Read below what our past volunteers have to say about working and volunteering with Viva Tanzania. Find the project you’re interested in.
General
“My partner and I spent 2 weeks in Arusha and with Viva Tanzania. Firstly, I’d like to highlight that the trip would never have been able to go ahead if it wasn’t for the help and support of Tizia during the planning process. We got in touch with Tizia on Facebook about 3 months before, as the volunteer programme that she offered seemed perfect for our preferences. From the word go she was always happy to help with planning and recommending things to do! On arrival to the hostel we felt warmly welcomed by not only the team but also by all of the other guests. The house felt very safe and was very spacious and homely, we especially loved the outside sitting area, where everyone would gather in the evenings to socialise and chat about their day. The food at the hostel was delicious and freshly cooked each night, and the monthly menu gave us the opportunity to taste Tanzanian food as well as other world-wide dishes. The staff were always happy to help with recommending other places to eat or get food if necessary.”
Bethan, 26, United Kingdom
“One thing that we truly loved was the tours and excursions that the hostel offered. If Tizia didn’t take you out personally then she would get their guide (Venance) to take you out. He took us out on three excursions and was absolutely brilliant. Vernance is passionate about his job and had so much knowledge about the area – he was great fun to be around, very kind and considerate and was a brilliant tour guide. I really recommend doing the town tour on one of your first days there as it really helped with transport routes and knowing how to get to and from the hostel into town. I would also recommend the Maasai markets for souvenirs and the waterfall hiking trips. Lastly, I can’t thank the Villa Viva enough for their recommendation on safari. We went on a five-day safari trip while we were in Arusha and it was possibly the most amazing thing we have ever done. The company we went with (recommended by the Villa) was reasonably priced and was very professional. The tour guide was great fun and knew all the best areas in each of the four national parks to get a great viewing of all the animals and beautiful sceneries / sunsets / sunrises. We camped in tents and all food was provided (which was also delicious).”
Karen, 19, Germany
“I recently had the great joy to stay at the Villa Viva for about 10 weeks during my time in Tanzania. And what can I say – it was awesome. They are great hosts who will always do their best to make your stay a pleasant one. But the Villa isn’t only a hostel: the team also do a great job at finding you the right place to volunteer or work as an intern if that’s what your looking for (if you haven’t already and that’s why you’re reading this review – in that case just contact them. You won’t find a better place!). All in all, staying at the Villa Viva was a great time. They are great hosts, the mamas are AMAZING cooks (and luckily breakfast and dinner is included – and you definitely won’t go to bed hungry), and we had the fortune of having an amazing group of people at the Villa at the time I was there – which really made the hostel home away from home. Thank you for the great time and unforgettable experience(s)!”
Brianna, 20, United States of America
Education
“The volunteer programme was a highlight of our trip. We spent five days working in a small school for 3–5-year-old children called Venance Care Foundation. It was set up by a man called Venance who was also very passionate about enhancing the lives of these children and encouraging them to work hard in life. Despite it only being a small set up, Venance and the teacher did a brilliant job at teaching the children on a daily basis with minimal teaching facilities. As volunteers, we were given the opportunity to teach the children and play with the children each day. It was absolutely brilliant listening to the children sing and dance during break time and also teaching them nursery rhymes and songs from our own country. I would really recommend taking a box of pencils, pens, paper, colour books, chalks, craft materials etc if you were planning on volunteering at somewhere like this, as they seemed to need all the help them could get with teaching facilities.”
Elena, 18, Germany
“I spent two months in Tanzania working as teacher in St Pius pre and primary school. It has been a fantastic experience, and I’m grateful to Viva Tanzania to have made this possible. I chose this project because I wanted to try a teaching experience and also because I was very attracted by the environment in the north of Tanzania, and I have to say that all my expectations have been totally fulfilled. Tizia has made the preparation of my trip simpler by giving me many useful tips, and the same applies for the duration of my stay. The impact with Tanzania was great, and I have to thank Tizia too who came twice to pick me up at the airport (due to the huge delay of my flight). Food was also good, especially because we could try different local dishes. The school is in a really nice context, and all the staff has been extremely friendly and helpful with me. At the moment I arrived, one of the teacher had just moved to an other school, therefore I had the feeling that my help was especially important in that period, and this also gave the interesting opportunity to do all the lessons on my own. I was mainly teaching English, mathematics. Although it was my first experience in teaching to children, I got used quite quickly. The pupils were really nice, although very agitated and excited (as most of the kids are!), and I will remember their enthusiasm when I said that I wanted them to teach me some Swahili. All in all, it has been a very rich and exciting experience that I would redo again and again if the opportunity comes.”
