply unique. What I also want to tell you is that we appreciate all your work here and the quick and helpful responses from both of you very much. We are Word Unite! warmest friends. More later. Best regards, Christine
Dario, Marine Sea Turtle Conservation Station, Nungwi
Hi Josh and Nicole, it was a great experience, a great time and I felt very comfortable in the aquarium on Zanzibar. I would like to thank you, the organization and all stakeholders very much. I think that we may be in touch with you next year. It was a good experience, to start my 15th year with this tour. However, the 4 weeks was also sufficient "for the first time". Also a big thank you from my mother to you. The fast answers to our questions gave her a good and safe feeling. Therefore, they had no fear about me. Thank you, good luck and love, Dario and Christiane
Julia, Sober House and Mental Hospital Zanzibar
Hey Chris, many thanks to you and all the team of the World Unite!. It was absolutely great and I felt very well cared for. Suma and Josh were always available, no matter what concern I had.
My partner in the sober house and mental hospital was also very nice and helpful. The work in the sober house was fun and I was able to take a lot back for me and my work in Germany. The mental hospital was ok with very nice and helpful people. Only the cultural difference was very noticeable, I took over the responsibility for the female ward and found it very frightening as to how to deal with the mentally ill. I am, however, very happy about the time I spent in Zanzibar and would go back anytime ;)
Best Regards, Julia
Sabine, 14 Days Voluntourism and World Learner Herbal Healer Madawa
Dear Chris, on Monday I came back from my 1-month stay in Zanzibar. I thank you, Josh and Suma, for the professional and cordial service!!!!!!!!!! It was an exciting, relaxing, humorous, varied and intense time. What you do with your packages is just great! Much obliged! Best regards, Sabine
Carlotta and Julia, Zala Park Zanzibar
We both really had a really great time in Zanzibar. I'm really glad that we got to know Zala Park, Muhammad and all the others ... I think I can speak for Julia that we have grown really fond of the place. Thanks for the great time that you give us with World Unite! I can say now that I was extremely satisfied with the entire organization and will diligently recommend you :) Best wishes, Carlotta
Viktoria, Water Sports Intern in Zanzibar
Josh is very professional and incredibly cute! A single SMS and he was always ready to help! Since I have worked in Nungwi, I did not have much contact with Josh and Suma, but I could tell by Josh's coordination that he was very good; Suma I cannot comment as I have only seen him once.
Nicole, Hotel Internship in Zanzibar
Hello Kristina,
The project in Zanzibar was a lot of fun and I just could gather only great experiences. I have also learned a lot from the culture. I can only recommend this experience to others. Thank you again for the great organization, I would love to do this again any time with you.
Kind Regards, Nicole
Mechel from Holland, Hotel Internship, Zanzibar
Dear Chris,
My stay in Zanzibar was a great experience. Everybody in the hotel took good care of me. Freddy was there in case there were any questions. To be honest I wish I could have stayed there a little bit longer. During the internship I learned a lot about working in a different country with people from a different culture. I did some research about the hotel and the good things it does for the Nungwi community. I am very interested in sustainable tourism so I was pleasantly surprised to find out about all the things Mnarani does for its people. Working together with the other trainee, Donata, was nice too. She became a good friend. The only thing is that because it was not always busy in the hotel the little work that needed to be done had to be shared. This was not a problem though because this way I had enough time to work on the paper for school.
In conclusion I could say that I am very positive about World Unite. Especially the trouble free package is convenient. You get exactly what you pay for and the experience of living abroad makes you richer.
Kind regards,
Mechel
Marlene, Marine Sea Turtle Conservation Station, Nungwi
Hi Chris,
I am (unfortunately) back from Zanzibar. It was fantastic. Wanted to thank you for everything. Can only recommend the organization and Zanzibar. It was really perfect. Thank You.
