- Name: Shay Bell
- Age: 44
- Current location: Moshi, Tanzania
- Home town: Panama City, Florida, U.S.
- Education: High school diploma
- Current position: Director/Founder, Pamoja Tunaweza Boys & Girls Club / Worlds Collide Africa House
- Organization description: Eco-lodge in Moshi, Tanzania, guest-house and funds cycle back into a program that supports youth development.
- Bio: After over 20 years working in the hospitality industry, Shay founded One Ndoto Inc., a US registered public charity. Prior to that, she served as general manager of the four-diamond rated restaurant Fish Out of Water and then general manager of the St JOE Companies Private Membership Club at WaterSound Beach. She resigned from her position in 2012 to focus on the charity work full time. In January of 2013 she moved to Moshi, Tanzania and co-founded the Pamoja Tunaweza Boys & Girls Club (PTBGC). Earlier this year the organization took over a large B&B as a social enterprise to support its initiatives in Tanzania and the DR Congo. Shay lives in the Worlds Collide B&B full time and oversees all operations for the business. She also acts as the hospitality trainer to several Members of the PTBGC.
- Countries I've worked in: Tanzania, U.S., Mexico
- Sector / subsectors: Tourism / Hospitality, Social Enterprise
- Areas of expertise: Tourism, fine dining, high end hospitality
- Country: Tanzania
- Region: Africa
- Sector: Tourism & hospitality
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Tell us about how you came to Tanzania.
Shay shares her inspiring story of traveling to Tanzania, after years of working in the corporate hospitality industry in the U.S., and how she started her NGO, Ndoto.
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Tell us about your non-profit organization, Ndoto.
Learn more about Shay's inspiring organization, Ndoto, and their work with youth in Moshi, Tanzania.
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Tell us about Worlds Collide Africa House.
Shay helps to manage Worlds Collide Africa House, an eco-lodge in Moshi, Tanzania that generates income for their boys and girls club, and youth development activities.
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What professional experiences led you to where you are today?
From high end hospitality to managing an eco-lodge in Moshi, Shay shares her love for working in hospitality.
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What do you love about your work in Tanzania?
There's a feeling of "family" at Worlds Collide Africa House.
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Can you speak to any of the challenges you've encountered in your work?
Managing an eco-lodge, as a foreigner, in Tanzania involves plenty of cultural mishaps. Here Shay shares her secret to navigating cultural differences. It's even simpler than you think.
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If you want to find work in Tanzania in hospitality, should you expect a low salary?
While grassroots tourism opportunities often pay little, there are opportunities for foreigners to find work in Tanzania's safari tourism industry.
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What kind of skills and experiences does it take to be successful in your line of work?
Listening and languages go a long way.
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Do you think it's important to get a certain education, or specialize?
Beyond education, what's more important to excel internationally in this industry is work experience. Shay shares her approach to success.
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Do your guests interact with the community organization that the lodge supports?
Shay's vision for the eco-lodge integrates guests into the boys and girls' clubs activities. Learn from her inspiring approach to promoting tourism and community development in Moshi, Tanzania.
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You're in a unique role, acting almost as a liaison to connect cultures?
At Worlds Collide Africa House, Shay gets to bring together cultures under one roof, marketing the eco-lodge to diverse guests.
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Do you accept volunteers, or interns?
Worlds Collide Africa House and Ndoto are always looking for volunteers and interns, says Shay. Learn more about opportunities and her best advic!
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What's your best advice for people wanting to break into the field?
Before you apply for a job, get to know different communities and places around the world. Travel first.
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Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Don't wait!
