Ten Days In Tanzania: What Africa Taught Me (Photos) (Video)

Picture this: Twelve women from New York, Aspen and Palm Beach sleeping "under canvas" on the Serengeti, sharing two vehicles, one Ranger and roughly 30 meals. The set up could have been a movie, if only Isak Dinesen (a.k.a. Karen Blixen) had given birth to a dozen girls who grew up to master high-powered careers and navigate the urban jungle only to be dropped onto the East African plains to take bucket showers. Maybe the movie would have been called Out of Manhattan, or Survival of the Thinnest; after all, we're part of the Animal Kingdom too.

But that movie won't be made, not in the sensationalized way I just described.

This trip to Tanzania with &Beyond (formerly CC Africa) and its philanthropic partners, &Beyond Foundation and Africa Foundation, was unpretentious, uncomplicated, and surprisingly magical. There were no cat fights or territory quests. Yes, we all got along. Even better, we fell in love with the country that was the backdrop for all those meals in tents and under trees, we connected with the kids in the villages and schools, and we were in awe of the ubiquitous Impala, the mating zebra, the scavenging hyena, the haunting elephants, and the million or so prehistoric birds that were our alarm clock every morning. After all, we were in their yard. Traveling with &Beyond and its foundation partners was a different kind of adventure. By funding a new primary school in Ololosokwan Village (and supporting the "Maasai Mamas" and their crafts every stop we made), this group proved that you can travel and enhance your own life by enriching the lives of people you meet while you're there.

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			Young boy at the Ololosokwan Village

Of course it takes a unique person to bridge these worlds and pull off a trip like this, luxurious and enlightening, social yet humanizing. New York philanthropist Krista Krieger (she's on the board of Africa Foundation (USA) and &Beyond Foundation) is equally at ease with Manhattanites and Maasai, stepping from the streets of New York City to the wildebeest migration in Tanzania without so much as breaking a sweat. (I, on the other hand, was on the plane with my Futuro compression hose and Ambien cocktail, I snacked on Probiotics daily and joined my roommates in wearing Breathe Right strips, which I had asked them to do, nicely of course. Another note: I learned not to wear black, it attracts the carnivorous Tsetse flies.)

Krista organized the group and the excursion with &Beyond; stays were all at &Beyond properties including Klein's Camp concession, Under Canvas at the Grumeti River in the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge. The foundations partner with communities, empowering them by funding projects in education, healthcare and income-generating activities. They also look for ways to solve issues. For example, the foundations have built medical clinics (or dispensaries) and residences for the doctors, nurses and their families who had lived hours away. This provides medical care to people who would not otherwise have easy access to it and the doctor and nurse quarters enable the dispensary to be government-certified, meaning the government will supply medicine and staff salaries. (The clinic we visited services a community of about 10,000 Maasai--there was no medical care within 80 kms on a dirt road before it was built.) At the Ololosokwan Village they've funded a kitchen at the school, which was needed to have the World Food Programme supply food to the 750 children there. Usually travelers with &Beyond are so enthralled with their experience in Africa they end up supporting specific projects where they've seen the situation firsthand. Last year makeup maven Sue Devitt witnessed women carrying 5 liters of water on their heads to and from town. This year her company donated a gift of Hippo Rollers; large blue containers that can hold 90 liters of water--on the ground. I learned that if you really want to do something to help, it's about understanding what is needed, being committed in some ongoing way to make that happen in a sustainable way, and then returning to see how it all works.

So really the movie would have to be about the way the women embraced the part philanthropy/part pleasure journey; the generosity of the Tanzanians we met, and the way we gravitated toward adventure and experience at every turn of the Land Rover's wheel. (Watch the video above, Ten Days in Tanzania.) There were no Bergdorf Blondes on this trip. More like Tanzanian Trekkers. Did I mention two of the women stayed behind to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro?

 

 

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Comments

[TamPhi]

Here is a link to a series of articles on volunteer travel, if the moderator will let it through this time...

http://www.examiner.com/x-19500-San-Diego-Volunteer-Travel-Examiner

[Angie Cordeiro - Huffpost Blogger]

Sustainable solutions carried out in a respectful manner; check these kind folks out ;-)

http://www.globalresourcealliance.org/

[mkmcgrath]

what a refreshing look at a philanthropic venture. the video is quite moving.

[avicenna]

Aye - the birthplace of the human exodus. My parents hail from Dar-es-salaam and Zanzibar, so I've had the great fortune to set my priorities right from an early age when I first made my visit to the homeland. I have to say, that I was hit with extreme freedom and burden at the same time when I visited as a youth. There is a tranquility and carpe diem essence that makes one think "It won't make a difference in a million years anyways" - and that life will carry on with that musty smell just fine without my being a witness to it; at the same time, the starkness of inequality and our poor job of distribution of wealth was something I couldn't quite wrap my head around then - or now. We've left the homeland and become a selfish beast - and when we go back and try to offer a few stones to rebuild the foundations of a masterpiece we knocked down - I'm not sure how praiseworthy our endeavours really are. There has been significant change since the time my parents left East Africa in the Early 70's - they were part of the immigrants and subsequent emigrants that were the bonus of European imperialism. Can we restore a way life and the innocence of Africa now? Or is it like a cell that once differentiated, it is near impossible to take back to the stem cell stage?

