Want to do something really
worthwhile? Teach English to disadvantaged children in the middle of
Africa! The schools you will
be involved with cater for many children from the poorer township
community. Your help and support are appreciated by everyone, but mostly
by the children.
The projects in
Tanzania are located in Arusha, situated at the foothills of
Mount Kilimanjaro. This country has an amazing variety of things to
offer, from beaches, lakes and mountains to safaris, wildlife and a huge
cultural diversity with almost overwhelming friendliness.
You can choose to work with primary or secondary schools.
You don't need any qualifications to do this project. All ages from 17
upwards to 70+ can take part and all nationalities and welcomed with
open arms. You don't need to speak the local language either.
We have many schools
that we work with in Arusha, including Nursery schools through to Secondary
schools. The age range of children you can teach runs from 3 years to 17
years old. All benefit from your assistance and your interaction with the
children is an important part of their development.
At Primary school: Their first language is Kiswahili,
English being their second. It is compulsory for children to study the main
subjects, which are mathematics, science and languages.
At Secondary school:
It is compulsory for students to undertake the main subjects but they can
also specialize in other subjects such as, arts, sciences, or history,
social studies and even IT.
If you have a preference
regarding the age range of the children you would prefer to teach, we may be
able to place you in a school with your chosen age group.
Teaching English: Most of the children are very shy and are reluctant to speak
English in front of other people. Not surprisingly, the greatest impact our
volunteers have is in giving the children the confidence to speak English
freely. This opens the door to learning for them and the change in their
abilities after being exposed to our volunteers after a few months is
unbelievable!
Teaching other subjects: You can also help teach
other subjects, such as Maths, Science and Arts and Crafts. If you have any
knowledge of Music or Drama, you will be very welcome. In addition, if you
want to, you could get involved with coaching sports like football. Sports
is a wonderful way to teach children team skills - and it bolsters their
confidence to speak (and learn) English in an informal setting.
Teaching other subjects
and coaching sports would normally be either a few lessons a day or
extra-curricular activities.
Disadvantaged
schools: We volunteer at both public and private schools in Tanzania.
Unlike many other countries, most of the private schools are not rich. In
fact, most of the schools we work with are very poor, which is why they are
so grateful for help from our volunteers!
School sizes range from as
small as 50 students to as many as 300, which is still by our standards
quite small for a school. Class sizes range from 20 to 40, which helps to
provide an atmosphere that’s easily manageable.
You
will normally begin your placement by assisting the teachers but, depending
on your ability, you may progress on to being given complete control of a
particular class or group.
You
will receive a lot of help and support from the teachers and staff at the
schools to help you prepare for your lessons and to settle comfortably into
your role as a teacher. Like all Tanzanians, you will find them to be very
friendly, patient and willing to help.
The children have a
fantastic energy about them and you will be immediately welcomed in by
hoards of children running up to greet the new teacher. It is often
difficult to stop them smiling! Arusha is a very friendly place and the
schools are no exception. You will be inundated with questions from both the
teachers and the children, and they are just as eager to find out about you
as you are of them! Most of our volunteers form strong friendships and bonds
and often cry when they have to leave!
If you're a little unsure about the idea of standing in front of a class and
teaching, you can,
before you leave, enroll in a
1-day intensive open teacher training course (optional)
to help you teach if you have no previous experience
and would like to gain a little teaching knowledge.
Your Travellers Project Co-ordinator on the Placement
Once you apply for this placement, all your arrangements will be taken care
of by Kelly Day, Travellers UK-based Project Co-ordinator for Tanzania.
She'll liaise with you to discuss your needs and will be able to answer all
your questions. In the photo on the right, she's sitting with two local
children while on an inspection trip to Arusha.
Once you're in Tanzania, you'll be well looked after by our Tanzania
Manager, but Kelly will remain in touch with you throughout your stay.
After-school chores for the young children include tending the livestock
Travellers Project Co-Ordinator Kelly Day
PROJECT DATES AND WORKING HOURS
School Term Dates: (Dates may vary year on year.)
First
term 8th January – 1st April
Second term 5th May – 1st August
Third term 3rd
September – 30h November
Even during school holidays there are still opportunities
to teach. Teaching will be possible at the schools where we assist by
working alongside them in the fields of social care work. Here it’s
likely that there will be extra curricular activities going on that you will
be able to get involved in. You would mostly be playing games and
interacting with the children, but these activities are also important to
their development and their knowledge of the outside world.
The teaching hours
during the school holiday terms are less than during school terms and are
usually for half-days until midday.
On the other hand, if
a holiday falls during your
proposed placement, you
could
use this time to do some independent travelling and sightseeing. This is the
choice that most of our volunteers make to gain some additional experience
and knowledge of the region or, indeed, the country.
Secondary School classroom
ACCOMMODATION AND LOCATION:
Arusha
is the perfect location to live and work in Tanzania. It is situated under the shadow of the might Mount
Kilimanjaro and Mt.
Meru (a 15000ft extinct volcano), as well as idyllically situated on one of
the
Great Rift Valley’s plateaus.
The city is
world-renowned for its exquisite weather, breathtaking countryside and its
lively music scene. With a population of around 350,000 people, there is
still a great balance between a vibrant, social city, with a relaxed ‘small
town’ feel, making it a perfect tourism attraction for all types of
travellers. Arusha alone receive over 400,000 visitors each year.
Accommodation:
Your accommodation will vary depending on which project you will work with,
but all our volunteers are placed in with families in ‘home-stays’ which
provide comfortable yet simple accommodation. Your family will most likely
be located within 20 minutes of your school.
Most of our volunteers who choose to live with host families all agree that
their placement was made more enjoyable by their home life experience. They
also agree that they get an added "something" out of the placement - a rare
opportunity to experience life as a family from the inside
Most of the houses have all
the basic facilities - coming equipped with TV, radio and all importantly…a
western style toilet. However, we must make it clear that not all
accommodation can provide such luxuries.
All our hosts are very friendly and welcoming and the
families will look after you very well and make you feel part of their home.
On
Arrival, your Introduction to the Country: When you arrive you will be welcomed by our Tanzanian Manager who will
take you to your accommodation and introduce you to everyone. Photo on right: Travellers' Destination Developer Andy Kemp with Titus
Tossy, our Tanzania Manager. Titus has a lovely wife and two adorable
children.
During your first few days you'll be given an induction so that you can
learn about the country and its culture, as well as other useful
information, like how to use the transport system, banks, safety issues,
tipping, and lots more.
TRAVEL:
You have the option to arrange your
own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would
like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights
and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will
be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.)
Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the
same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other
volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up
before leaving for your placement.
We can also arrange your flight
dates
to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling around and
sightseeing - this is a fascinating country!
You will fly
into Kilimanjaro International Airport where you'll be met by Titus Tossy, our Country Manager, or one of
his staff. From the airport you'll be taken to your accommodation.
Several days later, once you have settled in and recovered from the flight, you
will be introduced to your staff on your project.
To read aboutSupport
& Backup we provide,
please click here.
Boys will be boys!
VISAS:
We will liaise with you about
specific requirements, if any, and make the Visa process very easy.
Where possible, all flights we arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our
volunteers choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination
country.
Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa
and the level of your air ticket,
of course. If you choose to book your own flights, you should endeavour to get
a changeable ticket.
PRICES:
To see the Prices of this project and all
our other projects in Tanzania, please
click here
Prices
include
Food & accommodation while on your project,
2 T-shirts, if required
for your project
All support and backup
during your programme
Meeting you at the
nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.
.
+44 01903 502595
