Assist and help at a dog and cat shelter
Coordinator | Kira
Coordinator | Kira
Book with Flex Option!
Choose new departure dates or change to a different volunteer program at no extra costs.
Highlights
Enjoy the walks with the animals close to the beautiful arusha national park
Be yourself and grow beyond yourself!
Have a wonderful time and help the staff to provide the animals
Immerse yourself in African culture by getting in touch with lots of locals.
Make new experiences and enjoy your African dream.
Support the team by taking the dogs out and nurse their wounds as well as give them lots of love.
This volunteer program is especially suitable for:
Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Groups
50+
Mbwa wa Africa (african dog) is a small shelter next to the Arusha national park, which was founded in 2012 by two Germans. The shelter houses and treats injured and abused street dogs and try to find responsible homes for them. They also house cats from time to time.
It’s the only shelter like this in Arusha. The dog population is really high in Arusha, that’s why the shelter is constantly overcrowded.
For this reason mbwa wa africa is planing a bigger shelter in the future, which provides more space for more dogs. Mbwa wa Africa is also planing and takes through systematic castration and vaccination campaigns to stop the governments practice to shoot street dogs.
They always need helping hands and if you love to work with dogs your here absolutely at the right address!
Typical day
A normal day at the shelter starts at 9 o’clock. One way takes about one hour so you should leave your hostel at round about 8 o’clock to use the public transport and a motorbike taxi to arrive the shelter. The transport will cost you 9.200 TSH per day.
At the shelter you have many different tasks, every day is different. Usually you start your day with taking the dogs for a walk, they try to walk every dog twice a day, which is not always possible because of the amount of dogs they have. After you take care of the injured dogs, give medicine and nurse them or train the dogs and their behavior to socialize them so they’re have a better opportunity to get adopted, doing physio for example in the pool with disabled dogs, washing the dogs and puppies, feed the puppies, help to vaccinate, build new beds/games for the dogs or repair the wheelchairs. Your working hours are variable. You are always welcome.
There are also helping hands needed for the systematic castration and vaccination campaigns.
Free-time activities
The project is based in Arusha, Tanzania. There are several free time activities volunteers can engage in. We organize Safaris, mountain climbs and shorter tours like hiking, horse riding, visit to a nearby massai village, trip to the hotsprings and waterfalls, coffee tours, etc. to the nearer surroundings at affordable rates. We always make sure, that all guides and staffs are being paid fair wages. At the same time there are lots of things you can do during your free time or at the weekends in Arusha itself. There are different markets like second hand market, spice markets or massai market, as well as typical african restaurants and bars. Furthermore, the area you will live is very beautiful and you can either go to a lake and do canoeing or you can go to a lodge with a pool near to the hostel to relax for little money. Our other volunteers from the hostel will be happy to show you everything and if you join them at your free weekends!
Concert/
Music
Music
Sightseeing
Shopping/
Souvenirs
Souvenirs
Climbing
Safari/
Zoo
Zoo
Hiking
Museum/
Opera
Opera
Sports
Riding
Yoga/
Meditation
Meditation
Requirements
In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.
You need to speak English (basic level)
required
CV und introduction letter
No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.
Your helping hand will be required on
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
from
09:00
- 16:00
What's Included
The STEP Africa Program Fees are calculated as follows:
− A one time application fee which includes 2 way airport transfers, pre-departure support, preparation handbooks, orientation day and project support
− Program fees to stay at the STEP Africa House (including breakfast and dinner from monday to friday), on-the-ground support and supervision by the STEP Africa Team (our office is in Tanzania!) and 24h emergency contact.
Important Note: To keep it transparent we do not add any donation to our program fees (which are entirely used for your preparation, supervision and accommodation) but encourage you to raise some funds among your family and friends prior to your arrival or once you have arrived in Tanzania. Any small or big amount is highly appreciated and you are entirely free to decide on how you want to utilize your donation within the project. By doing so you will see how much of a difference donations can make and its a great feeling to see this first hand. We understand volunteering as a holistic approach of helping each other and learning from one another and while you will do amazing daily work as a volunteer we want you to also understand that no project can entirely survive if it wasn't for financial support as well.
Airport Pick-up is included in the costs. Volunteers can be picked up at any day and night time. Possible Arrival Airports are Kilimanjaro International Airport and Arusha Airport.
The STEP Africa Volunteer House is located 20 minutes out of Arusha Town and all projects are easily accessible by public transport from here. We have 6 dorm rooms, 4 bathrooms (western toilets and almost always warm showers), a big communal rooms and an outside area for sitting together and enjoying the leisure time with fellow volunteers. You will share your room with one to five person and all beds are equipped with a mosquito net. Our hostel dogs Robby and Congo are also part of the family and are responsible for your safety. We are sure that you will find new friends very fast and there will be always be someone to talk to and share the experiences with.
Food (breakfast and
dinner) is provided from Monday to Friday at the STEP Africa House. The
breakfast includes tea, white bread, butter, jam, peanutbutter and an african
special of the day like Mandazi or cooked banana. Our house mother cookes
delicious typical tanzania dinner for you e.g. rice with beans or chapati.
During the weekends volunteers can use the kitchen for cooking or eat in one of
the several restaurants in and around Arusha. Safe filtered drinking water as
well as the fridges in the kitchen are available for all volunteers.Even as a vegetarian, you will not have any problems at the hostel or on the streets in the restaurants.
Limited access at the project site
Visa, flights, travel insurance or vaccinations are NOT included in the program fees.
The nearest airport is Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) in Kilimanjaro. We assist you to find cheap flights to Tanzania.
Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Tanzania provides security and is a plus to have.
If you are intending to volunteer in Tanzania you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Tanzania.
Dates & Fees
NO CREDIT CARD FEES
Details on arrival
We do not have specific arrival dates. You can join our program throughout the year and on any day of the week / month. Our driver can pick you from Kilimanjaro Airport at any day or night time. The airport shuttle is already included in our program fees, so we do not charge extra costs. The day following your arrival you will receive a detailed orientation from us. Our supervisor will show you Arusha town, you will get a local SIM card, go together to an ATM and you will get the chance to go buy anything necessary at the supermarket. The weekday following your orientation day is usually your first day at the project. On your first day you will be joined by one of our lovely team members.
This program is paused due to COVID-19
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
4 - 12 weeks
Program fees
4 weeks
(min. stay)
$575
5 weeks
$690
6 weeks
$805
7 weeks
$920
8 weeks
$1,035
9 weeks
$1,150
12 weeks
(max. stay)
$1,495
Average fees
$134
/week
Please note that the above shown program fees are estimated.
STEP Africa
will let you know about the final price during your application process.
The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.
Your final payment will be agreed with STEP Africa during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.
Why book with Volunteer World
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application process
- including all necessary payments. Planning your next meaningful trip with Volunteer World gives you free access to our:
Quality Assurance
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Change your reservation at no extra costs
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All program fees are charged directly by STEP Africa.
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Assist and help at a dog and cat shelter
Support the team by taking the dogs out and nurse their wounds as well as give them lots of love.
$134/week
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