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
- Farming and Permaculture Specialists
- Helping us to build the new orphanage using natural materials
- Teaching kindegarten and cooking porridge at our breakfast program
- Taking the babies for walks and exercise
- Budgeting work and grant proposal writing
- Building volunteers check out the following link: www.elkecole.com and click on Volunteer Camp in Tanzania!
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 opportunites 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. COPY AND PASTE the answers from the VOLUNTEER APPLICATION into a separate file and send it to martha@tzkids.org. 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 fundrasier! 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. Review the Travel to Bagamoyo information 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
From Caito and Terri, from the children, from the caretakers, we say ASANTENI SANA (Thank you all so much!). In no particular order, together, you are:
- Elke Cole (www.elkecole.com)
- Kristy Anderson
- Lauren George
- Monica George
- Marjolijn De Gouw
- Annelieke De Gouw
- Ann Grimwood
- Meredith Buell
- Dieu Vong
- Carissa Guild
- Jain Spero
- Liron Ohana
- Liz Steele
- Megan Beard
- Melissa Mason
- Nefra Faltas
- Shweta Parmekar
- Michael Wurgaft
- Charlotte
- Anna Speight
- Shane Hofeldt
- Laura Guyer-Miller
- K.T. Miller
- Carol Montgomery
- Sarah Hughes
- Sara Young
- Alison McKeever
- Jessica Reynolds
- Patty Bruininks
- Eric Binnie
- Katie Pratt
- Nick Barnes
- Brittney Reynolds
- Langston Lee
- Arianna Christie
- Randi Proffitt
