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! 

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 2022 and saw 19 U.S. teachers and volunteers conduct a 2-week English Fluency program. Read more here in the blog "Transforming Lives Through the English Fluency Program" authored by Nurturing Minds Board Member, Annie! 

This year's program will run from October 4 - 22 and we are recruiting 18 volunteers!

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. 

**All bookings from the SEGA Visitor House go to support SEGA Student Scholarships.**

We offer double and triple rooms at the SEGA Visitor House. Rooms are assigned on a first come, first-serve basis. Priority will be given to couples, families, and friends who are traveling together. Please note that if you select SINGLE or DOUBLE accommodation when you book that this will not apply to the SEGA Visitor House. It will only apply to the Mediterraneo Hotel and Hotel Slipway in Dar es Salaam.  

SEGA Girls’ Secondary 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.

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

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 border station, airport or harbor. 

We encourage travelers to obtain a business visa for Tanzania online (e-visa Tanzania). Visas may also be obtained upon arrival, but are subject to processing times.

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.

Nurturing Minds upholds and works in accordance with the local requirements for each destination. In the situation where a destination does not require a COVID-19 test for entry, we strongly encourage everyone to get a test no more than 2 days prior to departure. Local policies can and do change rapidly and it is the visitor's ultimate responsibility to stay abreast of any changes to these requirements that might occur prior to their arrival. The visitor is responsible for any costs or changes to their trip that need to be adjusted according to local or international policy changes.

Nurturing Minds cannot guarantee the safety of Tanzania. In the case of an unexpected quarantine or COVID-19 test is required for any reason, all associated costs, including medical expenses, are to be borne by the individual visitor.

In addition to getting a COVID-19 test before arrival, we encourage all visitors to have a pre-travel consultation with their primary care provider or a travel health expert so that they can be fully aware of their own individual risks.

Nurturing Minds requires all visitors to SEGA to be up to date on their COVID-19 Vaccine for those eligible to receive the vaccine. For clarification on what to date status is please refer to the CDC. 

For more information on immunizations recommended or needed for travel to Tanzania, please visit the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Tanzania website.

Set on the Indian Ocean in Dar es Salaam, Mediterraneo Hotel & Restaurant offers a taste of the Mediterranean on the Swahili coast. The hotel offers free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, air-conditioning, and private verandas.

Enjoy overnight accommodation, dinner, and breakfast! 

Depart Mediterraneo for a 5-hour adventure through Tanzania to reach Morogoro. Where you will be warmly welcomed to the SEGA Visitor House. You will be treated to a welcome song, campus tour, and meet and greet with SEGA students! 

You will also have dedicated time for group planning sessions, and dinner with SEGA's Headmistress, Elly! 

Enjoy 9-night accommodations, breakfast, lunch, and dinner! 

Today will be filled with activities getting to know the Pre-Form SEGA students, campus, and SEGA's English Immersion teachers. 

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 activities to get to know the SEGA students. Before dinner, we will meet the Pre-Form students at the football field for a soccer match! 

Days 2-5 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 we eat we will have 1 hour of fun activities to get to know the SEGA students. Before dinner, we will either participate in a fun cultural exchange activity, soccer matches, rest, or program planning! 

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 furthermore 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 start the week back off with days 6-7 of the program. We will still 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 we eat we will have 1 hour of fun activities to get to know the SEGA students. Before dinner, we will either participate in a fun cultural exchange activity, soccer matches, rest, or program planning! 

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 Choma village and the Uluguru Mountains up to the Choma waterfall. The medium-grade round-trip hike will take approximately 4-5 hours. It's a wonderful way to get a perspective on the city and day-to-day life in Tanzania. Feel free to also bring your swimsuit and towel to enjoy swimming! After swimming, we will stop for lunch and a soil cake-making demonstration with a local family. 

We return to SEGA to relax over a casual dinner. 

Today is the last day of lessons for the English Fluency Program. We will still 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 we eat we will have 1 hour of fun activities to get to know the SEGA students. Before dinner, we will either participate in a fun cultural exchange activity, soccer matches, rest, or program planning! 

After lessons, we will depart SEGA for a home visit of a SEGA Student or Recent Graduate! We will enjoy lunch with their family and learn about day-to-day life in the village. 

We will return to SEGA for a casual dinner and rest. 

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! 

After breakfast, we will depart SEGA for a return to Dar es Salaam. We will arrive around lunch with plenty of time to explore the shops and restaurants in the surrounding area of Hotel Slipway. 

We will come back together for a final farewell dinner with volunteers at Hotel Slipways Waterfront Restaurant.