Best regards,
Marlene
Michael, Voluntourism Zanzibar, Turtle Station and St. Monica Kindergarten
The service during preparation was very good, I always had a good time with all the necessary information and questions were openly received, dealt with quickly. Info pdf was really helpful, albeit partially, as some points were almost in a negative light (e.g. hygiene, Street food, money from ATMs). So I was, in the beginning, a little cautious; but better so than the other way around. The many small tips - for example, Beaches in Stone Town, the reference to departure taxes, not to mention possible activities that you are working on in Zanzibar, etc. have been extremely valuable!
The airport pickup worked perfectly, Ali was waiting for us and brought us to the Zenith taxi. The first night in the accommodation was ok - although for a longer stay, the room was not well equipped - but this was already addresses during my stay, so far as I've noticed.
The transport to Nungwi again was easy, everything was very well organised and the people were very helpful. The rooms were clean and in good condition, power there was as good as ever and there was water. The food was really good and the employees in the aquarium made us feel very welcome. The work there has also been really fun, and it was of course, very dependent on each individual how far he wanted to get involved with that.
As my "entry" into the Zanzibar adventure, Nungwi was definitely perfect as it is comparatively a very "Western" setting and you can get by with English.
The transport to Stone Town was organized by Freddy and Zenith perfectly again, the stopover in Mombasa house was good; it was nice to meet some other volunteers. The arrival in my Host Family was also very good. With Mama Rahma, I spent the remaining 3 weeks of my stay, and had very much to learn from "everyday" life in Stone Town (of course, only a small portion of people live like she does) and I also felt very welcome. Of course, it would be a big advantage to at least have basics in Swahili speaking to participate actively in all conversations with a host family, but still, I can take back a lot of experience.
The work in the St. Monica School was definitely one of the highlights of my stay; the teachers take extremely good care of all volunteers and it makes it so very easy for one to make work meaningful and not to be totally overwhelmed. Even the director and all other colleagues welcomed me and all the other volunteers well and were always there for us when there were questions. Through the "mentor teacher" Mary, the volunteers were already in place, I think no one really had problems teaching here.
Excursions:
The Safari Blue was one of the best days in Zanzibar - it was a real day to enjoy, to see dolphins, the reef was really nice for snorkeling - very exciting and above all, it was once a day when you everything without thinking. The food was perfect and you never felt that the tour organizers want to make as much profit as possible with us.
In the day tour in the Jozani National Forest, it was very exciting to see the local monkeys and the Butterfly Farm; the time at the craft market was however, too long. Some of the activities were quite interesting, but to show approximately how strings are wound, how loom t-shirts can be printed with melted wax, at least, was not in my view, particularly interesting and rather addressed towards "classical tourism".
The Spice tour was also a thing that you should do in Zanzibar in any case, but in which no distinction is made between the classical hotel tourists and volunteers. They have different interests and claims. Here we simply had to be part of the program, and as volunteers, above all our money was important. I realize that it is very difficult for World Unite!, to control this directly.
I also have to say that people with pre-booked excursions pay exorbitant prices which we were spared.
Otherwise, a general point that was still very important to me, the on-site supervision by Freddy was just a incredible, everything worked perfectly, you could come to him with absolutely any problem and he tried to build a personal relationship with all the volunteers. Due to the large number of volunteers, some of whom had very short stays, I would have assumed that this would not be possible, but Freddy did not miss a single one!
I hope I could give you a rough idea of what happened to me in Zanzibar during my 4 weeks and also give an idea of those points where there is still room for improvement. In any case, I still thank you for organizing the trip, it was a truly extraordinary experience!
Regards,
Michael
Bianca and Tamara, Hospital Internship, Zanzibar
Hello Chris,
Thank you for everything, it was really super super nice and everything worked out fine. We are very grateful for the time and have already recommended you to other students. The experience in the hospital was irreplaceable and very valuable. I'm just thinking that I will again fly down next year for 4 weeks, but not for work, only to learn. Would it possible to live in one of the houses with my girlfriend? Best wishes and thanks again for everything,
Bianca
Rose, Volunteer Nurse
Jessica, Stone Town Heritage Society, Zanzibar
I loved the stay in Zanzibar and the internship and would definitely recommend World Unite! I would like to say that World Unite! is fortunate to have such a good employee as Freddy in Zanzibar. No matter what question you have, you can call him and he just helps one on. The introduction tour in the city was very informative and helped me a lot to find my way around the city. During my time in Zanzibar, Freddy and the other volunteers have become good friends and saying goodbye was difficult.
