Inspire Worldwide
The year 2008 saw the beginning of Karimu’s partnership with UK-based Inspire Worldwide (http://inspire-worldwide.com/) to bring volunteers to the village under the supervision of highly qualified and well-trained leaders.
Inspire Worldwide grew out of the passion for Africa of founder and Managing Director Beth Chapman, of Brighton, England. A decade ago, Beth saw that large numbers of young people who wished to make a difference in Africa were staying away because of their concerns (or their parents’ concerns) about safety. But she has created and nurtured an organization that makes volunteer trips to Africa safe by recruiting, training, and supporting people in their twenties and thirties who share her love of Africa.
These Inspire Worldwide “leaders” spread their own love of Africa by performing meticulous reconnaissance of volunteer sites, by daily oversight of the health and safety of volunteers, and by making sure that every day on the volunteer site will be a challenge that is nevertheless both pleasant and rewarding.
The simple truth is that Karimu could not be Karimu if Inspire Worldwide were not Inspire Worldwide.
Integrated Agricultural Training Center
Karimu volunteers enjoy the good fortune of staying at the Integrated Agricultural Training Center (IATC) during their visits to Dareda Kati. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (http://www.elct.org/) built IATC about 25 years ago to serve not only Lutherans, but all residents of this remote corner of its North Central Diocese with classes in modern agricultural methods.
Sifaeli Kaaya, Karimu’s longtime Construction Manager, was heavily involved with IATC during its early years. During a stroll through the IATC grounds, he will sometimes point to a tilapia pond or an especially productive fruit tree and say, “I dug that” or “I planted that.”
IATC’s accommodations are modest but comfortable, featuring cement floors, beds fitted with mosquito nets, running water, and three hours of electricity every night. The dining hall’s cooks and serving staff are trained in sanitary food-preparation methods and their meals, although simple, are generous and nourishing. They have always happily welcomed volunteers who want to share the work of milking the cows, slaughtering a chicken, or slicing vegetables.
The grounds are ringed by a security fence and a watchman is on patrol throughout the night.
Karimu also partners with other non-governmental organizations to execute its projects.