Guide for Volunteer in Tanzania
Guide for Volunteer in Tanzania: Tanzania is a prime example of what most people expect of Africa. The endless wilderness of the national parks with wild animals roaming their natural surroundings, the colorful Maasai people, and mountaintops from where you can spot the end of the world. Although these endless landscapes and wild animals are a reality, there is so much more to experience and discover when you volunteer in Tanzania. Another reality is that local communities need your support. Volunteer for education, women empowerment, or healthcare and make a meaningful difference while you volunteer and travel.
Besides being the safari destination, home to the Mount Kilimanjaro, and idyllic beaches, Tanzania also offers plenty of volunteer opportunities. Here a few interesting facts about Tanzania that may inspire you to pack your bags and volunteer abroad in Tanzania:
- #1. Mount Kilimanjaro has almost every type of ecosystem: cultivated land, rain forest, heath, moorland, alpine desert, and summit.
- #2. The Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is one of the oldest ecosystems on the planet and has barely changed in 1 million years.
- #3. Zanzibar has its own leopard population, the Zanzibar Leopard, and is endemic to the island.
- #4. Tanzania plays a vital role in helping us understand our own evolution.
Where to Start and Plan your Trip?
- #1. Start by defining how much money do you have and how many days you can stay in Tanzania.
- #2. Make an approximate plan of your trip. Dedicate time for volunteering and check out the amazing things you can visit
- #3. Contact different NGOs, get to know with them and choose the first one where you’ll volunteer.
Airports to Land
You can fly to Kilimanjaro International airport, Julius Nyerere International Airport or Karume International Aiport in Zanziba. Both airports have good connection with all regional airports. Usually, the NGOs charge 40-50$ for transfer from the airport, Depending wth where you are going. Volunteering visa can be got on the airport and the cost is 200$. If you are a tourist, the visa is 50$. You can change your visa type to volunteering one, any time during your stay.
What types of Job you can do while Volunteer in Tanzania?
Start by thinking what you’d like to do while volunteering. There are a lot of different possibilities. You can teach English, healthcare, math, play with kids, do gardening or anything else that you see as important or a way to support the community. With volunteering a lot of things change when you come, so seize the opportunity to contribute on the best possible way YOU can. Leave your mark, be open and flexible to do things on your way. Propose new solutions, take an initiative, be proactive. Give ideas that work good in your community!
How to Approach an NGO?
Contact the people on Facebook DM or email. Ask them what they do and how you can help them. Get to know with the organization before you come and know the cause that you are supporting. I think it is important to know where money from fundraising goes and if the work that volunteers do is meaningful – and not just way of tourism.(Guide for Volunteer in Tanzania)
What you Should prepare before your Trip in Tanzania?
- Vaccine (I’ve only got the vaccine for yellow fever. Even this one is not obligatory for Tanzania. It is recommended for safari tours.)
- Insurance (Book an insurance that pays all the medical costs while you on your trip, not the one where you pay and they refund.
- Money. Prepare USA dollars ($). For 1$ you get 2.277 Tz Shillings. For 2 months living
How to Plan the Trip?
Book a week at one NGO in advance (just so you know who’ll pick you up at the airport) and then decide where next you’ll go and what next you’ll do. Give yourself time to get to know with the city, culture, way of thinking and living. You’ll be shocked and it takes time to get used to the dirt, dust, bargaining for everything, people looking at you like you’re from Mars.
Tips & Tricks for Planning Volunteering in Tanzania
- #1. Book first 2 weeks of volunteering. Talk with people online (Facebook, Skype), research different NGOs.
- #2. When you’re in Tanzania, talk with people in person, ask many questions, visit different NGOs and find the next place to go.
- #3. Prepare cash in advance. You don’t need a lot of money for 2 months.
- #4. Bring long-sleeved clothes. Sometimes you can wear a T-shirt, but you won’t need shorts. During the night it can be cold.
- #5. Bring the clothes that you’ll not regret if it gets dirty. I suggest brown, black, navy.
- #6. Buy in advance: cosmetics (here is expensive and limited with options), some sweets or anything that you really love.
- #7. Buy medicines in advance. I had a problem in finding in the pharmacy the medicines that I needed.
- #8. See if you can afford to Buy health insurance.They can arrange you a hospital visit and all the support I needed.
Estimated Cost of Volunteering in Tanzania:
- #1. Two-way ticket to Tanzania Between $900 – $2000 – So many factors influence price of flight ticket.
- #2. Visa – as a tourist it is 50$ (For US sitizen is $100, as a volunteer 200$)
- #3. Safari – Between $900 – $3000 (So many factors influence this price)
- #4. First 2 weeks of volunteering – free
- #5. Most of the NGOs charge $150/Week – All inclusive Cost.
Prices Estimates:
- #1. Good Hotels in Arusha start from 15$ a day with breakfast
- #2. Meal in Hotels/Restaurant hotel 3-5$
- #3. Coffee from 1$ (Msumbi Coffee), 2$ in Stiggbucks
- #4. Dala-dala (City bus) 0.25$ per ride
- #5. Taxi motorbike – 5$ for 10km ride, 0.43$ for 1km
- #6. Beer in a local pub – 1.2$
- #7. 10gb of internet Vodacom – 15$
- #8. Natural History Museum – entrance 10$
- #9. Laundry – 11$ in hotel
The best Safari in Tanzania
Depending with your budget you can do 1 day to 10 Days Safari or more, However I would recommend a minimum of 3 days, and 6 Days is just enough to explore the Safari in Northern Part of Tanzania.
Cost of safari: 1580$ for 6 days. Included fees for Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara and Tarangire, accommodation, all meals, tents, transfers. Tour link HERE. The whole tour was amazing!
It is important to set the right Mindset
#1. You’re here to do the things that you like. Teaching, being in nature, cooking, talking to people, playing with kids. You’ll help the world if you do what you love.
#2. You cannot help everyone. I often felt sorry for the people, as there are so many of them living worse than people in my country. But we have a limited time and energy to do the things that are right. It is okey not to give money, clothes and food for every person that comes to you. It is okey that you feel that they are too pushy and that you don’t feel that you want to contribute. It’s okey that you feel that you gave enough. Cause you are enough.
#3. Many Tanzanians are lazy, not proactive and go for the easiest way. They open NGOs so they can have the money from different funds. The most of them is not interested in doing something differently, they utilize the help of white people and say: Hakuna Matata! (No problem!)
#5. As a white person you’ll be perceived as a bunch of dollars. People will keep coming to you, asking for the money for various things. I often felt like people are talking with me just because they want to get something from me. There were only few Tanzanians for whom I can say they were real friends.
If someone wants to learn, it’s a good sign that you’re talking with good person.
Give what you can. I’d say: Don’t give the money. Contribute with sharing your knowledge and educating people to do things on a better or more efficient way. (Guide for Volunteer in Tanzania)
Don’t be afraid. On the street, people are intrusive. It’s part of their culture. The guys ask me if I have a husband, what I do here, all the people call me: Mzungu (White man). And this is not yhe reason to be afraid of. This is a reason to set your boundaries with people around you, don’t talk with people that come to you if you don’t feel like talking. Don’t give on yourself and be direct, decisive and bold.a