As a volunteer on this program, you will be required to teach basic English and Mathematics including the alphabet, small words, numbers, adding and subtracting, shapes, colours, and animals. The children attending Nursery Schools in Tanzania are mostly between three to six years old. The Nurseries are usually open in the mornings from 8:00am to 12:00pm. The majority of Nurseries are private, as few public Nurseries exist due to the government not being able to afford to establish them. The full-time local Teachers that are dedicated to teach young children assisted to establish the Nurseries and keep them running year round. There is often a lack of funds available to compensate the teachers so the harsh reality is that many of the children’s families are expected to contribute a small amount to cover the schools expenses and the teachers’ salaries.  Some children can afford it, but those who cannot often attend the classes for free. This means though that the school’s have very limited resources. Teaching the children nursery rhymes and games, as well as simply providing them with some much-needed attention, affection and love will also be required during your daily volunteer activities. Before arriving at this program, we encourage all volunteers to familiarize yourself with children's games, nursery rhymes and/or any other entertaining learning methods.

As a volunteer on this program, you will be required to teach classes from grades one to seven and the students will range from seven to fourteen years old. To teach at a primary school requires a minimum stay of one month. Different schools will offer different options of teaching but generally you will have a choice between teaching English, Mathematics, or Science, although it is most common for the schools to ask you to improve the pupils speaking, reading and writing skills. For some schools, Volunteers will be teaching only certain subjects and will be given a timetable of lessons that they will be asked to attend. The classes are usually quite large, with classes ranging from thirty to eighty students. Government schools; which are essentially free, still require students to pay for certain materials and uniforms, which is often too much of a cost for some families to afford. Therefore, resources at the school are at a bare minimum. The language of instruction at most of the Primary Schools is Swahili. Our volunteers and interns teach English and sometimes Math to the Primary School students and volunteers who feel confident enough are encouraged to teach other subject such as geography, science, music or sports. If the school has a curriculum, the teachers will work with our volunteers and show what is expected of them. Some schools do not have any curriculum in place. If this is the case, we encourage volunteers to take more responsibility and prepare as much as possible before their arrival by creating ideas for lessons and different topics to teach. The teachers are also keen to learn methods of interactive teaching from the volunteers. Lessons usually begin at 8:00am and finish by 3:30pm from Monday to Friday. After school there is the option to carry out after school classes in Art, Sport, or Music.

The exact time frame will depend on which school you are working with. You will have breaks in between classes and you are free to have lunch at the school or back at the house. You can teach English, Mathematics, Computing Skills, Geography and/or Science. However, classes in advance Mathematics and English language and literature are the most sought after. To teach at a secondary school requires a minimum stay of one month.

We are looking for people with specific capacity building skills to come and 'teach our teachers how to teach'. They will train learning professionals in Tanzania, who can then teach others the skills you have provided to them. This will be accomplished by performing teaching seminars; lectures, workshops and spending time in villages showing people how to bring about development through their own efforts. There are many projects in the area that need professional advice and training. The following are ways that you can get involved as a professional: providing education, business, economics, mechanical engineering, information technology (typing or computer skills), medical health care, sports, art and design, Music and theatre, hotels and tourism, family planning or the social sector.

This program provides volunteers with an opportunity to inspire the youth of the community. This program empowers them to begin to understand journalism and the importance of providing visibility to ongoing issues affecting their country. Whether it is in the school system or out in society, most Tanzanian youth have a future hindered of poverty and related issues. It is crucial that the peoples’ voices are heard and they have a channel to express themselves. An in-country coordinator is available to assist the volunteer from the first day of arrival until the end of their program. Upon arrival, volunteers will be provided with an orientation and will create a plan with the local coordinator. Please do NOT expect to find the same structure standards and attitudes as your home country. During you stay, you will also have many different adventure tours and cultural events you can participate in if you choose. This program is structured as follows: Volunteers and Interns open Youth journalists’ groups in the school and communities. Participants train and assist the youth to produce articles with photographs. Volunteers assist to locate relevant media channels for the youth to publish their work.

