Women Legal Aid and Human Rights Centre

International human rights include the right to work, to an adequate standard of living, to participate in cultural and political life, to education and to freedom of religion. Even though Tanzania has ratified some human rights conventions, they are far from complying with them all in practice.

This Human Rights Centre in Arusha is run by a small, private NGO that aims to provide legal aid and counselling services to poor and disadvantaged women and children in both rural and urban areas. It operates by conducting seminars, workshops, camps and conferences, organizes legal aid, socio-economic support and Human Rights education, both at the centre and in the media. The Centre strives to help as many people as possible but focuses primarily on women.

If you have a relevant academic background and wish to volunteer or be an Intern, you can work in this Centre for Human Rights. Depending on your experience, education and interests, you will be involved in different activities like:

Visiting widows and get a better understanding of the legal and human rights problems they have to deal with.

Conducting research on policies and laws affecting women and children with the aim of using the findings as a basis for lobbying and advocating to advance gender equality

Encouraging and supporting poor women in establishing self-help groups or projects that will help them to generate an income.

Building a joint network with other NGOs and government bodies with activities relating to the Centres’ aims, within and outside Tanzania.

As a volunteer you will work on grass root level alongside experienced people to make a difference in the local community.

The longer you stay, the more interesting your task will be.

We recommend you prepare your volunteer work by studying for example the following homepage: http://www.humanrights.dk

Tanzania Home Based Care project in Arusha, Tanzania

The HBC program is our core activity that provides cares for individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS. Through the HBC program, which operates in 3 regions of Tanzania, we currently support an average of 730 patients at a time and 2,800 of their family members. Using our 110 trained HBC workers to make regular daily visits to the patients, we  provides informed nutritional advice and support, HIV/AIDS education, cleaning and chore assistance, as well as financial support for food, transportation and medicines.

We have noticed a significant improvement in many of our Home Based Care patients. Many are no longer bed ridden and are improving steadily because of improved nutrition and the use of antiretroviral (ARV) medication. Many have joined Village Community Banking (VICOBA) groups within their communities and are able to take part in Income Generating Activities (IGA’s) with the guidance of our volunteer organization. These activities allow them the opportunity to have a healthy diet and exponentially improve their quality of life.

Village Community Banking (VICOBA) was started with the aim of helping people cope with the numerous responsibilities they face in an increasingly unfavourable socio-economic and religious environment. This is done by training participants in crafts production and other activities that can increase their household incomes. In addition, participants contribute individual savings to a savings and credit fund which, in turn, makes small loans to its members.

We promote local community savings and credit groups that build on the traditional “Tontine” methodology where investors pay a sum into the tontine and receive annual dividends on their capital.  Tontines are rigid in their structure and provide limited and inflexible access to accumulated savings.

We add innovative twists that make it more flexible and extremely attractive to local participants. The weekly contributions are accumulated, with an end date in mind, for distribution of all or part of the funds to the individual members. This lump sum distribution provides a large amount of money that each member can then apply to his/her own needs.

The members of the community savings and credit groups make use of the funds for long and short-term needs on a continual basis, so the funds are constantly working for them, earning interest and not just sitting idle in the group.

These loans allow the members to meet their small and medium income generating activities, social obligations and emergencies without having to borrow from a money lender, take an expensive supplier advance, or rely on their relatives. This adds a limited credit perspective to the association. Currently, over 575 people utilize our’s 25 VICOBA groups in Arusha, Dar es Salaam.

We works to educate and empower women, children, foster parents and the general community with special priority being given to vulnerable families affected by HIV/ AIDS in Babati district and Arusha Municipal Council. Trained Home Based Care Workers (HBCW’s), field agents and Peer Educators, in collaboration with our staff, conduct continuous education and women empowerment meetings in six wards of Babati and Arusha.

Identified Community members, female field agents and foster parents can be trained to become quality Village and Community Banking members, trainers of Trainers (TOT’s), HBCW’s, Paralegals and Peer educators. They have continual support through the formation of peer and VICOBA groups and are able to practice paralegal activities dealing with domestic violence, rape, female circumcision, widow inheritance and advocate for general Human Rights.

This promotes good governance, trust and respect within the community and helps alleviate poverty in their areas. This is achieved by increasing economic self-reliance, supporting families affected by HIV/AIDS, establishing village community banking and supplying beneficiaries with food and medical supplies as needed.

Currently, We have established more than 24 women empowerment groups practicing paralegal activities and administering HIV/AIDS education and Home Based Care for People Living with HIV/AIDS and those with chronic illnesses.

Our beaded jewelry business is its main income generating activity. This program allows us to sustain many of our programs and facilities! There have been other small purchases from guests and volunteers that have passed through our office. If you know of an outlet to sell necklaces where you live or would like to order some for yourself, please email us and we can export some to you.

