The following answers to our most frequently asked questions are designed to help you if you are considering traveling to Tanzania as a volunteer for Orphans Africa. These FAQs provide 99% of the information you will need to make an informed decision. PLEASE READ THOROUGHLY before applying or before contacting OA for additional information.
Program Requirements, Costs, and Accommodations
How long can I stay?
The minimum stay is two weeks. A stay of longer duration can be coordinated with OA.
Do I need to be able to speak English? Swahili?
All volunteers must speak fluent English, and be proficient in reading and writing English. All classes are taught in English and many Tanzanians will speak or understand some English. Tanzanians may have three languages. One may be the language of their original tribe. Kiswahili is the unifying language of East Africa. Tanzanians appreciate your effort at learning some Kiswahili and it will definitely assist you when teaching or going to the market. Volunteers can buy books or CDs to assist in learning Kiswahili. The Pemsleur CDs are good for beginners, as is the “Teach Yourself Swahili” language program.
How much are the program costs?
Per Person* (USD):
- $825.00 for the first two weeks
- $300.00 for week three
- $200.00 for each week thereafter
*A one-time $45.00 banking wire fee is assessed for each travel family. This enables OA to wire funds to on-site personnel in preparation for your arrival.
*A deposit of $400.00 per person is due upon acceptance of your application. The balance is due to OA 60 days prior to your travel date.
What’s included in the above costs?
- Airport pick-up and drop-off (Julius Nyerere International Airport, Dar es Salaam), travel each day to the project site, cross-country trips from project to project (if applicable), and trips to the market to purchase necessary supplies.
- All room and board (usually with a host family), restaurant meals during cross-country trips, bottled drinking water, and shower water.
- Guides and interpreters
What is NOT included in the above fees?
Airfare, travel insurance, medical costs, vaccinations, visa fees, phone/Internet, soft drinks or other bottled drinks, incidentals, optional entertainment and tour activities (including transportation), gifts for host families.
When are the program costs due and what is your cancellation policy?
A deposit of $400.00 per person is due upon acceptance of your application. The balance is due to OA 60 days prior to your travel date.
If a volunteer cancels before 45 days of their travel date, all program costs are refundable, less a $100.00 administration fee. If a volunteer cancels within 8-44 days prior to their travel date, 50% of program costs are refundable. If a volunteer cancels within seven days prior to their travel date, no program costs are refundable.
Are there age requirements and can children go?
Unaccompanied volunteers must be at least 20 years old. Parents or adult guardians are welcome to bring their children, so long as the child will be at least eight years old at time of travel. Children must be well-behaved and supervised at all times. There is no price reduction for children.
What are the accommodations like?
Volunteers will usually be housed with a host family. Accommodations reflect the actual living conditions of most people in Tanzania. While accommodations vary depending upon which project you will be volunteering at, usually there is no electricity; light in the evening is by kerosene lantern, flashlight, and/or headlamp. Water is delivered in a hand-pushed cart or fetched from the local water source. Water must be boiled for drinking (bottled water is provided for all our volunteers). There are metal screens on the windows, but often no glass. The exterior doors are locking. Volunteers have a private bedroom with door. Spouses will share a room. Children may be required to share a room with the parents. There is an outdoor bathhouse, including a toilet room and shower room. The toilet is a typical “squat” floor toilet. The shower room has a small hole for drainage, but does not have a shower head. You can heat water and use a bucket for “showering.”
What are the meals like?
Meals are simple, delicious, and cooked over a charcoal fire. Common dishes might include the national dish, ugali, which is similar to corn-meal, stir-fried cabbage and carrots, fish, chicken, eggs, rice, Irish potatoes, chapati (flat bread), mandazi (raised fried bread), red beans, stewed greens, stewed tomatoes, papaya, plantains, and cassava root.
Why do I have to pay to volunteer?
The main focus of on-site personnel is to serve the orphans and widows. On-site personnel will take time away from their other duties to escort you, interpret for you, explain things to you, help you find things you need when in-country and look after you if you have needs. Revenue generated through our volunteer program helps to provide these services to you as well as supplement the programs for orphans and widows.
What about my health concerns?
Travel in Tanzania can be arduous (see “conditions” below). Volunteers with special healthcare and dietary concerns should discuss these difficulties with their healthcare providers before applying to volunteer. There are local pharmacies called “Duka La Dawa” that sell a variety of ointments and pills. However, some medicines are fakes and may not work. Volunteers should plan to take a full supply of all medications and healthcare aids. Access to a health care facility may be severely limited depending upon your location, and transportation may be severely limited or unavailable.
