Dearest Family & Friends,

I am SO incredibly excited to embark on this solo adventure to Arusha, Tanzania.

My soul feels so lit up by this experience, and I know that I am here to create positive change and impact for women of the world. This volunteer program is going to be an incredible opportunity to do just that.

Please read below to learn more about what I will be doing during my time in Tanzania, and how I can utilize your financial support.

With Love & Gratitude,

Tamara

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much..."
-Helen Keller

❤️

My gift to you:

I will be documenting this journey, as often as possible (I hear the wi-fi can be a bit hit and miss in Africa). I will share pictures, videos, and stories of my experience as a way for you all to stay connected and SEE where you generous donations are going.

If you don't already, make sure to follow me on Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/tamarajocelyn01

ALSO 

• For every $10 donation I will send a personalized postcard

• For every $25 donation I will send a personalized postcard AND I will give you access to a secret Facebook group where I will share behind the scenes footage, pictures, and reflections from my time in Tanzania. You can think of this as the "VIP Insider's Group" ;) 

• For every $100 donation I will source a special, handcrafted souvenir and ship it to you (plus the postcard and access to the Facebook Group)

Why YOU should donate:

• To help make a huge difference in the lives of disadvantaged women
• To be part of something bigger
• To give back and be able to SEE with your own eyes the impact you're helping make.

**Note** I want to make it CRYSTAL CLEAR that all donations will be going to fund the project, as outlined below.
I will be participating in some recreational activities while in Tanzania (Safari, Island Stay on Zanzibar, Hike Kilimanjaro, weekend expeditions around Arusha, etc) which will ALL be fully funded by myself.
Although I am provided with meals during my homestay, anything I eat / purchase outside of this is at my own expense, which will also be 100% covered by myself.
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My Purpose Project will last for 6 weeks. I will be spending 5-6 hours per day in my volunteer program / 5 days per week.

My program begins on January 1st, 2024 and will end on February 11th, 2024, and will be based in Arusha, Tanzania.

Gender equality is an ongoing issue in Tanzania, where many women face challenging situations in their everyday life. Domestic violence, homelessness and HIV/AIDS are all too common, and women who have to confront these challenges are often stigmatized by society, and in some cases are even exiled from their communities.

During my time in Tanzania, I will be working with a local NGO that focuses on empowering women and giving them the skills to be healthy and financially sufficient. Many of these women would struggle to find these kinds of opportunities to upskill and support themselves without the work of these NGO's and volunteers.

The program coordinates a range of initiatives, including teaching English and business classes, distributing menstrual pads to women and girls, assisting on a project to teach women how to breed chickens for income, helping them to get finance for their start-up businesses and teaching them how to cook.

There is also a large focus on community outreach visits, which means visiting women in their own homes to provide food, counseling and medical assistance to those in need.

During my program, I will be staying with a local Tanzanian family. The family will be financially compensated by the program coordinators (this is a part of the program fee that is paid to participate).

My meals will be provided, and I will eat what the host family eats.

Daily transportation to and from my volunteer placement is NOT included, and will need to be covered by me. The cost is approximately $6/day (which includes transportation both ways)

I will be completing a TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) certification, so that I am able to educate the women / help them upskill their English language skills, both verbal and written.

I will also be doing a Swahili Language course when I am there, to help me learn the local language and be able to communicate better with the women and the communities.

With the funds that are raised, I intend to give as much as I can directly to the women I work with, in the way of gifts such as sanitary products, education supplies, business tools, food and cook ware, clothing, etc. AS WELL AS giving donations to the women as start up capital for their own small business.

These are things that we can take for granted, but can be quite expensive and hard to obtain for these women in Tanzania to obtain for themselves. I will endeavor to source as many of these items as possible in Tanzania, to support their local economy and businesses.

Your generous support would really mean the world to me, and to the women, families, and communities it will impact!