Freddy has always taken the time to answer questions and resolve problems. I felt very well cared for! In Freddy, World Unite! not only has a competent coordinator, but also a good friend who always has an open ear for all volunteers.
Also Themi in Moshi really helped Thomas and I when we were there. He picked us up from the bus and put us on the bus to Arusha, and we were very grateful to him. (The bus station in Moshi is pure hell with all the people who want to sell bus tickets and others.)
All in all, the three months in Zanzibar was a wonderful time in which I have gained many new and interesting experiences and met many new people from all over the world. I forge any plans to go back:-)
Regards,
Jessica
P.S.: The appendix is a photo of the Heritage Society team and me ;-)
Sascha and Matthias, Elective in Zanzibar
Hello Chris,
I would like to thank you for the great support you and your team gave us in Zanzibar. Everything worked perfectly and this month was for me the most impressive so far in my life journey. Freddy took very good care of us. I miss Africa very much. I not only learnt an incredible amount of medicine, but the people have especially greatly enriched me in Zanzibar.
Thank you for your efforts.
We will always recommend you and strongly advertise for you! Thank you very much, it was great!
Regards, Matthias
The commitment and flexibility from Freddy is incredible. Unfortunately, the communication was rather poor within the hospital, but got better in the course of the project. Big problem is the "student tourism", but less from World Unite!; it was more from the elective coordinator in debt ... For me, yet everything was in short, absolutely well organised. An incredible life experience.
Sascha
Severa, Marine Sea Turtle Conservation Station Nungwi, Zanzibar
I can truly say only positive things about my stay in Nungwi. It was really a great time and I would do it again at any time.
Joke from Belgium, Turtle Station, Nungwi, Sailboat Building, Herbal Medicine, Zanzibar
I have no other comments than very excellent ones about my experience with World Unite! This regards its people, the philosophy behind this project, its set-up and functioning. There were no unpleasant encounters nor surprises that spoiled my own views, travel or program. I am actually very much lined up with its "spirit". I will surely recommend your organisation as a or the! very true one to adhere to as such.
I did a 4 weeks voluntourism hopper program in Zanzibar.
Week 1: Dhow building in Nungwi. I liked the fact that I could walk in the village at night (and day), see the local people go about their local lives (eg nice peaceful setting at the Turtle Sanctuary to observe), make genuine and unforced contacts and be rather "undisturbed" too myself as compared to when we go out in touristic places in Africa, (I guess these places were not so far away, which may be nice to other World Unite! participants but I could not be bothered less with this type of Africa).
And that goes together with the team there of the turtle sanctuary. Really each one of them was gentle and kind and always ready to accompany, help, assist or share and also respect the way of someone else, which was a great good feeling. So they handled with me and so I saw them with all others. Especially many thanks to Pondo who recommended me his old teacher for initial Kiswahili lessons and was always ready to organise lessons and accompany me at the evening hours.
Dhow construction is kind of a difficult project as construction is done entirely from the people's mind and no big plans or theories can be explained but they showed me all their tools employed and I could contribute by assisting daily drilling holes, sawing or axing or watching. I tried to share more environmental awareness by cleaning up the site of plastic and trash. I am so surprised there are no (more) ecological projects/ NGO/ or company set up in ZNZ.. handling their huge problems of waste as I believed it was one of these few places on earth where ecological responsibility was the primary condition for permits towards construction of hotels/resorts, but sure this will be a personal comment beyond World Unite!
Week 2: Madawa herbal medicine lessons, Swahili lessons. I enjoyed the rides by daladala to Bububu and Madawa and his home! They always welcomed me so warmly with laughther and too fast Kiswahili! There was always food and drink presented at arrival and departures in which they shared generously their healthy way of living. When the 'Madawa' was busy, I was in the kitchen with the girls watching and learning Kiswahili and he just made time free for me later to go in his study and talk about all the spice and natural products of Zanzibar, share his receipes for living healthy and cure, the lifestyle, communicate and discuss the problems and highlights of his country and the world. We made a tour to his land of spice and showed me all the trees and plants that bring forth these very natural products.
