Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to Marie Claire. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
After a three-month volunteer stint in Tanzania back in 2007, Czech-born Canadian Monika Fox, 36, was determined to be more than just one of the many fleeting aid workers that pass through the impoverished country. So last May, she quit her job at a non-profit, packed up her things and returned to Moshi, Tanzania—in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro—where she is now based, running Give a Heart to Africa, which offers training in administrative, business and computing skills to locals so that they can land well-paying jobs. The coolest part of the program? American volunteers looking to spend their vacations doing something more productive than tanning in the Caribbean can actually teach at the camp in Tanzania.
Marie Claire's Sally Lauckner spoke with Fox about how you can get involved.
MC: Why did you start Give a Heart to Africa?
MF: When I was volunteering in Tanzania in 2007, I consulted women about starting their own small businesses. But what I learned was that many of them were already doing this—they just needed help making their ventures sustainable and profitable.
MC: So how does the program work?
MF: Four days a week, volunteers teach a variety of subjects, like English, business development, and computer training. Right now, we have 32 students—60 percent of them are women, but we help men, too! In the afternoons, we shift our focus to teaching local children.
MC: Any success stories?
MF: Two of the women who graduated from the program started a coffee business. Their husbands had left them, they were struggling to take care of their children, and they each only had an elementary-level education. After the course, and with the help of donations, they were able to start their own business together. We purchase the coffee for them, and they are responsible for roasting it and selling at the local market.
MC: So how can someone get involved in Give a Heart to Africa works?
MF: Since the program is free for students, we rely solely on local and international volunteers, who pay $280 per week for accommodations that we provide. That money goes directly to the school or to the students' businesses. We require a three-week minimum for volunteers, but some stay as long as three months.
MC: What about donations?
MF: For those who can't come to Tanzania to volunteer, we always need supplies, like workbooks and pencils. These donations go a long way.
MC: You also have an Adopt-a-Family program. How does that work?
MF: We started this program because so many of our students are in need of services that extend beyond what we can do with the volunteer fees alone. On our site, we feature students who are most in need of additional assistance. Anyone can donate directly to one of these families. Through this program, we've been able to send one of the student's daughters to high school—a cost that many families simply can't afford.
Want to help Give a Heart to Africa? Go to giveahearttoafrica.org to learn more.
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
-
Princess Kate Is Absolutely Nailing the Business Casual Look This Week
Pantsuits everywhere!
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
24 Hours With Naomi Osaka
The tennis star on her new beauty routine after welcoming her baby, easing back into tennis, and her self-care ritual.
By Brooke Knappenberger
-
Leighton Meester Just Went Full Blair Waldorf in Milan
And her dress is in stock!
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
The Best Bollywood Movies of 2023 (So Far)
Including one that just might fill the Riverdale-shaped hole in your heart.
By Andrea Park
-
‘Bachelor in Paradise’ 2023: Everything We Know
Cue up Mike Reno and Ann Wilson’s “Almost Paradise."
By Andrea Park
-
Who Is Gerry Turner, the ‘Golden Bachelor’?
The Indiana native is the first senior citizen to join Bachelor Nation.
By Andrea Park
-
‘Virgin River’ Season 6: Everything We Know
The cast and crew are pausing the hit show in support of the writers' strike.
By Andrea Park
-
The 56 Best Musical Movies of All Time: Iconic Movie Musicals
All the dance numbers! All the show tunes!
By Amanda Mitchell
-
'Ginny & Georgia' Season 2: Everything We Know
Netflix owes us answers after that ending.
By Zoe Guy
-
36 Nude Movies With Porn-Level Nudity
Lots of steamy nudity ahead.
By Kayleigh Roberts
-
The Cast of 'The Crown' Season 5: Your Guide
The Mountbatten-Windsors have been recast—again.
By Andrea Park