For Parents: The Zanzibar Project
Dear Parents,
The Zanzibar program is a unique opportunity to live in a local village, study Zanzibar traditions and contemporary issues, and serve 15-20 hours a week in an established Non Govermental Organization: Creative Solutions.
Safety In Zanzibar
To insure personal safety to all students, use a buddy system for any evening outings that require travel in and around Zanzibar. No member of the group will be allowed to go out in the evenings by themselves. The minimum number of any group taking advantage of events in the evening in town will be three. In the interest of safety, participants should inform the program director of their whereabouts at all times throughout the course of the program.
ON SITE CONTACTS IN ZANZIBAR:
OACS On-site Leader
Downs Reese: leonard.d.reese@vanderbilt.edu
Cell phone: 011-255-778-198-920
Creative Solutions Executive Director
Alice Aida Ayers: aliceayers2000@yahoo.com
Cell phone: 011-255-777-453-592
IN THE USA:
Shaiya Baer - Assistant Director in the Office of Active Citizenship and Service will be our primary Vanderbilt contact person for any parental issues or questions while the Zanzibar Project is in session
E-mail:shaiya.baer@vanderbilt.edu
Cell Phone: (615) 429-5804
Office Phone: (615) 343-2205
Lilly Massa-McKinley, Assistant Director in the Office of Active Citizenship and Service will be our secondary Vanderbilt contact person for any parental issues or questions while the Zanzibar Project is in session. She can be reached in the following ways:
E-mail: lilly.m.massa@vanderbilt.edu. Office phone: (615) 322-789; fax (615) 343-4360; cell (615) 480-1078.
Register with the American Embassy
Registering yourself as a visitor to Tanzania is required for program participation. In a developing country in sub-Saharan Africa it makes sense to let the US government know our whereabouts. In the unlikely event of a country emergency, online registration will help the US government locate you and let your family know of any conditions.
Please note that you will need your passports in hand when you register, plus all of your emergency contact information. In addition, you will be asked for your itinerary and your destination (Zanzibar). As to address and phone, please put the following:
Address: Alice Ayers
Creative Solutions
PO Box 4630
Mangawpani
Zanzibar Tanzania
Telephone: 011-255-777-453592
Directions for Registering Online:
Go to: www.state.gov
Click on “Travel and Business”
Click on “Travel Tips”
In the left-hand corner of your screen scroll down and click on “Registration with Embassies”
Click on “Travel Registration”
You are a “Short-term Traveler”
Follow registration prompts
Or Go to: https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/
Insurance Coverage
All participants must check with your own insurance agent concerning any limitation your present health insurance coverage might impose on overseas travel. Some policies exclude coverage outside the United States or provide restrictions on treatment options. If your company does impose restrictions, the purchase of an overseas rider may be all that is necessary. In either case, I would have them send you a written statement of overseas coverage. You should also take a copy of your health insurance DOCUMENTATION with you. Travel insurance for luggage or belongings is optional. HTH is about $35. For details: www.hthworldwide.com
Vaccinations
Students need to consult the above website as well as the Vanderbilt Student Health to ensure they have all appropriate vaccines prior to leaving for Zanzibar. Some of these vaccines must be administered weeks before leaving so DO NOT leave this until the last minute.
These include: HepA, HepB, Typhoid, MMR, polio, Td, and getting malaria pills.
Though check the CDC website to be sure.
Getting To Zanzibar
Flights will arrive directly in Zanzibar (ZNZ). Flight time from Nashville (including layovers) is anywhere from 25 – 40 hours.
Travel documents to enter/exit Tanzania
To enter or exit Tanzania: A passport valid for three months beyond the date of entry and a visa. The web site of the Embassy of Tanzania in Washington, DC states that yellow fever vaccination is required only for persons who have visited yellow fever endemic countries. Tanzanian law is very strict on visa categories. A recurring problem encountered by Americans is that volunteer activity – even if the traveler is paying for the volunteer opportunity – is prohibited on a tourist visa. Americans who are traveling to Tanzania for short or long term volunteer projects should review their status with the sponsoring organization before entering the country. Airline companies may also require travelers to have a visa before boarding. Up to date information should be confirmed at the website above.
You can get your tourist visa when you arrive at the airport in Zanzibar. You will need to present your passport (and most likely flight ticket) as well as the visa fee in new US dollars ($100-$150, depending on current price – check the embassy website to see).
While in Zanzibar
Housing will be provided by Creative Solutions. The compound is 1 kilometer from the beach, and single and double rooms are provided. Currently the village of Mangapwani is without electricity and running water. Creative Solutions might be able to have a generator so that ONE computer can be power for contact.
Travelling At Night
To insure the personal safety of all students, students will adopt a buddy system for any evening outings that require travel in and around Zanzibar. No member of the group will be allowed to go out in the evenings by themselves. The minimum number of any group taking advantage of events in the evening in town will be three. In addition, if you leave The Compound with someone you will return to The Compound with the same group. Remember that we are responsible not only to ourselves but to our group as well. The site leader must be made aware in advance of participants’ travel outside the immediate area or overnight lodging outside the Creative Solutions compound. It’s a matter of safety that the site leader be made aware of the whereabouts of participants at all times throughout the course of the program.
Access to a telephone while in Zanzibar
Yes there is a phone at Creative Solutions. Also you can purchase a cell phone for ~$50-70 and then buy minutes (which can be fairly expensive since international calls use so many “minutes”). There are also pay phones at the internet cafes in Stone Town. There is a Vanderbilt cell phone for the group to.
This is the number where relatives and friends can reach you: 011-255-778-198-920
Send/Receive Mail
You will not be able to send items (letters, packages) through the mail to Zanzibar. Mail from the USA is slow to African in general, and packages are often subject to high duty tariffs if they are in fact ever received. Emergency packages (medicines, etc.) can be sent through DHL to the local DHL office in Zanzibar City aka Stone Town. This is very expensive and packets are received in 2-3 days.
Send/receive emails
The center at Creative Solutions should have computer(s) with internet connection for you to send and receive emails.
Food
Fresh tropical fruits and vegetables are abundant. A wide range of dishes, both traditional and international is served in the hotels and restaurants. Rice is a popular stable and is served at nearly every meal. Cassava is also commonly served. Bread and seafood are also common.
Gettinck sick while in Zanzibar
If you mean something very serious like appendicitis, then the answer is medical evacuation. If you are asking about getting a cold, stomach upset etc., then you should be prepared with the over the counter medications that work for you. You can also get your doctor to prescribe some medications for diarrhea, stomach pains, headaches, antibiotics, etc. and bring these with you just in case.
Important Dates and Information:
- Info sessions to be held on: Wednesday, September 23rd from 7-8pm in the Towers Conference Room in the Commons, and Monday, September 28th from 12-1pm in Sarratt 216.
- The program fee is $700 and includes: room and board, meals, airport pick up and drop off; service placement and supervision; administrative fees, and Swahili classes.
- For more information contact Shaiya Baer
Contact Us!
Active Citizenship & Service | Vanderbilt University
Box 6308, Station B | Nashville, TN 37235
615-343-7878