<div>Hello There! We are Ymke and Singa, a Dutch-Tanzanian couple with a shared mission: to set up a sustainable hostel in Arusha, Tanzania. This hostel will not just be a place to stay but a home base for volunteers from all over the world who want to contribute to improving the lives of the local community.


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<div><strong>Who are we?</strong>


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<div>My name is Ymke, a Dutch physiotherapist who has always felt a special connection to Africa. As a child, I used to joke with my mom that I would one day move to Africa—and here I am in Arusha, Tanzania. During my first volunteer trip to Tanzania, I not only fell in love with the country but also with Singa, a Tanzanian doctor who grew up in a Maasai village. A man who has already had an incredible journey—from herding cattle to becoming a doctor.


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<div>Since June 2024, I have been living in Arusha, where we are working together to make our dream come true. Together, we want to create a space where volunteers come together to make a difference while being immersed in the rich culture of Tanzania. As Singa says:


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<div>“<em>Currently, I work as a docter in a hospital in Arusha and my desire to help as many people as possible has never faded. Together with Ymke, we’ve taken the courageous first steps on this path, and we’ll keep walking it together until we achieve our goals. We are determined to support and strengthen the community of Arusha.”</em>


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<div><strong>Why are we raising funds?</strong>


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<div>We’ve found a beautiful piece of land in Arusha where we want to build our hostel. This hostel will not just be a place to stay but a meeting point for volunteers who contribute to hospitals, schools, women’s projects, and medical outreaches. We also aim to contribute to cultural enrichment by supporting local museums and monuments.


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<div>The hostel itself will be designed sustainably, with respect for nature and a focus on reducing our ecological footprint. It will be a place where volunteers can rest after a busy day of meaningful activities, enjoy the peace of nature, exchange experiences, and get to know Tanzanian culture through local cooking, art, and language courses.


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<div><strong>How will your contribution be used?</strong>


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<div>Every euro helps us to:


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<li>Purchase the piece of land.


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<li>Take the first steps in building our sustainable hostel.


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<li>Set up projects that have a direct impact on the local community, such as medical outreaches and women’s empowerment initiatives.


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<div><strong>Why is this so important to us?</strong>


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<div>For us, this project is about much more than just building a hostel. It’s about building a community, changing lives, and creating a place where volunteers and locals can come together to learn from one another.


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<div>This project supports various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:


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<li>Ending poverty (SDG 1)


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<li>Good health and well-being (SDG 3)


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<li>Gender equality (SDG 5)


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<li>Sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11)


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<div><strong>What makes us unique?</strong>


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<div>Our hostel is all about <em>“Take it back”</em>: giving back to the community. That means providing medical aid, education, and supporting women’s projects. Staying at our hostel will not just be a place to sleep; it will give you the chance to be part of something bigger.


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<div>This hostel is being built with the focus on the experiences and feedback of volunteers. By listening to their needs and based on our own experiences with volunteering and staying in hostels, we want to create a place that offers volunteers the most comfortable and warm home possible, even when they are far from home.


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<div><strong>Help us build a better future.</strong>


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<div>With your donation—big or small—you will help us make this dream a reality. This is the first step toward something great: a project that will change lives, not only for the local community but also for the volunteers who come here.


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<div>Thank you for reading our story and for your support. Together, we can make a difference!


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<div><strong>Would you like to know more? </strong>


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<div>We are currently working on setting up an official website where you can find more information about our plans and the impact your donation will make. Feel free to reach out to us for more details!


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<div>Asante sana! (Thank you very much in Swahili)


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<div>Ymke &amp; Singa


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<div>*Picture by Health Mission but they are NOT involved in this fundraising. Also Mount Meru Refferal Hospital is NOT involved in this fundraising. Its purly done by two individuals without co- working or involement of the named companys above*


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Naima Mirza

Jeroen Vermeulen

Le Fournis Melanie

Anonymous

Suus Hasenbalg

Mireille van Es

Ellemijn de Weirdt

Elly  van den berg

Alina Pritz

Wendy Wetzels

Ana V Herrera

Elaine Bao

Maarten Vermeulen

Tessa Vermeulen

Sofieke Haarhuis

Nora Barloggio

Sashi Shankar

Rochella Boekweg

Help us building a Community-Focused Hostel in Tanzania!

Help us building a Community-Focused Hostel in Tanzania!

Still €6,090 to go. Help us build momentum.