Childcare Volunteering in Arusha - Tanzania

The IVHQ Tanzania volunteer program is based in Arusha and has volunteer placements located in rural and urban Tanzanian communities and villages. As this project is based in Arusha, volunteers will need to fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport ​or Arusha Regional Airport (if traveling to the program by air).

Volunteer programs begin on the 1st and 15th of each month. Volunteers can choose to volunteer for period ranging from 1 week to ​16​ weeks.

The program orientation begins on the 1st and 15th of every month and volunteers need to arrive in Arusha on the day before orientation.

After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) in Arusha. Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee. We recommend that volunteers under the age of 18 travel internationally with a notarized letter from their parents to support their documentation.

When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and transported to the volunteer accommodation in Arusha. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night before your program orientation.

If you are traveling in Tanzania prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up in Arusha on the day before your program orientation.

Orientation is hosted by our local team at the volunteer house in Arusha. Orientation begins on the morning of your chosen start date. If your start date falls on a weekend or a public holiday, your orientation will begin on the Monday or day following the public holiday. Orientation covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Tanzania – Introduction to Tanzania, Tanzanian Customs, Rules and Expectations, Language Lessons (Kiswahili) Safety, Travel Opportunities in Tanzania, Introduction to your Project and Placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing.

First Day: On the first day of the volunteering placement, you will be escorted to the project by our local staff and introduced to the staff at the project you will be working with.

Weekdays: A typical day would be as follows:

7.30 AM Breakfast at the volunteer house or homestay.

8.00 AM Volunteers leave home and travel to their placements. Work and hours are dependent on the project and placement that each volunteer is working at.

2.00PM - 5.00 PM Work at the placement usually ends. Volunteers are free to travel home, prepare for the next day or do some shopping and sightseeing.

8.30 PM Dinner at the volunteer house or homestay.

Volunteers in Tanzania are either accommodated in a volunteer house or a​ ​homestay with a host family. Volunteers can expect to share a room with 1 to​ 5 other volunteers of the same gender and volunteer houses can accommodate up to 30 volunteers at one time. Volunteers in homestays can expect to be living with at​ ​least four other volunteers. All volunteers under the age of 18 years are accommodated in a separate room within the volunteer house or together in a separate homestay, under the supervision of our local team.

Living is basic but the volunteer house and homestays have running water and electricity, however it is important to note that there are​ ​often power outages which affect availability of hot water and power. Bedding is​ ​provided, however you will need​ ​to bring​ ​your own towel and toiletries. It is​ ​also​ ​recommended to bring​ ​a​ sleeping bag for weekends away​. ​In the volunteer house, there is a cook who​ ​​prepares meals for the​ ​volunteers and there is a security guard.​ ​The local​ ​​team​​ are also available on a daily basis​ during the week for support and via phone over the weekend.​

If you would like to keep connected during your stay, we recommend bringing an unlocked mobile phone and purchasing a local SIM card when you arrive in Tanzania. The local team can assist you with purchasing a SIM card during your program orientation. You can also access WiFi from cafes and restaurants in Arusha.

Tanzanian cuisine varies across the country, owing to the difference in produce inland and along the coast. The immigration of Khoja Indians has resulted in local dishes influenced by Indian cuisine. Staple foods in Tanzania include rice, ugali (maize porridge), chapatti and coconut milk. Volunteers are served three meals per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Breakfasts generally consist of chai (tea), toast, fruit and mandazzi (deep fried dough). A typical lunch can include meat and vegetables with rice and fruit, while dinner usually sees traditional food, such as ugali and chapatti accompany the meat and vegetables. Meals are served at the accommodation​,​ however a packed lunch can be provided upon request if you​r​​ ​placement is due to finish after lunch time.​ ​Bottled water​ ​is​​ ​readily available in Tanzania and volunteers should budget approximately $5 per week for this (2 liters per day). If you have any special dietary requirements, please let us know so we can make arrangements for you. However, we need to stress the point that you should not expect to eat as you normally do at home. We will do our best to see that you are well taken care of, but as a volunteer, there is a need to be flexible.

“To say that Tanzania changed my entire life would be the worlds greatest understatement. The country, the people but most of all the children! I guess the reason I chose to volunteer was to help make a difference in these kids lives, but in reality it was them that made a difference in mine. Such a rewarding and life changing experience and I would recommend it to anyone willing to throw themselves into a different culture. My greatest advice would be to go with an open heart and an open mind and I can guarantee you that you’ll come home a different person.” - Nikola Bonacci (Teaching Volunteer in Tanzania)

Read more reviews from IVHQ volunteers in Tanzania here

During the weekends, volunteers have spare time and usually just relax or take the opportunity to explore other parts of their local town or Arusha. Long weekends can be taken to travel further afield to destinations, such as Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, Uganda and Kenya, or to embark on a safari.

See our Tanzania Travel and Tours page for more volunteer travel options in Tanzania!

Weather and climate: Tanzania is hot throughout the year and is humid on the coast and dry on the central plateau. The heavy rains last from March to June and can make unsealed road travel difficult. The hot, dry weather in January and February attracts the most tourists. The best time to visit the Serengeti is from January to March, when the grazers are calving and there are plenty of lion around, or to witness the wildebeest migration to and from Kenya, which occurs at the onset of the dry season and again with the first rains, usually around the beginning of June and mid-November. Zanzibar has a warm climate year-round and its coastal resorts are tempered by sea breezes. The island is best avoided during the rain season in April and May.

Volunteers who are under 18 years old will be required to provide IVHQ with parental/guardian consent and two character reference letters in order to participate on the program, and may be asked to provide additional documentation to the local team. Volunteers under the age of 18 can only participate for a maximum stay of up to 4 weeks, on only the Childcare, HIV/AIDS Support, Teaching and Animal Welfare projects. All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance and provide a criminal background check to IVHQ’s local team on arrival in Tanzania. Additional requirements apply for Medical volunteers, please read the project description below.

Free Interactive Volunteer Training - All volunteers are encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training, which is available exclusively to registered IVHQ volunteers. The training is designed to build an understanding of important aspects that need to be considered before embarking on an IVHQ program. It helps volunteers to prepare in the right way by providing advice on what it takes to be a safe, responsible and valuable volunteer. Try a sample of the training here.