„Building Bridges“ – International Youth Encounter Tansania

From 14 to 23 October 2019, our children and young people undertook an enriching journey to Tansania in order to experience up close the country's diverse ways of life, its culture, its school system and its family customs. As part of the project, the participants had the opportunity to get in touch with local young people and to take part in excursions to schools, to villages and to families. These experiences enabled the children and young people to gather valuable impressions and encouraged them to reflect on different realities of life. A special highlight of the trip was the spontaneous organisation of a fundraising campaign, through which numerous families could be supported with basic foodstuffs. The participants actively engaged in purchasing and distributing the donations, which not only helped those in need but also strengthened the sense of community. In addition, we visited the school district office as well as the German Embassy in Tansania in order to gain deeper insight into the educational structures and the diplomatic relations. Throughout the entire stay, intensive relationships developed between the German and Tanzanian young people, which persisted even after their return to Germany. This project not only fostered intercultural exchange but also left behind lasting friendships and valuable experiences. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the Landschaftsverband Westfalen Lippe (LWL), whose funding made the realisation of this valuable project possible for us.