Thanks to Freddy, I had good Kiswahili lessons daily in the afternoon. Well done, good teacher, smooth ways.
Weeks 3-4: Turtle/Nursery/Kiswahili Uzi Island. I have not one bad word to say! The turtle Sancuuary is a huge and brave project. Our help consisted in carrying sandbags on our bag to advance one step in the project. I have done this with great enthusiasm and force.
Aliy was the axe of all. Without him nothing would have been the same as it has been to us, and all as to get going everything: for the Nursery, the Turtle Reserve, the Seaweed, the host families, support of the village children, our free time.
Chris, I have gone to Zanzibar with greatest of my intentions and contributions and willpower to do. I know, it can never be enough, progress in projects and issues want to be helped out and so is every African "Subject" or Program to be supported with an easy smile, a severer guiding word or other adequate reply of greater means...
I shall send pictures and goods as I have promised to Uzi.
My "Love for Uzi" does not end there but may this be read and understood with respect from, and for the people of Uzi. I hope so much they may meet lots of new World Unite! people who engage as much with them.
I also wanted to tell you too that you are very welcome to Leipzig. I would be very pleased to meet you and talk to you. Whenever this can be possible!
Joke
Timo, Thesis in Uzi-Island, Zanzibar
As for your work, I have all the time followed with joy how things develop. The turtle project is really a great thing. What particularly pleased me is that you have implemented my idea with the Soccer Club supported by German students and it is apparently still going well. Very nice!
I must honestly admit that it constantly tempts me to visit Zanzibar again. The family situation makes it not easy at the moment. But let's see, I am occasionally in touch with Salim, maybe someday...
Thank you for the great time I had in Zanzibar and hope to see you sometime soon.
Best wishes to all (including Iz-Haka!)
Love, Timo
Cara, Hotel Internship in Zanzibar
My time in Zanzibar was really nice. It was for me the first time in Africa and I did not expect that I would be so thrilled. After the first few days I've felt at home. I was warmly welcomed by all, everyone was very friendly and helpful. In my hotel internship, I was able to learn a lot, mainly dealing with the guests. I can only recommend this experience. Zanzibar is a beautiful place, I would have liked to stay longer, but it certainly is not the last time there.
Robin, Marine Sea Turtle Conservation Project in Uzi, Zanzibar
The stay was a great experience. By living with a host family, I learned a lot about the culture and everyday life in Zanzibar. During the entire time, I have met without exception very helpful, friendly people and even supervisors who were always available to answer questions and contribute.
Amelia, Kindergarten Zanzibar
Freddy was absolutely great at his job. He made every effort to welcome me to Zanzibar and listed to all my silly worries. Despite a heavy workload with so many demanding volunteers he always did his best to help and advise. Freddy made my experience in Zanzibar really great and became a really good friend. The apartment in Kigwajuni is a great, functional volunteer apartment.
I want to raise some money for my project and perhaps some other ones by climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and want to stay in contact with everyone I met. Thinking of possibly climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro next summer to raise some money for a couple of Zanzibar charities.
Thank you again so much for organising my trip to Zanzibar, I loved every minute, it really was a wonderful experience and I have completely fallen in love with Africa.
Many thanks, Amelia
Anna-Lynn, Kindergarten in Zanzibar
Freddy was always available, very helpful and always there for one. I thought that was very nice. I also personally connected very well with him, so I found the on-site support excellent.
Stefanie - Voluntourism in Zanzibar
The families really cared for me and were honestly happy about me. Also, everything was always clean and the decor was super nice.
