If you do want to help and bring something for the local community, here are some suggestions:
- pens, pencils and other stationary (notebooks have to be of a certain format and must therefore be purchased on the island)
- your holiday is an ideal opportunity to clean out your closets: bring used clothes for girls, boys, women and men, trainers/shoes
- old sunglasses, any shape or size – you can give them directly to the ladies at the beach who plant and harvest seaweed,
- football is a thing here so anything related to it is most welcomed (balls, new or used trainer shoes, t-shirts, shorts or pants for boys of any age)
- books in English (for example with pictures and the English name printed below the picture) – they will teach English in the Community Centre
- old laptops or tablets with chargers for computer rooms at school
- old mobile phones, even simple phones, with a charger
- kites, jump ropes, but also solar lamps or torches, head torches.
- toothbrushes are also good gifts.
IMPORTANT! Kids will ask you for “pipi” = sweets, “pennie” = pen for school, or “dollar”. PLEASE do not give them money. They were taught by the tourists to ask and we all should try to stop this. If they invite you to play soccer with them, do so! Please speak English with the small and big kids as much as possible.
If you bring things for the kids, please do not just hand your gifts out to them on the beach – it encourages a begging mentality especially among the children. Plus it could be not necessarily a positive experience when a crowd of kids fights for each single gift. If you have to, please do choose the oldest kid in a group and ask to organise a line.
Kids should receive your donations not as a gift but as a reward, for example for collecting recycling garbage that is washed up at the beaches. There are quite a few such beach clean ups taking place all over the island, mostly organized by some hotels in collaboration with Zanrec (recycling company) or simply by local initiatives. Best inquire at your hotel who organizes these events and drop off your donations there. It will be much appreciated.
You can also drop off pens and pencils, pencil sharpeners, erasers, toothbrushes etc, at the Zanrec Office in Mwanakwerekwe/Stone Town or at their swop shops in Nungwi and Paje (check Google Maps “Zanrec swop shop”).
Also please rememebr that Zanzibar has a NO KIDS PICTURES policy, it requires parents' approval.
