Tanzania Volunteer Experience
I spent two months this summer in Tanzania at an NGO in Moshi, Give a Heart to Africa. (www.giveahearttoafrica.org) I taught English to adult men and women at this free school, which also offers business and computer classes to 40 students for 6-month-semesters. I had just retired from a teaching career in the USA of 30 years, and went to Africa for the first time. The students are so enthusiastic, eager, dedicated and grateful for the chance to learn. The NGO's vision is to help primarily women gain skills that will help them start a business in order to improve the quality of life and increase opportunities for success for their children and themselves. GHTA has a home where up to 6 volunteers can live; the classrooms are attached to the home, too, so it is very convenient for the teaching assignments. Each class has a basic curriculum and a Tanzanian translator. One of my former students has just assumed one of those spots in the English class after graduating, so her opportunity to use what she has learned began immediately. If you truly want to make an impact during your volunteer experience, I wholeheartedly recommend Give a Heart to Africa. The NGO is small, but 100% of your volunteer fees go directly to it, not to an umbrella organization. I absolutely loved living together in a home with volunteers from the USA, Italy, Spain, Canada, the UK, and New Zealand, each of whom had a strong desire to help improve the lives of local men and women through free education. The students always were so grateful for our help and expressed it. We were also invited to make home visits on Fridays--a favorite day of the week when we could spend time one-on-one with students in their own homes. Their generosity and hospitality was so genuine and joyful, and we were able to really get to know them.
I taught four mornings a week, and we also had an after-school children's program for two hours twice a week in the afternoons. It allowed us to reach out into our neighborhood and connect with children for play, basic English conversation, and fun activities such as art and music.
On clear days, you can see Mt. Kilimanjaro; it is a short walk into Moshi for the market, coffee houses, restaurants, and local shopping. You can also connect with public transportation for additional travel from Moshi. It is a perfect starting point for safari, national park visits, Zanzibar and Pemba trips either before or after your volunteer assignment. Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) is less than one hour from Moshi, so it is very convenient to GHTA. The 60 days I spent at Give a Heart to Africa changed my life in many ways, and I would return in a heartbeat! Check out the website!
I volunteered at the Good Hope orphanage in Arusha, Tanzania with a non-profit company called IFRE. My experience at the orphanage was incredible. The caregivers had prepared a room for me, they welcomed me with open arms and always made sure that I was well taken care of even though I was suppose to be there helping them. It was amazing to see how happy and loving they were even though some had little more than the shirt on their back. It was truly a humbling experience and I recommend it to everyone.
I was happy that I used a volunteer company for my first experience in Africa because it provided me with the security and reassurance I needed. There was always someone there to help me. Someone picked me up from the airport, the bus station and dropped me off as well. The coordinator did all my paperwork to get a work permit, took me for a few tours around the city to familiarize myself, organized a safari for me, and even took me to the hospital when I wasn't feeling very well.
My one complaint would be the amount of money it cost to volunteer with IFRE. It cost me $1200 for 3 weeks which I found to be quite excessive. And that was actually cheap compared to some other companies I researched. I understand why you need to pay to volunteer... to help the orphanage because they survive completely on donations. But what bothered me was how little money actually went to the orphanage. In future I will contact the place I want to volunteer directly and give them the full amount of money.
The other thing that bugged me about IFRE is that it's the same company as Rustic and Global Crossroads, they just fail to mention it. When I looked at volunteer feedback about the companies I saw a lot of negative feedback about Global Crossroads so I wanted to stay clear of that company. Then later I realized to my dismay it was the same company, just another name.
But again, I was happy in the end that I used them because the coordinator at IFRE and the coordinators at the orphanage were all absolutely amazing to me.
I went through TVE when I volunteered in a maternity clinic in Arusha. I highly recommend them if you are planning on volunteering in Arusha. Right from the moment I arrived off the airport until I returned I enjoyed it.
If you want to volunteer in Tanzania, I would HIGHLY recommend Tanzania Volunteer Experience. The staff was very warm and welcoming. Three members of the TVE staff picked me up from the airport, drove me to and from my placement daily, served good food, and even helped me plan my trip to Zanzibar and my safari. The volunteer house is very nice -- it's a modern home with a flush toilet and overnight security guard. I never left like I was in danger in Tanzania and I think that the TVE team was a huge part of that.
There are lots of volunteer organizations that charge obscene amounts of money. TVE was truly a bargain and I don't think that I would have gotten any more if I had gone through a more expensive program.
