In this program, volunteers with good hearts and an open mind are needed. Empowering Women and Girls is a program designed to empower groups who come from a truly heartbreaking background; from being shamed for being HIV positive to abandonment due to assault, and a level of poverty that will be hard for most people from abroad to imagine.
The goals are to help women and girls become self-sufficient and to recruit and help more. Some of the opportunities are community work, counseling to HIV victims and home victims, palliative care, and youth programs including training health at school and communities as well as sanitary pads project.
Participation in any of these activities depends on how comfortable you are with tending to the task provided. If a volunteer feels uncomfortable with a task, it is okay to be substituted with a member of staff.
This program has an extra fee of $100 that is given directly to the center to develop their facilities and service provision.
What to Expect
The conditions in these centers and institutions might not be what you expect, and the approaches to the environment can differ. It is better to approach this project with limited or no expectations. Rather, expect to be proactive and adapt by initiating ways to improve the conditions, through discussions, presentations and demonstrations.
What NOT to Expect
“Easy does it” won’t apply to this project. Trust is to be earned; the center’s administration needs to be assured that you are qualified and experienced enough to be involved in their work day. There are hectic days and slow days. Participate fully and get involved. You will not be alone.
Duties and Tasks
This project involves teaching women skills such as Gardening, Crafts, English, Entrepreneurship, Business skills, IT, and Finance skills. These are all flexible depending on your skills and comfortability.
Challenges
Culture differences, specifically the different approaches to life.
Different living conditions (for example: the weather, availability of basic resources such as water and electricity, consumer goods and distance to services).
Transportation (inadequate transport especially in the rural areas, bumpy rides while traveling with bodaboda and congested village buses)
Expectations. With high expectations, it is easy to be disappointed by the lags and reluctance to be involved, especially with impatience to reach perfection.
Different expertise approaches in regard to limited resources.
Positives
Learn how to sustain the needs of others with inadequate resources
Attain new skills and experiences to further your profession
Arusha is a beautiful tourist city with much to appreciate. The people are welcoming, and the landscape and scenery are magnificent.
Take the opportunity to travel and socialize on the weekends. There are many spots for leisure and fun.
THINGS TO BRING, DONATIONS.
What to bring?
You are not mandated to bring anything to your volunteer placements apart from the center’s contribution, but if you feel like donating and sharing it will be appreciated. There are many needs due to the limited resources the centers have.
Alternatively, you can also purchase the products found at these centers as another way of supporting the activities of these women.
Other things to bring are those for your personal use like decent clothes, sunscreen, soap, towels, slippers etc.
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