Many people see a contradiction in paying to do voluntary work. After all, you work … voluntarily … So why should you pay?
Before you arrive in Tanzania, our team takes care of all the preparations for your stay, such as
looking for a suitable project where you can volunteer. Furthermore, we guide and support you through all stages of planning and preparation for your stay. In order to reach out to new volunteers and interns, we need marketing strategies, which means we spend a great deal of time undergoing promotions on social media.
Once you arrive in Arusha, we pick you up from the airport. We then take you on a town tour and
help you to get a SIM card, exchange money, and find a suitable ATM. Once you have settled in, we then
accompany you to your project on your first day, to ensure everything goes well.
Most importantly, a large part of the volunteer fee goes towards accommodation expenses and wages for our staff, who are well trained and know exactly what it takes to make your stay unforgettable . We believe wholeheartedly that our staff deserves being paid a fair wage that enables them and their families to have a good life. Furthermore, we need to pay for rent at the volunteer house, electricity, water and gas bills, and food for breakfast and dinner. We have guard dogs at the hostel to make sure everybody is safe, and a day watchman and a night security guard who take care of our compound. We have two managers, one from
Germany and one from Tanzania, who are available 24/7 in case you have any questions or problems. We also employ 2 housekeepers and a cook, who take care of the premises on a daily basis. Maintaining a suitable accommodation entails regular house maintenance and replacing consumer goods, such as bed linen, dishes, and furniture. We want our volunteers to feel comfortable in their position, so we visit our projects regularly to ensure that no laws are being violated and work is being carried out in a sustainable and fair manner.
In order to make sure our NGO is adequately funded, we donate a quarter of the registration fee
towards the ‘Viva Tanzania Volunteer Fund’. Through this fund, we provide financial support for our projects, e.g., salary costs, food, and other bills. If your project needs something they cannot afford, please let us know during our weekly volunteer meetings, so we can decide what we use the money for. This kind of participation is important, as it allows you to see where your money is used and how it makes a change within the local community.
All our projects appreciate the support of their volunteers, but none of them could afford to pay for the costs of them staying in Arusha. Most of our volunteers are young people that do not have specific skills in the field they work in. They are an extra pair of hands that support their project in many ways, but in the beginning, they need help settling in, understanding the local ways of living and working, and getting familiar with their project and tasks. However, through hard work and diligence, you as a volunteer will acquire skills that will be a valuable and unique addition to your personal and work life.
More often than not, projects struggle financially and are dependent on donations. As a local,
non-governmental organization, we cannot afford to pay for the costs of our volunteers. But what we can do is offer you affordable and safe volunteer work in Tanzania, which benefits everyone. We have the opportunity to place volunteers from all over the world in our partner projects to support them, ensuring they are enriched by the knowledge, passion, and time of their volunteers. By embarking on one of our volunteer programs, you have a unique opportunity to have both a travel experience and to contribute to meaningful
projects.
In summary, you do not pay to volunteer but rather you pay for your own living expenses, and for the support and administration costs we incur in order to provide you with this opportunity.
If you have any further questions or comments, please reach out to us any time.
We would love to hear from you
