LOGISTICS

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What is the deadline for applying for a trip?

We run trips throughout the year and encourage volunteers to apply between three and ten months in advance to ensure you get a place on the trip, organise flights, vaccinations and give you time to raise some money for the projects that you will be involved in. Our summer trips are very popular and book up very quickly so we would encourage you to book these as soon as possible.

The final deadline is 8 weeks prior to trip start date if we have spaces.

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What is the price of the trip?

The price of the trip is dependent on the trip duration. All the prices can be found under the trip section of our website.

 

What vaccinations do I need and when do I need to get them?

We will give you a list of vaccinations required to travel safely to Tanzania/Kenya in the pre-departure information but we also recommend that you speak to your GP or travel clinic. It is best to start the vaccinations 3 months prior to departure. Some of the vaccines require two doses within 3 months for complete cover.

 

When should I apply for my visas/Kenyan eTA?

Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months from the date you arrive in Tanzania/Kenya. 

To travel to Tanzania, you will need an eTA to travel through Kenya and a Tanzanian visa. If you are joining us on a trip that is less than 4 weeks in Tanzania, you will get a trousit visa online prior to departure. If you are joining us on a trip in Tanzania which is more than 4 weeks, you will need a business visa which you will get at the border of Tanzania upon entry to Tanzania. 

Visas are not included in the cost of your trip. They are applied for online prior to departure. We recommend applying 4-6 weeks prior to your trip. Our team will provide you with instruction guides on how to apply for the visa/eTA. 

For visa applications you will need: your passport, picture of your passport photo page, passport photo and payment card. 

Once issued, the visa/eTA is valid for 3 months so it is important to not apply too early! ​

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Do I need insurance?

Go MAD has comprehensive travel and medical insurance which covers most volunteers and includes emergency health assistance. We are unable to cover volunteers who have a pre-existing medical issue but we will advise you of this upon successful application on one of our trips. 

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Which plugs do they use in Tanzania?

Tanzania uses the three pin UK plug sockets. 

 

TRIP​
How do we travel?

Usually, volunteers travel to Nairobi as part of a team and then travel overland by bus to the border of Tanzania. Eagle Lodge is 1.5 hours from the Tanzanian border and we travel by Land Rover or private bus/car depending on the size of the team. We travel out to the projects by Land Rover.

 

Where do we stay?

If travelling to Tanzania, you will stay in Eagle Lodge which has been purpose built for volunteers. Volunteers love staying in Eagle Lodge. It is a home away from home. We have different sized dormitories. There is a community feel at Eagle Lodge. Volunteers enjoy getting to know one another and socialising together. In the evenings, volunteers enjoy playing games and we also have the occasional movie night or quiz night! 

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How many other volunteers are there?

Our Gap Year trips range from 5-10 volunteers. Easter is a bit busier with families joining us. Our busiest period is the summer. During the summer teams range from 30-55 people. For your projects, you will be split into smaller groups with roughly 8-10 volunteers and 1 leader.

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What do we eat and drink?

We have a wonderful cook, Pendo, who makes lots of tasty Western style food including spaghetti bolognaise, burgers and chips, vegetable curry, beef curry and chapati pizza. There will be the opportunity to taste some Tanzanian cuisine too.

We cater for other dietary requirements too including vegetarians, gluten free and dairy free. 

We drink filtered water and sodas at lunch time. Sodas are a good rehydration after working hard in the villages! 

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What does a typical day/week look like?

Please see below the trip day in the life of a volunteer:

6.45. Wake up

7.15. Breakfast

7.45. Morning reflection

8.45-9. Leave for projects

1.00.pm Lunch

2.30. Return to projects

6.00 Start setting up for dinner

7.00 Dinner and debrief.

8.00 Wash up

8.30 Chill out / Swahili lesson/ card games/quiz

9.30 Prepare for Bed

10.00 Lights out and go to sleep

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Generally, we have Saturdays off and spend it doing our laundry, having lunch at Rehema café and visiting the market/resting at Eagle Lodge. On Sunday’s, there is the opportunity if people want to, to go to Church in the morning, we have lunch at Eagle Lodge and have some time off in the afternoon before going out for dinner in the evening. 

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What should I pack?

We will send you a kit list prior to departure. 

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How much money should I take with me?

Tanzania has a closed currency so you will be unable to get any Tanzanian Shillings before you get to Tanzania. You can bring US Dollars which have been issued in 2006 or newer (and have no rips or tears on them) and one of our in-country team will take them to the bank and get them exchanged for Tanzania Shillings.

You will need some money for snacks, drinks and any souvenirs or gifts you wish to buy to take home. This varies depending on how long you are joining us for. For a two-week trip, $100-120 will be sufficient. If you are joining us on a 3-month trip, $250 would be enough. If money is tight though and you work to a budget, you could bring $50-100 for 3 months. 

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HEALTH & SAFETY

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Is Musoma/Tanzania safe?

Tanzania is a safe country. In fact, it’s regarded as one of the safest African countries, both for locals and tourists. Your safety is of utmost importance to us at Go MAD and we would never send you to a destination where we thought you might be exposed to any type of unnecessary danger. We stay on top of the regular updates from the UK Foreign Office, which provides up to date safety information on the areas where we operate our trips and safaris. If any safety issues were to arise, we would take steps to make you aware of them immediately and put necessary steps in place to keep everyone safe. A great way to stay safe during your trip is to make sure your vaccinations are up to date. 