Soroush and Bahareh, Medical Elective, Zanzibar
We very much appreciate the opportunity, everything was organized and your team were absolute professional, friendly and committed. My medical elective at Mnazi Mmoja hospital in Zanzibar was uncompilable to anything that I've ever done. The hospital was just an amazing place to be, it will open up your eyes to a whole new world. The locals were amongst the friendliest and sincerest people, not forgetting the mesmerizing beauty of the Island. Out there our worlds were united, all thanks to World-Unite. Chris, i had the most unique experience in Zanzibar and loved every minute of it all. Thanks to you for making it happen. If in the future I could be of any help in your endeavors, please let me know. I already am looking forward to organizing my next adventure with World Unite.
Once again many many thanks and all the best chris
Soroush
Zuleika, Course on herbal medicine in Zanzibar
I really appreciated to study with Madawa. He has been really generous with me, as well with his teaching, as he invited me to lunch almost everyday at his house.
And I have been totally satisfied with Freddy, he was there when I had any question. And the same with Chris, who has been very nice with me. I appreciated the he was the one who introduced me to Madawa.
I also wanted to tell you, Chris, more personally, thank you for having created World United, because this permitted me to live a very beautiful experience in a different way, staying with locals and see how people really live, in addition to learn about traditional herbal medicine with Madawa.
I really like it. Again, thank you for everything. All the best for you and your projects!
Maren, Internship at Psychiatric Clinic, Zanzibar
Hello Chris,
Where are you right now? Back in Zanzibar or discovering the wide world?
I wanted to thank you once again. I had an incredibly beautiful and exciting time in Zanzibar. The work in the Mental Hospital has pleased me very much. The culture and religion have fascinated me. The apartment was great and Sula took excellent care. Especially in the period in which I was sick, you've both been a great help.
Thank you so much!! Zanzibar has captured my heart and it will not be long before I visit again. It would be nice to hear from you from time to time. I wish you all the best.
Greetings from rainy and cold Germany,
Maren
Juliane, Internship at Psychiatric Clinic, Zanzibar
You could call Sula anytime in the day and also night, and she was always trying to help! Arrival and departure went smoothly! The Shared Accommodation was super clean, our landlady was very nice, the interior was surprisingly great, and my roommate was perfect!
Saskia, Marine Sea Turtle Conservation Station, Zanzibar
In January 2013, I fulfilled my dream and started my trip to Zanzibar in the northernmost village of "Nungwi". When I arrived in the evening, I was very kindly received by Omar and Machano. The next morning, as I left my room I could not believe it - an absolutely gorgeous beach was right outside my bungalow door.I quickly got to know the team and was immediately integrated into the work. My duties were to change the water and clean the tank, rid the turtles of algae and seaweed and the guiding of tourists. The guys welcomed me very well and showed me everything. I quickly made contact also with other volunteers from other projects. Lydia of Umoja - Network for Africa has established a training center for the people in the village. The offering ranges from kindergarten tuition for pupils to language courses for adults. To practice my English, I also participated in the course. When she and her volunteers told me to write a book about Nungwi and your project, I was immediately convinced. As a trained media designer, it was a matter of the heart to use my skills for the village. And so I designed the book "Come, I'll tell you a story"; everything is going well and the book could be released in August. On the whole, I had a fabulous time and me a lot of great people. I will always long to return to this beautiful island and will try as often as possible to visit again. Thanks to World Unite! and the Mnarani Marine Turtles Conservation Pond for this great opportunity.
Vera, Kindergarten Zanzibar and Special Needs School, Moshi
Dear Chris,I hope you are well. I got back to cold Germany yesterday and just wanted to sign in briefly and say that everything went well. I had a really great time in Tanzania, thank you for all that you have enabled me to experience. You've really found very extraordinary people who do a great job and made my stay very comfortable from the start. I wish you all the best for the future and hope that you can promote more, so that many more people will have the opportunity to travel with world unite!.
Nicole from Denmark spent a month in occupational therapy of Mnazi Mmoja hospital. She will be happy to answer questions from interested parties.
Florian will be happy to answer questions about his elective in the pediatric department of the Mnazi Mmoja hospital.
Cecilia from Dresden did a 4-month internship at the psychiatric hospital of Zanzibar. Even today she is still in contact with them and keeps them informed of current issues in drug therapy, their specialty.