This program focuses on using digital media outlets such as social media, web pages, and blogs.  We use the media to give visibility to the programs, marketing, Children Agenda (in coalition with UNICEF), music, arts, and the other areas we are focused upon. Our community-based programs are to empower the local communities and individual people. Our interns experience being immersed in the daily life of Tanzania while also having the opportunity to witness the growth of the fastest growing economy in Africa. Since 2001, there has been over eighteen movies produced, this program has supported local artists and art program development. Areas of focus include African Music and Dance, Film, and Design. There is also an immersion program offered for students in both developing culture and art.  Our flagship music has traveled overseas to perform on several occasions. We are very grateful to welcome traditionally trained artists to help enhance our programs by collaborating, mentoring, and teaching our self-taught art incubator. We document and raise awareness for our efforts by incorporating arts and media. We place strong emphasis on providing visibility to promoting human rights, the Children’s Agenda, and general NGO operations and self-sustaining fundraising.

As a volunteer on this program, you will get an opportunity to work in numerous community hospitals and clinics in Tanzania. Many of the local hospitals and clinics provide low cost medical care and are often busy and understaffed. Volunteers and interns support the staff and teach medical techniques used in other countries. Volunteers also provide community care, teaching and training in schools and villages. Our largest ongoing community projects are the HIV/AIDS awareness program. In these, seminars are set up to provide information about the causes and prevention of HIV/AIDS. These seminars include advice and counselling for people who have already contracted HIV. Nurses and doctors as well as medical students can volunteer and internship in medical sector programs at Dar es Salaam, Moshi and Arusha. We need about one month to make proper arrangement with the hospitals. Participating medical volunteering and internship programs in Africa helps you understand the grass root problems the developing countries are facing in basic medical care.

As we know, sports and games are very important for proper learning and understanding of a child in class, improving concentration, teamwork and physical fitness. We place volunteers in schools where they can teach the children sports and physical education. Football is a huge passion in Tanzania and you’ll find most premiership games on at bars in towns and villages and there is a huge enthusiasm for learning how to play the game better and setting up competitive teams. Other sports such as netball and athletics are popular too, and often won’t be taught formally to children. This is an amazing opportunity to share your passion for sport to teach and train groups of children who may never have received formal sports training before.

The special needs centre lacks the skilled personnel and relevant equipment to deliver the special care and attention needed to provide these children with a stimulating environment. Volunteers help with education and providing one on one stimulus and motivation to the disabled children. While on this program, volunteers may also be required to help with moving, lifting and handling, personal hygiene and other daily tasks that the children simply cannot perform on their own. This particular program is quite an intense volunteer experience, but one that will provide an ultimate reward. If you choose to, there could be an opportunity for you to sponsor a child that you connect well with and develop a relationship with when you finish the program and return home.

Working with local tradesmen, you’ll be building classrooms, renovating schools, and improving local infrastructure. It’s hard, rewarding physical work that’ll leave you with a great sense of achievement. From bricklaying to painting, the skills aren't hard to pick up if you don’t know how already, and you’ll be rubbing shoulders with members of the local community, making friends and improving the surroundings. You'll learn new skills, and contribute to the building of village pharmacies, orphanages and schools that may well stand for generations.

PLEASE NOTE:
CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM WILL BE AN ADDITIONAL $ 110.00 CAD AND REQUIRES A MINIMUM DURATION OF 2 WEEKS.

According to UNICEF, there are 1.4 million people living with HIV in Tanzania. Furthermore, there are 1.3 million children who have been orphaned by AIDS. However, it has been proven time and time again that by running educational programs and communicating with at risk groups; the young, the less well educated about the dangers of the disease and how to prevent transmission of it, the tide can be turned against it. Working with local practitioners, you’ll help deliver the message of AIDS prevention in and around Arusha through presentations and talks, and working with local community groups. You’ll get to meet women’s groups that live with HIV/AIDS; talk to them, share ideas and get to help them. Also, you’ll be given the opportunity to work and play with HIV/AIDS orphans. It’s rich and rewarding work, and you’ll get to see a lot of the local surrounding communities plus be immersed in the culture and language of Tanzania whilst making a difference for the future.

