All About our Tanzania Programs
Our Tanzania hub is a jaw-dropping African safari in real life. Situated in the town of Arusha, you are amongst the sights of both Mount Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti National Park. Within Arusha, there are many markets with food and handicrafts, making it a lively base of African and Tanzanian culture. All in all, it is an awe-inspiring hub to visit that captivates our volunteers and will likely have the same effect on you.
So, what is it that we do in Arusha?
Our main focus is on the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:
- Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing
- Goal 4: Quality Education
- Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
All three of these goals are connected. Unfortunately, many Tanzanians do not have access to clean water and the appropriate sanitation, which often leads to illnesses and poor health. For children, this means they take time out of their education and do not receive the standard that they require. Additionally, often children will need to help their parents to generate an income, especially if their parents have poor health. Because of the strong link these goals have, improving one will also help improve the others.
Life expectancy at birth in Tanzania currently sits at a staggering 55% and the country faces a shortage of health professionals. In terms of education, schools face extreme overcrowding, with the average government primary school classroom holding 66 students. In terms of the environment, natural resources provide the main source of livelihood for 76% of rural people, which means they are fully reliant on the weather and what's more, 54% of households are using unprotected sources of drinking water.
All in all, we can see that Tanzania is struggling in these three areas. But as a volunteer, there are ways that you can get involved to help, particularly through conversation and education.
According to Elizabeth, our Country Manager in Tanzania:
"By working with our local partners schools in a sustainable way, we continually measure the success by the number of children we reach and the amount of hours we dedicate to a project. By working closely with the headteachers of the schools and continual needs assessments, we are targeting the age groups that will benefit greatly from cross-cultural inclusion. Tanzania is a truly amazing country full of culture and heritage. The children are beautifully warm and open, absorbing every interaction they can with joy and appreciation. As we continue with resilience and passion to ensure we share global awareness and create opportunities for those who we reach out to."
Unfortunately, Tanzania is our least visited volunteer hub and we could be achieving so much more with your help! Nevertheless, our volunteers are passionate and hardworking. Last year our volunteers worked for a combined 1200 hours in Tanzania, reaching 1,221 children throughout this time. One of the biggest achievements was the construction of a rainwater harvesting system which will provide the community with greater access to clean water and reduce their spending on water.
How can you help achieve the UN goals?
We run both the Tanzania Community Challenge and the Kilimanjaro Challenge. In either of these challenges, you will help to educate the locals on sanitation practices and how to avoid illnesses. Teaching children and the local community about simple sanitation practices will help to improve the health of the whole community and is so easy to do.
In addition, you will also help build the English language skills of these children. Merely having simple conversations with the children in English will help improve their skills. Why is this important? Well, most higher paying, skilled jobs require a certain level of English proficiency. We want to help these children grow to have a secure income and stop the poverty cycle. Simply speaking English with the children will help to break the poverty cycle.
Your time volunteering will also be focused on helping to build better infrastructure for schools to access clean drinking water. Namely, this includes many water tanks such as we built last year. Many schools pay too much money for access to water which eats into their budget for other things. This way, we can provide cheaper access to clean water and schools can direct their budget away from mere necessities and increase the quality of education.
All of these things are so simple but so effective. Your impact abroad will not be minute but will have lasting significance in this community.
What about after your challenge?
Africa is undeniably an astounding place with landscapes that are breath-taking. You may as well take advantage of this whilst you are there, and really take it all in!
After your Challenge you can join our optional extension trip and explore the wonders of the Serengeti. You'll visit both the Tarangire and Manyara national parks where you'll be able to see over 100 species of birdlife, tigers, cheetahs, elephants, zebras, giraffes and more! In the Ngorongoro Crater you'll get to go on a guided tour and be a bystander to the 30,000 animals of the Ngorongo Conservation Area. At the end of the trip you'll have time to explore the beautiful Arusha National Park while taking in the awesome views of Mt Kilimanjaro.
Tanzania is really a hub that has it all. You will make a true impact whilst volunteering abroad and you will be able to take in once-in-a-lifetime sights that you have only ever dreamt about.
Book now for our mid-year trips in 2020 and secure your spot on a trip of a lifetime.