The Diploma of Global Citizenship in Community Development – Womens Empowerment is a 12-week immersive Academy experience based in Arusha, northern Tanzania, combining meaningful international volunteering, practical work in a local womens shelter, Global Citizenship learning, personal development, cultural immersion and travel.

Think of it as travel, volunteering and learning all rolled into one.

For three months, Tanzania becomes home. You'll live alongside an international Academy cohort, spend your weekdays working consistently within a locally managed Women's Rescue & Refugee Centre, learn from Tanzanian support staff and community partners, take part in practical workshops and cultural experiences, explore your own personal development and work towards a substantial Legacy Project with your placement.

Around all of that, you'll experience the reason Tanzania is such an extraordinary place to spend a gap year. There are safaris and mountains, waterfalls and coffee country, Swahili and local food, cultural experiences and weekend adventures, social nights in Arusha and an escape to the beaches of Zanzibar.

The experience is designed to be fun, social, adventurous and genuinely meaningful, while giving you something substantial to carry forward when you return home.

Alongside the Academy, you'll complete the academic requirements of the relevant Level 3 Diploma in Global Citizenship in Womens Empowerment, giving you an accredited outcome alongside three months of international practical experience.

The Academy takes inspiration from the Scandinavian folk school concept: bringing young people together to live, learn, travel and grow through shared real-world experiences rather than making education something that only happens inside a classroom.

We've adapted that philosophy to something we know extremely well — international volunteering and community development in Tanzania.

After years of working with international volunteers, we've learned that ethical volunteering is a collaborative effort. Choosing an ethical, community-led organisation is incredibly important, but the volunteer themselves also plays a major role in whether their contribution is genuinely positive.

Working within another country and culture can be complicated. Development challenges are rarely caused by one simple problem with one obvious solution. They're often interconnected and influenced by economics, education, health, history, culture, access to opportunity, family structures and many other factors. Cultural expectations and ways of communicating can also differ significantly from what you're accustomed to at home.

That's why the Academy doesn't simply send you to a placement each morning.

We provide structured guidance and Global Citizenship education alongside your practical experience, helping you understand cultural context, question assumptions, explore root causes rather than only visible symptoms, build meaningful relationships and think critically about what responsible and sustainable contribution actually looks like.

The goal isn't to tell you what to think. It's to give you the tools, experiences and perspectives to think more deeply about the world you're experiencing firsthand.

Your Women's Empowerment placement takes place within one of Arusha's most inspiring community organisations: a holistic women's refuge and rehabilitation centre supporting women and young girls rebuilding their lives following experiences of domestic violence, trafficking, exploitation, forced marriage, sexual abuse, homelessness and other forms of gender-based violence.

The centre is much more than a place of refuge. It focuses on creating long-term pathways towards independence through education, vocational training, entrepreneurship, childcare, life skills and emotional wellbeing. Every program is designed around restoring dignity, confidence and opportunity while helping women create sustainable futures for themselves and, in many cases, their children.

As an Academy participant, you'll become part of this community by supporting the existing work of local staff rather than creating separate projects. Your role is collaborative, respectful and guided by the needs of the organisation itself.

Across many communities worldwide, women continue to face barriers to education, employment, financial independence and equal opportunity. For survivors of violence and exploitation, these challenges are often compounded by interrupted education, trauma, social stigma and limited access to stable employment.

Meaningful empowerment therefore extends far beyond emergency support. It involves education, economic opportunity, practical skills, community connection and the confidence to build an independent life.

Working alongside this organisation offers a unique opportunity to understand community development from the perspective of those creating sustainable change every day. You'll witness how locally led initiatives combine rehabilitation, education and entrepreneurship to support women in rebuilding their futures.

Boresha Global Academy was created around the belief that ethical volunteering is a collaborative effort between both the organisation and the volunteer.

Finding an ethical organisation is only one part of the journey. Understanding another culture, recognising different perspectives, navigating complex social challenges and learning how to contribute respectfully are equally important.

That's why your placement is supported by our Global Citizenship curriculum. Throughout the Academy, you'll explore topics including culture, ethics, development, sustainability, root causes versus symptoms, responsible engagement and capacity building—all while connecting these ideas directly to your experiences in Tanzania.

Rather than asking, "How can I help?" you'll also learn to ask, "How can I listen, understand and contribute in a way that is genuinely useful?"

Every day is different because the centre operates several interconnected programs. Depending on community needs and your interests, you may contribute across different areas while always working alongside local staff.

Your activities may include supporting conversational English and communication workshops, assisting with educational and confidence-building activities, helping women participating in business development and entrepreneurship initiatives, creating educational resources, contributing to childcare and early learning for children living within the centre, supporting Montessori-inspired teacher training activities and assisting with community wellbeing or life skills workshops.

Relationship building is one of the most valuable parts of this placement. Sometimes your contribution is practical; other times it's simply being a positive, reliable and respectful presence within the community.

Because the centre is a safe space for vulnerable women and girls, confidentiality, professionalism and cultural sensitivity are essential throughout your internship. You'll receive guidance during orientation and Academy workshops to help you approach this environment with empathy and respect.

One of the biggest advantages of a longer internship is the opportunity to become genuinely familiar with your placement.

Your first weeks focus on listening, observing and understanding how the organisation operates. As relationships develop, you'll become increasingly involved in educational activities, workshops, childcare, vocational initiatives and collaborative projects identified by the local team.

Rather than arriving with assumptions about what a community needs, you'll gradually build the understanding required to contribute more meaningfully.

This consistency creates a far richer experience than short-term volunteering while giving the organisation the benefit of working with someone who understands its programs and values.

Towards the later stages of the Academy, you'll complete a meaningful Legacy Project connected directly to your placement.

This isn't about arriving with a Western solution. Instead, you'll work collaboratively with staff to identify something genuinely valuable—whether that's educational resources, workshop materials, classroom tools, business development support or another project requested by the organisation itself.

The Legacy Project brings together everything you've learned throughout the Academy: ethical volunteering, sustainability, cultural awareness, teamwork and practical community development.

Your internship is only one part of the Academy experience.

Every week combines practical community work with interactive Global Citizenship lessons, personal growth workshops, Swahili and cultural learning, reflection through your Global Impact Journal and plenty of opportunities to experience Tanzania beyond the classroom.

Travel is built into the program, with regular Adventure Days exploring northern Tanzania through waterfalls, coffee country, cultural experiences, mountains, local food, cycling, hot springs and much more.

You'll also experience an unforgettable multi-day safari and finish the journey with an included four-day Zanzibar excursion, discovering the completely different landscapes and Swahili coastal culture of the Indian Ocean.

Back at your Academy home in Arusha, life is equally memorable. Shared meals, games nights, movie nights, social events and Thursday nights out quickly turn your international cohort into a close group of friends from around the world.

By completing the Academy, you'll gain far more than international experience.

You'll develop practical skills in community development, workshop facilitation, communication, teamwork and cross-cultural collaboration while gaining a deeper understanding of women's empowerment, sustainable development and ethical international engagement.

Alongside your placement, you'll complete the academic requirements of the Level 3 Diploma in Global Citizenship in Community Development, creating a valuable qualification that complements the real-world experience gained throughout your twelve weeks in Tanzania.

Most importantly, you'll leave with greater confidence, independence, resilience and a much broader perspective of the world—having spent three months not simply visiting Tanzania, but genuinely living, learning and contributing within it.