Location of Placements:

Arusha and Surrounding Maasai Villages

Accommodation: Room/ Food/ Supervision

Volunteers have the choice of staying at our volunteer Accommodation in Arusha Town or at our local Tanzanian host families, commonly known as “home stay”. 

Our volunteer house is located close to the town centre so has easy access to transport routes, shops, bars and restaurants. The House has single or shared living facilities and western style bathroom facilities with hot water. It also provides a sitting and dining area with T.V. and D.V.D.

Our host families are active community members who are not only mature but are trained and experienced with international volunteers. You will get a single room (or share with another volunteer) in a home stay. The accommodation will be clean and simply furnished. Local host will provide three local meals a day. During the volunteering period our staff will guide, help, and supervise you every day while on your volunteer Project.

Project Dates and Durations

Placements are open to volunteers and interns all year round but we ask volunteers to arrive on either the 1^st or 3^rd Sunday of each month.

Placement duration is from a minimum of 2 weeks up to a year. 

Skill/Qualification

There is no specific qualification needed to join the women’s project Tanzania. If you have any skills in craft work, beading, and art work than this would be beneficial.

Languages:

This Program is open to World Wide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples, and Individuals. It is helpful for the volunteers to learn some basic Kiswahili/Maasai language. When you arrive at you project placement the volunteer coordinator will give you an introduction 

Community Development Program in Arusha, Tanzania

Project

Community Development Project in the Maasai Bush

Project Overview

   This project is a great way to get a broad and diverse experience of volunteering in a community development project in Africa and gain a great cultural experience at the same time. This project is involved in a number of welfare and development programs so giving you that broader volunteering and learning experience.

   The project involves a two day orientation in Arusha and briefing of the project to come. A Swahili lesson will be given to help volunteers intenerate better and have a more profound effect in their work.

   The project than takes volunteers to a remote village located near Lake Manyara, deep into the Maasai steppe. Here volunteers will participate in the following programs:

• Teaching – Plan and implement English, Sports and Healthcare lessons in a Maasai primary school. Work with a volunteer coordinator and Maasai Translator in creating an affective teaching plan for English and healthcare lessons. The children at the Maasai primary school are under educated and are not receiving the proper attention that they need. Most days they receive up to only 2 hours of teaching per day.

Health care is very primitive in the village and most cannot afford to treat simple illnesses. Many of these diseases and illness can be prevented with simple health care education. We intend to educate the children in this area so that they can prevent and reduce potential and unnecessary health issues.

Sports and recreation sessions in the school is a time where more than often the pupils are left to their own devises with no equipment. We aim to provide productive sports sessions and equipment for the pupils and develop their physical fitness and skills.

• Maasai Educational Community Outreach – Volunteers will spend a good amount of their time living closely in the Maasai village and will get to know the community members well. This includes getting to know their culture and their hardship. The community is poor and often only survives on livestock. Education is minimal and tourism and conservation concerns are pushing these people out and reducing their lands for their livestock to graze on and to find water and live on.

Many of the Elders and warriors want to learn English and business skills but can not afford to go to school. The Maasai women also want to learn but are confined to their homes and attending to their role in their society which comprises of child care other home activities.

   Learn from the truly unique sustainable life style that they lead and understand more about their needs. This program is here to bring about a better understand and awareness of one another’s cultures.      

This is a chance for our volunteers to engage in a relationship with a few of the Community members and for us to teach English, Health care and any other Previous experience or qualifications we have, such as teaching, business, agricultural, animal husbandry, irrigation qualifications. 

If Volunteers feel they have no previous experience in these areas then there is plenty of practical work to be involved with in the village such as building work on the water project or village school development.

• Orphanage Care and Development – We work with Majengo Children’s center where currently 120 orphaned children, aged form 6 months to 14, live. The center has to provide food, shelter, healthcare, education, and guardian support for all these children. This is a large responsibility and also costly. Much of the running costs are funded by volunteers and visitors. Each volunteer that participated in this project, we give a donation to the running of the center.

Volunteers will assist in the running of the Orphanage. This will include the following activities:

• Teaching Lessons to the day school pupils and assisting with home work for those whom are educated in the local primary schools.
• Leading recreational sessions in their free time, in terms of story reading, sports activities, singing songs etc…
• Small building projects in the centers grounds. This can be an organic garden, chicken coup, playing facilities or small building facility.
• Emotional care and support. With so many children at the orphanage the orphanage support workers do not have the time to tend to all the children’s emotional needs and many go unchecked.
• Decorating the Orphanage building in terms of paintings and educational posters.

Extra Activities Included

   During the weekend our project volunteers have some time off to relax and get to enjoy some of the wonderful things to offer in area that they are staying in. This includes taking a cycling ride up through the banana plantations and forest of the Great Rift Valley wall. Arrive at the Rift valleys waterfalls and swim in the natural pools.