The sun is strong, and you will be spending a lot of time outdoors. Pack high-factor sun cream and remember to re-apply when necessary. Good-quality sunglasses are also essential and make sure to drink plenty of water! 
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What is the risk of malaria?

Taking malaria prophylactic drugs is essential on a trip with us as well as wearing mosquito protection. The accommodation we use will always include mosquito nets over the beds. In the evenings and early mornings, we strongly advise applying DEET (insect repellent). If we go to watch the sun set or sun rise, we will wear clothing that protects their ankles, calves, wrists, and necks. It is important to try and reduce the risk of malaria by using all the preventative measures.

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How can you ensure the safety of volunteers?

Safety is at the heart of everything we do. Our Safety Management Systems are robust, practical, and effective. As the start of each trip, we run a thorough safety check of Eagle Lodge.

Go MAD has support from local clinic and medical insurers to respond in the event of an emergency. 

Our CEO and In-country Director who are often with the teams are first aid trained and experienced in incident management. 

On our Gap Year trips, when our CEO and In-Country Directors are back in the UK, at least 1 team member will have a first aid qualification. 

During the summer, our CEO and In-country Director will be with the group 24/7. 

In the event of emergency, professional and skilled operators such as medical air rescue services and medical practitioners are available as part of our support network. 

Go MAD have been running volunteer trips for over 16 years and we have worked with thousands of young people – we are specialists in what we do. 

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What happens if my son/daughter is unwell whilst away?

The AICT (African Inland Church Tanzania) medical centre is less than a 5 minute drive from Eagle Lodge. We take volunteers who are unwell here and run a series of tests depending on the problem. Parents will be notified by WhatsApp. 

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CONTACT & COMMUNICATION

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When will I be able to contact home/access WiFi?

You should be aware that we do not have any WiFi in Eagle Lodge. Once you have arrived at Eagle Lodge, you will have the opportunity to use a team leader's phone to inform your parents that you have arrived. If you are in a school team, there will be a parents group chat and the leader will advise your parents that you have arrived.

We encourage all volunteers to fully involve themselves with the rest of the team and in the projects. We request that all the volunteers agree to not contacting friends and family during the week. Some volunteers suffer initially from a bit of homesickness which is perfectly natural. We have found that contacting home will only enhance this. 

For long term volunteers, there are very limited opportunities to use WIFI at the weekends. We request that all volunteers agree to not buying their own SIM card to use in Tanzania and limit themselves to 30 minutes of WiFi use at the weekends. There is no guarantee that WiFi will be available. 

For short term volunteers, you will have the opportunity to contact home when you are on the safari at the hotel where we stop for lunch on day 2. If you do not go on the safari, you will have the opportunity to contact home whilst the rest of the team are on safari. 

Having a digital detox is a highlight of many peoples' time with us. 

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How can I keep in touch with my son/daughter?

We have a strict phone policy as outlined above. When you son/daughter arrives in Tanzania you will be informed by WhatsApp that they have safely reached their destination.

If your son/daughter is on a Gap Year trip then they will have the opportunity to contact you at weekends. 

If your son/daughter is on a school trip, then our in-country team will update you via a WhatsApp group when the team has safely arrived in Tanzania. They will update you twice during the trip and then on the journey back to Nairobi too. Your son/daughter will be able to contact you when they are on safari. If they do not go on safari then they will have the opportunity to contact you whilst the rest of their team is away. 
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Can our friends/families send post/packages to us whilst we are away?

It's lovely to receive mail from home. We can receive mail to our post box in town. The address is Your Name, Go MAD, c/o Really Useful Developments, PO Box 1041, Musoma, Mara, Tanzania. It usually takes about 3/4 weeks for things to arrive.

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PROJECTS & FUNDRAISING

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Can I choose what projects I work on?

We ask all our volunteers to try and raise £400 each which goes directly onto the projects that you will be involved with in Tanzania.

We partner with the local community and district government when we are deciding what projects to get involved with. The local community decide who is next to get a goat shed/water tank. The district government advise us on which schools/health centres are in need of assistance. 

On our 2-week trips, each project team is likely to get involved with building a goat shed and a water tank. Depending on the need in Tanzania you might also get involved with renovating a house or building a toilet. There is also lots of medical work going on which you get involved with as well as visit and work on our tree planting programme. 

On our Gap Year trips there is more flexibility. Alongside our in-country team, you will be managing all the projects and be able to plan your week. 

We try to be flexible and give volunteers the opportunity to get involved in all the projects. If you are interested in the health projects, there will be some activities that are health related and then we also have some practical projects and children's work. Each week is different and after training from our CEO and In-Country Director, Gap Year teams look after their own schedules working with our in-country team. There are some activities which are set for each week such as our children's and youth group on a Wednesday afternoon. There won't be health activities each day but there will be opportunities to get involved in the health projects. 
 

How much fundraising goes onto the projects?

95% of the money raised by teams of volunteers is spent on charitable activities. 90% of the money raised will be spent on the materials and local labour for the projects. 5% is spent on maintaining our vehicles which are crucial for getting out into the villages. 5% goes towards the project management.

In our experience, family and friends of volunteers joining us on a trip are very generous when they hear about the situation in Tanzania and the projects that you are going to be getting involved with. Teams raise a huge amount which really makes a difference to what you and your team can achieve in Tanzania.  
 

Am I taking work away from local people?

Not at all. We work with partners and communities to provide materials and manpower to complete projects that would not otherwise get done, for example, due to lack of funds. On our project sites, we work alongside local people and as much as possible, we have recruited 42  full-time staff who are Tanzanians.

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