Volunteer HIV/AIDS programs Tanzania | Volunteer widows Tanzania

Volunteer TanzaniaPrograms in Tanzania for volunteers are offered in and around Arusha in the north of the country. Love Volunteer’s local partner organisation began its work in 2007 when a group of friends came together with the aim of making a difference in one of Tanzania’s poorest communities.

Three years on, that organisation now has 30 local staff, approximately 6-10 international volunteers in Tanzania, and multiple community projects. So far, the organisation’s training and orphanage programs have benefited 160 members of the local community. With this team of competent, passionate staff and volunteers in Tanzania it is hoped that the program can be expanded to reach every member of the community as well as branching out to reach neighbouring towns.

So why volunteer in Tanzania? When you volunteer here, you get to see on a daily basis how urgently your help is needed. Your efforts directly impact on the lives of people affected by political unrest and poverty.

As a volunteer in Tanzania the people you come into contact with will be eager to involve you in their world. You will need to use your initiative and judgment as a volunteer in Tanzania, but you will no doubt be touched by this fascinating country. You may also find your previously-held values have changed as a result of your stay here. For more info about the country check out the Lonely Planet Tanzania Guide.

volunteering in Tanzania

Start and Duration

Volunteers in Tanzania can stay for periods ranging from one week to six months and have the flexibility of being able to start on any day of the year.

Volunteer Requirements

Love Volunteer in Tanzania is more than happy to accept applications from individuals, couples, families, students, researchers, and groups (whether from churches, colleges or student associations). Volunteers should be at least 18 year old should speak English to at least intermediate level. Younger volunteers in Tanzania may be accepted if accompanied by an adult.

Volunteers in Tanzania from all countries, backgrounds and whether with limited or extensive experience are welcome to participate in programs. All have a contribution to make to the lives of disadvantaged Tanzanian people and each can also benefit hugely from encountering a different culture. Apply Now!

Please note that a work permit is required to volunteer in Tanzania. The cost of the work permit is US$120. We can liaise with the Immigration Department to obtain the work permit for you within a day or two of arrival, or you can obtain this from your nearest Tanzanian diplomatic mission before you travel. If we are arranging your work permit on arrival you will be required to buy a single entry visa from Immigration. Volunteers participating without a work permit could make our local partner liable for heavy fines.

Project Descriptions for Tanzania

Working With Children

The orphanage we work with is home to 50 children between the ages of 2 and 9. The children are split into two groups. The baby class has approximately 40 under-4s and the kindergarten usually has 10 pupils. The two-to-four year olds are taught the basics of identifying letters and numbers. Those aged 4 to 9, meanwhile, are being prepared for elementary school and are taught to read, write and do simple mathematics. All pupils are taught English.

The program, in its role as the children’s legal guardian, also takes care of their medical needs, such as conducting tests for HIV, and treating children for flu, malaria, TB and other conditions. Volunteers in Tanzania interested in working with children are urgently needed at the orphanage. No prior experience is necessary.

Another dimension to this volunteer work in Tanzania is to find within the community, prospective sponsors to finance individual orphans’ elementary school education. Volunteers in Tanzania can also help with sponsoring Children. With the help of our sponsors, 10 students have graduated from the orphanage and gone on to elementary schools since 2008. For these youngsters, provided they work hard, their future looks bright.

Teaching Program

The vocational school hosts young adults between the ages of 14 and 22 who are unable to pay US$40 per year to attend secondary school. Many of the students come from extremely poor families or are orphans. In the town of Usa River, large numbers of young people risk ending up on the streets and are often drawn into a life of crime. The school not only equips its students with educational skills, but also provides structure and a positive environment in which to acquire positive life skills. Above all, the students, the teachers and the local staff become a family and a support system for each other.

Currently the curriculum includes cooking, sewing, tourism and computer skills. English is compulsory for all students. On graduating from the program, students are helped by local staff to find jobs in their chosen field.

Each year the vocational school receives over 200 applications from young adults from the community. With limited resources, only 30 students can be admitted per year. A selection process takes place, taking into account written essays, elementary school grades, interviews, needs and levels of commitment shown by the potential student.

Volunteers in Tanzania are required who can teach valuable skills that will enable these young people to find jobs. In particular, we desperately need computer and language teachers. No prior teaching experience is necessary. The class structure and content to be taught are very flexible. Volunteers in Tanzania are encouraged to discuss teaching plans and their methodology with local staff upon arrival.

HIV and Widows Program

The population of Usa River includes many widows and abandoned women, as a result of HIV. Social stigma means that on many occasions a woman who admits to having HIV will be abandoned by her husband, although it may be from him that she contracted the infection. Often, the community turns its back on such women and their children, who will then have to fend for themselves. Lacking skills, these abandoned women are rarely able to find jobs.

Our local partner’s goal is to eliminate the social stigma associated with HIV/AIDS through social and sex education, and to provide the widows with job skills so that they can support themselves and their families and be re-integrated into the community.

Currently 45 women are enrolled on the one-year program, which focuses on learning about agriculture. This helps them understand how to grow vegetables from seeds in order to sell the produce for a profit; to construct animal housing and purchase chicks and piglets to be raised and sold. Financial skills are also taught. By the end of their year on the program, the women have money in the bank and are able to stand on their own feet financially.

The following year we accept a new group of 45 women who are fostered and mentored by the group that just graduated. This creates a supporting community in which women can work together to generate revenue and put their children through school.

For this project volunteers are sought who have experience with small business or project management. We also need volunteers who can teach personal finance, agriculture and sexual education. We also welcome volunteers in Tanzania who lack experience but have a desire to learn.

