The Tanzania Classic Volunteer Program offers six and twelve month opportunities starting in January and July.

The Tanzania Classic Volunteer Program was started in 1993.  Since then, we have sent over 100 volunteers to assist local organizations in Arusha and Moshi. This program emphasizes community development, youth, children, health, small business, and the environment. Working in Moshi provides a great opportunity to do community based field work and become fluent in Swahili. Arusha volunteers live in a much more urban setting and tend to work for larger international development organizations.

Each year Visions houses volunteers in Arusha and Moshi in a group house environment with volunteers from around the world. Our Tanzania Country Coordinator eases volunteers into the Tanzanian way of life during orientation and provides support for the duration of their service.

Volunteers interested in working in Tanzania have the option of staying six or twelve months. Programs begin in January and July with an orientation program led by the in-country coordinator. The first three weeks in country consists of an orientation that takes volunteers to Arusha and Moshi, our two bases, and offers volunteers instruction in Swahili, development site visits, a community service project, and home stays with local families.  During the orientation volunteers interview and select their placement with a development organization.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

• Demonstrated commitment to international development
• Must be 20 years of age or older
• All nationalities are eligible
• Prior overseas and cross-cultural experience preferred
• A college degree or equivalent experience

APPLICATION DEADLINES AND FEES

Program fees include housing, health insurance, orientation, staff support, visa fees and program administration. Volunteers also receive a USD 50 monthly stipend from Visions in Action to assist with daily living expenses. In addition to the program fees listed below volunteers are responsible for a USD 45 application fee and a USD 300 deposit. If the regular application deadline has passed, please contact us regarding space and availability. Those applying late will be subject to a USD 100 late fee.

POTENTIAL VOLUNTEER PLACEMENTS

Below are some potential organizations that volunteers could work with. This is just a sample of the many organizations that have requested Visions volunteers. Once you have committed to the program, you will receive a complete listing of organizations and volunteer opportunities.

Agriculture
Kakute  Arusha
The mission of Kakute is to provide training in the uses of appropriate technology for rural farmers. They are primarily involved in the formation of community-based groups, through which they advance appropriate technology for the purposes of income generation and environmental protection. They are looking for a volunteer with a background in small business, conservation, or adult education. http://www.jatropha.de/tanzania/Kakute/kakute.htm

Business
Pamoja Trust  Moshi
A well-funded NGO which works on a wide variety of issues in small business, civil society, education and environment. The current volunteer assures us that "a volunteer will be well used." http://www.pamojatrust.com/

Technoserve Arusha
Technoserve is headquartered in the US and is dedicated to assisting entrepreneurial men and women in rural areas of the developing world in creating income, employment and economic growth for their families, their communities, and their countries. The current volunteer is working on the Southern Highlands Agricultural Marketing and Business Acceleration project (SHAMBA), which promotes the tea, dairy, rice, and paprika markets of southern Tanzania. There are plans afoot to get the association its first computer and to make country visits to other tea producing nations (Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Zambia) to conduct technical training in tea production. They could use a volunteer who can provide business, organizational development and marketing skills to the board of directors. http://www.technoserve.org/work_impact/locations/tanzania.aspx

Education/Children
Amani Children's Home Moshi
Amani is a small residential home for orphans and street-children. Amani provides these children with a safe home, a family environment, reunification with their relatives when possible, and a variety of educational opportunities to meet their individual needs. According to our current volunteer, opportunities exist to work directly with the children in a variety of arenas, such as health, education, and social work, as well as to do staff-development and fundraising projects. http://www.amanikids.org/

Mkombozi Centre for Street Children  Moshi
Mkombozi provides a safe and healthy environment for children who were previously living on the streets. The Centre is committed to helping street children grow in mind, body and spirit in order to build a strong and caring community. They need self-motivated volunteers willing to work with children in a variety of capacities. http://www.mkombozi.org/

Health
Huruma Health Centre in Kimandolu  Arusha
A hands-on clinical position in a new general-purpose medical clinic in the Kimandolu area of Arusha. Experience in an emergency room or hospital setting preferred. A lab assistant with training in biology or chemistry would be helpful as well.

Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre  Moshi
A large hospital serving the Kilimanjaro region, they need assistance in outpatient care and medical records. Computer experience needed to modernize hospital administration. Clinical or hospital experience and a medical degree (nurse, physical therapist, doctor) required for clinical work. http://www.kcmc.ac.tz/

Poverty Reduction
HakiKazi Catalyst Arusha
Hakikazi Catalyst fights poverty by serving as a bridge between the government and the actual needs of real people. Through a large variety of projects, they seek to empower marginalised people to have an effective voice in influencing decisions affecting their lives. A volunteer reports, "Lots of opportunities to be actively involved in different aspects of the organization and a variety of projects." Their work includes trying to popularize government policies (especially related to poverty reduction), community-based advocacy on behalf of the poor, and research on effective poverty fighting policies. http://www.hakikazi.org/

Women
Women for Development of Science and Technology (WODSTA)  Arusha
A small NGO with no paid staff, this all-volunteer women's group conducts occasional seminars for women on appropriate technology for development. According to the current volunteer, in January 2003 WODSTA started two new projects: women's economic empowerment in selected Masai villages (a five-year project with another NGO) and training of women's groups in processing and preservation of fruits and vegetables in Arumeru District. http://www.wodsta.org/

Youth
White Orange Youth  Moshi
An NGO founded in 1998 by a group of young professionals who felt that through collective action they could make progress on the economic, social and political issues facing Tanzanian youth. This small group of dedicated volunteers provides youth with information about HIV/AIDS through unique education and outreach programs. The current volunteer is teaching other local youth to become peer educators, helping with grant writing, and developing peer education programs. http://www.woy.kabissa.org/

HIV/AIDS Awareness
Life Concern Organization  Arusha
Life Concern Organization (LCO) was established as an NGO on September 17th, 2001. LCO works to network between existing NGOs and CBOs who are dedicated to preventing HIV/AIDS infection and minimizing the suffering of those already infected. LCO, with the help of other NGOs, spreads AIDS awareness to vulnerable youth ages 15-24 while encouraging HIV testing and discouraging cultural behaviors that accelerate the spread of HIV/AIDS. LCO has established ambitious goals to reduce HIV/AIDS transmission in Arusha Region by 50% by the year 2010. This is a great hands on environment that offers a lot of one on one work with youth.

Chawakua  Arusha
Chawakua is one of Arusha’s leading HIV/AIDS NGOs working in collaboration with the Tanzania Commission for AIDS. Chawakua provides counseling for HIV/AIDS sufferers and their families as well as offering HIV testing to Arusha community members. Chawakua is focused on creating awareness of HIV/AIDS and providing home-based care and support for people living with AIDS.  http://www.chawakua.org/TanzaniaMicrofinanceNGOs.html