Tanzania

Last week we ran our biggest briefing course of the year. In total we had 31 volunteers all off to a variety of countries to work on a variety of projects in January.

We had people set to go to Nepal, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia for between 3 and 6 months. I am extremely jealous and reminds me of my Pre Departure Course back in 2003 when I was nervously getting ready to head to Tanzania!

The two days are always great fun, go very quickly and are pretty tiring for all involved (especially those that had travelled to us from afar!)

For those readers that attended the course: I would like to extend a thank you to all of you that worked hard on giving some great talks about the various aspects of your countries and also for participating so well in all of the sessions.

If you are considering taking a Gap Year, then please do consider going with an organisation that briefs you thoroughly before departure. Personally, I think it is so important to be fully prepared and understand the health, safety and cultural issues relevant to the country you are travelling to.

Finally a big thanks to Leah and Lucy – our returned volunteer helpers and also Dick Glynne Jones.

Ros Hatfield who went to Tanzania with Oyster last year has done a fantastic job raising money for Sekei Primary school where she was a volunteer teacher. Ros organised a music concert which was a huge success and raised over £1,000. That, together with £1,000 that our Tanzanian representative Madeline raised with her friends and family was enough to buy Sekei some much needed equipment and build toilets for the children providing a more hygienic environment for the 2,000 plus pupils.

For more information about our projects in Tanzania click here.

The first time I met my class I wondered how on earth I would control this bunch of cheeky monkeys; They were jabbering away in Swahili, fiddling with each other’s hair and there were 85 of them. I’m not sure I ever fully got control over them; when you’re trying to teach the finer points of reflexive pronouns to a class, a small child tying a friendship bracelet onto your wrist isn’t very productive, but it’s hardly worth a caning. Most of the authority in my class room was held by Gladness, my self-appointed P.A who would periodically stand up, turn round and scan the class, hands on hips, before shouting “Shut up! Shame on you, you stupid boys!” at the troublemakers. Read the rest of this entry »

Nepal and Tanzania
The projects are based upon our current placements which we have been running for seven years but they are specifically for shorter time slots; such as painting classrooms, school holiday programmes and community work. The summer placements will last for 5 weeks and fit nicely into the academic summer holiday period making it ideal for students, teachers or those people that want to have a holiday with a difference. Included is a 4 week project and a week of other trips and activities. In Nepal we are including a 3 day Himalayan trek, 2 day rafting trip and 2 day Chitwan safari. In Tanzania the volunteers will go on a 4 day safari in the Serengeti which will be a real highlight to the summer.

For further details of the Nepal Summer to Remember placement please click here.

For further details of the Tanzania Summer to Remember placement please click here.

Canada
This brand new summer opportunity in Whistler will enable you to live and earn a wage in this world famous resort for 10 weeks. Whistler is famous internationally for being an international class ski resort. During the summer, the resort becomes popular with holiday makers looking for outdoor and adventure activities. The work in Whistler is designed to be challenging but fun, the pay is good and the social life is amazing!
You could be serving customers in a bistro or shop, maintaining mountain bikes as a bike technician, or be as ski lift operator for access to biking and hiking trails.

Whistler has very popular golf courses and most people choose to spend their time off outdoors enjoying the spectacular scenery and trying out some of the many activities on offer.

For more information about the Summer to Remember opportunities in Canada, please click here.

When I arrived in Romania in July 2007 I was not expecting the temperatures to rival that of my stay in Tanzania from February to June 2005. However, the soaring heat wave followed by torrential downpours was not dissimilar to the warm months and rainy season that I experienced in Tanzania.
On arrival in Tanzania the stark differences to home are more striking than those in Romania. Romania is, after all, now a member of the EU whilst Tanzania remains one of the poorest countries in the developing world. However, in both countries you will experience significant cultural differences, which will affect you throughout your placement in a variety of ways. Some of the more difficult aspects to deal with are the more archaic forms of discipline that you may witness in Tanzania within the school system. In Romania the attitudes of the carers towards the children and of society as a whole towards disabled children can be distressing. However, the cultural aspects that you can become involved in and share with the local people, such as ritual parties and feasts, food and music, far outweigh and enhance your time in both your host countries.
Your accommodation in Romania is great and located in the beautiful town of Brasov. It is well kept and not so different from home.
In contrast Tanzania could not be further removed. There are few creature comforts but this is undoubtedly part of the experience and provides many moments of hilarity.
During your placement in Tanzania you will be faced with a classroom of 100 children to which you need to effectively teach English. In Romania you work in family homes of around 10 children. You will play, change nappies and help with feeding. Both placements allow you to use and develop invaluable life skills. It is vital that you embrace your placement with energy and enthusiasm from the start if you are to have a rewarding experience. From the very start in Tanzania we ran a club every day after school. Art, sports, and a choir can all be easily implemented and thoroughly enjoyed by the children and many of the adults. In Romania ask what you can do to help as soon as you arrive and use your initiative at all times. Any previous experience with disabled children will be invaluable. Just your presence will significantly improve the quality of these children’s lives.
I have been challenged and moved by both of the placements that I have undertaken. I was supported by Oyster worldwide in the UK during my preparations and have been lucky enough to share my experiences with the friendly and helpful country representatives and other motivated and kind volunteers. I could not choose between the two placements, as both have been highly worthwhile and successful. Why not try both?!

