To achieve academic success, SEGA students must become fluent in the English language. With more than 120 tribal languages spoken in Tanzania, most students arrive at the school speaking a local language from their home communities and Kiswahili. Kiswahili, the national language, is generally their second language and the language spoken and taught in Tanzanian primary schools. In secondary school, instruction switches to English presenting a huge challenge to most students as they transition from having one English course in primary school, to having all of their subjects, like physics, history, and commerce all taught in English. SEGA prepares students for English Fluency through English immersion and fluency curricula conducted by teachers and volunteers. Four avenues of English learning are incorporated during the student’s time at SEGA.

Watch our video about visiting SEGA Girls' School! 

Deadline to book: August 1, 2025

Groups of volunteers primarily from the U.S. provide intensive English training for students. The English Fluency Volunteer or SEGA English Department Head plays a key role in coordinating these short-term volunteers. 

The most recent English Fluency program ran in October 2024 and saw U.S. teachers and volunteers conduct a 2-week English Fluency program. Read more about our 2024 program here in the blog "Part One: Volunteering at SEGA Awakened us to the Wonders of Africa" authored by Nurturing Minds Board Member, Annie! 

SEGA Girls’ School is a private secondary girls’ boarding school serving over 275 girls each year from Form I-Form IV. Students are selected from 25 different communities across the country and the majority are provided with full scholarships to attend. SEGA follows the Tanzanian national curriculum and is ranked in the top 7% of schools in the country. Over time, SEGA’s goal is to improve education standards in Tanzania by becoming a model center for excellence in teaching, learning, and leadership development. In addition to its academic program, the school provides practical, relevant skills through hands-on activities.

Experience the SEGA Girls’ School firsthand, by staying on campus in the SEGA Visitor House.

Nestled near the base of the beautiful Uluguru Mountains, the School is located 7 miles north of Morogoro, which is located approximately 5 hours west of Dar es Salaam by car. Experience the school in person and relax in our comfortable visitor house while enjoying delicious dishes from your private cook and experiencing the vitality of our vibrant school and nearby cultural exchange activities. 

Your stay at the SEGA Visitor House contributes to improving the financial sustainability of the SEGA Girls' School.

We only offer double room accommodations at the SEGA Visitor House. If you are traveling with a friend or family member please let us know so that we organize the rooms accordingly. Single accommodation bookings only apply to the Mediterraneo Hotel and Hotel Slipway in Dar es Salaam.  

Guests must provide their own travel insurance that includes emergency medical evacuation. We recommend purchasing travel insurance to cover emergency medical expenses and unexpected trip cancellations. Nurturing Minds is not a licensed insurance agency or advisor. We strongly recommend that all travelers get Cancel For Any Reason Insurance (CFAR) which will cover reasons that may be associated with COVID-19.   

We recommend that all travelers visit Yonder Travel Insurance for help choosing a personal health and travel insurance plan. They partner with great, recognizable partners, and for every plan purchased they provide a week of meals to a refugee child in South East Asia through Venture a U.S. based 501(c)(3).  Please obtain travel insurance at least 30 days before your trip. 

Please provide an email to us containing:  

1. Travel Insurance Provider 

2. Insurance Policy Number

3. 24-hour support line

As part of our commitment to carbon reduction, we have designed a plan to offset carbon emissions that cannot be minimized. In pursuit of this goal, Nurturing Minds has formed a partnership with Carbon Tanzania, a renowned organization specializing in carbon offsetting and climate change solutions in Tanzania. One of the areas we will begin by focusing on is offsetting the carbon emissions generated by international flights to visit the SEGA Girls’ School. 

We request that all SEGA visitors join us in our efforts to make visits to the SEGA Girls’ School environmentally sustainable and climate-friendly. You can contribute to our sustainability goals by purchasing carbon credits through Carbon Tanzania. Attached here, you will find detailed instructions and explanations to guide you through purchasing carbon offsets for your international flight to Dar es Salaam. 

Typical Flight Paths:

If you are flying from Boston, MA this will generate 3000 KG of carbon emissions. To offset these emissions you will purchase 3.4 tonnes of CO2.  To offset these emissions, visit https://www.carbontanzania.com/buy-carbon-offsets/ and purchase $51 of certified carbon offsets to balance your emissions. This is a tax-deductible purchase. 