Jule, 23, Germany
“The Little Stars Primary school is a small, well organised school that is just starting out and therefore only has two classes. Because of that, it was easy for me to form a tight and personal connection to the students and teachers. During my time there, I had a lot of opportunities to bring in ideas into the lessons and the recreational periods and to actually teach myself. All in all, we had a great time in Tanzania and staying with Viva Tanzania was a big part of that!”
Michelle, 26, Australia
“I have dedicated my time to the love and gift of teaching at Arusha Modern School. The Tanzanian teachers, the children and all the staff played a huge part in my volunteering and we all worked hard to make a difference. I had a wonderful three months at Villa Viva and it was a great pleasure to be here. The food and care from the Villa Viva staff has been so great. The executive director of the organization has a heart of gold! She has created an amazing organization that is bringing positive change and prosperity to the lives of many people here in Arusha. I was very happy to work with her.”
Judith 28, Spain
Women and Youth Empowerment
“What an incredible experience in WEHAF. From the moment my friends and I applied to this volunteer project we had support. We had all our questions answered in a timely manner since day 1 of our application. On our arrival, we immediately felt comfortable and most importantly safe. Our hostel was always tidy due to our amazing Mamas (who are doing excellent job at keeping the hostel presentable) and were able to accommodate my friends and I’s request to be together in one room. We were guided to the town on our first day and taught us how to get around from our hostel to our volunteer project. They told us all the necessary information needed to get by. In the hostel there are other volunteers under Viva Tanzania who stay in the hostel. We definitely got along and also enhanced our first volunteer experience. Everyone gave invaluable tips! Our volunteer project was amazing!! These ladies had so much ambition/ potential, they can go far in this world! I can confidently say all the previous and present volunteers have made an impact on them- emotionally, physically and mentally/ intellectually. On the weekends, we were able to arrange crazy fun activities which other volunteers from other projects under Viva Tanzania NGO can join. I highly recommend this project to anyone and I would definitely go back!”
Maren, 26, Germany
“I volunteered in Perfect vision women’s group through Viva Tanzania for 3 months. I found my experience there fascinating. I had a main job during the week but nevertheless, I was looking for a volunteering experience too for the weekends. Tizia figured it out quickly, putted me in contact with Justin and Marilyn and did all the proper arrangements. My main tasks were to bring ideas about advertising, marketing, selling and made them come true. I got so involved in the project that even during my job’s lunch break during the week, I would go with Justin and Marilyn to keep helping and even share a delicious meal. What I enjoyed the most during my volunteering was learning a lot about Tanzanian culture during the meetings with Justin. A typical day would consist in working with my laptop at Justin’s office regarding product description, preparing the launch of a proper website, making calls and bringing clients to the business, learning how every product is created, planning wardrobe collections and even modelling for photo shoots with their products! At the end of each day, Justin was so kind to provide and pay for my transport back to the hostel. They are true statements of entrepreneurship and creativity and this experience with them made me realize that everyone has an entrepreneur inside ready to be successfully developed. No matter your profession (I am about to become a lawyer). This place is excellent to make a difference and even develop useful skills like talking to clients, management, accountability, and creativity.”
Jörg, 24, Germany
“I didn’t want to study straight after school and decided to go abroad for three months first. When I discovered the Viva Tanzania website, I quickly decided where to go and what can I say… it was one of the best decisions of my life so far. I was given comprehensive information and support by Tizia and her staff and so, after a short period of consideration, I decided on the “Joyce Weaving Project”. I arrived with quite a tingling sensation in my stomach, but all my worries were for nothing. Everyone gave me such an incredibly warm welcome and I felt very much at home from the very first second, both at Villa Viva and in my project. The experiences I was able to gain there in the following three months were priceless and I would never have thought that I would find so many great new people and friends for life. My tasks there were extremely varied and I was able to take a close look at every area of the weaving mill. I was able to learn a lot from the women, but I was also able to pass on a lot of my knowledge to them. For example, I was able to help with updating the online store or making the products even better known via social media. But I was also allowed to try out everything in terms of handicrafts and so I am now the proud owner of several hand-woven scarves and blankets I would have loved to stay forever and really had to fight back tears when I was due to fly back to Germany after three months. Thank you to the entire Viva Tanzania team for the great time and your support! And a very special thank you to my great friends from the “Joyce Weaving Project” for everything I was able to learn from you!”