How do I apply?
Prospective volunteers must fill out our ORPHANS AFRICA Application Form. The form can be emailed, faxed, or snail-mailed to us here at Orphans Africa. Your application will then be assessed based upon a variety of factors: your purpose, your desired travel dates, your age, health, experience, and your likelihood of having a successful, meaningful experience (which is what we want for you!).
Is Orphans Africa, any of its employees, volunteers, and/or field partners, responsible for my safety and health while volunteering in Tanzania?
No. While we do everything in our power to provide for the safety and health of our volunteers, you must assume complete responsibility for your own safety, health, and actions while in Tanzania. Travel in Tanzania is always a risk; there is a lower level of health care, disease is rampant, hygiene is poor, there is minimal food and water safety, and the average life expectancy is only 56 years. It is also impossible to monitor all volunteers at all times, as frequently volunteers wish to go off on their own. We cannot be held responsible, even when you are volunteering at one of our projects. Once your application is approved, all volunteers must sign an OA Assumption of Risk and Hold Harmless Agreement.
What to Expect
What is the climate like?
As Tanzania is located just south of the equator, the climate is hot. At present, most volunteers will be working in the Dar Es Salaam region near the Indian Ocean, so conditions will be humid. Rather than having four distinct “seasons,” Tanzania has rainy and dry seasons. The main rainy season is typically between March and May, although increasingly the weather in Africa is becoming unpredictable. Tropical downpours are typical in the afternoons. June-Oct is the long dry season, followed by the “short rains” in Nov-Dec, which are much lighter than during the rainy season. Jan-Feb are usually dry. In the coastal regions where you will be, however, it is normal to receive some rain even in the dry seasons. Temperatures average 30°C (86°F) during the day, and 19°C (66°F) at night. For more comprehensive climate information, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/hi/country_guides and scroll down for “Tanzania.” If you are volunteering in one of the mountainous, remote regions, temperatures can plunge to 4°C (39°F) at night, yet turn quite warm during the day.
What are conditions like in the surrounding areas, and how difficult will it be for me?
Volunteers must be prepared for third-world conditions. There is no handicap accessibility. Volunteers might need to walk 5-6 kilometers a day when commuting to and from the Marilynn Primary and Nursery School in Majohe. The public bus system is composed of mini-vans, each overloaded with as many as 25 passengers. There is no air conditioning anywhere except in large businesses in Dar Es Salaam. Volunteers with special healthcare and dietary concerns should discuss these difficulties with their healthcare providers before deciding to enroll as a volunteer. OA takes very seriously your capacity to handle these conditions.
Water Safety
Regardless of where you will be working in Tanzania, observing proper water safety is essential to maintaining your health. Please click here for more information.
How much do things cost in Tanzania?
A little goes a long way. Meals in an average restaurant cost about $3.00. Bottled sodas are the most expensive item at $1.00. Foreign goods are much more expensive than those made or grown locally. You can get a nice outfit from a tailor for about $12.00, including material. But remember, inflation is rampant. What may have been the price last month may no longer be accurate this month. Also, whenever Westerners show up, prices increase. Please feel free to negotiate, but remember that most of the vendors have little to nothing with which to support their families. Conclude the bargaining when you feel it is beneficial to BOTH parties. Always agree on a price prior to purchasing.
Can my family contact me if needed, and how can I contact home?
Prior to your departure we will provide you with the contact information to share with your family. They should be able to contact you fairly quickly, (although we ask that they not plan to contact you unless it is an emergency). To call home from Tanzania, you must use SIMM cards for international long distance. Many on-site personnel have cell phones and cell phone service is available throughout Tanzania. However, due to the electricity network going down frequently in Tanzania, which turns off the cell towers, scheduling calls can be difficult. SIMM cards can be purchased at the airport and in Dar Es Salaam. Purchase them on your first day before leaving the airport. (Check with your cell phone provider about calling the US from Tanzania before you decide to take it. While your cell phone may work in Tanzania, it could be very, very pricey.)
Travel Arrangements
Do I need to make my own airline reservations?
Yes. All travel arrangements and fees into and out of Tanzania are your responsibility. To compare airlines and ticket prices, visit www.kayak.com. Prices begin at $1,620.00 plus taxes and fees for round-trip flights between the USA and Dar Es Salaam (March, 2012). All volunteers must fly into “DAR” — the airport code for Julius Nyerere International Airport, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
Will someone be there to pick me up at the airport?
