Volunteer in Tanzania

Animal Welfare in

This is a unique and exciting animal volunteer project with IVHQ, offering the chance to treat a range of farm and domestic animals, delivering animal care and experiencing veterinary care in a developing country.

As a volunteer, you’ll be placed with a local veterinarian, treating farm animals such as chickens, cows, pigs, rabbits and other livestock, and occasionally domestic animals such as dogs and cats. This is a mobile project where you’ll travel with local vets to farms and homes around Arusha, learning about common diseases and ailments in animals in Tanzania.

Animal Welfare volunteering is perfect for any volunteer who has a love of working with animals and passion for animal welfare.

Please note, you’re also required to pay a one-off placement fee of US$80 (approximately £70) regardless of your placement duration. This fee is to cover costs involved in supervision and transport. It goes directly to the clinic where you are placed and is payable directly to IVHQ’s local team in Tanzania.

Childcare in

Childcare centres in low-income areas of Arusha are often lively places, with many families relying on them for support while they go to work for the day. Volunteers can help to ease the workload of local staff, while providing better quality care for pre-schoolers.

You’ll volunteers in daycares and kindergartens that are in need of extra help, as they’re often under-funded and under-resourced. Volunteers help to interact and stimulate local children, assisting with lessons, games, feeding and general duties that need your help.

This project is well suited to caring individuals who want to assist in providing basic education for young children and offering support wherever your help is most needed.

You’re welcome to bring along books, pencils, basic first aid supplies and musical instruments to help entertain the children and assist with activities. These supplies can generally be purchased in Tanzania, which also helps to support the local economy.

Medical in

In many poor communities in Tanzania, healthcare is not easily accessible or affordable. The Medical volunteer project aims to change that by placing you in medical clinics to help to serve vulnerable people.

You’ll volunteer in either a local clinic or hospital, shadowing local medical professionals and assisting with daily duties. Local regulations and language barriers mean volunteers are unable to perform independent tasks, however you can observe healthcare in action in a developing country and help where permitted.

Some hospitals and clinics include departments such as laboratory testing, pharmacy, maternity and family planning, radiology and ultrasound. If you have an interest in any of these fields, you are welcome to make a note in your application. Your placement will also be determined by your previous experience and training.

You may also be able to take part in Medical Outreach campaigns twice a week. Campaigns take place in local villages, delivering basic medical care where it’s not often available. These campaigns are fully organised and funded by volunteers, and you’re welcome to reach out to your Program Manager for more information about arranging these.

If you’re someone who has a strong initiative, enthusiasm and readiness to work in basic facilities with limited resources, this project will be a good fit for you. Volunteers need to be students in at least their third year of medical or nursing school, or fully qualified professionals. Paramedics, EMTs and CNAs are also welcome, however it’s important to note that you’ll be volunteering in a general practice clinic or hospital, rather than working within a specialised field.

All Medical volunteers are required to provide the following to our local team once they have registered for the program, no later than three weeks before the program begins:

• Copy of current level of study or certification
• Two reference letters from a professor or supervisor in the medical field
• CV/resume specific to medical skills and experience

The Medical project in Tanzania has an extra cost of US$50 (approximately £42) per week for extra supervision, materials and logistics. This amount will be included in the Program Fee quoted to you when you apply for the program.

Teaching in

Children in Tanzania love to attend school, often starting as young as 3 years old, and highly value the education they receive. However, once they become teenagers, many students leave school to support their families. Volunteers bring a unique variety and perspective to help the education children receive while they’re at school, fostering their love for learning and encouraging them to further themselves.

Volunteer teachers in Tanzania are based in English-medium or government schools, assisting local teachers or leading classrooms in a range of subjects, including English, math, science, geography, history, art and physical education. These are busy classes of between 30-80 students, where volunteers make a real impact in enabling more focused teaching.

There is also an opportunity for volunteers to work in a special needs school, helping students with a range of mental and physical disabilities. These students require a great deal of attention and support in their studies. If you have experience in working with disabled people, or are interested in this option, please make a note in your application.

If you’re someone who is passionate about teaching and you want to help increase access to education in under-resourced communities in Tanzania, this project is a good fit for you.

As you will be volunteering with the support of IVHQ’s local team and placement staff, you don’t need to be a qualified teacher to participate on this project. However, we encourage you to come prepared by completing some relevant training, like a teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) course. Visit our Online TEFL Course page to learn how to gain an internationally-recognised TEFL certification at a discounted rate.

Please note, schools in Tanzania all have different holiday periods, so your project may be closed for a time. If your time crosses into a holiday, you can either take the time off to enjoy tourist activities around Tanzania, or transfer to another teaching placement in a school that’s open.

Women's Education in

Gender equality is an ongoing issue in Tanzania, where many women face challenging situations in their everyday life. Domestic violence, homelessness and HIV/AIDS are all too common, and women who have to confront these challenges are often stigmatized by society. Volunteers can make a significant difference to the prospects of disadvantaged women, helping with education and supporting them to become more self-sufficient.

You’ll be based with a local NGO that focuses on empowering women and giving them the skills to be healthy and financially sufficient. Many of these women would struggle to find these kinds of opportunities to upskill and support themselves without these volunteer-driven initiatives.

You’ll help on a range of initiatives, including teaching English and business classes, distributing menstrual pads to women and girls, assisting on a project to teach women how to breed chickens for income, helping them to get finance for their start-up businesses and teaching them how to cook.

Volunteers also focus on community outreach visits. Visits take place every one to two weeks, and you’ll be able to visit women in their own homes. During these visits, you’ll provide food, counseling and medical assistance to those in need.

This project is well suited to volunteers with experience in business, health or teaching, or anyone who is open minded and interested in supporting disadvantaged women.