Community Centre

Love Volunteer’s local partner also runs a community centre, which plays a vital role. The centre includes a restaurant, a zoo, and a marketplace among other facilities. Here the students from the vocational school cook delicious meals and locals put on fantastic dance and gymnastics shows. Widows from the community sell their art work here, too. All proceeds from entrance fees and tickets sold for dinner and drinks go straight back into the local projects.

The community centre was built and developed with the help of volunteers in Tanzania, and it is inspiring to see that volunteerism has made such a difference and been used to build a sustainable venture that will last long after the volunteers in Tanzania return home. This is truly what volunteering is all about!

The centre is vital to the development of the local community and volunteers in Tanzania are very much needed. For this project we need volunteers in Tanzania with project management, microfinance and small business experience.

Language Courses

Some Swahili lessons are included in the program. Additional, more formalised lessons can be organised locally.

Program Costs

Love Volunteers is a not-for-profit organisation and is one of the most affordable ways to help out in a developing country while being immersed in the local culture.

Fees for volunteer programs in Tanzania start at US$200 (€153) per week, which includes accommodation, food, an airport pick-up, orientation and 24/7 in-country support.

Volunteer period [weeks]	1	2	3	4	6
Working with children	US$210	US$315	US$420	US$525	US$715
Teaching and assisting in schools	US$210	US$315	US$420	US$525	US$715
HIV/AIDS program	US$210	US$315	US$420	US$525	US$715
Community development	US$210	US$315	US$420	US$525	US$715

Volunteer period [weeks]	8	12	16	20	24
Working with children	US$905	US$1250	US$1565	US$1960	US$2095
Teaching and assisting in schools	US$905	US$1250	US$1565	US$1960	US$2095
HIV/AIDS program	US$905	US$1250	US$1565	US$1960	US$2095
Community development	US$905	US$1250	US$1565	US$1960	US$2095

Other volunteers periods available. Please, contact LoveVolunteers for pricing of other periods.

A Love Volunteers registration fee of US$235 (approximately €170) is charged in addition to the program fees and covers any placements you undertake for twelve months from the start of your first placement. The fee is refundable if you choose not to volunteer more than three months prior to the start of your initial placement. This fee ensures 24/7 pre- and post-placement support from Love Volunteers, checking and vetting of local organisations, a comprehensive information pack, as well as administration and marketing costs. Given Love Volunteers is a not-for-profit organisation we also ask volunteers to cover any bank charges incurred by international money transfers.

Food and Accommodation

Volunteers stay with host families. The volunteer rooms are comfortable and may be shared with one or two other volunteers in Tanzania. Accommodation is usually within walking or cycling distance of the project or a short bus ride away.

Two common ingredients in Tanzanian cooking are coconut and bananas. Not just found in desserts, coconut milk often features in soups and in dishes based on fish, meat and poultry. A regularly encountered staple is Ugali, a porridge made from cornmeal. Chapati, the Indian bread, is often served, as are curry dishes, cassava and rice.

Dining in Tanzania involves sitting on the floor on a mat and eating using three fingers of the right hand. Hands are washed before and after, and dried on a towel which gets passed around the diners.

Orientation

Having flown into Kilimanjaro International Airport, or having arrived by bus at Arusha’s Central Bus Station, volunteers are picked up by our partners. They receive an introduction to all of our partner’s projects, are helped to settle in. This includes help with orientation around the towns of Usa River and Arusha and with the purchasing of various essential items such as mobile phones, food, as well as with the location of internet cafes. Support staff are on hand 24/7. Orientation can also include some Swahili lessons, if desired.

A Typical Week

The structure of the week varies for different projects, but we aim to be flexible. Provided some notice is given, we will try to accommodate your plans. That said, a typical week volunteering in Tanzania looks something like this:

Weekdays: At about 7.30am you'll have breakfast with your host family. At 8-8.30am you'll make your way to the project to start at about 9am. Here you'll meet local staff who will outline an itinerary. You'll get breaks throughout the day and finish between 2pm and 5pm. In the afternoon you are free to socialise or perhaps take a trip to the shops, normally with a local guide. Alternatively, you can continue helping out on your project. At about 8.30pm you'll have dinner with your host family.

Weekends: Volunteering in Tanzania during the weekends is possible alongside local teams or you may visit orphanages where the children will be delighted to be entertained. Otherwise, this is your time to relax, perhaps just chilling at home or you could arrange to explore Arusha or travel further into Tanzania. Extended weekends can be easily arranged to allow for safari trips, if so desired, or expeditions farther afield.

About the Country

Tanzania on the far eastern side of Africa’s vast continent, borders several countries, including Kenya, Mozambique and Zambia. It is country with place-names to conjure with, such as Serengeti, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar. The country comprises largely an immense plateau situated at over 1,000 feet. Tanzania’s ports on the Indian Ocean include Mafia and Pangani. There are also fabulous beaches to enjoy. Along the borders lie three great lakes: Victoria, Tanganyika, the world’s second deepest and Lake Malawi.

In the Southern Highlands there are slopes to climb, or you might wish to trek across the deserted terrain near Ol Doinyo Lengai mountain, with a Maasai warrior as a guide. Arusha, where the volunteer projects take place, lies in the north and is often described as marking the gateway to the safari circuit. The town has Mount Meru as an impressive backcloth. From here, one can travel south-east to the exotic island of Zanzibar. You can also catch a bus from Arusha to Dar Es Salaam and visit its astounding outdoor market.

Other Matters

Yellow Fever vaccination is legally required before entering the country. Malaria pills are highly recommended. Polio, Hep A, Hep B, Diphtheria/Tetanus, Typhoid, Tuberculosis and Cholera vaccinations are a good idea. Consult your GP or local travel clinic for the most up to date list of required vaccinations.

Apply now! Or check out the FAQ or contact page for more information.

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