Yes! Someone will be there to greet you and take you to your host family. The cost of transport to and from the airport is included in your program costs.
What about travel insurance?
We require that each of our volunteers obtain travel insurance. We recommend that the policy includes trip cancellation or interruption, and require that it include medical, and medical emergency evacuation in the event of accident, illness, or death. You can compare a variety of policies offered by various companies at www.InsureMyTrip.com. Also, AAA provides travel insurance to members. Proof of travel insurance must be provided to OA prior to travel.
Will I need a passport? A visa?
Yes, you will need both a current passport and a tourist visa to enter Tanzania. Tourist visas can be purchased upon arrival at the Dar Es Salaam airport, but as lines can be long, it is recommended to purchase the visa well in advance. U.S. citizens can obtain visas from the Tanzanian Embassy at http://www.tanzaniaembassy-us.org/tzevisa.html; visa application fees are $100.00 USD. Other nationalities will need to obtain visas through the Tanzanian embassy located in their own country.
What immunizations will I need?
Many. Besides the AIDS epidemic, malaria is a persistent killer of people in equatorial Africa. The virus is delivered by mosquito bite. All volunteers are strongly urged to consult with a travel physician/clinic at least several months before planning a trip to begin immunizations and receive guidance on handling medical emergencies. Malaria medication (required for OA volunteers) must be started before departing to Tanzania, taken during your stay, and completed a few days after returning. In the USA, a special card and stamp for proof of yellow fever vaccination is required for readmission into the USA after visiting equatorial Africa, as well as being a requirement for all OA volunteers. You can also check with the CDC for information on vaccinations required for a particular country.
What other things are there to see or do while I’m in Tanzania?
Tanzania is a beautiful country and we encourage you to extend your stay and explore the wonders. (It is best to explore either before or after your volunteering project, not during.) You can go on safari, climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, or check out the tropical island paradise at Zanzibar. OA is not a travel company, however, so we must leave those details to you. There are many quality safari and travel organizations to choose from, but we do have first-hand knowledge of the quality of the following tour groups: http://www.intoafrica.co.uk/, and http://www.alpineascents.com/kilimanjaro.asp.
Preparation — What to Bring
Are there cultural restrictions on how I should dress in Tanzania?
Yes. Because Tanzania has a large Christian and Muslim population, women especially must dress modestly when out in public. Long pants, mid-length skirts, and shirts with short or long sleeves are appropriate attire. No bare midriffs, no revealing shirts, and no short skirts or shorts, please. However, take your tank tops and shorts with you (modest ones), as often your host will advise you that this dress is appropriate for your day’s work. Certainly you can wear more comfortable attire when you are at your host home. But always, please, dress tastefully and use your good judgment.
What should I bring?
Click here for detailed information on what to bring.
How much money should I bring and how do I get more if I need it?
How much you bring depends upon the duration of your stay. At minimum, we would recommend having no less than the equivalent of $20.00 USD for each day you volunteer in-country, plus additional for travel expenses to and from Tanzania, and any extra tours. The currency is Tanzania Shillings (TSH). Inflation is very high in Tanzania. The exchange rate for your local currency should be checked prior to departure. The Dar es Salaam airport has currency exchange. However, you will be at the airport only on your arrival and departure in Tanzania. Once you leave the airport there will be no currency exchange options. They will not take older U.S. currency due to counterfeit concerns, so take crisp new bills (newer than 2006) in $50 and $100 denominations. Away from the airport, it is likely that you will need to go into Dar Es Salaam to a bank to exchange travelers checks. It is a lengthy process, sometimes taking hours. Instead we recommend ATMs which are available at the airport and in Dar Es Salaam. After many trips, however, the OA staff just prefers to stick with cash, which we exchange easily upon arrival.
Can I fundraise to help pay my expenses, and if so, is it tax-deductible?
Yes. Please contact us for details in fundraising for both the programs and your personal travel expenses. Orphans Africa is registered as a tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 public charity in the U.S.A. Click here to download a printable 2-page, tri-fold brochure about OA.
Does OA have a PowerPoint presentation I can use to help me fundraise?
Yes. If you are interested in using our PowerPoint presentation, please contact us for details on how to download it.
Are grants available from OA to help me cover my travel costs?
No grant funds from OA are available for volunteers wishing to go to Tanzania. All funds OA generates go toward helping the orphans’ and widows’ projects. Volunteers must be able to fund themselves, or they should not apply.
