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Project Age Limit:
Minimum 18 years, maximum decided on potential participants’ health
This project offers you a unique and valuable programme in the Arusha region of northern Tanzania for disadvantaged or orphaned children from the rural communities. As a volunteer on this project you will offer vital support to teaching and community development programmes to vulnerable youths and play a valuable part in providing these children with a better start in life.
You will be involved in teaching in rural and underprivileged schools during the day, with the option of developing a number of community programmes such as sports and drama workshops in the afternoons, working closely the children you are supporting.
The Volunteer Project
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. This project offers you a variety of project areas in the Arusha region of northern Tanzania assisting and teaching disadvantaged or orphaned children from the rural communities. As a volunteer on this programme you will offer vital support to a specific programme area of your choice and play a valuable part in providing these children with a better start in life.
Volunteers are essential to the running of the organisation. By offering your varied life experience, skills and abilities you are able to play an important role in assisting them to develop the projects and in turn, empower individuals from Tanzania to participate in development and decision making processes within their communities. The projects you volunteer for will benefit enormously from your commitment, dedication, knowledge, language skills and enthusiasm.
Since project hours vary, it is possible to combine more than one option – for example spending the mornings working at a nursery school, which will close by midday, and then coaching sports in the afternoons. In the mornings and early afternoons, whilst you are teaching there is the opportunity to work with nursery, primary or secondary level. Most importantly you will be providing the children with some of the much needed care and support that their lives so desperately lack, and keeping them away from the dangers of the street in a safe environment.
Volunteer Role
There are a range of projects available on this programme. Please note that projects are evolving and moving forward all the time for the benefit of the community and therefore a flexible and positive attitude is essential. The main types of project work are listed below with an outline of some of the duties that you may be involved in:
Nursery Schools and Day Care Centres: These nursery schools and day care centres have between 10-40 young children, aged from 3-9 years old and consist of a mixture of orphans, children from difficult backgrounds and paying students. You will assist the local teachers who run the schools and centres to teach basic subjects such as reading and writing English, simple mathematics, art, games and singing as well as assisting with the general care of the children and giving them some attention and affection.
Much help is needed at these centres, as the numbers of orphans rapidly increase. The centres are open daily; classes are run 8am-12.30pm, however they are extremely under funded and basic, lacking the very basic of resources, so you will need to be creative in your role.
Nursery Teaching and HIV Counselling: This is a project aimed towards HIV/AIDS affected people in the local area. It is intended to educate these people on how to cope with their HIV/AIDS health status in boosting their morale whilst reducing the stigma associated with this illness. You will be expected to help in the nursery and day care centres with teaching and assisting. Classes run approximately from 8.30am to 12.30pm.
You will also have the opportunity to assist with the home visits to aid those who are unable to move far because of their illness, as well as participate in support groups and activities such as coaching football. Volunteers at this project should have a thorough understanding about the cause, effects and spread of HIV and AIDS. They need to be knowledgeable and comfortable discussing and advising people in HIV and AIDS related matters.
Primary Teaching: This project enables you to teach children where many are either orphaned of from single parent families. You will be teaching English and Maths to children aged from 4 to 14 years in classes of no more than 35 children. However any additional time and knowledge you have to teach Science, French, Sports and Arts would be valued by teachers and children alike. Classes will run from 8.15am to 3.30pm.
The teachers are also keen to learn methods of interactive teaching; you may wish to introduce to the teachers positive reinforcement as an alternative method of discipline opposed to the corporal punishment currently in use.
Secondary Teaching: You will have the opportunity to teach at a local high school that has over 1,400 students, 90% of which board at the school. You will be teaching English mainly to higher education students aged between 19 and 26 yrs. If you have the knowledge to teach or assist with the teaching of Maths, Physics or Geography to secondary education standard, your help in these areas would be greatly appreciated.
The school is open from 8am to 2.30pm, however these enthusiastic students are willing to participate in extra curricular activities to adhere learning. Please note that volunteers at this project should have the knowledge to teach to Secondary Level.
Sports Coaching: Volunteers on this project will be organising and teaching games and sports and encouraging teamwork and discipline. Football is the main activity for the boys and netball for the girls. You will be on hand to offer advice during matches, as well as help to run the afternoon training sessions at the local playing fields.
The aim of the programme is to pull the community together through sport, keep the children off the street and ultimately start a local league for the various teams to compete in. You will also have the opportunity to initiate and organise additional sports activities for the villagers.
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.
School Holidays
In Tanzania there are two school terms each year, the dates of which vary each year and are often not confirmed until the last minute. As a general guideline the school holidays are as follows:
First term holiday: 4 weeks from early June to early July
Half-term holiday: 1 week in Mid September
Second term holiday: 5 Weeks from early December to Mid January
Half-term holiday: 1 week in Mid March
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.
Choosing your project
To help us arrange the most suitable volunteer project for you, we will request that you complete an application form at the time of booking, requesting a first and second choice of which project you would like to do. We will try our best to place you on your first choice, though we cannot guarantee this. Choosing your preferred project area will allow you to dedicate your time and focus during your placement and truly witness the impact that your work has upon the local community, during your time in Africa.
Project Support
Throughout your stay in Tanzania you will have the support and guidance of our in-country project co-ordinators and support team. They will provide you with competent assistance and help you with any questions or advice you may need during your stay. The house staff will be on hand throughout the day. In addition, we will provide you with a 24 hour emergency contact number before you depart, so that you can contact one of our UK staff at any time should you need to.
Project Orientation
On arrival in Arusha you will be given an orientation by one of our project coordinators. The orientation will include:
- Basic local language lesson and an introduction to local culture and values
- Your health and safety whilst in Tanzania
- Workplace ethics before starting your project
- Money and transportation in Tanzania
- Introduction and familiarisation with your local project area, programmes and staff
- Areas of Tanzania worth visiting in your free time
Accommodation and Meals
You will stay in a comfortable, shared volunteer house situated about 5 kilometres from the centre of Arusha city. The house is large and safe but very basic, compared to what you are used to at home. Compared to how some of the local communities live however, this is luxury! You will have access to flushing toilets, a fridge and freezer, a cooker and cold running water etc.
Please be prepared for the possibility that you may not always have water, lights or electricity during your stay as water shortages and power cuts are not unknown occurrences in Tanzania!
You will be sharing with other volunteer, with between 2-6 volunteers in each bedroom. There are also local staff at the house, including a cook, house keeper and night watchmen for your security. However, you will be expected to help assist with meals and keep the house clean, to the standards that you require. The house is within easy walking, cycling or a short dalla dalla (public minibus) ride of the community projects that you will be working at.
Any transport costs to and from your project location are not included in the project price, but should not be much more than about US$10 a week maximum. You will be provided with three meals each day; breakfast consisting of cereals and toast, a packed lunch or light lunch at the house and a hot dinner, which will be prepared for you by the cook.
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