At a glance
- Help disadvantaged children learn through play whilst supporting the staff and caregivers.
- Play sports and creative games to keep the children active and learning whilst promoting their development.
- Improve the children’s learning environment by painting murals, repairing desks, and building playground equipment.
- Volunteer Service Hours: 40 to 60
- Download a sample itinerary for this project.
Is this Childcare & Community Project right for me?
This project is perfect for teenagers who enjoy working with children. You’ll also get your hands dirty doing community work. This could be anything from painting a classroom to building playground equipment.
You don’t need any qualifications or experience to join. This is a great opportunity to gain childcare experience and add new skills like planning and leadership to your CV.
This project is specifically designed for teenage volunteers. We have a set itinerary and extra staff support, so you’ll have plenty of guidance.
What will I do on this project?
You’ll work with a group of teenagers your age to create resources and help children learn through play. These are some ways you can help, learn, and explore:
- Work with children on their development and encourage learning through play
- Help children maintain a basic hygiene routine to keep them healthy
- Do community work to create long-lasting resources for local communities
- Work with teenagers from around the world and explore Tanzania together
Your work will focus on the following areas:
Work with children
In Tanzania, you’ll work with children to promote their development. This isn’t all hard work - it’s actually loads of fun! We emphasise learning through play, which is a very important part of early childhood development. We encourage you to get out the coloured cardboard and run an arts and crafts class. Or teach hand-eye coordination and teamwork with a ball game.
Maintain a hygiene routine
Maintaining a good hygiene routine will go a long way with keeping kids healthy. You can help make sure children wash their hands thoroughly before a meal. You can also encourage them to brush their teeth correctly to keep their pearly whites sparkling.
Assist with community work
Creating educational resources and helping with community work is an important part of your project. Prepare to get splattered with paint while painting a classroom. Or team up with the other volunteers and build a colourful playground. You can also make educational flashcards and posters which teachers and future volunteers can continue to use once you’ve finished your project.
Work with volunteers from around the world
You’ll be volunteering with teens from around the world, all sharing in this exciting experience abroad. There will be plenty for you to learn from your new international friends. During social activities, you’ll explore and learn about life in Tanzania together.
Where in Tanzania will I be working?
Arusha
Arusha is an exciting combination of lush green vegetation and bustling city life. The town is nestled at the foot of Mount Meru and is home to about 400,000 people.
The care centres, kindergartens, and special needs schools where you’ll work have been specifically selected because they lack educational resources. Placements might be less developed than you’re used to back home.
What are the aims and impact of this project?
The aim of this project is to support staff and children at under-resourced care centres.
Parents and caregivers typically have to work long hours to support their family, leaving children without enough support at home.
Teachers in kindergartens and schools also struggle to meet the needs of children who are falling behind in their development. Overcrowded classes make it impossible for teachers to monitor children closely, and many kids struggle with their education. On top of this, schools are often underfunded and lack the resources needed to make learning fun and engaging.
As part of your volunteer work, you will provide support for children’s overall development. You’ll also help make care centres, kindergartens, and schools brighter, more welcoming places.
We’ve outlined three main goals in our Childcare Management Plan for Tanzania. These goals are:
- Promote early childhood development
- Improve hygiene levels of the children
- Increase English
Join this Childcare & Community Project for teenagers and help us work towards achieving these goals.
Management plans
We set out the aims and objectives of our projects in documents called Management Plans. We use them to properly plan the work you’ll do. They also help us measure and evaluate our achievements and impact each year.
Ultimately, our Management Plans help us make our projects better. This in turn means you get to be part of something that makes a real impact where it’s needed. Read more about our Management Plans.
Measuring our impact
Every year, thousands of High School Special volunteers and interns actively make a difference around the world. During their time abroad, they contribute towards achieving long-term goals and make a long-lasting positive impact on the communities where they work.
We produce an annual High School Specials Impact Report, which documents some of these achievements. Find out more about the impact of these projects, and read the latest report.
Food and accommodation
Accommodation
Where you’ll stay: You’ll be immersed in Tanzanian culture while living in a guesthouse or with a host family in Arusha. Your host will share their way of life while learning about yours. We believe this offers the most authentic experience.
We’ll place you close to your project, making it an easy commute. If you do need to take public transport, local staff will show you how to do this during your induction.
Comfort level: Your accommodation will be modest, but it’ll have everything you need to feel comfortable and safe.
We can’t guarantee you’ll have wifi or hot showers. Many local people don’t either, so embrace their way of life.
Who you’ll live with: We’ll try to ensure you share your room with another High School Special volunteer or intern. By staying with someone your age, you’ll be able to share this incredible experience.
They could come from anywhere in the world, giving you another opportunity to learn about a different culture.
Learn more about our accommodation.
Food
Daily meals: Three meals a day and clean drinking water are included in the fee. Your host will prepare authentic home-cooked meals. Local staff will take you to some of Arusha’s best restaurants.
Dietary requirements: Everyone’s diet is different and we cater to as many as possible. In Tanzania, we can provide vegetarian, vegan, and halal food. We’ll discuss your needs during the booking process to ensure you eat well during your trip.
Tanzanian cuisine: Escape your culinary comfort zone in Tanzania and embrace the incredible dishes on offer. This may include mshikaki (marinated meat skewers), chipsi mayai (chips and eggs), maandazi (fried doughnuts), and biryani (spiced rice).
Safety and staff support
Your safety and security is our prime concern. We have many procedures and systems to ensure you have all the extra support you need as a young person travelling abroad. Our Projects Abroad staff are there for you 24 hours a day during the week and over weekends to provide constant support and guidance. Our staff also make sure you feel comfortable and safe at your placement and accommodation. If you encounter any problems, they will be available to help at any time.
Find out more about safety and backup.
Meet the team
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