Care worker in Tanzania>

Stretch yourself in all directions in Tanzania

Live as a local and volunteer in the heart of Africa, surrounded by beautiful safari parks and friendly people. Get immersed in the busy and cheery little town of Arusha with snow-capped Mount Meru on your doorstep and Kili, the highest free-standing mountain in the world, just an hour's drive away! Throw yourself into Tanzanian life and live with at least one other volunteer in basic village accommodation, close to the heart of the community (and school if you have chosen to teach). Being at the centre of the action means you'll soon be embraced as a member of the community.

Get together with other volunteers at the weekends, enjoying the fantastic social life of Arusha or heading further afield. We recommend our very popular safari to grab the best chance to see the 'big five'. Why not also take on a trek to Mount Meru, or even Kili, or visit the paradise island of Zanzibar for a relaxing snorkelling and dolphin-spotting opportunity surrounded by white sandy beaches and great friends. We feel it is the chance to really make a positive impact that makes this project so popular with gappers and career breakers alike.

VOLUNTEER REVIEWS- click here

What will I do in Tanzania?

The great thing about Arusha is the variety of projects that Oyster can offer and we don’t just tie you down to the one project. If you want to teach at a school and get involved in a childcare program for a few afternoons a week that is absolutely fine by us! We don't charge you for each project you want to get involved in. One price covers everything, although we would encourage you to stick to a maximum of two projects just so that you don't spread yourself too thin.

Most teaching in the schools is finished by early afternoon, leaving you free to volunteer on other programs, mark books or get involved in after-school clubs.

Here’s a selection of some of our projects:

• Teaching: Many Primary village schools are crying out for volunteers; they may not have much, but the children are happy, full of energy and keen not only to learn English but to benefit from other skills you may have, such as sport, music, singing or drama. Volunteers have been welcomed since 2000, including our own Operations Manager, Jon, who spent 5 months on the program in 2004.
• Orphanages: Two orphanages have welcomed our volunteers as care workers since the year 2004: they provide a permanent, loving home for unwanted or orphaned children.
• Healthcare: Gain valuable experience volunteering in a local village hospital on the outskirts of Arusha. This is a rewarding and fascinating experience for medical or healthcare students and even people that are already qualified and want to share their knowledge.
  

  If you are considering a career in medicine or nursing, you will know that getting hands on experience in the UK is extremely difficult to come by. In Tanzania, those with an interest in medicine are welcomed as an important addition to the hospital staff.
  

  On a day to day basis you will shadow Doctors and Nurses and get involved in changing dressings, caring for patients, analysing test results and X-rays and even sitting in on child birth!
  

  One of the highlights for recent volunteers is the hands on experience in minor theatre procedures - taking casts off, passing doctors instruments and helping to support patients whilst bones were set.
  

  With a month or more of hands-on medical experience under your belt, your CV will certainly look good when it comes to starting your medical training or looking for a job in medicine.
  

  This project is also a great way to get a completely different experience with regards to how healthcare works in Tanzania compared to the NHS. Returned volunteers have said this has been particularly useful when contributing to seminar discussions as they can give examples from a completely different system.
  

• Journalism: Volunteers can get stuck in as a junior journalist on a local Arusha newspaper - something that is increasingly difficult in Europe and gives you an amazing insight in African life.
• Sports coaching: Introduce kids to the thrills of football, rugby, hockey, athletics, frisbee and cricket to name a few. Work with local schools and organise extra-curricular sessions.

  In Tanzania there are no PE lessons on the timetable in school and it really falls to the volunteers to bring their own skills and interests and set up after-school clubs.

  When Jon was a volunteer teacher he coached football a couple of times a week. The interest from the children was unbelievable and he often found himself trying to referee games that had 20+ children on each side... great fun though!

  Most of our volunteers combine sports coaching with a teaching or orphanage program although we can arrange for you to move around schools coaching sports throughout the day and setting up tournaments between schools.

Read our blog for more information.

You will spend your first few days in Tanzania taking part in our orientation course. This is designed to let you get over your jet lag, learn some Swahili and also for us to remind you about some of the important safety issues covered in our UK Briefing.

You will stay in a rather nice Lodge on the outskirts of Arusha. Your meals will be provided (you pay for your own drinks) and you can relax in the lush green surroundings of the complex. There is a pool table and also a swimming pool.

During the course, Tracey (our representative), will provide you with a local SIM card, give you a tour of Arusha, take you to visit the projects we will be using for your group and also arrange for you to go on a day hike to the Oldonyo Sapuk waterfall, located on the slopes of Mt Meru.

Your day’s hike is designed as an introduction to Tanzania and gives you the opportunity to get to know your fellow volunteers. It will take around 7 hours but is not designed to be too physically demanding! From the lower slopes of Meru, you will walk through local villages where the residents grow local crops, such as coffee, banana, maize and vegetables. The local tribe is Waarusha who are related to the Massai. You will visit a local boma (house) and learn about the culture and traditions of this tribe as well as a local school. Along the way you will get the opportunity to chat with the local people and interact with the children.

You walk along the Temi River, towards the waterfall. When you reach the waterfalls you will have the opportunity to swim (bring you swimming stuff & a towel!) in the cool water and also have lunch while viewing the breathtaking waterfall.

You will pass through different areas – forest, cultivated land and water and see some amazing views along the way.

At the end of the orientation we will take you to your village and make sure you can settle in before getting started on your project.

Getting there

Tracey will meet you on arrival, sort your paperwork and take you to your accommodation (usually in or near the school or home). She also runs the orientation course.

Supporting you

Tracey is always there for our volunteers and has years of experience of dealing with Oyster volunteers. Your orientation course will include basic Swahili lessons and an insight into every aspect of Tanzanian life and culture. Tracey lives within easy distance of all our volunteers.

Highlights

• A sense of achievement that you've made a real contribution to Tanzanian life; bringing education, fun and friendship to African children.
• Learning Swahili, learning about a completely different culture and becoming immersed in it.
• Enjoy a day expedition to waterfalls located on the north slopes of Mount Meru.
• Experience African life as a local rather than as a tourist.
• Making great friends, from your group and from Arusha.
• Seeing elephants, lions and other animals in their natural home, climbing Kilimanjaro and staying on Zanzibar.

Accommodation

Enjoy living on site or at least very near to your community project. You have to adapt to traditional and basic accommodation but this is all part of the experience. At weekends you can always treat yourself to a little luxury, staying in a touristy hostel in Arusha.

Food and transport is very affordable with £20 a week easily covering this and a few local 'Kili' beers!