Volunteering in Tanzania, home to Africa’s tallest peak and the world’s largest wildlife conservation is bound to provide a memorable life experience. Overall the main issue addressed by organizations with volunteer opportunities is education, as a large percentage of the population does not attend school. Health care is also an issue as the government budget allocations are often inadequate. Other challenges that may present opportunity for volunteer activity include infrastructure development, agriculture and obviously wildlife conservation.
Volunteer opportunities in Tanzania can be found by browsing through blogs, websites that cater for volunteers or by applying directly to the organization of choice. Many Tanzanian bound volunteers find the country alluring and some have revisited to establish NGO’s to tackle a specific challenge. Depending on individual capacity to plan and time available, volunteers can also make independent arrangements. However, it is advisable to do so only if one has been there before. The climate is tropical and prior to taking a trip to Tanzania it may be advisable to have a medical check up and/or travel with suitable medication.
Tanzania is a country with a rich history that creates an intertwined culture. The country’s history is best illustrated through the varied architecture especially along the coast and islands. Tanzania was formed after an agreement that unified the mainland (Tanganyika) to the isles of Zanzibar and is one of the largest countries in Africa. As with any cross border activity valid paperwork is must and is available from the department of immigration. The department caters for documentation for both persons and machinery or vehicles. Though English is widely spoken, the national language of Tanzania is Swahili. Though Tanzania is home to over 100 ethnic groups, the use of Swahili in the education system ensures language diversity is not a problem.
Useful links
