A personal journal entry from a 14-day Northern Tanzania safari, June 2025 My journey back to Tanzania Subsequent to my first African safari back in 2001, I have traveled back to Tanzania so many times I have lost count. I dunno, something like 12? Maybe 15 times? Each and every time is very different and each time is an amazing and even life changing, transformative visit. Every time I leave – I get this sort of “home-sick” feeling and I long to go back as soon as my feet hit the US tarmac. My most recent trip was a 14-day safari in Northern Tanzania (June ’25) with my sister, Alesen. And as I am want to do on such trips, I like to explore new places each time, so I planned a visit to a new and still emerging non-profit organization called Masai Girls Rescue Center (MGRC). Discovering MGRC: A mission of hope I had stumbled across their website while doing research prior to our trip. The more I read about it the more interested I became to see it personally. The vision statement of this little non-profit, start-up was intriguing: a self-sustainable ecoVillage whose mission was to give at-risk girls not only a chance but a choice. MGRC’s core mission This sounded ultra humanitarian and certainly altruistic – full stop. But I HAD to make this ecoVillage and rescue center a deliberate stop on our journey. As it turned out it was to be one of the highlights of our entire trip. Location: The heart of Northern Tanzania The ecoVillage sits tranquil among the rich red “voombie” (Swahili for dust/soil) seated on a gentle slope above the fertile Iraq (pronounced Eer-wockwa) valley. Located just outside the small but vibrant town of Karatu. Arrival at MGRC After bumping along a dusty road, the voombie announced our arrival at the security gate of MGRC. After brief clearance we were directed to park near the large main building. Though some construction was still underway for new ecoLodging facilities, the newly completed dwellings were beautifully set and surrounded by lush natural landscaping. We were promptly greeted by a very large “family dog” whose name I can’t remember, but whose friendly and exuberant joy would echo the spirit of its human counterparts. Maybe the animal doubled as a watch dog at night; the sheer size of this enormous German Shepherd would be quite imposing to someone outside the compound if intentions were not altruistic. Meeting the MGRC girls Not too far behind this happy animal came a group of young girls casually walking, talking and giggling softly as they approached us. I could tell they were being polite and trying not to stare too long at the strange foreigners that just stepped out of a safari Jeep looking rather disheveled and unkempt. I’ll be hard pressed to guess but I’d say the girls ranged from the ages of 12 to 14. It was Sunday and the girls were headed to church. These striking and attractive girls wore smart dresses and each was draped with the traditional, brightly colored material (called a “Kanga”) representing their […]