How to help in Tanzania
Karibu Bagamoyo! (Welcome!) At this time we need volunteers in the following areas:
- Tutoring students of all ages in English
- Specialists in Early childhood education
- Farming and Permaculture Specialists
- Activity coordinators for our HIV+ kids group
- mosaic artists and people willing to work with cement, bricklaying
- serving porridge at our breakfast program M, T, W, F from about 8am to noon.
- Budgeting work and grant proposal writing (you can still do hands on work if you choose this and we will be forever in your debt)
If you are interested in volunteering with us then we ask that you follow the steps below to get the process started. It is very important that you include your approximate dates of travel in your application. We can’t process your application without a timeframe.
Keep in mind that we get many requests for the summer months. We will let you know as soon as possible if your application is approved. If you want an idea of what opportunities there are for volunteers, jump ahead to Step 3 and read the handbook.
We do not charge volunteers a program fee, but we rely on volunteers to conduct a fundraiser before leaving home. We can help you with ideas and support materials. If you can’t do this PLEASE let us know when you apply. These are very difficult times for all of us, however there are expenses related to having volunteers here and we must not take service money to cover these volunteer expenses. We can help you to decide how to spend the non administrative part of your donation. Thank you! Please ask us if you have any questions about fundraising.
Steps in the volunteer process:
1. Please send a copy of your resume or CV to info@tzkids.org. In the subject line of the mail, please indicate your desired time frame and your name (example M. Smith OCT 2012). in the body of the email please refer to the above list and indicate what you would like to be doing while volunteering with us. If you are open to doing almost anything, please say so. If you have special talents or skills you think are relevant, please tell us. If you and your time period are approved then please proceed to Step 2.
2. Check out the list of Fundraising Ideas and start planning your fundraiser! Let us know how it goes and we can help you decide how to direct how the money will be spent (school uniforms, porridge, Street Boys, a new home, general expenses, etc.)
3. Apply for a Tourist or business Visa to Tanzania from the Tanzanian Embassy in your country. You may instead opt to get your visa in the Tanzanian airport on the day you arrive. Please note that in order to volunteer you must ALSO apply for a CTA permit IN THE AIRPORT which is a Carrying on Temporary Assignment permit. Formerly, volunteers were required to have a Class C permit and these are still valid, but they now cost five HUNDRED dollars. Please ignore what your Tanzanian Embassy says. They will tell that you only need “x” visa in order to volunteer, but the truth is that we must abide by immigration’s ever fluctuating, often quite ridiculous demands. Please do not attempt to use logic or reason in this process because it will only frustrate you. Please, just submit. We apologize for this expense and hassle, but it is beyond our control.
4. Please request a “Before you Arrive” packet and if you have any questions, try to send them all at once, via email. Please note that we are not medical professionals and can’t advise you on which malaria prophylactic to take. Best to talk to a travel doctor in your home country.
5. Please register with your country’s embassy in Tanzania. Some countries allow you do this online. If you have any questions, look first on your country’s embassy website for Tanzania.
6. Plan your packing and check the current Baobab Home wish list to see if you are able to bring any useful items with you. However, please be sure to stay within your luggage allowances for flights.
7. Karibu Tanzania! (Welcome!) Work, Visit, Enjoy!
8. Review your experience and fill out the Volunteer Evaluation Form and send it in, via email.
9. Keep in touch! We are so appreciative of our volunteers’ efforts and would love to know what they’re up to! We’d also love it if you would tell others about the Baobab Home and your experience here!
Thank you to all the volunteers who have helped us over the years!!
