Volunteering in Tanzania

At a rural school you can be one of few volunteers to get a real glimpse of life in this developing country. After securing your place with £125, help at this project and in return receive free volunteer accommodation and volunteer support during your stay.

Your Experience

Here you will have the opportunity to get involved with a variety of very different tasks from assisting teachers and their classes, perhaps teaching your own classes, teaching basic computer skills, general maintenance or art. If school teaching, help is especially needed to teach or assist with Maths and Science classes, even if you have no experience and can only offer printed activity sheets from Key Stage 3 or GCSE books you bring from home, a brief explanation read from the study guide at the start of the lesson and supervision whilst the children work through the activities. The coordinator also takes volunteers out on visits to more remote schools and communities for informal playwork and to hand out resources.

Based in Iringa in Central Tanzania and only 20 miles from 6 stunning National Parks free accommodation is provided and English is spoken by most of the staff.

Placements are allocated after arrival to each volunteer based on the volunteers interests and need.

Offer time and support to HIV orphans

You may like to work with orphans affected by HIV. Iringa currently has one of the highest infection rates in Tanzania, despite reports showing rates falling due to increased education. The majority of children become infected at birth or by caring for their sick relatives. Many HIV orphans live with extended family, uncles and aunts, or in orphanages although some are looked after by brothers and sisters with no adult for support. Volunteers have been giving time, organising special activities, offering day trips at the weekend and buying pens, pencils and helping with their school contributions. It is the coordinator's intention to support more HIV orphans into secondary education, which they are often prevented from, due to the increased costs of the equipment and exam fees. Despite the state schools being free, the Government requires compulsory contributions for uniform, equipment and food which can prevent many of the poorest children from attending the free state schools. For only around £4 a month, shoes, uniform, equipment, pens and exam fees can all be covered and help a child stay in school. Some ex-volunteers have already started sponsoring children they met at the time of their visit.

Get involved with orphanages in Iringa

Volunteers in their free time have been making visits to orphanages in Iringa, organising activities and outdoor games, teaching informal lessons, giving one to one care and support.

Maintenance opportunities also available

There are many opportunities throughout the year amongst the local community from painting walls, general decoration, building walls, laying foundations, plastering walls, mending fences, installing water pipes . The current need (as of November 2011) is for repair of school furniture. The coordinator reports that many children sit on the floor whilst desks and chairs lay around broken. Ask the coordinator on arrival for where the most need is at the time of your visit and how best to use your skills. Volunteers are asked to bring  a little extra money to buy materials, although the basics are cheap and should not require more than a few extra pounds a week. You may like to bring sturdy footwear and work gloves. Volunteers participating in manual work can combine this with the regular programme perhaps alternating manual work on some days with playwork and teaching on others. Couples and friends travelling together with different interests may find the Tanzania programme ideal where one may be teaching in the same location their travelling companion is painting or fixing.

Requirements...

This placement is a typical African school placement in a remote location and although this might be your first volunteer placement it is ideal for people who can approach their volunteering role independently and confidently with a ‘can do' attitude. Volunteers will be working alongside school staff and must be willing to work cooperatively with other members of the staff team. Times and schedules of volunteering will vary enormously according to the school needs and volunteer strengths and interests. During local school holiday periods, informal activity sessions (play/sport/English etc) may be organised at the school or in the community at houses or community centres. At these times volunteers may enjoy, bringing the children together and organising these holiday sessions, great for your leadership/project management skills and your CV!

There are no organized free-time activities for volunteers at this placement although, providing no activities are scheduled for the children, weekends can usually be taken to visit the national parks and explore the local villages independently or with other volunteers.

Volunteers will require a volunteer permit in order to participate in volunteering on the project in Tanzania. Please note that the cost of this can vary and volunteers will need to apply and pay for this after arrival in Tanzania.

What's included in this programme

Free volunteer accommodation in shared volunteer rooms or at busy periods, at a school in the area altogether or when full, with local families. Friends and small groups are wherever possible placed together.

Home stays are available for approximately £25 per week, including all meals. This is an ideal option for those preferring a cultural experience or or couples and pairs of friends preferring a private room.

An airport pick-up and transfer service is available from Dar -Es -Salaam and is arranged for you in advance. Pay on arrival approximately £55 for taxi to guesthouse in Dar es Salaam  for overnight stay (recommended),  morning taxi to bus station and bus to school.

This programme is ideal if...

I would like to be part of a challenging placement in the heart of Africa and have the opportunity to help create and be a part of something new.
I am volunteering in the summer and would like to escape the volunteer crowds.

I have experience in education and would like to offer my skills and expertise.
I do not have any experience of working in an educational setting but would like to learn and help in any way which can make a difference.

Tanzania at a glance

Only in Tanzania will you find such an incredible diversity of landscapes from herds of antelope on the Serengeti plains to brilliant coral in turquoise seas.
Not to missed before you return home: the magical spice island of Zanzibar, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Mt Kilimanjaro, Olduvai Gorge, Lake Manyara NP, Rift Valley Escarpment, tea estates in the south and Isimila Stone Age site.
Hottest month: January
Time difference: GMT + 3 hrs