[eddiesengola]

Hi Martha,

While I enjoy reading your article and seeing the pictures, but it could be nice to show also the pictures of Tanzania's big and vibrant cities like Dar Es salaam and so on. The reason I say this is that for those in the West who never traveled to Africa or outside of the West, will always be left with a false idea that Africa is all jungle as portrayed in the Hollyhood movies.

Thanks again for sharing your trip!

[Bendra]

Your point is well taken. However, it is the bush that inspires!

[Martha McCully - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks for reading, and commenting. The communities we visited are pretty much in the wilderness, next to the National Parks. We didn't get to see the cities. I hope I will experience them next time!

[raja49]

Hi Im from Tanzania its a great place and the people are great there i hope you had a great time. I'm getting my degree in tourism so any ? on Tanzania i know it all .

[lm945]

Tanzania is a beautiful country, the people could not be nicer.

But by taking what was essentially a packaged tour, there are not-to-be-missed sites you never got to see.

Mkomazi National Park is Tanzania's newest national park, near the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It is home to Tanzania's only Rhino Sanctuary, and is also home to the only breeding program in the wild for the highly endangered African Hunting Dog.

Admittedly, I'm a bit biased. Tony and Lucy Fitzjohn, Mkomazi's Field Director and Administrative Director, are personal friends of mine. So I was privileged to get a private tour when Mkomazi was still a Game Reserve, and not open to the general public.

Information on Mkomazi is available at www.wildlifenow.com.

[Cowgirldiane]

Martha - thank you for your article - I just returned from Tanzania in May and I miss it so much. Your pictures bring back great memories and I appreciate your dedication to giving back. I find it slightly difficult to explain to people who have never been to Africa exactly the feeling you have when your there. In reading your article, I see that you and your friends "get it." When are you going back? I find I can't wait to return!

[BlueBoomer]

My youngest stepdaughter just landed in neighboring Uganda for a 2-year stint in the Peace Corp... It was hard seeing her off, knowing that we wouldn't be seeing her for such a long time, but this piece makes it a little easier, crystalizing the kind of impact she and her fellow volunteers can have...

BTW, last year at this time, the author was one of the judges on HGTV's Design Star...what a change for her!...Thanks, Martha...you made a good choice!

[jawse]

I do not wish to sound discourteous but, I've worked for humanitarian organizations who invite or are open to "donor trips" to see the various programs they fund around the world and have watched those people party, dine on exquisite meals, giving them bragging rights for going on such excursions. While without many of these donors, some with the greatest intentions, much of the good work that is being done wouldn't get done and, while not all are guilty of such behavior, this practice is extremely common and often, really frustrates me. I've been to Africa and have seen the intensity of life there and for me, there was no "luxurious and enlightening, social yet humanizing" experience. It was one of the most powerful life-changing experiences of my lifetime seeing the reality of the desperation and struggle to survive that so many endure. Best of luck to you and your companions with your efforts to be involved. Personally, I would've appreciated more photos of the people you went to visit (not so many of "the girls" and wild animals) and more information on what is being done and is still needed to improve these precious lives. This report looks and reads to be about the privileged going to visit the underprivileged while out and about on safari.

[Martha McCully - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank you for reading (and watching) this story. This was a life-changing experience, for sure, and it didn't matter whether we were eating good food at the end of the day or not. Africa Foundation and &Beyond Foundation have funded over 140 schools, 3 medical clinics, 7000 Hippo Rollers, scholarships, the list goes on. Does it really matter if donors enjoy themselves while they are there? The safari takes place on the way to the villages, which are next to the National Parks. The beauty of Africa is heart-opening and inspires people to donate funds to help the communities and conservation efforts too. I think that's a good thing.

[Sinza09]

As a Tanzanian-American, I appreciate you sharing a positive story about the Motherland. Too often do we see pictures of African kids with flies on their faces. Karibu tena.

[ErickB]

It's funny that the 'humaneismyth' mentioned the Hippo Rollers. I suppose it's because they are so amazingly practical, but that image and your description stood out to me more than anything else. Finding ways for individuals, brands, etc. to engage meaningfully in others lives, in simple and practical ways, is what it's all about. I'm glad to hear that a group of city slickers got a taste of the real Africa.

[humaneismyth]

I was being sincere.

[mamapanya]

ErickB - You are so spot on in regards to individuals/companies/brands that have the capacity to build up from small groups or especially womens' groups that are creative and very determined to change their lives. This kind of exposure - (thanks Martha) - pictures or trips in groups,open up a world to people who have never thought of going to East Africa. This brings in revenue, and encourages entrprneuership for those who have the capacity. We do not need Aid money as a bottomless pit of giving! Africans want to work and do better for their future and their childrens' futures.

[Binkycat]

Martha,

Thanks so much for sharing this story. Looks like an incredible trip! Wished I could have gone!!
Now sell your story to LIfetime:)

Cathy Whitlock

[humaneismyth]

"Last year makeup maven Sue Devitt witnessed women carrying 5 liters of water on their heads to and from town. This year her company donated a gift of Hippo Rollers; large blue containers that can hold 90 liters of water--on the ground. I learned that if you really want to do something to help, it's about understanding what is needed, being committed in some ongoing way to make that happen in a sustainable way, and then returning to see how it all works."

Wonderful.I am still curious how much progress has been made for women in African cultures. Africa is still the most magnificent place on Earth in my opinion ,and I've never been there.From all I have read and seen second hand of it's beauty and the tremendous challenges African people face ,knowing they have been there for ever...maybe even the first peoples...I stand in awe of them for all they have suffered and survived over the last millenium.