Community Education with Adults in Moshi Tanzania

  Tanzania

Moshi

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks

Description: With smiles as wide as the African plains, Tanzania is a great place to explore through volunteering. As the continent opens itself up to the world the biggest problem facing projects here is in ensuring everyone has access to new opportunities. Teaching adults new skills is a very effective means of improving the lives of present and future generations; adults pass on newly acquired skills to their children, so educating one adult can actually benefit several people. With so much to do in your time here it's no wonder the project will need you to be a counsellor, English teacher and sports coach, as well as passing on any business skills you have.

*Project details:
Often people focus on the needs of children in developing countries, where there is just a great a need to help create opportunities for adults in poorer and under-resourced communities. Many have not had access to education whilst they were young but are eager to learn and increase the future opportunities for themselves and their families.

In particular, the women of Africa are beginning to make changes and during your time in Tanzania you will become aware of a huge number of women's groups that have been set up to facilitate this change. The history of African culture has suppressed the rights of its women and they are traditionally expected to look after the home, money and children. Times in Tanzania are beginning to change and the government has recognized that women have the organization and ability to create change. They are offering microfinance for them to set up small businesses of their own and slowly but surely things are beginning to change.

In addition to this, many adults that have not been able to complete their education to secondary level are realising they need education to better their skills for employment. They see learning English as being the main path to opportunity but are also gaining education in a number of areas including agriculture, hospitality, languages and general business. Generally they are keen to learn whatever may assist them with future employment opportunities.

*Why the project needs volunteers:
While adults in Tanzania have the will to make change happen they all too often do not have the skills. Some cannot speak English, a necessary tool in business and they generally do not have a good grasp of simple business practices. They also want to educate young people in the community about HIV/AIDS prevention and health matters but do not have the time or knowledge.

There is also the need for Adults to learn English due to the proximity of Moshi to Mount Kilimanjaro where there are employment opportunities in tourism, e.g. working as porters to tourists climbing the mountain. Having a knowledge of English will give them a better chance at employment to enable them to better support their families. There are also many women eager to learn English in order to be able to assist their children with school work and general education.

Highlights:
* Enjoying East Africa at it's best - Mt Kilimanjaro, wildlife and Masai people, what more can you ask for
* Making a positive difference to the lives of people in Moshi
* Relaxing at the weekends soaking up the 'vibe of Africa'

Qualifications: What kind of skills you need to go on this type of project:
Initiative, enthusiasm and patience will be essential characteristics for any volunteer embarking on one of these projects. Any specific skills that you can contribute will be greatly received. In-demand skills include AIDS/HIV awareness/counseling, environmental knowledge, business, marketing and language skills. For the women's groups, creative skills such as tailoring, embroidery, mosaic, batik that can be passed on to the women are particularly helpful plus basic business skills such as bookkeeping and marketing. Volunteers will need to be pro-active in instigating activities that they particularly want to get up and running as supervision and leadership may be fairly minimal. You will need to design a programme centered around the needs of the particular group you will be working with.

Your role as a volunteer:
Your role at these projects will be to provide a range of skills and activities, depending on your experience. There will almost certainly be an element of teaching, especially in the vocational centers, but you are also likely to provide advice and guidance on how they can improve and make the most of their small businesses or further their employment opportunities. Providing education and awareness sessions on HIV/AIDS, health and sex education are definite possibilities not only to benefit the individuals but also so that they can further educate their children and their communities.. You may also be asked to assist practically in the projects e.g. sewing, batik making and you may also come away with some new skills yourself.

The other adult teaching placements including teaching small community groups and specific needs groups such as the Maasai, There is also the option to run computer training and other specialized courses based on specific skills on the volunteers.
Various projects tend to run in the morning only, you can choose from a variety of afternoon projects to help the community in other ways. These include activities such as:
* sports coaching
* health care and sanitation
* conservation
* adult education

Cost in US$: USD 1645.00 for 2 weeks, USD 275.00 for every week thereafter

* Accommodation: Shared dormitory room in volunteer house. Single room upgrade also available, please give us a call for more information
* Food: Breakfast and dinner
* Airport Pickup: Included on arrival date. Ask us for details if you're arriving early!
* Training: In-country orientation
* Support: Pre-departure helpdesk, Local in-country team and 24hr emergency support

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 18-80

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

i-to-i Meaningful Travel's Mission Statement: i-to-i is an award-winning organization providing unique opportunities for you to travel, work and live abroad. Thousands of travelers aged 18 to 80 have joined our volunteer vacations and over 50,000 have learned to Teach English as a Foreign Language through our tailor-made TEFL courses. With over 400 projects on 4 continents, you can join the worldwide i-to-i volunteer community on an extended adventure in areas such as teaching, community development, sports coaching, conservation, building or internships in tourism, marketing, journalism, or health.

Year Founded: 1994