Travel Stories
Volunteering Abroad Kicked Off My Travelling Adventure
by Emma Fadipe
August 2018
Why I Travel
I have always loved the excitement that travel brings, the anticipation of visiting somewhere new, experiencing different cultures and creating memories to last a lifetime! After spending New years in Rio in 2014 and a trip to India in 2015, my passion for travel grew even more and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to take a six months sabbatical from work, where I volunteered in Tanzania, and travelled to eight more countries throughout South East Asia. Being a woman of colour sometimes came with its obstacles, but it’s never stopped me from continuing to love and be passionate about travel. I hope to do more travelling in the future and wish to see more and more melanin blessed people travelling to all corners of the world when I do so!
Choosing Projects Abroad
I visited Tanzania in 2015 to work on a voluntary Micro Finance Project with a company called Projects Abroad. I stayed with a local family that lived close to the office I was situated at. My trip was for a month and I had a week and a half remaining when I wrote this. I stayed in Arusha, located inland slightly towards the north east of Tanzania in a town called Ilboru. It is very much like a stereotypical African village; dusty, chaotic, humid, polluted with numerous derelict buildings surrounding it. Always children playing, stray dogs and cats, as well as hens and a few cows being herded every now and again. The road to the house is extremely rough and treacherous, however once you get to the main road it was a relatively busy but smooth drive.
Trying Tanzanian Food
As a British born African, I know all too well how much we love rice, so I wasn’t surprised to have a rice dish offered every other day. In terms of Tanzanian dishes, I have tried ugali - a dish made of maize flour that once boiled forms a firm dough like consistency. It’s a pretty plain taste in itself but is always accompanied with usually a fish stew and vegetables. There is also another dish called chipsi mayai which is basically a chip omelette and is very popular amongst the locals.
My favourite meal was one I had on a safari; small green beans in a sauce with rice. Considering I’m a lover of meat it surprised me how much I enjoyed this dish.
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Travelling Within Tanzania
The two places in Arusha I found myself and a fellow volunteer hanging out the most were Msumbi Coffee and Mount Meru Hotel - mainly for the Wi-Fi lol, nice atmosphere and food! Another great place to eat is Khans BBQ! I made the most of the Tanzanian Indian Ocean coastline and found myself in Zanzibar - Stone Town and I can honestly say this was one of the most amazing places I have visited. Definitely the Africa you don’t see in the media outlets. My favourite places to relax and eat were Emerson on Hurumzi, a rooftop with great views, and the Zanzibar Coffee House. I would also recommend Maru Maru and the Pyramid Hotel for accommodation situated in Stone Town.
My Next Destination
I have always been inspired to travel to the African continent but on this particular trip it was to volunteer and being of African descent myself I could think of no better place to give back. I love to travel, and Tanzania provided work, fun and adventure all in one place so it was a no brainer really!
I was back in London for a week then I flew to Bangkok as I have always wanted to go to Thailand. This was the start of my backpacking journey throughout South East Asia.
I was back in London for a week then I flew to Bangkok as I have always wanted to go to Thailand. This was the start of my backpacking journey throughout South East Asia.
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