If you are flying from Philadelphia, PA this will generate 3.5 Tonnes of CO2. To offset these emissions, visit https://www.carbontanzania.com/buy-carbon-offsets/ and purchase $52.50 of certified carbon offsets to balance your emissions. This is a tax-deductible purchase. 

If you are flying from New York City, NY this will generate 3.5 Tonnes of CO2. To offset these emissions, visit https://www.carbontanzania.com/buy-carbon-offsets/ and purchase $52.50 of certified carbon offsets to balance your emissions. This is a tax-deductible purchase. 

If you are flying from the DMV Area (IAD/BWI/DCA) this will generate 7.5 Tonnes of CO2. To offset these emissions, visit https://www.carbontanzania.com/buy-carbon-offsets/ and purchase $112.50 of certified carbon offsets to balance your emissions. This is a tax-deductible purchase. 

If you have a different flight path, email myranda@nurturingmindsinafrica.org to find out how many carbon offsets you need to purchase. 

**Just 1 tonne of CO2 equals 2,500 miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle! **

In order to enter Tanzania, you will need a valid passport with at least two blank pages and six months' validity remaining. The passport and any other required travel documents are to be presented along with the appropriate visa to the Immigration Control Officer at any entry point, such as a border station, airport, or harbor. 

You can obtain a visa for Tanzania online (e-visa Tanzania). Visas may also be obtained upon arrival.

Multientry visa cost is 100 USD. 

We highly encourage U.S. travelers to register with the U.S. Government Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and to review the pages for the U.S. Embassy Tanzania and U.S. Department of State Tanzania.

You can secure your spot in the 2025 English Fluency Program by paying your trip deposit. Please note our Trip Deposit, Cancellation, and Refund Policy. 

Trip Deposits: 

For group volunteer trips (18+ travelers), such as STEM Adventures at SEGA and the English Fluency Program, a $500 deposit is required at the time of booking, and the remaining balance must be paid 2 weeks before the SEGA departure date.

Cancellation and Refund Policy: 

In the event of a cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances, refunds will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Nurturing Minds strives to protect staff time taken to organize trip logistics, while simultaneously maintaining positive relationships with SEGA supporters. 

Activities and accommodations in the trip itinerary may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of Nurturing Minds or its partners. While every effort will be made to ensure that the trips operate as planned, in the event of substituted, not utilized, or canceled activities or accommodations, no refunds or reimbursements will be issued by Nurturing Minds or its partners.

If cancellation is requested, the visitor/volunteer's initial deposit and/or full trip cost may be converted into a charitable donation to Nurturing Minds, allowing the visitor/volunteer to receive a tax benefit for their contribution if it is not covered by travel insurance. It is the responsibility of the traveler to first check with their travel insurance to see what is covered due to cancellation and then communicate with Nurturing Minds if the trip payment is requested to be classified as a charitable donation, allowing the traveler to receive the associated tax benefit. Nurturing Minds will issue a letter to visitors/volunteers acknowledging the receipt of the donation. 

If the cancellation is within a 30-day notice of departure refunds in regards to accommodation, meals, sightseeing tours, transportation, or any other services included in the trip itinerary and trip cost may not be able to be refunded due to Nurturing Minds/SEGA partners cancellation and refund policies. 

In some cases, Nurturing Minds may be able to issue full or partial refunds if cancellation takes place more than 30 days before departure. 

Experience urban living at its most cosmopolitan at Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel, located at the heart of the city centre business district, just moments from sandy Indian Ocean beaches, a bustling fish market and eclectic crafts markets, boutiques and restaurants. A garden oasis of tranquillity and charm, our five-star Dar es Salaam hotel promises the warmest of welcomes, vibrant experiences and vivid memories of your stay.

Enjoy overnight accommodation, dinner, and breakfast! 

https://www.serenahotels.com/dar-es-salaam?srsltid=AfmBOorcpO1i4AxVn98cTnQwufgNYTT7EcsX_IA39JYxDKuCDK_Xuq_R

Depart Serena Hotel for a 90-minute train ride to reach Morogoro Town. Where you will be greeted by SEGA Staff and transferred to the SEGA Visitor House. You will be treated to a welcome song, a student-led campus tour, and meet and greet with SEGA students! 

You will also have dedicated time for group planning sessions.

