Project Description
Our volunteers are placed in special needs schools located in the urban area of Arusha. Most of these schools have very few qualified teachers and lack learning equipment. Volunteers need to understand that special needs children’s centers are a very new concept in Tanzania.
There are very few special needs children’s centers in Tanzania and most of them do not have qualified caretakers.
The centers lack the skilled personnel and relevant equipment to deliver the special care and attention needed to provide these children with a stimulating environment. The children do not sleep in the special needs schools; they arrive in the morning and return home in the evening. The schools need volunteers to help with education and to provide one on one stimulus and motivation. Children are left unsupervised for a significant portion of the day, and therefore volunteers are needed as adult supervision and to provide companionship.
Your main duties:
Help with general education of special needs children
Help with motion, lifting and handling, personal hygiene and other day to day tasks
Supervise children
Location
The projects are located in the urban areas of Arusha. The schools will be a minimum of a 15 minute walk from the volunteers’ accommodation and a maximum of 45 minutes by public transport. Please refer to the Tanzania Fact sheet for more information.
Project Requirements
Minimum Age: 18+
Duration: 2 weeks minimum duration.
Program Arrival Dates: Program arrival dates are every other week, on Fridays. Please check our website for the most up-to-date arrival dates.
Language Requirements: Intermediate English. Swahili would be an advantage, but is not a requirement.
Work Schedule
You will work Monday through Friday, 6 to 8 hours a day. In some cases, you may be required to work with the students on Saturdays or Sundays depending on the activities planned. Please be aware that schedules may change in order to accommodate the needs of the program and its participants. Being flexible is the key!
You will have evenings and weekends off to travel.
Project Closed Dates
School holidays may vary according to district and exact dates may change, but schools are usually closed during approximately the following times:
June 15th – July 27th End of first semester and start of second semester Sep 19th – Oct 10th
Midterm evaluation Dec 15th – Jan 1st New enrolment
Schools are usually also closed during National Holidays:
January 1 New Year’s Day January 12 Zanzibar Revolution Day February 4 Birth of the Prophet First or Second week of April Easter Holiday May 1 Labor Day July7 Saba Saba (Industry’s Day) August 8 Nane Nane (Farmer’s Day) October 14 Nyerere Day October 26 El al-Adha December 9 Independence and Republic Day December 25 Christmas Day December 26 Boxing Day
