Family Volunteering Offers Gift of Giving to Mother and Sons

Amy Kleissler and her son Jack said volunteering together in Tanzania was a highlight of their year. This was the second program for Amy, who has taken four sons to Tanzania during summer vacation. She talks about the “immeasurable value” of experiencing this culture with her children, and the gifts of knowledge and insight the villagers share with her family.

“It was about 10 days into our service project, and Jack and I were tired from hauling five gallon buckets of water, gravel, sand, and cement around the job site. Jack said to me, “I’m exhausted. I think I am going to go take a nap and skip lunch.” (You know a 14-year-old boy is tired when they want to skip a meal!)

No sooner were these words out of his mouth than off to our left we heard the voices of little kids calling out to him, “Jackie! Jackie! Unacheza mpira???” All fatigue instantly vanished from Jack’s mind as he took off full speed to go play ball with the kids! He LOVED playing with those kids.

He had such an incredible time in Tanzania — from his friendship with our team leader, to our team, working alongside local leaders, or the friendships he made throughout the village. It nearly broke my heart watching him say goodbye to those kids on our last day.

Thank you all for all that you do to foster such amazing relationships around the world.”

Want to learn about how you can serve as a family in Tanzania?

Visit Global Volunteers’ Volunteer in Tanzania Family Opportunities page for service program dates and details. Or, request our family volunteering tip sheet below. We’re ready to assist you with this exciting family adventure in service!

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