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.
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.
March 9 – March 22, 2025
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.
Conrad Pitcher, Kate Parker
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.
*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.
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.
Jeffrey Chen ’19 shares highlights of the groups second day at The Serengeti National Park, and Maddy Sofer ’21 recounts a welcoming return back “home.”
Trip leader Toby Emerson shares a reflection from his time in Tanzania.
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.
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