Volunteering in the orphanage is quite similar to the teaching programs in the day. You’ll be assisting the teachers conduct their lessons, helping with drawings, sports, games and children’s' learning. However, there is an added dimension you’ll be assisting with the general care of the orphaned children in the orphanage. Duties may include cleaning the dormitories, organizing or washing clothes, assisting with the cooking of meals for the children, as well as playing with and entertaining them. Volunteering at an orphanage can be a more demanding role than that of a teaching program but the reward is that you will be building strong emotional bonds of care with the children and providing the necessary love and support they so desire. You may become very attached to some of the children you work with every day. Some of our volunteers have taken advantage of an opportunity to sponsor a child that they developed a strong relationship with when they finished the program and returned home.

Children are at the heart of every community in Tanzania. Education of these children is incredibly important, and Tanzanian families are becoming aware of the social mobility that can be achieved through education. However, there are many problems standing between a child and their education in Tanzania. The majority of the schools we place volunteers at are constantly understaffed and are always in need of teaching support and materials. Individual children suffer from a lack of personal support and attention, and their education falters as a result. It’s clear that classroom volunteers can provide much needed assistance with large class sizes, and help provide exposure to fluent native English. Working with teachers, you’ll help improve children’s education not only in English, but subjects like Math and Geography are universal as well, and you’ll be looking to help out the development in all areas. Working with other volunteers and resident teachers, you'll build on the work of previous volunteers to help the children progress in all areas of the curriculum, through traditional teaching methods, and fun activities such as games, art and physical activity. Working with children is enormous fun anywhere in the world, and it is a great privilege to help a child towards a brighter future, one we would like to share with all our volunteers.

(MEDICAL / NURSING / MIDWIFERY)

Students or professionals that are studying or working in the relevant field can volunteer in a local hospital working closely with Tanzanian professionals providing care to some of the people who need it most in the world. We do not place volunteers at a medical placement unless they are a fully qualified nurse or doctor or currently attending medical school. It is important for volunteers to let us know what they are trained to do so, we can arrange the best medical placement for you.

The medical projects are either working in a hospital or performing home visits. There are both governmental and private hospitals in Tanzania, the difference usually being governmental hospitals are cheaper and offer free medication for pregnant women and children under the age of five, while private clinics do not. The type of hospital volunteers will be placed at will depend on the skills of the volunteer and the needs of our partner hospitals. Tasks will include assisting in diet decisions and ensuring that the patient has taken the medication. Weaker patients may also need assistance in feeding and bathing. In Tanzania there is no such thing as a national health service and often people suffer from conditions and disease that would be routinely treated in the developed world. By devoting your time, you can improve the quality of care that they receive and make their time in hospital, whether that be for child birth, HIV clinics, or treatment of general morbidity more comfortable.

Across many countries in Africa, public opinions are slowly changing; however in Tanzania and several other parts of Africa, women are not regarded as equal to men. It has been a long held belief that women are not free and rely on male influences in their lives such as fathers and brothers. In principle, they are not allowed to own and are often more exposed to poverty than compared to men. Unfortunately, these unfair circumstance cause many to become homeless; some are without family support, which can often lead to becoming victims of violence, abuse and human trafficking. Many women across Africa and other parts of the world are uneducated and have no means to enhance their circumstance and so many women share heartbreaking stories about being victims of crime such as rape and or prostitution.

Volunteering on a women’s empowerment program is a good idea for those that have a desire and passion to help disadvantaged women and while doing so, its important to understand that a lot of women are vulnerable and need all the help and support they can get after being subject to inhuman treatment, drug addiction or other traumas. Working on one of our programs as a consultant, social worker or therapist is certainly not for everyone and for some programs, you are required to have prior experience working with vulnerable and traumatized people. Remember that most empowerment projects for women abroad only accept female volunteers to ensure that women are safe, secure and trust the people around them. As a volunteer in Tanzania, some protections must abide to conduct privacy to safeguard their users.