Women's Empowerment Worker

So what exactly is it like to volunteer? 

Volunteering is a fantastic way to travel abroad, give back to people who are in need and develop yourself as a person. 

The experience you will get from giving up your time and care for others, will be like no other. You WILL make a huge difference and uplift those around you, as long as you stay motivated on your mission, positive and focused. 

Why Tanzania?

Tanzania is a bright, beautiful and amazing country to visit. That is why thousands of travellers pass through every year. It's capital Dar es Salaam sits on a breathtaking coastline, an hour from paradise island of Zanzibar. In the north, Arusha sits under the shadows of the great Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru. Tanzania is home to many famous Safari parks and game reserves where people from all over the world come to visit the spectacular wildlife. The people are warm and gracious and nothing makes them happier than welcoming you to their country. Tanzania is multicultural and has hundreds of various tribes and ethnicities, it's most famous being the nomadic Maasai tribe. Rich in culture and stunning to see, it really is an exciting part of Africa to visit.

The project is a community and social welfare support for single women and single mother's in vulnerable situations.

• They provide a safe space for women who have been left widowed 

• Women are a vulnerable group in Tanzania, often losing protection, safety and financial security when their husband who is usually the provider dies

• Widows often fall into conflict with in laws about land, property and can lose their homes and any property to in-laws without knowing their inheritance rights

• This has left many homeless and destitute, begging on the streets for help. This is not an uncommon occurrence nationwide.

• They provide counselling and legal aid for widows who are left in the worst situations

• It is not uncommon for widows to have caught HIV from their husbands who have died from AIDS; resulting in shame and social stigma in their communities. They also provide counselling and support groups for these women.

• A fully functional vocational training centre and welfare office

• Vocational training classes are provided to allow women who previously relied on their partners for financial support to become independent

• Vocational classes include tailoring, soap making and micro business/entrepreneurship training

• They also provide home visits for women too sick to leave their homes; providing them check-in’s and food assistance packages when funds are available

• They have started a women’s empowerment group aimed at economic empowerment

• They encourage the women to become economically independent and empowered and rely on their own skills to make a living

• They heavily promote self reliance and entrepreneurship

• The Village Bank

• The women belong to their microfinancing program which allows them to lend and borrow money privately to each other without any interest rates. This has been particularly successful with over 63 women having directly benefited from this program. Women have pulled themselves out of debt, started small businesses and helped their children through difficult times. Over 4 million TSH has been raised and borrowed in the past 90 days, showing the impact and success of this program.

• Children’s Daycare

• They run a nursery and daycare centre that has provided the children of their women a safe place to leave their children.

• The children receive pre-school classes, play time, meals and transportation

• The centre provides full time employment for salaried teachers 

Current Needs:

• A larger space to be able to include more women who are currently in need

• Funds to graduate women who have completed their vocational training course

• More trained staff to provide social welfare/home visits to women in their projects

• Equipment:

• One/two laptops to continue their fundraising efforts and awareness work

• Laptops also provide a way for them to document their information and keep track of data and records which they already are very competent at doing

Donations and sponsor support. 

They have already managed to begin an excellent grass roots project on minimal resources and local community support. The work they are already doing will be magnified intensely by financial donor support.

• Donations to create a bigger space for the vocation and micro business training

• New working equipment for the women: soap making; reusable sanitary pads; tailoring; children’s day care

• School sponsorships uniform, books, hygiene products

• More teaching staff at the children’s day care

Volunteer Role:

• Skilled volunteers: social work; global development; business administration; teaching and women’s educational development

• Social Work volunteers: These would be volunteers who could provide intervention and training in social care. This work would include providing care plans for the women, support during home visits and sustainable goals for the project.

• Crucially these volunteers could also provide training, contribute ideas and knowledge to the assistance programs.

• Office administration: These volunteers could help to organise their information and resources. Help to create awareness campaigns and connect to sponsors/donors.

• Vocational development volunteers: These volunteers could work alongside bilingual local teachers to help provide the women with specific skills classes that would help their viable micro business ideas that are feasible in Arusha, Tanzania marketplace.

• Baking/Cooking: Hospitality field

• Tailoring: Design and Textiles field

• Liquid Soap making: Beauty & Cosmetics

• Farming and Agriculture: Agriculture is the 2nd biggest market in Tanzania

What you can do!

Volunteer to provide your time and talents to the foundation. As a Siret Volunteer, you will be helping provide basic reading and writing within the community. 

• Help with the daily running of the centre to provide food, shelter and access to counselling and social care
• Support the life counselling work run by the foundation staff which encourages the girls to learn to cope with their pasts and look after the psychological well being
• Provide your time and skills to stimulate their young women's curiosity for learning and social development
• Make any donations directly to the foundation to keep it's vital work running.

Important VISA & Permit Information

You will be required to pay a for a VISA & Permit for voluntary work assignment. Please enquire for details.

Your typical day will usually begin very early, supporting the safe house to prepare for the day. You will be assigned to a specific group of girls to work with with a goal orientated plan to work on, depending on the skills or support you will be providing. Your day can be either very hectic and extremely challenging or slow and very quiet. You will need to be motivated, resilient and work well in a team in order to get the best out of your experience. 

What will your schedule look like?
07:00 Breakfast
08:00 Report to placement
12:00-13:00 Lunch Break
15:00 Placement ends

The rest of the day will be yours to relax and enjoy what the town has to offer you!

Arusha provides an array of activities to get involved in during your free time. Explore the numerous walking trails, enjoy the large amount of cafe's bistro's and local food in town. There is a newly built mall in the town centre which also now has a cinema complex and more places to relax. There is a vibrant night life on most evenings in Arusha, whether you want to enjoy a quiet drink, watch outdoor cinema or go dancing. 

Siret Trip Adventures provide a unique opportunity for our special volunteers to experience more of Africa's beauty. Take a scenic weekend walking tour of the lush rolling foothills of Mt Meru or a breathtaking day trips to some the world's most admired national reserves. Arusha is packed with opportunity to experience unique and unforgettable outdoor adventures. 

What else is there to do?

There are endless possibilities. Most volunteers rave about climbing Kilimanjaro. This usually takes about a week, so ensure you organise this with us before you arrive. Take advantage of this amazing tourist treasure.

Hot springs

An oasis in the middle of a barren landscape. The hot springs are truly magnificent. This can be organised as a day trip at any time. 

The Waterfalls

Another hot favourite. Hiking across lush vegetation to the spectacular waterfalls.

Safari