Travelogue from Tanzania: LEGO playdate at Moshi Kids Center

A tour to Tanzania often focuses on the wildlife of the savannah and the spectacular natural wonders. Yet, some of the most unforgettable moments happen when meeting the local people. For Pernille, our Booking Specialist, it was the encounter with the children at Moshi Kids Center that truly made the journey.

On May 18^th, 2025, I set off to Tanzania with two fantastic colleagues. Before our departure, we’d received an exciting itinerary, and I was delighted to see we’d be visiting Moshi Kids Center the very day after our arrival.

Moshi Kids Center is a pre-school where children from underprivileged families are given the opportunity for a strong start to their education. They receive clothing and meals at the school, along with lessons from local teachers and volunteers from abroad—during our visit, we met three young women from France who were there to help teach the children for three months.

TourCompass is a proud sponsor of the Moshi Kids Center, so I had a great chat with our director, Claus, about what we could bring along for them. He suggested LEGO Duplo, as it’s perfect for both playing and educational activities.

As well as buying some boxes of LEGOs for them, I also posted in my local Facebook group, and within just two days, I’d received a flood of messages from people wanting to donate their LEGOs to Moshi Kids Center. On a Sunday, I picked up LEGOs from all corners of our region, and my husband and son spent the afternoon washing and drying every piece of them. I also had a lovely chat with my four-year-old son about the children in Tanzania, who don’t have nearly as many toys as he does. It’s a tricky concept for a four-year-old to grasp, but it sparked a really good conversation, and we ended up looking through photos and videos from the Moshi Kids Center’s website.

On 18th May, when the tour began, I was able to set off with three suitcases, two of which were packed to the brim with LEGOs.

The following day, at Moshi Kids Center, we were given a tour and saw the brand new building, which TourCompass helped fund. The teachers explained that the new building means they can now accommodate 100 children, instead of just 50, at the centre.

We visited their facilities and the place where they receive daily lessons. All the LEGOs were poured out onto some mats in the schoolyard. We showed them how they could build with them. Some looked on curiously, while others quickly figured out how to make pistols and tiny houses. We laughed together, and I could feel how moved I was to have had the chance to share a moment of joy and immersion with these children. Right there, on a dusty rug beneath the warm sun, surrounded by delighted children and thinking of my own two back home, I was truly struck by the contrasts of the world.

We left Moshi Kids Centre with a lump in our throats and a hope that we had managed to spark a little playful inspiration in both teachers and children at the centre.

Pernille,

TourCompass – From tourist to traveller