At a glance
- Volunteer with children in Tanzania and help support early childhood development in care centres. You will get involved in running educational activities, games and sports. You will gain childcare experience and learn about the local cultures.
- The care centres we work with are overcrowded and understaffed and as a volunteer, you will be a welcome pair of hands. Everything you do will support children’s development and education.
- You will be based in Arusha. You can spend your weekends on an exciting safari or go to the island of paradise of Zanzibar.
Is volunteering with children in Tanzania right for me?
If spending your day amongst a group of energetic children is your cup of tea, this Childcare project in Tanzania is ideal for you. It’s a great way to gain childcare experience, while also making a difference to local communities.
Our Childcare Project in Tanzania is open to all ages. You don’t need any childcare experience or qualifications. Our local Project Coordinator will guide you through your activities with local children.
Perhaps you’re interested in a career in teaching and childcare. This is an opportunity to gain practical experience and see if this is the right career path for you.
This project runs all year round, giving you the flexibility to volunteer when it suits your schedule. You can join for as long as you like!
What will I do as a childcare volunteer in Tanzania?
There are different tasks you can get involved with as part of your volunteer work with children in Tanzania. The work you do will help prepare them for school and improve their overall development.
- Work in small groups with children, helping with their school work
- Organise games and activities to promote their development and make learning fun
- Monitor each child’s development progress
Your work will focus on the following areas:
Work with children on their education
As a volunteer, one of your most important tasks is making sure no child is left behind. Through lessons with small groups, you can see what each child struggles with. Adapt your lesson plans according to this and provide focused tutoring.
In large classrooms and overcrowded care centres, this is something that teachers and caretakers simply don’t have time for. So by providing added support to the staff, you’ll be making a world of difference to each child.
Promote early childhood development
When children are young, play is one of the most important parts of their development. With the guidance of the Project Coordinator, you can come up with fun games and activities that will make learning more engaging for these children.
You can organise sports lessons to promote physical development or arts and crafts to get them thinking creatively. It all adds up to a more holistic approach to learning and a child that is better equipped for school.
Monitor their progress
As a volunteer, you will be paying close attention to specific children during fun activities, so you can record how they’re doing. You’ll input this data into our Global Impact Database, to help with monitoring children’s progress. Future volunteers will use this database to build on the work you do.
Where in Tanzania will I work?
Arusha
Arusha is a vibrant city at the foot of Mount Meru. Surrounded by lush, green vegetation, it’s a perfect balance between peaceful nature and buzzing city life. During your free time, you can visit local markets and buy colourful Batik artworks to take home with you.
You will be working in under-resourced care centres, kindergartens, and special needs schools.
A typical day on this Childcare Project
On a typical work day, which runs from Monday to Friday, you’ll enjoy a tasty breakfast with a cup of chai, a type of local tea. Once you’re ready, you’ll catch a dalla dalla to your placement.
Depending on which daycare centre you work in, a typical work day will usually start at around 7am or 8am. Your work will usually finish at about 4pm.
Mornings could be spent helping children with their schoolwork, breaking into groups and playing different sports, or running an art class where you make animal faces out of paper plates. You will also have the chance to work in small groups with children, helping them to read and write.
After a hearty lunch with the other volunteers at your placement, you might spend the afternoon preparing activities. We encourage you to do things like plan games or make educational posters to put up in local schools. You can also use this time to enter data into our Global Impact Database.
Your evenings will be free, giving you the chance to travel around Tanzania.
What are the aims and impact of this project?
The aim of this project is to support children’s basic education and early childhood development. Projects Abroad has elected not to work with children in orphanages in Tanzania, but rather focus on community-based programmes that allow children to remain within their families.
In the community-based care centres, kindergartens, special needs schools where we work, classrooms are overcrowded. Teachers often struggle to give focused attention to each child and they don’t always pick up when a child is struggling. Children can fall behind in the school system, setting them up for difficulties later in life.
On top of this, parents or family members often have to work long hours to support their families. Children don’t always get the stimulation they need at home.
Through our development checklists and Global Impact Database, volunteers monitor children and tutor them in areas where they’re falling behind their peers. You will contribute to monitoring their overall development, by observing as they play games or participate in sports.
To make sure we are always working towards our overall vision, we’ve outlined three main goals in our Childcare Management Plan for Tanzania. These are:
- Promote early childhood development
- Improve hygiene levels of the children
- Increase English
Volunteer with children in Tanzania and help us work towards 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
Our projects work towards clear long-term goals, with specific annual objectives. Every volunteer and intern we send to these projects helps us work towards these goals, no matter how long they spend on our projects.
Every year we take a step back and look at how much progress we've made towards these goals. We put together a Global Impact Report, which documents our achievements. Find out more about the impact our global community of volunteers, interns and staff make, and read the latest report.
Food and accommodation
You'll stay with a host family in Arusha. They will welcome you into their home, eager to share their customs and have you teach them about your own culture. We believe that this is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of Tanzania and have a truly unique experience.
We will always try to let you live alongside at least one other Projects Abroad volunteer or intern at the same host family. Your room will be modest, but comfortable, clean, and safe.
Your program fee includes three meals a day.
Find out more about our accommodation.
Leisure activities and free time
A trip to Tanzania is the chance to experience life in the heart of Africa. There’s plenty to see and do here during your free time on your project.
A project in Tanzania wouldn’t be complete without a safari! This is a chance to see the beautiful wildlife of this country, like elephants, rhinos, and lions.
What’s more, Tanzania is home to the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro. Hiking around the base through lush vegetation is a peaceful way to spend an afternoon.
Browsing through a vibrant, local market is a must while you’re there. You can also spend time in a Maasai village, getting to know a completely different way of life.
There will likely be many other volunteers in Tanzania with you. This means you have the option to explore the country independently or with a group of like-minded volunteers from different projects.
Safety and staff support
Your safety and security is our prime concern. We have many procedures and systems to ensure you have the support you need to enjoy your trip with peace of mind. Our Projects Abroad staff are available 24 hours a day to help, and will be on hand to make sure you settle in well at your accommodation and placement. If you encounter any problems, they will be available to help at any time.
Find out more about safety and backup.
This placement is fully researched, safety audited, and risk assessed in accordance with the British Standard BS8848 for the Adventure Travel Sector.
Meet the team in Tanzania
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