Medical volunteers are highly welcome in all parts of Tanzania and there are many healthcare projects that need extra support for their staff. Especially in rural areas, local doctors and hospitals face many problems like:

• outdated equipment
• medication shortages
• insufficient staff and
• growing numbers of patients

Usual tasks in a healthcare job depend on the previous knowledge of the volunteers. As a volunteer in Tanzania, you can help local nurses on their rounds, hand out medication and work in the maternity ward or psychotherapy department. Medical volunteers might also give prevention talks in the local communities or schools as part of health education and medical outreach. Important topics in Africa and also Tanzania are hygiene, illnesses, protection and prevention. Medical volunteers who do health-related studies might be able to gain university credits for their volunteer experience.

Tanzania's coast is home to some of the most spectacular diving sites in the world. Its waters are home to plenty of marine wildlife that volunteers can discover such as:

• dolphins
• whale sharks
• sea turtles
• humpback whales

Unfortunately, this diver's paradise is facing many threats and needs the help of passionate volunteers. Unsustainable fishing methods and pollution are just some of the dangers for these animals and their habitat. Volunteers in marine conservation projects will help with the research and mapping of the different coastal areas.

As a volunteer in Tanzania, you will get to explore the mangroves, seagrass beds and stunning coral reefs as well as the hundreds of colorful fishes and seahorses they host. Scuba Diving, snorkeling, the education of locals and many more tasks will be on your list as a conservation volunteer. So if you are looking for an interesting experience and you're a passionate diver, look no further! There are plenty of volunteer opportunities in Tanzania for marine conservation.

Volunteering for an education project abroad has a great impact, especially on young children's future. Teaching English to kids and adults is one of the most searched volunteer work in Africa and Tanzania and there are lots of possibilities in the areas of Arusha, Moshi and Zanzibar. Depending on your own strengths, you can educate children in whatever field you are skilled in:

• English
• business and financials
• IT skills
• mathematics

Creating after-school classes for the children where you engage in sports or other games may also be one of your jobs. These activities are a great way to teach children team skills, fairness and ways to deal with conflict situations. It also gives them a fun activity and a safe place to be in their free time which is highly valuable, especially in critical neighborhoods and poor areas. Joining a teaching project is a great chance for volunteers who want to become teachers and are looking for some experience in teaching English to children abroad.

As a volunteer in Tanzania, there are many different ways to become active in community development and a lot of local projects that need helping hands. A volunteer job in this field would be great if you like physical work where you can see the outcome of your effort straight away. Some of the projects are building or renovating schools and community houses. This work helps to improve the surroundings of the school children and locals.

You prefer volunteering with people and your strengths lie more in communication? Then you could use these skills to lead environmental awareness workshops abroad. They help educate locals on sustainability, recycling and renewable energies, which are fairly new techniques in some parts of Africa. Many villages also have community centers that try to support schools, families and elderly people wherever needed, so if you would like to do many different tasks in your volunteer work in Tanzania this might be the right thing for you. Here are some examples of what tasks volunteers might have:

• Helping out at local schools
• Caring for younger children whilst their parents are at work
• Visiting families at home
• Planning and maintaining communal areas like vegetable gardens or playgrounds
• Setting up after-school programs or educational activities for adults

Even though the perception is very slowly starting to change, women in Tanzania and many other parts of Africa are not seen as equal to men. They are not allowed to have a free will and depend on their male relatives like fathers, brothers or husbands once they are married. They are often not allowed to inherit and thus more affected by poverty than men.

These circumstances lead to many homeless girls and women who do not have any support from families and are exposed to violence, abuse and human trafficking without shelter. Many of them are forced into crime or prostitution as they have no educational background and no means to improve their situation themselves.

If you would like to help these women, then a volunteer job in a women empowerment project could be the right thing for you. There are many different ways to help, so think about what your skills and strengths are and how you could use them best. Please be aware that most of these women have been victims of inhuman treatment, have been drug addicts or experienced other horrible things. This means that working on these projects as a counselor, social worker or therapist is definitely not for everybody and experience in working with vulnerable and traumatised people is highly valuable for volunteers.

