What Go M.A.D offers
Go Make A Difference offers you a life changing experience to step out of your comfort zone. For 2012/ 2013 you could get involved in community projects abroad in rural northern Tanzania or the island Zanzibar for 4-12 weeks; go on a shorter 2 week family friendly trip or embark on a Kilimanjaro hike! Our partner for many of these trips is Tearfund Transform.
The most varied placements are those in Musoma,Northern Tanzania. It is a beautiful area, which is rarely visited by tourists. We have been well established in this location for 16 years and have developed very deep friendships with many local people, we get involved in a wide range of activities and there are opportunities to explore the area in our Land Rovers.
Go M.A.D’s ministry
Building projects:
There a number of different building projects teams can get involved in whilst in Tanzania. These vary from trip to trip depending on what is required at the villages they are 
working in, previous projects have included:
- Building or repairing water tanks
- Building pit latrines
- Roofing an existing Church
- Building a Church or a house
Volunteers learn all of the skills needed to complete these projects whilst in country so there is no building experience necessary. Team use local suppliers and have the opportunity to work along side the local people in the villages. All of these building projects make a vital difference to the health and well being of the members of the local communities.
Health Education:
Go MAD is linked with a number of different health programmes run by the Anglican Diocese. Volunteers have the opportunity to help with these projects assisting with home visits to patients of the disability centre (patients with albinism, HIV/AIDS or physical disabilities), visiting the weekly foot and cleft palate clinic and assisting in the HIV/AIDS home care programme. Teams also lead their own health outreach in the specific village and communities they are working in. Something that is very important is teaching basic health education and sanitation to the village members. Teams conduct health surveys to get an idea of the current situation in the village and then hold a number of talks on health education based around the output. The topics covered often include basic hygiene, diarrhoea, malaria and HIV/AIDS.
Musoma Children’s Home:
Volunteers also have the chance to help at the Musoma Children’s Home. The home is for children from new born to 3 years. Many of the children are orphans and live in the home until they are found a suitable family to stay. However, many still have a family but they are unable to support the child at the time so they stay at the home until they their family is ready. Volunteer’s time at the orphanage is spent playing with the children, showing them love and affection, helping at meal times and putting the children to bed.
Rehema Project:
Rehema was started by Amy Vink, a missionary working for CMS Australia, in co-operation with the Anglican Diocese of Mara. The aim of the project is to raise sustainable income for women and children living in extremely difficult situations. The original and main form of outreach is greeting card making, where the women learn the skills for this and then receive a fair wage to make the products Rehema sells. The project is rapidly expanding though, developing new product lines including jewellery and clothes making, and running a cafe in the compound of the Anglican Diocese. Volunteers will have the opportunity to get involved in this project.
Children’s Ministry:
Within Tanzania there is much opportunity for volunteers to get involved with local schools and nurseries. Teams can lead sports, music and Bible lessons within the schools. Volunteers also become very involved with the local church. Go MAD encourages volunteers to set up a Sunday school, teaching the children a basic messages from the Bible. This is very beneficial to the children as most of the churches don’t have specific children centred activities.
In Zanzibar volunteers can assist in the Mahonda nursery as well as the Anglican school based in Stone town. The Mahonda nursery has two classrooms, a junior class for 2-5 year olds and a senior class for 5-8 year olds. The nursery teaches English, Math, Art and Kiswahili; there are little resources and only tables and chairs are available for the senior class. The school is privately run by the church; children pay 3000 TSH to attend per month (£1.50) which often families struggle to pay. The nursery relies on donations from the church to keep it running.
Free Time:
Each trip to northern Tanzania will include a holiday to the Serengeti for 2 days. Volunteers will also go on a mountain trip half way through your trip for 2 days as a time to reflect and for some well earned rest. This affords the opportunity to explore remote areas of the Mara region visiting some amazing rock formations.
In Zanzibar volunteers can spend their weekends off visiting historical ruins, touring spice plantations, swimming with dolphin and sea tortoises, sailing and deep-sea fishing, exploring the forest of Jozani home of the Red Colobus monkey, buying fresh seafood at the food markets in Stonetown, snorkeling the islands coral reefs and relaxing on the many gorgeous beaches with miles of white sand, coconut trees and warm blue seas.
