June 26: Departure Day, New York to Kilimanjaro
Group Meeting:
At 2:30 PM, meet your leader and fellow students at the KLM Airlines check-in counter (outside of security) at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). This is the official start of your Putney program!
Group Flight:
The group will fly on KLM Airlines flight #642 departing New York (JFK) at 5:40 PM on June 26, arriving in Amsterdam (AMS) at 6:55 AM local time on June 27. The group will continue on KLM Airlines flight #571 departing Amsterdam at 10:35 AM and arriving in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (JRO), at 8:00 PM local time on June 27 (19 hours, 15 minutes en route).
June 27–July 19: Maji Moto Village
Settle in and get acquainted with Tanzania and your group. Over the next three weeks, collaborate with local people and undertake several important service projects. Work on a building project at the village primary school, paint classrooms, teach English to local children, or run an after-school program. Spend afternoons on hikes to waterfalls in a local forest reserve, playing soccer with new friends, or interviewing community leaders and local residents for your independent project. On weekends, visit nearby markets and farms and stay at a community-based eco-lodge near Mt. Kilimanjaro.
July 20–24: Safari
Set out on a six-day safari organized by close friends of Putney, who introduce us to Tanzania’s fascinating tribal culture, wildlife, and history. Stay on traditional hunting lands as guests of the Maasai tribe, complete with a reception by a village elder and a traditional feast held in our group’s honor. With our professional safari guides and Maasai hosts, explore the Oldonyo Sambu Wilderness Area on foot and learn how pastoralists interact with the land. Continue on to world-renowned Tarangire National Park to view elephants, lions, leopards, zebra, wildebeest, Cape buffalo, and other iconic big game animals up close. Then ascend the Rift Valley Escarpment and head to Ngorongoro Crater for more wildlife viewing in this 10-mile-wide caldera home to cheetahs, rhinos, and other rare megafauna.
July 25 & 26: Maji Moto Village
Return to our host community to put the finishing touches on our community service projects, say goodbye to local friends, and have a farewell celebration.
July 28: Return Day, Kilimanjaro to New York
Group Flight:
The group will fly on KLM Airlines flight #571 departing Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (JRO), at 9:05 PM local time on July 27, arriving in Amsterdam (AMS) at 7:40 AM local time on July 28. The group will continue on Delta flight #49 departing Amsterdam at 10:45 AM local time on July 28, returning to the International Arrivals Area of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) at 12:57 PM on July 28 (22 hours, 45 minutes en route).