Enjoy 13-night accommodations, breakfast, lunch, and dinner! 

SEGA's Form 4 students have completed their time at SEGA, and it is time to celebrate their successes! Enjoy a day of festivities with fashion shows, songs, dancing, and lunch! SEGA's campus will be full of visitors who have come to celebrate! 

“Modern Girl” Community Outreach Program: In 2016, SEGA started the Msichana wa Kisasa (Modern Girl, “MK") Community Outreach Program, which provides SEGA School graduates, along with graduates of the one-year MK Program itself, with mentorship training so that they can teach girls and young women across Tanzania about their sexual reproductive health and rights. The ultimate goal of the program is to help these girls and young women avoid sexual exploitation, teen pregnancy, and early marriage, while empowering them with knowledge of financial literacy and practical skills to help them achieve self-sufficiency. This continuously growing program allows SEGA to expand its impact beyond its boarding school population, with the current ability to reach almost 1,500 girls in 25 community centers. MK lessons cover a variety of sexual reproductive health topics, including pregnancy and disease prevention, and human rights. 

Today you will have an opportunity to visit an MK Program Station in Morogoro Town and its mentors and mentees! You will also have a local lunch in the MK Village. 

You will return to SEGA for an evening with SEGA Students and a casual dinner. 

We will then return to SEGA for rest and dinner. 

Today we will kick off our program! We will have close to 2 hours of teaching in the morning with a break for tea, and then 2 hours and 30 minutes of teaching before lunch. After we eat we will have 1 hour of fun afternoon lessons to get to know the SEGA students. 

Day 2 will closely follow the same teaching schedule. We will have close to 2 hours of teaching in the morning with a break for tea, and then 2 hours and 30 minutes of teaching before lunch. 

After lunch there will be a cultural exchange activity to get know more about Tanzanian and SEGA Students culture! 

We will have close to 2 hours of teaching in the morning with a break for tea, and then 2 hours and 30 minutes of teaching before lunch. After we eat we will have 1 hour of fun afternoon lessons to get to know the SEGA students. 

A student and volunteer favorite! 

Enjoy an early breakfast before you and the Pre-Form students depart early to drive to Morogoro town to meet our guides from Cheers Tour Group for a beautiful hike through the Uluguru Mountains. You will walk through villages, tourist destinations, and past primary schools as you venture up the mountain. The medium-grade hike is about 2 hours round trip. It's a wonderful way to get a perspective on the city and day-to-day life in Tanzania. After hiking, we will stop for lunch and a soil cake-making demonstration at a local community center. 

We return to SEGA to relax over a casual dinner. 

We will have close to 2 hours of teaching in the morning with a break for tea, and then 2 hours and 30 minutes of teaching before lunch. After lunch, we will join SEGA Students in their sports afternoon! 

Today volunteers and SEGA Pre-Form students will depart SEGA for a safari in Mikumi National Park! Mikumi National Park is Tanzania’s fourth-biggest national park. Situated between the Uluguru Mountains and the Lumango Mountains, Mikumis Park Center has a wide assortment of natural life that can be simply spotted and very much suitable for viewing in a game drive.

You will enjoy overnight accommodations and Dinner at Foxes Safari Camps, Vuma Hills Tents.

Today you will enjoy a picnic breakfast provided by Vuma Hills Safari Camp, and then take off on a morning game drive. You will have lunch at Mikumi before heading back to SEGA for rest and dinner. 

We will have close to 2 hours of teaching in the morning with a break for tea, and then 2 hours and 30 minutes of teaching before lunch. 

After lunch, we will have 1 hour of fun afternoon lessons or participate in a cultural exchange activity like a kitenge fashion show or traditional dance lessons! 

Today we mark the end of the English Fluency Program by hosting a Sharemony where students will share what they learned and highlight their favorite lessons. We will also have a formal Farwell ceremony, and officially bid farewell to the SEGA students and staff! 

We will then depart SEGA for a return to Dar es Salaam. We will arrive right before dinner at Hotel Slipways Waterfront Restaurant.  

https://www.hotelslipway.com/

This morning we will enjoy breakfast on the terrace at Hotel Slipway, shop the boutiques around the hotel, and make our way to the airport for our departure flights. We will arrange all transportation for you to the airport from the hotel. 

Safari Njema! (Safe Travels!)