ReCoding Africa Summer Program (Ages 17-22)
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ReCoding Africa is a transformative summer camp for aspiring change-makers aged 17 to 22 on the paradise island of Zanzibar, Tanzania. Led by professional and experienced instructors and mentors from Europe and the United States, this innovative summer program offers water sports, filmmaking and local music workshops, technology courses, and cultural exchange activities with African students and members of the local community. Participants will develop leadership and digital literacy skills in a safe, supportive, and supervised environment.
Zanzibar is an island off the coast of Tanzania, in East Africa. It is an archipelago formed by two main islands, Unguja (also called Zanzibar) and Pemba, plus several smaller islands. Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania, a great and peaceful African country just south of the Equator.
The town of Nungwi, where the program takes place, is located on the northern tip of Zanzibar, 50 km from the capital city of Stone Town. Nungwi is famous for its blindingly white sand, and breathtaking turquoise waters. It encompasses all that East Africa has to offer in terms of culture, cuisine, and some of the best beaches in the world. It is a top tourist destination, full of European travelers, and offers a very safe and multicultural environment for an unforgettable summer camp with peers from all over the world.
Nungwi offers local as well as international restaurants and cafes, art galleries, live concerts, and water sports such as kitesurfing, windsurfing, sailing, snorkeling, diving, and jet skiing. On the beach of Nungwi, there are many 5-star resorts, but also free beaches where tourists, local youth and members of the Maasai community have the opportunity to meet and exchange stories.
Nungwi is located at 60 Km from the Zanzibar international airport and is well connected to the other parts of the island by cab, taxi boat or bus. There are several private international hospitals and clinics on the island and no vaccinations are required for international visitors.
In Zanzibar, the climate is tropical, hot all year round, with a hotter period from December to March, and a relatively cool period from May to August. There are two rainy seasons, one which is more intense, known as the “long rains” season, from March to May, with a peak in April, and the other less intense, known as the “short rains” season, which occurs between mid-October and December. Summer time is the perfect period to travel to Zanzibar, since the temperature is pleasant and there are usually no mosquitoes.
ReCoding Africa Summer Program
Why choose ReCoding Africa Summer Camp?
● ReCoding Africa offers a unique opportunity for its participants to prepare for university or a career path through an extraordinary service learning experience, where they can build strategic skills that will help them thrive in the 21st century.
● ReCoding Africa has been recognized by the Ministry of Education of Zanzibar and by the European Union as an innovative educational program that creates a high social impact and equal opportunities for boys and girls in developing countries.
● The ReCoding Africa program also includes free access to the Cisco NetAcademy courses, which offers participants the opportunity to take digital literacy, coding and AI courses on its online platform and earn badges and certifications recognized internationally by educational institutions, tech companies and the corporate world.
● ReCoding Africa offers participants the opportunity to learn strategic soft and hard skills and share them with their African peers.
● ReCoding Africa participants will develop friendships with volunteers and social changers from different countries, improve their English if necessary, explore sports and creative talents in an informal classroom setting, all while immersed in nature and facing the Indian ocean.
● ReCoding Africa offers a fully elective program, meaning that each participant can customize it.
● Participants can engage and delve into arts, technology, music, dance, theater, communications, role playing, water sports and horseback riding on the beach.
● The ReCoding Africa staff is able to provide the highest level of care and mentoring, so that each participant is not only well looked after but also assisted with academic and career counseling.
The facilities
THE FACILITIES AT A GLANCE
- Outdoor and indoor classrooms for lessons and group activities
- Spacious dining rooms and patios
- Local school with facilities and courtyard
- Music studio
- Art studio
- Access to horse riding, water sports and diving centers
- Close to medical center
MORE ON THE FACILITIES AND SERVICES
Sports Facilities
The ReCoding Africa camp site is spread out over several structures in a developed beach town and offers access to a range of facilities for activities and sports, indoors or outdoors. These include yoga and gym outdoor centers, a fitness and weights center, outdoor basketball and volleyball courts, soccer fields, an equestrian center for horseback riding on the beach, jet skiing, kitesurfing, surfing, snorkeling and diving centers.
Student Welfare
ReCoding Africa staff coordinate all the activities every day, and stay in the accommodation every night with the participants, providing 24-hour supervision.