Written by Bex Stokes

Follow the links below for more information on our Romania and Tanzania placements:

Romania

Tanzania

I can remember thinking before I left the UK that after spending three years away at uni, three months in Tanzania wouldn’t be much of a shock. How wrong I was! All aspects of your life are suddenly different. You are getting to know your housemates, whilst learning to live in a house that lacks all home comforts alongside learning to live in a new culture of which you are the centre of attention as you are the only ‘mzungus’ (Europeans) around. And as if that wasn’t enough you’re now a teacher too!

Now at the end of three months boiling water is second nature. I can’t really remember what you use an oven for or why our fridge was so full at home- we don’t have one here and I don’t feel I’m missing out. And how do people have time to watch TV in the evenings? With piles of books to mark, lessons to plan, dinner to cook and being at school everyday until 6 how is there time?! I have to say the one thing I do miss is a hot shower!

Meanwhile I have started teaching after a few days of watching different teachers and I loved it! My timetable was quickly filled once they discovered I had a business degree. Add to that a rounder’s club, football and netball tournament, the odd hockey game and extra English lessons and all of a sudden Mon- Fri 8-6 my days are full!

It really is true that how good your experience is depends on how much energy and effort you put in. I could have arrived and taught one lesson a day and school would have been happy but if you commit yourself and do as many lessons and after school activities as possible you will get to know the students on a new level.

Do expect to feel out of your depth at first but I promise that after a month you’ll laugh at how you feel in those first few days. Enjoy everyday, learn from the bad lessons and revel in the good. Spend as much time at the school as possible. The likelihood of you being able to become part of a community like this again is slim and you don’t want to come home thinking you could have done more. Aim to be a volunteer, a teacher and a friend and your school will remember you, I promise you won’t forget them!

Written by Laura Scott

So, the big day finally arrived…I went to the airport with so many mixed emotions; anticipation, anxiety, and excitement about the prospect of spending 3 months on Tanzania. Never did it cross my mind that I would be so close to tears over…my luggage! Despite our generous allowance of 35kg, I somehow managed to find an extra 12kg worth of baggage. Needless to say, the flight attendant was less than impressed despite my efforts to convince her that the extra was “all for the kids…”, which was in fact quite true.

I took what seemed like an endless supply of pens, pencils, books, stickers and glitter to Tanzania, for which I was so grateful once I was out there. I didn’t meet a single child who wasn’t overjoyed to find a sticker in their book for good work, and as for art club on Tuesday afternoons – I found it a great way to interact with the kids as a friend as well as their teacher.

Most of the time, they were more than happy to spend an hour drawing and labeling everything from flowers to houses to cars, but sometimes we did something a bit special such as making masks, and glitter went down a treat – some of it even ended up on the paper! I had a wonderful time in Tanzania, and ended up staying for an extra 4 weeks of teaching.

Art is something that is close to my own heart, and one of the highlights for me was the after-school clubs, although I did find that perseverance really helped – the art sessions got easier and more enjoyable as the weeks went by, and as I developed a closer relationship with my class. They would usually end a session by singing and teaching me African songs – by the time I left I literally knew the Tanzanian National anthem off by heart!

The best advice I can give to future volunteers is to take your skills and interests with you – the kids will love whatever you have to offer! As a bonus, I managed to board my flight back to England almost 20kg lighter! (well, luggage-wise anyway…!)