Teaching Primary and Secondary Schools

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Our program

Our volunteer program aims to give the children in the surrounding villages a more sustaintable education. The schools are not as organised as western schools and with our program we want to try to close the gap. Private schools have 50-100 students with classes ranging from 5-30 pupils, whereas public schools can have up to 1500 students with classes of 50-80 pupils. When the number of pupils in a class becomes too high, the schools can't always afford to split the class because they don't have enough teachers and enough classrooms. This is where you come in. After an introducton period alongside a professional teacher, you will be able to teach a class together with an assistant teacher

What you can expect

Books are scarce. Usually there are 1 or 2 books per subject per class. Students will copy from the blackboard but they don't all have the same pace. Individual attention is required sometimes but the teachers lack the time between writing on the blackboard, making corrections, and going around the classroom to check for themselves. With the help of the volunteer, we can avoid having some of the students just sitting in class when they're finished writing, and more importantly, we can get those students that need individual attentention up to speed with the rest of the class. We embrace all the ideas coming from volunteers to improve the schools, teaching methods, etc... We welcome all input and this has shown to be very useful in the past. Teachers gladly adapt to improved structures and processes, even after the volunteer has left. Together with professional teachers, the role of the volunteer and the aim of our program is to make sure that the time in school is spent as efficient and effective as possible, so that the students can get the maximum out of their education and have more opportunities in their future.

There also is an after school library where volunteers can teach. Students from all over the villages come here to study more and improve their skills, so as you can tell, they are very eager to learn. Since these children are all in different classes, volunteer help is definitely welcomed: giving exercises, making corrections, explaining different subjects,... The library has plenty of teaching material and exercises. It also has a small playground with a basketball hoop right outside where volunteers can play educational games with the smaller children or organise P.E. classes.

The location

The schools are all walking distance from the host families. They have a sufficient number of classrooms, with a playground and a teachers room. The playgrounds of the smaller schools can have swings, seesaws, climbing jungles; and public schools playgrounds can have a soccer field or basketball court as well; so volunteers will definitely not get bored during breaktime. Tea and cake is also provided during breaktime at the school, which volunteer can enjoy together with other teacher and volunteers. The host families are located in the nearby villages, in a quiet and peacefull surrounding, but still walkable distance to Arusha town. They are plenty of shops around in the villages, but if volunteers need something specific, Arusha city is only a 20 minute walk away. The scenery here is beautiful with plenty of green and a view of Mount Meru. Even short hikes can take you to the most scenic viewpoints, that regular tourists don't get to see. Volunteers will get to know and befriend people living around, and truly become a part of the tight knit community. Not a day will go by without a friendly greeting on the streets, that is guaranteed.

What we expect from you

Volunteers don't have to bring any special equipment for the program (check the website of tour organisations if you are planning to do a tour though). If they wish to bring any material, school supplies like books (school books or reading books for the library), pens, pencils,... are always greatly appreciated; but these can also be purchased here.

The children are very eager to learn and they really look up to their teachers, so it is important that volunteers are aware of that. We expect volunteers to be open-minded and act with respect towards both the schools and the host family. Common courtesy is appreciated. The volunteers can count on us to be around for basically any problem you are facing. We will support you and listen to what you have to say. We will take care of you in your free time and help you make arrangements for anything you need, from buying phone credit to organizing tours. You will have the local insight and knowledge that regular tourist do not have, thereby learning so much more about our culture, surroundings, traditions, and way of living.

Accommodation

Volunteers in Tanzania are accommodated in a​ ​Host family. Volunteers will have their own room or share a room with 1 to​ 2 other volunteers of the same gender, depending on availability. Living is basic but the 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​. ​You will have access to a bathroom either private or Public.

Food

Food (breakfast and dinner) is provided from Monday to Friday. The breakfast includes tea, white bread, butter, jam, peanutbutter and an african special of the day like Mandazi or cooked banana. Our host family cooks delicious typical tanzania dinner for you e.g. rice with beans or chapati.

During the weekends volunteers can use the kitchen for cooking or eat in one of the several restaurants in and around Arusha.

Volunteer have to pay $15 per day to cover for accommodation, Food, Electricity + Gas + Water, Application fees and Secutiry.