However, there are a variety of tasks in women empowerment projects so even if you don't think you'd be equipped for working one on one with the women, you could help out with other things like:

• raising funds for the projects
• caring for the women's young children while they work or study
• giving business or English classes
• teaching basic skills like cooking and sewing
• working in the kitchen of women and girls shelter's

Please note that most of these projects ONLY accept female volunteers to make sure that the women feel safe and at ease and can develop trust for the people they will be working with. As a volunteer in Tanzania, some shelters will also ask you to sign codes of conduct and confidentiality to protect their clients.

The safety standards in Tanzania and in Africa in general differ from what we are used to in western countries, so make sure to always use common sense and follow these tips:

• Walk as far from the road as possible as most bag snatching happens by passing cars or motorbikes. Also, try and walk towards traffic.
• Don't carry large amounts of money with you if you don't necessarily have to. Leave important documents, cash, jewellery etc. in the hotel safe.
• Make sure you only travel with licensed taxis and in general pay attention if means of transport seem safe.

To minimize the risk of falling ill whilst you are volunteering or getting involved in any accidents or health problems, please make sure to remember the following points for your preparation as well as your stay:

• Make sure that your routine vaccinations of MMR, Diphtheria- Tetanus-Pertussis, Chickenpox and Polio are valid.
• Other recommended vaccinations for travelers, according to CDC , are against Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid, Rabies and Yellow Fever. Please talk to your doctor about which vaccinations make sense for you depending on your travel plans.
• Inform yourselves about the medical care on site and make sure you have a health insurance.
• Use insect repellent and cover your skin to prevent mosquito bites as Zika, Malaria and Yellow Fever are health risks in Tanzania.
• When traveling to national parks and remote areas, only use official sites for camping as emergency access and evacuation can be difficult.
• When trekking or climbing, make sure you're well equipped and prepared for low temperatures. Also, the extreme altitude on the Kilimanjaro can cause altitude sickness.

When volunteering abroad in a country you've never been to before, it is important to familiarise yourself with the culture and traditions to avoid misunderstandings. The following facts about Tanzania might be helpful for you:

• Being home to more than 120 different ethnic groups and cultures, Tanzania is an inherently peaceful place that embraces its multicultural heritage.
• It is estimated that a third of the population each follows the Islam, Christianity and traditional religions and the constitution provides freedom of religion.
• In Zanzibar, 99% of the population is Muslim, which you might want to keep in mind when traveling there.

Depending on what kind of volunteer work you will be doing, you should adjust your packing list accordingly. However, there are some essentials that you should definitely bring with you:

• Bring a copy of your passport and all important documents and carry them with you instead of the originals.
• Make sure to pack sun protection, a sun hat and strong insect repellent.
• If you are planning on working outdoors or trekking in your free time, bring sturdy, comfortable walking shoes.
• Bring any medical supplements you might need.

There are some general requirements you should comply upon your arrival in Tanzania:

• Please check the current validity of your passport. The passport should be valid at least 6 months from the date of arrival in Tanzania.
• Make sure your passport has at least two blank Visa pages. Tanzania requires that you have adequate un-used pages in your passport, allowing for any necessary stamps upon arrival and departure.
• In addition, please check if a transit visa is required for any connections.
• Last but not least, you should be in possession of a valid return ticket.

If you are planning to volunteer in Tanzania for 90 days or less, you can easily get the Visa on Arrival. As the name suggests, this visa can be obtained at the airport where you will arrive and costs between US$ 50 and US$ 100. Since it is very dependent on your individual situation, you should get in touch with your closest Embassy or Consulate of Tanzania to discuss whether you will need a work permit as well.

If you are planning to volunteer in Tanzania for more than 90 days, you should get the above-mentioned Visa on Arrival as well. Once in Tanzania, you should get a long term Residence Permit "C". You can apply for the permit at the Immigration Bureau in Dar Es Salaam or Arusha. Please note that you will need to factor in additional fees that change frequently. That's why we would like to advise you to inform yourself about the exact fees of the permit before you start your trip.