The program
This essential program working with children in Tanzania supports the under resourced, yet fundamental, area of early childhood education. The program is available in pre and primary schools in the gateway city of Arusha.
Early childhood education is sadly often neglected in Tanzania's education system, lacking guidelines, funding, resources and quality staffing. This program provides volunteers with the opportunity to share their support, knowledge and skills with those children in need, helping to shape lives and ensure children get the best start. It is essential that volunteers are enthusiastic and flexible as this program needs motivated volunteers who love caring for children and are willing to dedicate themselves to a number of tasks to enable the successful running of the pre/primary schools.
Goals of this Project:
How you can help
Volunteers play an integral role in achieving the goals of this project, proving teaching assistance and quality care to help these wonderful children grow and thrive! The program gives volunteers a wonderful opportunity to associate with children from different backgrounds and ethnic communities.
Volunteers will support the children in a multitude of ways, including educating the children about personal hygiene, assisting at meal times, playing games and developing the children’s physical health through active movement as well as assisting local teachers with basic learning such as English, numeracy, literacy and fundamental science. As the program supports several pre/primary schools in the local community, volunteers are welcome to note a preference for working with preschoolers, primary students or across these age groups in a combined pre/primary school setting. Our fantastic local team will assign volunteers based on the best fit.
This a wonderful opportunity to boost children's chances of staying in education for longer and improving their overall wellbeing and future prospects!
Volunteers will contribute in a number of ways and can expect to undertake the following tasks:
A volunteer’s work day on this project will generally last between 4 and 6 hours, Monday through Friday. We ask that volunteers are flexible around the specific schedule according to the needs of the centres at the time of the placement and their own skills and background.
Situated in northern Tanzania, Arusha is the capital of the Arusha Region and is surrounded by some of Africa’s most famous landscapes and national parks. Situated below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley, it has a mild climate and is close to Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Olduvai Gorge, Tarangire National Park, and Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as having its own Arusha National Park on Mount Meru.
Arusha balances well the ‘city life’ with the ‘small town’ feel and that makes it even more attractive in the eyes of tourists and travelers from all parts of the world. The city is surrounded by farm estates growing coffee, wheat and maize. These farm estates are being maintained by the Arusha and Meru tribes since the 18th century. Arusha is commonly referred to as the safari capital of East Africa. This is because it is the main starting point for safaris into Tanzania. It is a vibrant town renowned for its streets filled with tourist vehicles, the Maasai warriors and the famous Central Market. Awesome!
Volunteers are collected on arrival by the local team and transported to their accommodation for a brief welcome session. The following day a full orientation session is conduced, covering local and regional customs, transport, rules and recommendations as well what to expect from the volunteering experience in Tanzania. The orientation includes a town tour and the opportunity to purchase a SIM card and data package for internet access during the placement.
This is a great opportunity to get to know the hosts, meet fellow volunteers, ask any last questions and perhaps even start to make those safari trip plans...oh yeah!
Volunteers on the Childcare program in Arusha are accommodated in a modern, comfortable, safe and secure hostel run by our local partner in the Sakina neighbourhood of Arusha, just 25mins walk into the centre of town - or a short ride on the ubiquitous motorbikes or Dala Dala (minibuses).
Volunteers are housed on their own floor in dormitory style rooms shared between 4 - 6 persons. Rooms are split by gender. Each room has a private bathroom with hot showers (water is a scarce resource in Arusha so enjoy the luxury sparingly!), mosquito netting over each bed and individual lockable storage for valuables.
A local team member lives on-site at the hostel and is on-hand from 9am - 8pm on weekdays to assist with anything volunteers require.
Communal areas include a swimming pool, set amongst exotic fruit trees, perfect for cooling off on a hot day and a roof-top terrace where volunteers can relax and enjoy the stunning sunsets. The hostel is set behind a 2 metre high wall and has 24/7 security for peace of mind. Laundry can be done onsite, either in a washing machine for a small fee or by hand.
Volunteers are provided two meals per day at the hostel. A cook prepares vegetables, pancakes, eggs and fruit for breakfast. Dinner will be international as your hosts cook both Tanzanian and Western food.
Don't worry if you are vegetarian, vegan or have any allergies, as the local team can cope with these too. The hostel is also equipped with a fridge and shelves to store your own groceries and you are welcome to prepare some of your own meals if you prefer. Easy!
Early Childhood Education Assistant
Assist the local staff, teach basic English and play games with pre-primary children to assist in their educational development at this critical age.
$299/week
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