Volunteer in Tanzania

I have wanted to volunteer for many years but was always too nervous. I pushed myself this year after a recommendation from a friend to go with IVHQ. The local team is amazing and I have felt supported and safe since day 1. I feel blessed to have met the mammas, to hear their stories and enjoy their company in the house. I was lucky enough to have been placed at my daycare centre. The staff there and the children welcomed me with open arms and showed me nothing but love since day dot. The staff is a true inspiration- their selflessness is admirable and commendable, I feel so lucky to have met them. Volunteering in Tanzania is definitely a core memory that will stay with me for life. Asante sana!

This was a fantastic experience! Everyone with the local team was so great! My host family was very welcoming and so accommodating. All the coordinators and the team were so helpful and kind. Everyone at our placement was so gracious and wonderful. We had a great experience with our childcare placement!

I volunteered in the Women's Education program. It was an experience that changed my life. I would like to say that people that want to volunteer at women's education don't need to have a certain degree in teaching or business. You learn everything from the beginning so there is nothing that you couldn't do without some research. The local women deserve to have an education and every skill you can offer will help them out.

The women at my placement were always so excited to learn. It was hard work because I had to plan every lesson but I truly loved teaching them. They never had the opportunity to go to school due to their realities, but they found my placement and they got an opportunity to learn and create their own business. With volunteering you will give these women a second chance, you will give them education and they will be learning In a safe place.

I left Arusha with a full heart but also with a bittersweet feeling because I wished I could have stayed longer. I would recommend this volunteering program to every person that wants to empower women and make them feel that their existence has a purpose because it does. They are so smart and capable of achieving everything if they are giving a chance in this world.

The preparation guidance from IVHQ was very good and helped make this process a lot easier. The local team was very accommodating and made me feel very safe and well looked after. I had a really good experience volunteering in one of the local health care centres. I was only there for 2 weeks but I got to see the difference in healthcare and supplies compared to my home country.

This trip was one of the best things I have done so far and I am looking forward to doing it again in the future. I was nervous at first about meeting new people and adapting to the new environment, but all of the local staff and the other volunteers were lovely and made you feel right at home.

I learned of the hardships people in Tanzania are going through which makes me feel incredibly grateful for what I have in England. I was also inspired by the attitudes of these people who still have a smile on their face and are some of the kindest people I have come across.

IVHQ's support was timely, regular and extremely comprehensive . The local team were always present and extremely helpful. The placement exceeded my expectations and, as a (much) older volunteer, it was easier to participate than expected. The accommodation was well kept and the food was always sufficient and available. And the bonus of cheerful kitchen staff!

I gained the satisfaction of a meaningful contribution, and the cultural immersion through the opportunity of a very wide range of extra curricular activities.