Opengate Volunteering and Travel Arvostelua 20

10/10 experience
Amazing people
Amazing Communication
Amazing contacts
Fun guaranteed

Opengate Volunteering is the perfect company when you really want to get to know the culture and locals in Arusha. The host Michelle is also the best person you could wish for in a company like this. Always fast in replying to your questions and always there to help. We also enjoyed the house where we stayed so much because the location was really great just a 10 minutes drive to the city centre which was really convenient. The work in our school was also so much fun and the daily activities withthe teachers and the students was a real meaningful work. Thank you so much for these great 3 weeks and we hope to come back in the near future.

I volunteered at a local school (peace academy) with my friends for 1 month and we had the best time. the transport from and to the airport, the city tour, breakfast and lunch was included and everything was very good. the communication with michelle was great and really helpful. volunteering at the school was wonderful. all the kids were so excited and all the teachers and staff were very kind and welcoming. we also did a 4 day safari organised by michelle which was amazing. i would really recommend this experience with opengate to everyone.

Volunteering with children at the local school was an incredibly rewarding and truly unforgettable experience. Spending time with them, supporting their daily activities, and sharing simple yet meaningful moments allowed me to connect deeply with their reality. Experiencing the local culture so closely makes you feel not just like a tourist, but part of something much more genuine and authentic. Being able to contribute, even in a small way, and seeing the children’s smiles was truly heartwarming and something I will always cherish.

Für 6 Wochen war ich als Volunteer in Arusha tätig.
Mit Michelle und ihrer Organisation habe ich jemand gefunden, der mir vorab, als ich die Reise nach Tansania plante, immer zur Seite stand, meine Fragen innert kurzer Zeit beantwortete und mir beim Planen half. Ich fühlte mich zu jeder Zeit in Arusha gut aufgehoben und sicher. Michelle und Nelson empfingen mich herzlich und schon nach kurzer Zeit fühlte ich mich in Arusha zu Hause. Durch meine Arbeit in der Ladder Yetu Fondation, einer Daycare, war ich schnell mit Locals in Kontakt und konnte viel vom Leben in Tansania/Arusha lernen. Michelle begleitete mich am ersten Tag in die Daycare und erkundigte sich während meines ganzen Aufenthalt immer wieder wie es in der Daycare geht. Dadurch fühlte ich mich nie alleine. Durch die Daytrips welche von Michelle organisiert und von Prince geführt wurden, konnte ich an meinen freien Tagen viel von Arusha und der Umgebung sehen. Ebenfalls Michelle und Nelson zeigten mir viel von Arusha und lokale Restaurants. Das ist nicht selbstverständlich und schätzte ich sehr.
Um Tansania, seine Kultur und das Leben dort kennenzulernen würde ich immer wieder OGV weiterempfehlen, da es eine kleine und persönliche Organisation ist und Michelle ihre Arbeit mit Herzblut macht.

Danke für die unvergessliche Zeit und die Freundschaften die dadurch entstanden sind. Bis Bald in Arusha!

Besonders gut fand ich die betreuung durch Opengate. Es wurde alles top organisiert und die Unterkunt lies nichts zu wünschen übrig.

Ich verbrachte einen Monat in Tansania und zwei Wochen davon als Volonteer in Arusha in zwei Schulen, welche mir Michelle vermittelt hat. Es war für mich als Lehrerin eine sehr wertvolle und spannende Erfahrung einen Einblick ins Schulsystem in Arusha zu bekommen, ich wäre sehr gerne noch länger geblieben.
In den Schulen wurde ich sehr herzlich aufgenommen und ich konnte dabei mein Wissen und Können einbringen.
Michelle hat mich sehr feinfühlig in den Schulen eingeführt. Auch sonst stand sie mir mit Rat und Tat beiseite und war stets telefonisch für mich erreichbar.
Sie organisierte auch für mich und meine Familie eine Safari und andere Ausflüge, so dass wir auf eine sehr abwechslungsreiche und erlebnisreiche Zeit zurück blicken können. Vielen lieben Dank für deine engagierte Arbeit Michelle. Ich fühlte mich sehr wohl in deinen Händen und in deinem Guesthouse.

