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Project Age Limit:
Minimum 18 years, maximum 30 years.
Group size: This will vary, but is typically between 8-20 people.
The Volunteer Expedition
Whilst on the Tanzania expedition you will experience some of the highlights of this beautiful and fascinating country during your 12 weeks. Your trip will allow you to see the different facets of life in Tanzania, providing you with a comprehensive understanding of this beautiful country, so rich with culture. You will spend a large amount of time exploring this country, staying with local Maasai tribes, visiting the infamous Zanzibar Spice Island and visiting a number of parks for some essential wildlife viewing of the African big 5!
For a number of weeks on the expedition, you will have the opportunity to work on a specified choice from our community outreach and development projects in Dar Es Salaam and Arusha. Whether you would like to apply your personal skills and experience to volunteer work, or simply want to offer your time and enthusiasm to help disadvantaged communities, you can provide valuable support to these projects.
Your Volunteer Placement
Your voluntary project is a chance for you to give back to the country that you will be spending your time exploring. At the time of booking, you will complete an application form specifying which projects you would most like to experience and we will endeavour to place you on your choice, though this cannot be guaranteed. The projects are listed below:
Morning Projects: During the mornings you will typically be working as a teacher or teacher assistant. We work with many schools in the community ranging from Nursery schools up to High schools, all which vary in size. Many children are deemed as vulnerable, being either affected by HIV and Aids, being orphaned or living in extreme poverty.
You will assist mainly in the teaching of English and Maths at the schools. These schools are in great need of English teachers and therefore you will be made very welcome and will be a great asset to the school. The opportunity for these children to receive education is a great gift as many of them receive so little in their daily lives. There may also be opportunities for you to teach science, sports, games and any other subjects you wish. These children are a pleasure to teach and will be extremely excited to be working with you. You will teach both boys and girls who are subdivided into streams.
- Nursery schools – You will help teach children between three and six years old.
- Primary - You will help teach children aged between seven and 14 years old.
- Secondary and High schools – You will help teach children aged between 14 and 22 years old.
Nursery Schools and Day Care Centres: Many of these children attending the schools are orphans or street kids. You will be teaching basic English and Maths to the children and you will also be assisting the teacher with the planning of lessons. You can help in designing and implementing work sheets and introducing new and fun teaching techniques for writing and speaking. You can also teach nursery rhymes and games as well as providing the children with some much needed care and attention.
Primary Schools: You will be mainly teaching English to the children and educating them further in other subjects too. Some primary schools are taught solely in English, therefore at these schools there is more opportunity for you to be involved in a wider range of teaching subjects. The school sizes do vary as do the class sizes, therefore please be prepared that at some schools you may teach a large number of children in one class.
Secondary Schools: Most children finish their schooling after primary school; therefore these children really do need your support and dedication in order to give them the further education they need. Again, you will be teaching English and supporting the local teaching staff in their English lessons and other subjects.
Important Note:
- Many of the projects run in the mornings, leaving you with plenty of time in the afternoons to plan extra activities within the local communities, so please be creative in your outlook. The projects are seriously under-funded and therefore any materials, or equipment, for example books, teaching materials and sports equipment that you can take with you to help with lessons and activities are very welcome.
- Schools and community organisations and centres in Africa are very different to the western standards that you may be familiar with. There is often little structure and time is certainly not a priority. You will often have to use your own initiative to get the children involved and motivated as much as possible, particularly in extra-curricular activities.
Afternoon Projects: You will have the opportunity to take part in some excellent afternoon activities with the children after your morning placement. Some of the options you may choose to take part in include:
- HIV Awareness programme
- Adult English Classes
- Sports Coaching
- Music Education Projects
- Handcraft Group Projects
- Computer Teaching Initiatives
- Construction
School Holidays
In Tanzania there are two school terms each year. During the school vacations there is still a need for volunteers, as you may help out with organised holiday classes and activities for the children with the objective of keeping them off the streets and out of trouble. There are also many schools and other educational projects that run during the school holidays and of course many other community projects to get involved with, as listed above.
Project Support
Throughout your expedition you will have the support and guidance of our experienced coordinators and professional guides. They are part of our greater African support team, providing you with answers to any questions that you might have and will always be willing to provide you with competent support and assistance if and when you need it. In addition you will have access to a 24-hour emergency contact number so you can contact one of our UK staff at any time should you need to.
Project Orientation
During your first week in Tanzania you will be given a comprehensive orientation by the expedition team. This will include:
- An introduction to the expedition, what you can expect from it and your full programme itinerary, including details of your voluntary project placement.
- An introduction to Tanzania culture and values
- Basic local language lessons
- Your health and safety whilst in Tanzania
- Money and transportation in Tanzania
- An introduction to the local area
- Areas of Tanzania worth visiting during your free time
Accommodation and meals
During your community work, you will have two project bases; the first being in Bahari Beach just outside Dar Es Salaam, the second in Arusha, which is the gateway to the safari circuit. Here you will be living in a volunteer house with your fellow expedition team and also other volunteers partaking on the community programmes. The houses are located close to your community projects, either by foot, bicycle or local bus ride. In Dar Es Salaam, you are just 20 minutes from the ocean and in Arusha, just 5kms from the city centre.
Both houses are large and comfortable, but very basic compared to what you have been used to at home. However, when compared to how some of the local communities live, this is luxury. The houses have many facilities that you will be used to: flushing toilets, a fridge and freezer, a cooker and cold running water. However, you should be prepared for the possibility that you may not always have running water, lights or electricity during your stay, as water shortages and power cuts are common occurrences in Tanzania! Both houses have a range of staff including a cook, a housekeeper and a night watchman. However, you will be expected to assist in keeping the houses clean and tidy and to the standards that you require.
During these volunteer placements and whilst you are at these houses, you will receive two meals a day: Breakfast will consist of cereals and toast, whilst dinner is prepared for you by the cook and will consist of a mixture of western and local dishes, with lots of meats, fish and vegetables etc. You will largely be responsible for buying or making your own lunch at your own cost on the projects, which can be easily found in the local villages, close to your projects.
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