KIWAKKUKI Social Reality Tour

Tanzania can count with some of Africa's most stunning tourist attractions including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Mount Kilimanjaro and the fabled spice island of Zanzibar. With no doubt, visiting such natural wonders will make your holidays in East Africa an unforgettable experience.

An increasing number of tourists however is also interested in getting to know the "reality" of the country they are visiting and its people, and they want to leave a positive impact of their visit.

The KIWAKKUKI Social Reality Tour is a new non-for-profit offer for visitors to Moshi who are interested in learning about the situation of HIV and associated problems in East Africa, and seeing and supporting the efforts which are being undertaken to provide alleviation to suffering communities.

While being in Moshi, which is the starting point for all Kilimanjaro climbs and many safaris in Northern Tanzania, you can join this half-day tour. Moshi is also easily reachable from Arusha. Just use our reservation form to let us know your dates and number of participants.

The tour is 10 USD per person, which will only be used to cover the direct costs, and everything else will go directly to the individuals affected by HIV/AIDS that you visit.

What you will see

Start of the tour is in Moshi at the building of KIWAKKUKI (Lindi Street), usually at 9:30 in the morning. You will be met and given an introduction to the situation of HIV/AIDS in the Kilimanjaro region and the work of KIWAKKUKI. You can then see the different departments of our new building, before you will meet a KIWAKKUKI social worker who will take you into a local community where you will join him or her on home visits.

You will travel by Daladala (public transport) to the outskirts of Moshi town where you will typically visit two families suffering from HIV. These might for instance be single mothers whose husbands have died from the virus. On the way, from your 10 USD, the social worker will buy the items most needed by the family such as sugar, oil, wheat, rice, soap or baby supplies. You can bring those items to the family and you will have the chance to speak to them, ask questions, play with the kids for  a moment and get background information from the social worker.

The social worker will also take you to see some initiative of small scale entrepreneurship which has been initiated by KIWAKKUKI to improve the life standard of deprived HIV families. Such initiatives include farming or the manufacturing of products such as sandals from recycled rubber.

By Daladala we will return to the KIWAKKUKI office.

Benefits of the tour:

* Even for a large and established NGO such as KIWAKKUKI, the ongoing funding of its outreach program cannot be guaranteed. By opening itself to tourism and interested visitors, an alternative and self-sustainable form of income for the continuation of our activities and support of people in need can be achieved. The tour makes us less dependent on institutionalized funding.

* Visitors can get realistic insights into the social reality of a developing country such as Tanzania. This will help in mutual understanding of the developed world and developing countries.

* The personal encounter of people makes the exisiting problems more human and less abstract. Visitors and locals might establish friendships and an ongoing relationship.

* Visitors can become embassadors of KIWAKKUKI's work and promote the NGO internationally. Having visited the NGO and individuals being supported, they will understand that donations will really reach those in need.

* By purchasing products manufactured by families with HIV cases as part of our KIWAKKUKI small scale entrepreneurship initiatives, you further support them in their livelihood. Such products can make wonderful and very personal souvenirs.

Please note: While any further help (e.g. purchasing home-made products) is appreciated, you will not be pressured to do so; it is totally up to you.