Tanzania – Zanzibar Community Outreach – Videos

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Contribute to several projects to help the local community, including working in the educational system and helping to strengthen and promote women’s empowerment in the village!

 

Program Highlights:

  • Teach English to adults of the nearby villages, helping them improve their job prospects
  • Teach English, arts, and sports to nursery school children, improving the quality of the education they receive
  • Empower local women with engaging English classes aimed at making them feel comfortable in academic environments
  • Contribute to the community by joining weekly projects like painting local schools, participating in beach/community clean-ups, or delivering essential donations
  • Learn Swahili to build stronger connections and deepen your relationships with the local community
  • Your accommodation is a short walk away from the beach, so you can enjoy daily sunrises or swim in the crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean
  • Snorkel in the beautiful coral reefs during free weekends (for an additional fee)

 

Your Schedule at a Glance (Minimum 10 day commitment):

Arrival Day, Monday: Arrive at Zanzibar International Airport (ZNZ). You will be picked up at the airport by the local team and transferred to the accommodations in Jambiani. Settle in and meet your fellow volunteers.

Days 1-3, Tuesday-Thursday: At 8:30 AM, you will walk to the first nursery school, where you’ll teach kids English, arts and crafts, or sports, then continue with a second school. Walk back to base for a delicious local lunch and a break. Then walk to our Community Centre to teach, some very motivated adults, English. After volunteering you can unwind on the beach and explore the village. Dinner is served at 6:30 PM , and in the evening volunteers can relax, play games and on some nights, enjoy the activities scheduled by the local staff.

Day 4, Friday: : Fridays start with some time to prepare the lessons for the following week. The afternoons are usually reserved for a community project, such as planting trees, repairing or maintaining schools, cleaning the beach or neighborhood or working in the gardens.

Days 5-6, Saturday-Sunday: Weekends are free for volunteers to relax or explore.

10 Day minimum duration:  For volunteers staying 10 days, you’ll, volunteer the 2nd week until Wednesday. Thursday is the departure day back to the airport for those staying the minimum duration.

Remaining weeks: For volunteers volunteering 2 weeks or more, the remaining weeks will follow the schedule of volunteering Monday-Friday and having weekends free. (Check out “Travel Highlights” below for suggestions!) Departures are on Mondays for the following weeks.

 

Location icon Location of the Project: Zanzibar, Tanzania

Project length  Project length: Minimum 10 days – Maximum 8 weeks

Arrival Airport  Arrival Airport: Zanzibar International Airport (ZNZ)

Volunteer Work  Volunteer Work:  Teaching and community work

Age  Age:  17-70

Number of Volunteers  Number of Volunteers: Up to 10 international volunteers

Important Note  Important Note: A Humanitarian Visa is required for participation on the program. Instructions to apply are provided with your program approval, the process is conducted online and takes about 10 days to process.

 

What’s Included

Accommodations  Accommodations: Shared accommodations in a volunteer house in Jambiani

Food  Food: Three meals per day

Airport Transfers  Airport Transfers:  Airport transfers are provided on both arrival and departure days

Orientation  Orientation: All necessary training and introductions are provided upon arrival.

Support  Support: Comprehensive and professional pre-departure travel guidance, 24/7 GoEco emergency hotline, experienced local field team.

 

What’s not Included

Flights, Humanitarian Visa, travel health insurance, personal expenses

Volunteers will spend most of their time in schools located in Jambiani, where the volunteer base is located. Jambiani is a gorgeous coastal town located in southern Zanzibar which boasts gorgeous, white sand beaches and picture perfect sunrises. Visitors will enjoy the warm waters and leisurely pace by which the town operates. Jambiani is only an hour and a half drive from Zanzibar Town, the capital of the Zanzibar archipelago

Volunteer Involvement in Local Pre-Schools: While the educational system in the community is ill-equipped, the students understand the importance of education and have a very strong desire to learn. You will assist the local students and teachers by:

  • Teaching English to children, as well as their teachers
  • Developing the children’s creative and motor skills through crafts such as painting, drawing and coloring
  • Playing developmental games with the children
  • Helping to maintain and repair the facilities

 

If you are a fully qualified teacher and would like to get involved in a primary or secondary school in the area, please let us know and we will see if this is possible.

 

Adult English Classes: The tourism industry is a sector with a lot of potential in Zanzibar. Volunteers will get involved in teaching English to adults from nearby villages to help them better communicate with tourists. Volunteers will also teach English to other community groups, including teenagers and local women’s groups.

 

A typical day: At 8:30 AM, you will walk to the first nursery school, where you’ll teach kids English, arts and crafts, or sports, then continue with a second school. Walk back to base for a delicious local lunch and a break. Then walk to our Community Centre to teach, some very motivated adults, English. After volunteering you can unwind on the beach and explore the village. Dinner is served at 6:30 PM, and in the evening volunteers can relax, play games and on some nights, enjoy the activities scheduled by the local staff

Fridays start with some time to prepare the lessons for the following week. The afternoons are usually reserved for a community project, such as planting trees, repairing or maintaining schools, cleaning the beach or neighborhood or working in the gardens. You will have Saturdays and Sundays off to do any tourist activities or to rest from your week of volunteering

 

Holidays: Please note that for the month of Ramadan and the four days of Eid, all school children will be on holiday and the schools will be closed, but there will be a holiday club running.

During school holidays, volunteer will take part in community projects which may include:

  • Community beautification through painting, repair work and building
  • Environmental maintenance work, such as litter pick-ups and planting trees
  • Creating school resources such as posters and lesson plans
  • Facilitating sports activities

 

For a detailed holiday schedule, please consult our placement advisors.

Internet icon Internet: You will have free wifi available at base and can get a local sim card for data.

Laundry icon  Laundry: Laundry service is available twice a week for an additional fee.

Accommodations icon  Accommodations: You will stay in a volunteer base in the small fishing town of Jambiani just a short walk away from the beach. The rooms are dormitory-style and single-gender, with four-six volunteers per room. Each room has its own bathroom. Accommodations include mosquito nets, fans, bedding and housekeeping. The volunteer base is also equipped with a resource room where you can find and store project work and prepare lessons. *Please Note: There is no hot water for showering (most places in Zanzibar do not have hot water).

Food icon  Food: Volunteers receive three meals a day. Breakfast usually consists of eggs, porridge, toast, fruit, tea and coffee. Lunch and dinner include a mix of local and international food and are freshly prepared each day.

Please take note of this project’s minimum requirements:

  • Minimum age of 17
  • Police clearance
  • Immunizations (please consult your local travel clinic)
  • Good level of English
  • Flexibility and open mindedness
  • High level of independence and emotional strength
  • Motivation to work with children
  • Humanitarian Visa application online

During your stay you will have the opportunity to enjoy some incredible attractions in the surrounding areas such as Mikumi National Park, Ruaha National Park, the famous Serengeti National Park, the unique Ngorongoro Crater, and the mighty Kilimanjaro!

Zanzibar and Tanzania offer a variety of tours and safari options, which are perfect for a weekend getaway or a pre-/post-project safari. Most activities are priced all-inclusive, providing transport, transfers, accommodation, guide and driver, park entry fees, etc. The project coordinators in Zanzibar will be happy to assist you in exploring these options:

Incredible snorkeling and scuba diving off Zanzibar island

  • Jozani Forest
  • Swimming with dolphins at Kizimkazi
  • Stone Town City Tour
  • Spice Tour
  • Tour of Prison Island

Volunteer Experiences

Volunteer Experiences

Want to join this program?