Airport Transfers
The ReCoding Africa participation fee includes round-trip airport transportation service from the Zanzibar international airport. To organize the transfers, Marshall Language Services will need to furnish the participant’s flight information to ReCoding Africa. If students are travelling as unaccompanied minors, ReCoding Africa staff will receive them from the airline staff, and when the program is over, accompany the participants back to the airport and hand them over to airline staff.
Medical Facility
There is a private medical facility near the camp accommodations staffed by qualified international medical staff.
The courses
Fully Elective Program at ReCoding Africa Summer Camp
ReCoding Africa requires participants to volunteer for at least 4 hours per day, teaching African middle or high school students a wide range of topics including English, Italian if desired, sports, digital arts, music, theater and technology. The subjects that the participants want to develop and share are chosen at the beginning of the online training and are maintained for the 2 or 4 weeks spent onsite.
In the 2 week online training before arriving in Zanzibar, the participants will learn how to share their knowledge, passions and expertise with their peers, by acquiring and developing teaching and leadership skills.
Free Courses offered through the Cisco NetAcad Platform with free certifications:
- English for IT (basic and advanced)
- Digital Literacy
- AI for Good
- IoT (Internet of Things) and the Digital Transformation
- Coding and Programming: Python (basic and pro) – Java – C++
- Discovery Entrepreneurship
Activities included in the participation fee:
- Technology: data science and analytics, programming, coding, network technologies, arts with AI, web design
- Theater: acting and theater games in English, musical, improvisation and experimental theater
- Dance: tribal and modern African dance
- Music: drums, voice, simulation in a recording studio, digital music production
- Cooking: learning to make a typical dish of the Swahili cuisine
- Role Playing: card games, Mr. White, live action role play
- Visual Arts: painting and drawing, jewelry making, wood carving, graphic design
- Communications: filmmaking, screenplay writing, acting, editing, the making of music videos, podcasting, creative writing (poetry, songs and short stories)
- Sports and Recreation: swimming, soccer, gymnastics and yoga on the beach
Extra activities not included in the participation fee:
- Water Sports: waterskiing, surfing, kitesurfing, jet skiing, fishing, snorkeling, diving, sailing
- Fitness: weight training and fitness courses at the gym
- Equestrianism: horseback riding on the beach, horse care
Weekday Timetable:
| Monday to Friday | |
| 9 am to 1 pm | Volunteer activities with African students |
| 1 pm to 4 pm | Lunch break and free time |
| 4 pm to 6 pm | Recreational activities and English language lessons |
| 6 pm to 7:30 pm | Shower and free time |
| 7:30 pm | Dinner, followed by free time |
Weekend Timetable:
On Saturday and Sundays, participants will be able to join organized day trips and safaris or stay in Nungwi and enjoy the beach and the local community while engaging in the extra activities and sports.
RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION
Participants share double or triple rooms in villas near the beach with twin-size or double beds, dressers, closet and storage space. A typical villa will sleep 7 to 12 in total, including the counselors. Each double or triple room has its own bathroom.
Meals
The participation fee includes 1 meal per day that can cater for dietary requirements and allergies. The participants will have access to a shared kitchen with a refrigerator where they can prepare their other meals.
Laundry
Bed linens and towels are included in the program price. The villas have a laundry machine available for free. The participants have to buy their laundry detergent.
Welfare
Counselors will always be present in the accommodations so that the participants feel at home.
Insurance
Insurance covering medical and travel assistance, personal liability and trip cancellation is not included in the price of the program. Marshall Language Services has a policy available through Guard.Me that covers these elements, as well as an additional policy through CareMed that covers cancellation under a wider range of circumstances, including the need to repeat school exams. A summary of these policies may be downloaded below.
Dates and Fees
2025
June 30 – July 10: Online training.
July 13: Meeting onsite in Zanzibar
July 14 – August 8: Program onsite
July 26: Departure from Zanzibar (2 week onsite option)
August 9: Departure from Zanzibar (4 week onsite option)
4 week program (2 weeks online training and preparation + 2 weeks onsite): 2600 euros
6 week program (2 weeks online training and preparation + 4 weeks onsite): 3200 euros
The prices above do not include:
- International flights to and from Zanzibar
- Mandatory medical insurance
- Visa (50 euros for EU, 100 for U.S. citizens)
- Optional travel and cancellation insurance
- Excursions and extra activities (see prices in “Social Activities”)
- Meals and beverages not included (only one meal per day is provided from Monday to Friday)
- All meals on weekends
- Personal expenses