Volunteer Programs
Tanzania is a really popular choice for a gap year experience because it has so much to offer. From world-class beaches to vast open savannahs to beautiful coral reefs; equatorial rainforests to the mighty snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, the sheer diversity and beauty of Tanzania offer you limitless opportunities to explore and get a true taste of Africa.
Kwetu Afrika Trails offers a mixture of everything, and the opportunity to live and work alongside local people on a wide range of initiatives designed to help improve living standards within their community. Many of the people we work with are living below the poverty line and don’t have access to proper education facilities, medical treatment, or even clean drinking water, so our projects are desperately needed.
Based on the premise that everyone can serve, Kwetu Afrika Trails’ mission is to mobilize people to address the critical social, educational and environmental needs of the country through volunteer action. Kwetu Afrika Trails believes that VOLUNTEER ACTION is a powerful force for creating change.
Kwetu Afrika Trails encourages an even greater sense of responsibility, caring, and awareness in those who come to know the life-changing power of getting involved. Those in need as well as those volunteering are able to gain a sense of fulfillment and inclusion and work together to unite and improve our community.
Vision
- A culture of volunteerism that contributes to nation-building.
- We envision a community where people contribute their time, talent, and resources for sustainable development.
Mission
- To become the volunteer organization of choice for community-driven programs.
- To be thought leaders of innovative solutions to development challenges.
PROGRAMS
Kwetu Afrika Trails’ programs are community-driven and are developed using the bottom-up approach. Simply put, we do not create programs that our NGO and community partners do not need. We empower our partners by allowing them to develop their own programs and activities and we help them with volunteer mobilization and fund generation. We develop sustainable, measurable, and high-impact programs.
Kwetu Afrika Trails recruits, coordinates, and educates a broad base of volunteers for non-profit organizations. It offers a flexible model, an innovative means of volunteer service that allows for volunteering to be integrated into the daily schedules of individuals.
We believe that volunteerism is an effective tool for social change and commits to empowering individuals to act as citizens and realize their ability to contribute to the community. Its goals are to provide a roadblock-free path to service and meaningful experiences that clearly make a difference in society.
The most common programs available are as follows:
Nursing/Medical/Dental Interns:
Practical Medical or Dental experience will be ideal for your resume and help your medical school application with a greater advantage. This will give you valuable insight into developing countries’ medical practice and the challenges the doctors and nurses face due to a lack of resources. You will learn and gain practical skills by observing professionals, spending time in different departments, and participating in medical workshops.
Orphan Care:
Promote early childhood development, organize sports and games, improve hygiene levels, teach English, and monitor their progress.
Sports Coaching:
For those passionate about sports and coaching children, this is the project for you in which you will be supported by local staff with planning, preparing, and teaching physical education classes for primary and secondary school students. The most popular sport in Tanzania is football but there are also other sports you may coach such as Basketball, Volleyball, and Rugby.
Building Project:
Building to provide children in rural areas with a safe place to learn. An experienced and qualified builder will always be on-site to supervise and provide direction toward the goal of the building project. The building project may be laying a foundation for a classroom, building walls, plastering, constructing a roof, and/or painting.
Farming/Agriculture Project:
By engaging local farmers and international volunteers, this volunteer program aims to improve food security, promote environmental conservation, and enhance the overall economic conditions in the region. Beyond addressing food insecurity and environmental concerns, the Farming/Agriculture volunteer program also aims to empower local communities by providing them with valuable skills and knowledge. Volunteers engage in capacity-building activities such as conducting workshops on modern farming techniques, financial management, and marketing strategies. This equips local farmers with the tools to improve their agricultural practices, ultimately leading to increased income and economic stability. Additionally, by promoting entrepreneurship and diversification of income sources, the program contributes to poverty reduction and overall community development.
Pricing
To cover accommodation, meals, airport transfers, and support services, a program fee will be applicable. The fee varies depending on the duration of the program. Contact us to find out the program fees.
Volunteer Work Schedule
As a volunteer for the Medical Program in Arusha, Tanzania, your general schedule would be:
- Thursday – Arrival at the destination (Arusha)
- Friday – An orientation session will be conducted by the local coordinator, covering major topics such as safety, culture, language, places to visit, behavior, food, and other suggestions for things to do in Tanzania.
- 1st Weekend – Rest, explore and acclimatize.
- Monday to Friday – Volunteer work at the placement.
- Weekends – Explore the city / Head out for wildlife safaris and much more.
- Breakfast – 07:30 am onwards.
- Working hours at the placement – are 08:30 am to 12:30 pm and 02:00 pm to 04:00 pm.
- Lunch at recommended restaurants
- Dinner – 07:30 pm onwards.
The same work schedule continues from the second week onwards (Monday – Friday).
Note: Please note, the schedule may vary depending on the particular project the volunteer is participating in.
SERVICES INCLUDED:
- Project / Internship Placement according to your wishes and ideas
- Preparation by our team
- Visa support
- Airport transfers both ways (Kilimanjaro International and Arusha Airport)
- Orientation day in Arusha and project introduction
- Kwetu Africa Trails T-Shirt
- Accommodation with breakfast & dinner (meals from Monday to Friday)
- 24/7 emergency contact
- Our team members are by your side as contact persons/problem solvers/idea givers and more throughout your stay.
NOT INCLUDED:
International and domestic flights, Travel Insurance (from $ 15/month), Lunches, Humanitarian visa ($50 for first 3 months, $ 300 for up to 6 months), pocket money, vaccinations (many domestic health insurances cover parts of the travel vaccination costs).
PARTICULARITIES:
Additional Fees for Medical Placements: Volunteers who want to work in the medical field must pay an additional fee directly to the hospital. This varies depending on the clinic and is at least US$ 150 per month (Tengeru District Hospital) and a maximum of US$ 200 per month (St. Elizabeth Hospital). The medical fee is not billed in advance but must be paid in cash to the respective hospital management on the first day of the assignment. The money is used in full to cover the running costs of the hospitals.
Project combinations are free of charge. Stay for all programs is at least 4 weeks and due to visa restrictions a maximum of 6 months (26 weeks)!
Safety And Security
Your safety and security are our prime concerns. We have many procedures and systems to ensure you have all the extra support you need as a young person traveling abroad. Our KWETU AFRIKA TRAILS staffs are there for you 24 hours a day during the week and over weekends to provide constant support and guidance. Our staff also makes sure you feel comfortable and safe at your placement and accommodation. If you encounter any problems, they will be available to help at any time.
ADD-ONS
Why not add an adventure to your trip? We have a range of optional add-ons, including climbing Kilimanjaro, a safari trip to any or all of the beautiful Tanzania National Parks, cultural trips to tribal villages, and visiting the pristine beaches of Zanzibar and gaining a scuba diving qualification or swimming with the dolphins.