   Take the change to see some of Tanzania’s great wildlife by going on an afternoon’s safari trip deep into the Maasai steppe. Whiteness Elephants, Giraffe, Zebra, Gazelle, Ostrich, Fish Eagle and a diverse range of other Tanzanian wildlife and bird life. 

   Spend a day by the pool side taking in the African Sun, and beautiful environment spending some hard earned rest after the weeks work.

   Visit the local Maasai market and immerge yourself in their culture, foods, drinks and then after join a Maasai celebration with song and dance.

Location, Accommodation and Food

  The first 2 days will be located in our volunteer house in Arusha. The volunteer house will allow you to meet other volunteers who are on the same project as you or working on other projects in the area. It is a great change to share ideas and support one another in you experience.

   The house provides a comfortable, safe, homely environment and includes shared living facilities, running water, hot showers, western style bathroom facilities and TV/DVD sitting room for rest and recreation in the evenings.

   The Accommodation for the rest of the stay will be located in Mto Wa Mbu and will be simple shared or single living arrangements with shared Bathroom facilities.

   Three meals will be provided each and every day at both accommodations, and normally consists of a variety of local style foods, Meats, seafood’s and vegetarian options.

Project Dates 

1^st July 2023

7^th October 2023

7^th April 2023

7^th July 2023

6^th October 2023

2 – 6 Weeks

Qualifications

There are no specific qualifications needed to join this project

Languages

This Program is open to World Wide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples, and Individuals. It is helpful for the volunteers to learn some basic Kiswahili/Maasai language. When you arrive at you project placement the volunteer coordinator will give you an introduction 

Animal Welfare Volunteering in Arusha, Tanzania

Situated in northern Tanzania, Arusha is the capital of the Arusha Region and is surrounded by some of Africa’s most famous landscapes and national parks. Situated below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley, it has a mild climate and is close to Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Olduvai Gorge, Tarangire National Park, and Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as having its own Arusha National Park on Mount Meru.

Arusha balances well the ‘city life’ with the ‘small town’ feel and that makes it even more attractive in the eyes of tourists and travelers from all parts of the world. The city is surrounded by farm estates growing coffee, wheat and maize. These farm estates are being maintained by the Arusha and Meru tribes since the 18th century. Arusha is commonly referred to as the safari capital of East Africa. This is because it is the main starting point for safaris into Tanzania. It is a vibrant town renowned for its streets filled with tourist vehicles, the Maasai warriors and the famous Central Market. Awesome!

When you volunteer with animals in Tanzania you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:

• Assisting a local vet to care for animals
• Learning about animal welfare in a developing country
• Developing your communication skills
• Gaining animal care experience
• Immersing yourself in Tanzanian culture
• Discovering Africa’s incredible wildlife

This wonderful program works in a number of ways to raise awareness of and stop the abuse and neglect of animals, while also providing hands-on care for animals in need. Volunteers can choose to work on the animal welfare campaign, or in the animal shelter – or do both! The need of more adequate animal care and education of the population in…

This wonderful program works in a number of ways to raise awareness of and stop the abuse and neglect of animals, while also providing hands-on care for animals in need. Volunteers can choose to work on the animal welfare campaign, or in the animal shelter – or do both! The need of more adequate animal care and education of the population in and around the Arusha area is huge. The shelter cares for a large number of puppies and fully grown dogs, and some cats.

The animal welfare program works on education and awareness programs in the Meru region to protect animals from cruelty by promoting, improving, and developing matters concerning the welfare and understanding of animals. They are fighting for a different perception of animals within their culture and society and the five freedoms of animals: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury and disease, freedom from fear and distress and freedom to express normal behavior. The program works on a variety of initiatives to increase understanding and to make real change to the lives of animals. Volunteers on this program will gain great experience on a variety of initiatives and know that they are truly helping animals in need.

Goals of this Project:

• Provide essential care and support to vulnerable animals in Tanzania
• Increase awareness of the plight of animals in Tanzania and educate people on animal rights
• Create a safer society for animals to live
• Enable inter-cultural exchange which benefits both locals and international volunteers alike.

Pamoja Project in Tanzania

The Pamoja Project focuses on teaching and raising awareness of HIV/AIDS for community members and schoolchildren. Most of your time will be spent teaching, lesson planning, and training peer educators. You will also be involved in community assessment work within villages.

Peer to peer learning has proven to be an effective model for behaviour change communication among adolescents. Peer education is a particularly powerful method for reaching young people. This educational program targets both government and private primary and secondary schools. Educators are nominated and elected by teachers and fellow students, and they are among the brightest, most outgoing students in their class.