Ich nahm an der Gruppenreise mit Michelle teil. Sie hat alles super organisiert. Die Fahrer holten uns immer sehr pünktlich ab. Wir konnten viel lernen über Land und Leute, da wir durch Michelle viele insider Informationen erhielten. Ich fand es sehr praktisch, dass Taschengeld und eine SIM-Karte inkludiert waren. Dank der schönen Wohnung hatten wir auch einen Rückzugs- und Erholungsort. Das Programm war vielseitig zusammengestellt und bot Abwechslung. Nur zu empfehlen!

Zusammen mit einem Kollegen habe ich Ferien in Tansania gemacht. Wir durften im Gästehaus von Michelle wohnen. Während unserer Reise haben wir den Mt. Meru bestiegen und eine Safari mit der Firma Making Memories in Africa (MMA) gemacht. Michelle hat diese Touren für uns organisiert und alles hat wunderbar geklappt. Wir wurden immer abgeholt und zurückgebracht und unsere Guides waren sehr zuvorkommend und haben von A bis Z einen super Job gemacht. Michelle war immer für uns erreichbar und hat sich sehr viel Mühe gegeben. Unsere Reise ging weiter nach Lushoto und von dort aus nach Dar es Salaam und dann nach Sansibar. Auch dort gab uns Michelle viele Tipps und half uns bei Fragen weiter. Es war eine tolle Zeit mit vielen Highlights. Wir können diese Organisationen nur weiterempfehlen.

Wir haben eine ganz tolle, eindrückliche und sehr abwechslungsreiche Reise erleben dürfen. Jeden Tag wurden wir erneut überrascht von der Vielfalt der Natur, in und um Arusha.
Durch das persönliche Engagement von Michelle haben wir auch sehr viel von der Kultur, vom Leben der Einheimischen erfahren und Orte besucht, mit wenig Touristen.
Diese Reise können wir zu 100% weiter empfehlen.
Susanna & Ursula

We were a couple in Arusha for six months with Open Gate. We worked on two different projects. For the first three months we stayed with a host family. This time gave us a lot of deep insights into the culture and life in Tanzania. The organization was very good and we felt in good hands right from the start. Working on the Avurefa project was a good experience, even if not everything went well. This is certainly one of the circumstances that you have to deal with in Tanzania. For the next three months we lived in the guesthouse and worked at the Peace School. Michelle and Nicole supported us well the whole time. All of our questions were always answered very quickly and if there were any problems, Michelle took care of them immediately. The excursions and safari were well organized.
All in all it was a very good experience and we thank you for accompanying us on this trip.

I had a wonderful and very memorable time in arusha at the opengate volunteer hostel. Nicole and Michelle welcomed me with open arms and they both made me feel at home immediately. Everything was organized perfectly by Michelle and i could always contact her whenever i had questions. I really enjoyed volunteering at Peace School, especially playing and doing craft projects with the younger students. The neighborhood of the opengate hostel was also very safe and the people so nice and kind. Michelle also organized several trips for me and especially the safari was an exceptional experience. I will never forget this amazing time in Arusha and i am so grateful to Michelle and Nicole.
10/10 can recommend😊💯

I spent about 6 weeks in Tanzania with Michelle and her company and I had an amazing time. On the second day I already had a city tour where I got to know the city and all the different types of public transport so I was comfortable using them during the rest of my stay. I did my volunteer work at the Peace Academy, mostly with the babyclass, and even though it was challenging from time to time, the kids made it absolutely worth it. I could also explore quite a bit of Tanzania, Michelle was always very helpful with organizing things i wanted to do like a safari or a daytrip to different attractions which was amazing :)
If you want to get to know Tanzania and its amazing culture, coming here with Ogv is definitely a good idea!

