AHEAD IS A PEOPLE TO PEOPLE EXPERIENCE

“The only thing more fulfilling than exploring a dazzling far-flung destination is improving the lot of the people who live there.”

AHEAD was founded as a people-to-people exchange between Americans, people of goodwill from other countries and our African colleagues, friends and families. 

Since 1985, AHEAD has provided a unique opportunity for professionals as well as undergraduate and graduate students to volunteer and work side by side with their African counterparts in community projects in rural Tanzania and The Gambia.

Volunteers are challenged physically as well as intellectually as they work with projects in primary health care, education, agriculture, construction,  water, engineering and education.  Volunteers leave their assigned project not only with the feeling of giving, but also with the joy of receiving.  They return home with an exposure to a new culture, language, first hand experiences in diverse fields, and a renewed sense of self-worth.

Testimonials

"When I first arrived, I was quite overwhelmed by the lacking conditions of the village even though I was prepared in a very intensive one-week orientation.  I was very pleased with the fact that I was able to apply skills and knowledge that I gained at MIT towards improving the conditions of the people.  The lack of resources required creativity on our part.  The way that we have been taught to solve problems here at MIT really influenced the way I attacked and found solutions to problems that initially seemed insurmountable". Nneka Mobisson, alumnus MIT, Cambridge

"I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to go to Tanzania with you. Working with AHEAD has allowed me to get involved in the community in a way that I never saw as possible. The people I met and the experiences that I had impacted me in a way that I cannot express. I just know that it will stay in my heart and I will remember this journey always and forever. Thank you..." Linnie Supall-Burks, University of Miami

"...my experience was invaluable.  I learned more about tropical diseases, and how to work within limited reliance on technology.  But most of all, the gratitude of patients that I cared for was a moving experience".  Melissa Clarke, MD(Emergency Medicine) Harvard Univ. Medical School

If you are ready to have an exciting experience in a new culture, learn a new language, make a difference, and have a renewed sense of self-worth, you are invited to join the AHEAD Team in Tanzania or The Gambia. Read the volunteer packet and complete the application.