Volunteer with Children in Tanzania
Work on life skills and basic education with children in colourful and vibrant Tanzania
What’s included
Certification
Pre-departure Support
Socials & Fun
Activities, Training & Equipment
Starting at €2,095 for 2 weeks
Trip Overview
What you need to know
Overview
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.
Activities
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.
A Day in the Life
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.
Aims & Impact
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.
Map & Location
Tanzania is considered as one of the safest countries in Africa with a friendly and welcoming population, and is a popular tourist destination. With 30% of the country covered in national parks, including the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, it’s especially good for safaris.
Arusha
Arusha, in northern Tanzania, serves as a gateway to Africa’s most renowned safari destinations. The region is home to 2.4 million people, with 600,000 living in Arusha city at the foot of Mount Meru. It enjoys a pleasant highland climate with warm days and cool nights.
It has a mix of cultures and a growing tourism industry thanks to the fascinating handcrafted souvenirs of the Maasai markets, interesting cultural sites, and thrilling safari trips to nearby national parks.
Food & Accommodation
Discover the magic of Tanzania from your base in Arusha. You’ll have everything you need for a comfortable stay, including a cosy bed, three meals a day using the authentic tastes of Tanzania, and readily available drinking water.
You’ll be welcomed into a carefully selected host family in Arusha, instantly making you feel like a local and providing a taste of Tanzanian life. It will be clean, safe, and within a short distance of your placement. We’ll also handle your daily transport to and from your project, so you can focus on developing your skills, connections, and global perspective.
Shared rooms are arranged with other participants of the same gender and similar age, creating a great opportunity to connect and share your cultural exchange in this beautiful country.
Your Arrival Made Easy
When you arrive at your respective airport, a member of Projects Abroad staff will be there to meet you. You can find more detailed information on arrival airports, orientation, and visas on our Tanzania Arrival Procedures page.
Book your adventure
Starting at €2,095 for 2 weeks
Call +353 (0)1 571 5080 to discuss special discounts or group bookings.