TravelWorks.co.uk » Volunteer Abroad » Tanzania » Work
Volunteer Work in Tanzania
Zanzibar, an archipelago off the coast of Tanzania, is one of Africa’s best-kept secrets. The main island, Unguja, is about 100 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide, and has so much to offer. White-sand beaches line the turquoise-blue water for kilometres, and a bright mix of cultures, with Indian, Arabian, and African influences, is evident everywhere you go on the group of islands.
Volunteer Work in Tanzania
Volunteer Work in Tanzania: Project Work
Many project options are available for volunteer work in Tanzania, but the main type of work is teaching English. For example, you could volunteer:
- in a preschool
- offer lessons in a school for tourism
- clean beaches in an environmental conservation project
- plant trees
- play football with children
- make jewellery with local women
Your project placement will be assigned after your arrival in Zanzibar, depending on the current needs of the projects. You will easily reach the project each day with a bicycle, which will be assigned to you when you arrive.
Overview: Possible Volunteering Placements in Tanzania
Preschools
As a volunteer in preschools in Tanzania, you will offer English instruction – not just to children, but also to the teachers and other local helpers. You will sing and dance with the children, plan free time activities, or give swimming lessons. Building maintenance could also be one of your responsibilities.
Example of a Typical Day
- 7:30 a.m.: Wake up and eat breakfast.
- 8:45 a.m.: Ride your bike to the Tourism Training Institute. Here you will offer English instruction for adults.
- 10:30 a.m.: Teach and look after children in the preschool.
- 12:00 p.m.: Ride your bike back to the volunteer house for lunch.
- 3:00 p.m.: Time for maintenance work and repairs.
- 5:30 p.m.: Work is done for the day – ride your bike back home, eat supper, and enjoy the sunset over the beach.
Primary and Secondary Schools
The biggest problem faced by the schools in Zanzibar is that there are not enough teachers for the large numbers of students Therefore, teachers often teach the same lesson twice a day to two different groups of students, to make sure that all students can receive instruction. For this reason, volunteers are desperately needed.
Your volunteer work in Tanzania may include supporting the local teachers and helping with English instruction, as well as with scientific subjects such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, and biology. You may also organise sport-afternoons and help to refurbish the school buildings as part of your volunteer work in Tanzania.
Tourism Training Institute
In this school for adults, there will be multifaceted ways for you to contribute. Tourism is viewed as a great economic factor for the future of Zanzibar, and could create many jobs for the local population, as long as these people receive proper education in the field of tourism.
Your volunteer work in Tanzania in this project could include teaching English or computer classes, assisting students in writing CVs, or helping out in cooking and other practical classes (example: personal finance). The Institute is only open seasonally.
Volunteer Work in Tanzania - School Holidays
During school holidays and Ramadan, the preschools, primary schools, and secondary schools are all closed. During this time, you will have the chance to help out in other projects, such as maintenance and repair work on the school buildings or garbage collection projects. You will plant trees, assist with reading and writing instruction for adults, or help to develop teaching materials.
Print
Tell A Friend
Print |