Viktoria 19, Germany
Heath and Special Needs
“I will definitely never forget my time with Viva Tanzania! I came to Arusha alone, so it was important for me to make friends as quickly as possible. I was absolutely in the right place for that! Whether it was organizing my internship visa, a day trip, a safari or taking clothes to the tailor, there was always someone there to help me. As I was accommodated in a 4-bed dormitory, it was easy for me to get to know other volunteers! But even if you wanted to be alone, the terrace and the living/dining room offered plenty of quiet alternatives. Magga’s food was also great and there was plenty of variety! I really felt welcome at Viva Tanzania, not as a tourist or visitor, but after a short time as a friend, thank you for this feeling and the wonderful time. At the beginning I was very insecure and reserved about my work with the Destiny Foundation. As I neither understood nor could speak Swahili, I was unable to communicate well with either the teachers or the students. Over the weeks, however, the teacher involved me more and more in the school day. The more vocabulary I learned, the better I got on with the pupils. The teachers were proud of every little bit of progress I made and kept encouraging me to just keep going. I can only warmly recommend anyone to have the same or a similar experience. Have the courage! The children appreciate your affection and presence and the teachers gratefully accept any help!”
Emily, 22, United States of America
“I worked as a volunteer at Levolosi Hospital for four weeks through Viva Tanzania. When I arrived, Viva Tanzania helped me apply for my volunteer visa and introduced me to the hospital. Volunteering at the hospital is organized in a similar way to “western” hospitals. I was able to choose which area I wanted to work in and a volunteer coordinator asked me what I wanted to learn and experience during my time there. The people there were super friendly and I was even invited to a nurse’s home for dinner and the volunteer coordinator and Viva Tanzania staff also checked in with me regularly to make sure I was having a good experience. There are many tasks that can be done by people with professional degrees as well as students and others, as the professional staff are often involved in cleaning, decorating, etc. The nurses were very happy to teach me how to mop, as we Americans obviously have a different method for that 😉 Although I spent most of my time volunteering at the clinic doing the minor medical procedures, I was also able to observe operations and was even allowed to help a little, for example adjusting the surgeon’s headlamp when the power went out). Knowledge of Kiswahili would be useful, but is not necessary. It’s really a great place for an internship or rotation for a medical or nursing student.”
Jennifer, 23, Germany
Environmental and Animal Projects
“I stayed at Villa Viva by Viva Tanzania for four weeks. Tizia and the team gave me a very warm welcome and I immediately felt at home. I did my voluntary service at Mbwa wa Africa, an animal sanctuary on the edge of Arusha National Park. It was so touching to see how happy the animals are in their new life full of hope. Tizia organized my volunteer project well so that there were no problems and also showed me the way to the shelter so that I felt safe driving there alone. I am glad that I got to know all these nice people at the villa and the project and that we could all share nice moments together. If I had any questions, I just asked the staff and they arranged everything for me. Tanzania was a great experience that I will remember for the rest of my life and it’s a shame that my time here is over now. I can absolutely recommend Viva Tanzania.P.S. The food is fantastic and there are great international as well as Tanzanian dishes. Asante Sana!”
Chase Ying Yuan, 19, United States of Africa
“I really enjoyed my voluntary service at Viva Tanzania and, even though my time there was short, I was able to gain great experiences and meet new people. I particularly liked the friendly and informal atmosphere in the villa. I had the feeling that I always had a contact person for all my questions and concerns and all my wishes regarding the excursions were taken into account. I felt very comfortable from day one, everyone was so friendly and helpful and the food at the hostel is really delicious – a big compliment to the mamas and Magga the cook! As far as my project is concerned, I received great support from everyone right from the start. Firstly, the town tour was particularly helpful to get a first insight into the Dala Dalas (minibuses). Secondly, it was great that I was accompanied to the project on my first day. Many thanks for that.All in all, the 2 weeks were really a great experience for me – as I said, unfortunately a bit short, but I was still able to gain intensive insights into life in Tanzania and experience great moments – the safari in particular was an unforgettable experience.I am sure that we will meet again in the next few years – above all, I would like to climb Kilimanjaro one day, which has stayed with me ever since I saw it.Until then, I wish you and your entire team all the best!Keep up the good work – you are really great!”
Marco, 32, Italy