Volunteers and program officers provide training for peer leaders, and a three day seminar for peer education teachers. Our partner and field officers stay in touch with schools and different community project stakeholders – helping peer educators organize special events such as sports days, exchange learning visits, and competitions within and among schools.

These students use dynamic education techniques such as songs; drama, debates, and poetry to engage other youths and encourage them to think critically so they can choose behaviours that lower their risk of getting HIV / AIDS. This requires that we teach the basic biological facts about the virus, the progression of the disease in the body, the primary modes of transmission, and the most effective methods of prevention.

Volunteers participating in this project will have to count with extra transportation expenses.

Medical/Healthcare Programme in Tanzania

Most clinics and hospitals only accept certified professionals in the medical/healthcare sector, or interns.

If you are looking for valuable hands-on medical experience, there are possibilities in the hospitals in Arusha. You will also be able to work at rural health posts and community clinics. Participants spend the majority of their internship/work period working as an assistant to a doctor/healthcare professional. Work responsibilities vary with your education, skills, and previous experience. Interns must have health care certification, such as an ID as a medical student, EMT or paramedic certification, or nursing or physician’s credentials.

 

Medical interns without credentials are not allowed to work in this programme because of the potential liability risk. Job responsibilities of interns vary with education, skills, experience and qualifications. Interns measure blood pressure, temperature, height, weight, as well as assist doctors. Interns may also help in health camps, distribute medication, advise patients about health, nutrition and sanitation as well as counsel patients and possibly participate in the treatment of minor injuries and wounds or maintain journals.

Work is from 20-30 hours per week. On the first working day you will meet a coordinator, who will explain your role as a volunteer/intern. An individual timetable will be worked out for you based on how much time you want to commit.

Please note: the programme supervisor DOES NOT DEVELOP internships; instead you will select a particular area of interest and explore the issue further with the help of an assigned supervisor. It is up to the interns to get as much as possible out of their stay.

Volunteer teaching in Tanzania

Children represent over 50% of the population, but in terms of budget allocations, children welfare is still relegated to the private sphere of the family, community and NGOs and remains politically marginalized from the mainstream concerns of the governance and economic policy.

There is significant economic growth in some sectors, particularly mining and tourism but very little growth in Agriculture sector on which most children and their families depend.

Opportunities missed in childhood, such as good nutrition and education, can cause irreversible harm and trap children in long term poverty. Poverty at household level and very low level of investment in basic infrastructure such as schools and health care facilities or transport for economic activities makes life hard for children in Tanzania.

The only way out of poverty is through education. This goes of course even more for orphans. Children are very much aware that being able to speak English is essential to their future prospects and they are eager to learn.

English is a common language in Tanzania because the country once was a British colony. However, there is a lack of quality English education. If you choose to teach, don’t expect Western standards with premade educational materials, tight schedules and so on. You must make it up as you go. You may also assist with sports, music, drawing lessons, games and other activities.

Public schools close during the following periods:

June 15th – July 27th
Sep 19th – Oct 10th
Dec 15th – Jan 1st

During these periods it is possible to teach at a private school or at an orphanage instead.

Training center for disadvantaged teenage girls

We work with a local NGO who runs a school for young teenage girls. The girls are selected through a number of different networks and are either recovered from the forced labor- or sex trade, abandoned by their families or have escaped abusive relationships. Many of the young girls already have children of their own.

The goal of the NGO is to provide the girls with a hope for a better future and teach them skills that allow them to become self-supporting and take care of their children. At the moment the NGO helps young and vulnerable women from the Arusha-, Moshi- and Kilimanjaro region.

The girls stay at the school for 6-12 months. Here they are taught skills such as tailoring, cooking, English and computers. This will help them get a job, e.g. in the catering sector or the hotel business.

Volunteer tasks can be:

• Teaching English
• Developing handcraft skills
• Teach Computer Skills and maintain computers
• Assist in the cooking classes

Depending on your own capacities and experiences, you can suggest other skills. The girls are very eager to learn. Minimum work stay is 3 months.

Food and accommodation in Tanzania

Most volunteers prefer to stay at the “Amani Hostel” in Arusha with: TV-room, showers and sanitary facilities.

There’s a guard and a cook who prepares 3 meals a day. Here it is possible to have more of a social life with other volunteers. The coordinator – who also arranges Safari Trips – has his office in the house. From here, you will be picked up and transported to and from work. 

If you prefer more authentic surroundings, you can chose to live with a local host family instead, where you also will have 3 meals a day. Here you will share all facilities with the family members, of whom at least one speaks English.

Tanzanian food includes a little meat, chicken or fish with rice and some fruit. Showers do no not always have hot water. Don’t expect luxury!

Below you will find descriptions of the voluntary work places. Tasks and working hours differ from place to place.

Click here to see the FAQ