Understanding Sustainable Development and Education in Tanzania

On this spring break trip, students will partner with Mainsprings: The Janada Batchelor Foundation for Children to learn about sustainable development and educational opportunities in rural Tanzania. Located in Kitongo on the south shores of Lake Victoria, Mainsprings, with a stated mission to end extreme rural poverty in Tanzania, focuses on education and refuge for young girls and sustainable agriculture. Our immersion into the extraordinary community of young women living at Mainsprings offers students a portrait of a community of young leaders who meet the challenges and hardships of life in rural Tanzania with optimism and resilience. 

During this trip, students will have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of nonprofit organizations through immersion in the daily operations of Mainsprings educational and permaculture programs (e.g., daily interactions with the program for orphaned girls and participation in school classes and activities, working on the permaculture farm and in the dining hall). They will also participate in seminars with Mainspring teachers and staff, learning basic Swahili and exploring the lifeways of rural Tanzania. Students will learn the principles and practices of permaculture on the integrated farm containing rows of perennial trees (e.g., banana, papaya, avocado) interspersed with symbiotic annual plants (e.g., kale, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, onions, sweet potatoes, corn). Finally, students will experience the Serengeti National Park, learning about conservation, human ecology, and regional approaches to land protection. Throughout the program, students develop a nuanced understanding of the complexities of environmental sustainability and education in a rural Tanzanian context. They will return to campus challenged to consider how they can implement sustainable development and transformative education at Deerfield and beyond.

Program Notes:

  • Students and faculty trip leaders will be housed in a rustic dormitory called the Guesthouse, with separate bunk rooms for faculty and for girls and boys. Most meals, consisting primarily of locally grown vegetables, beans, and rice, will be shared with the girls who live at Mainsprings. Other meals will be eaten at the open-air restaurant Papa’s, located on the south shore of Lake Victoria. Breakfast will be served continental style. On safari, students will stay in a safari lodge or furnished tent.
  • This is an “unplugged” trip, so students will not have access to cell phones or the internet for the duration of their time in Tanzania. Faculty leaders do have cell phones and access to WiFi.
  • Students and faculty leaders will update families and friends at home through our Notes From The Field blog.
  • Families are responsible for transportation from JFK airport to the student’s destination for the remainder of March Break.

Program Dates

March 9 – March 22, 2025

Program eligibility

This program is open to all students, with a preference for those interested in sustainable development and understanding education systems. Financial Aid is available to all qualifying students.

Faculty Trip Leaders

  • Conrad Pitcher, Kate Parker

estimated cost: $6,000

This price is subject to change depending on enrollment numbers and flight costs. The final price will be set before initial deposits and enrollment paperwork are due.

2025 Preliminary Itinerary

*This itinerary is subject to change

This itinerary begins with an overnight stay at a hotel near JFK Airport before flying to Mwanza, Tanzania. From days three to six, students will engage in a program orientation with Mainsprings, explore the local area, and participate in various service projects. Days six and seven feature a safari in Serengeti National Park, offering an immersive wildlife experience. The group returns to Mainsprings for more service work from days eight to 10. The trip concludes on days 11 and 12 with travel back to the U.S.

**Families are responsible for transportation from JFK to the student’s destination for the remainder of March Break.

Notes From The Field

Tanzania 2019

Tanzania #12: Saying Goodbye

Ellia Chiang ’21, Hanna Deringer ’20, Christina Halloran ’20, and Mason Zhao ’20 reflect on the meaning on making new friends and the difficulties of saying goodbye.

Tanzania 2018

Tanzania #13: Farewell Kitongo

Mae Emerson ’19, Erin DeMarco ’19, and Olivia Geraci ’19 describe the difficulties of saying goodbye to the people and place they have come to love.