I spent 5 amazing weeks in Arusha at the Guesthouse of Michelle and Prince and worked 3 weeks as a volunteer at the Peace Academy school, close to the guesthouse.
Even before my adventure started and i planned my trip at home to Tansania; Michelle was there to help me with all my questions and concerns and did a great job organising everything.
From the beginning, i felt really safe and Michelle & Prince gave me a warm welcome.
The Guesthouse is really cozy, clean and i felt like home. They showed me Arusha and how the life works in Arusha and we ate a lot of delicious food.
I could join a lot of nice day-trips, and appreciated that i was able to get to know so many great locals / friends of them and places in tanzania through them.
You can feel how much heart and soul Michelle, Prince and Gabriel put into it and i missing them already and would love to comeback once! thank you so much!
I definitely recommend Ogv-Africa

i spent nine weeks in arusha with ogv africa and had the best experience! i was volunteering at peace school that was in walking distance from the guesthouse. njiro is a very lovely neighbourhood where i always felt very safe and comfortable walking around alone. that was great because i really felt at home in and around the house! everything was perfectly organized and michelle and prince where always there to help, answer questions but also to do things together and to show us the life in arusha. this is what i appreciated the most! the local experience couldn‘t have been better! after some time i didn‘t feel like a tourist anymore because i got to know so many local people through the school and through michelle and prince. if you really want to get a deepdive into the culture and feel at home, far from your own home you should definitely choose ogv for your stay in tansania! thankyou so much for this amazing experience that you made possible! i really want to come back one day!

I spent almost 5 weeks in Arusha.
The guest house is located in a very pleasant neighborhood where I always felt safe. The team around Michelle gave me a very warm welcome and gave me an insight into the life of the locals. I am very grateful for that. I also received excellent support on all spontaneous excursions (safari, market visit, etc.). The organized city tour was great!
The hostel offers everything you need to live. It is clean and the stores are just around the corner. Paece Academy is within walking distance of the hostel. The volunteers get a good insight into school life in Africa.

I had an incredible two-week volunteering experience in Arusha with OGV Africa. I learned so much about the local culture and community, being part of the the lives of Michelle and Prince, meeting their friends, eating in local restaurants and much more. Michelle and Prince, your personalized support made a significant difference in my experience. Thank you for welcoming me in your home as friendly and safely as you did. Your dedication to the projects is truly inspiring.
Asante sana to you and your friend Gabriel as well for the perfectly organized trip to Moshi. See you in three years or so :)

My 2 months volunteer stay in Arusha was an enrichment for my life. The work in the dispensary Horebu Hill was the experience in the medical field. In the gate way projects I was able to take care of wonderful children with disabilities. Both projects give a deep insight into the life of these totally different cultures. Living in a host family topped this experience even more. Total immersion in this African world. Asante sana Michelle, that you make all this possible. Your individual support is perfect.

My experience as a volunteer with Ogv Africa was really amazing. They took good care of me. They were always within reach and really helpful. They showed me the whole city and how the public transport etc. works. Accommodation and food was great. Also i did a day trip to Moshi with them. Well organised, fair prices and it was really fun! Asante sana!

It was such a great experience. I could learn and see so much. It was everything well organized as well in previous and I was warmly welcomed and integrated very quickly. The people there are very friendly and helpful. The people from the organisation were always there for me. I stayed in the we are one hostel in Arusha. I really can recommend this hostel. Everyone is most welcome there and I felt so comfortable from the beginning. I got to know a lot of great people who became friends. I had a lot of opportunities. I was allowed to teach in school and to contribute my own ideas. As well in Gate Way (the centre/home for children/adolescents with disabilities). I loved to spend time with the children and to got to know the culture better and better. I could learn so much from them. They have grown on me so much and I really do miss them. Asante sana for everything - it was amazing and so enriching! :)