The diversity within Tanzania is stunning. The country is home to over 120 ethnic groups, the equatorial snows of Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti plains teeming with wildlife, and the white sand beaches of Arab and Indian influenced Dar es Salaam. ELI works with organizations within three distinct regions in Tanzania: Tengeru, a village at the base of Mt. Meru, and within view of Mt. Kilimanjaro.  ELI Director, Kevin O'Neill, calls it one of the most beautiful places he has ever visited.  Also in Northern Tanzania, we offer programs in the Maasai community in the village of Elkurot.  And finally, we have programs in the multicultural city of Dar es Salaam, on the central coast.

Dar es Salaam is the bustling commercial center of Tanzania. The mix of African, Arab, and Indian cultures typifies the distinctive Swahili culture found along the coast of Tanzania. Dar es Salaam began as a small fishing village until Sultan Seyyid Majid of Zanzibar started developing the harbor to attract more trade. German colonists later found the harbor perfect for their large steam ships. Through the centuries, the white beaches of the Swahili coast have seen countless merchants, conquerors, explorers and refugees pass, each group leaving its mark on life in the colorful city.

The Maasai are a Maa speaking tribal group who have, in large part, retained their traditional culture. They are pastoralists inhabiting the northern part of Tanzania. Typical Maasai are generally tall, slender people living off the cattle that are the center of their lifestyle. Volunteers working with the Maasai community will stay in a typical Maasai hut and must be prepared to live without the modern conveniences of running water and electricity.

In 2007, UNICEF estimated the population of orphaned children in Tanzania to be around 2.6 million. Almost a million children have been orphaned due to AIDS alone. Other diseases such as TB, Malaria, Typhoid, and Yellow Fever have left over a million children with no one to turn to. Traditionally, orphaned children rely on extended family to care for them, but in many cases extended family members are unable to provide children with the care and support they need to thrive. Many children are forced to turn either to orphanages or the streets for survival. Orphanages are always in need of volunteers to help with the day to day care of the children as well as assist with taking care of the orphanage facilities. Volunteers serve the important role of giving the children one on one attention which is necessary for healthy development.

Kilimanjaro Program:
Like other countries in East Africa, Tanzania has been seriously affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Thousands of orphans and widows are left to rebuild their lives in the wake of the disease. We work with several grassroots organizations focused on providing services for people directly affected by the epidemic. The organizations provide health education within the communities, vocational training, counseling, and support services for families who have either lost members or who have HIV+ members. Volunteers assist with a wide variety of projects within the organization. In the past, participants have presented seminars on HIV prevention, initiated community garden projects, established income generation projects, and assisted with adult education projects.For more on the day to day activities of this project, see Marie's Photo Journal.

Dar es Salaam:
In its most recent report, UNAIDS estimates over 1.4 million people in Tanzania are HIV positive. Urban centers have been hit much harder that rural areas with some neighborhoods reporting adult infection rates as high as 40%. We work with a community center in the Tandale neighborhood of Dar es Salaam where volunteers can assist with HIV prevention activities as well as support activities for HIV positive community members. The center uses dance, street theater, and home visits as a means to educate the community on issues such as HIV prevention, life skills, and safe sex practices. The organization is also linked to a clinic which provides STD testing and some basic medical care to members of the surrounding community. Volunteers can get involved with a wide variety of activities including outreach activities, assisting with developing new programs, and assisting in the clinic.

Tanzanian schools face the same challenges that most schools in Africa face: overcrowding, lack of materials, and lack of teacher training. In many classrooms, the student-teacher ratio can be as high as 100 students for every teacher. Tanzanian schools also face shortages of books, paper, pencils, and other school supplies, and teachers rarely have the opportunity to pursue further training. Tanzanian students start learning English in the first year of primary school and by secondary school, all classes are conducted in English. We work with several neighborhood schools that are especially in need of teachers as well as improvements to the school facilities when school is not in session. Please note that the major school holidays fall during the month of July and November through January. During the holidays, volunteers are welcome to contribute by painting classrooms and assisting with construction projects.

The Tanzanian school day starts early at 7:00 AM. Primary schools need the most help with teaching English in order to prepare their students for secondary school where all instruction is in English. Classes are large with some having as many as 100 students in a room. Volunteers will start out observing classes and getting to know the teachers for the first few days before taking on teaching responsibilities. The day is divided into 40 minute periods so volunteers will need to plan on leading lessons for either 40 or 80 minutes at a time. Volunteers are also warmly welcomed to lead after-school activities such as sports, music, and drama. When schools are on holiday during the months of July, November, December, and January, volunteers can assist with painting, building maintenance, and landscaping the school grounds.

Maasai:
Though English is the international language and the second language of Tanzania, very few Maasai are able to speak English. The majority of Maasai families recognize the importance of learning even a little English, but there is a great shortage of English speaking teachers. Volunteers teach English in local primary and secondary schools and assist with other subjects as well as extracurricular activities. The schools in Maasailand have very basic facilities and large class sizes. Schools are on holiday during the month of July and November through January. During these months volunteers can still contribute by assisting with upkeep projects on the school grounds such as painting classrooms, repairing buildings, and planting trees. The classrooms are in constant need of painting due to the erosion caused by the constant dust.

Women in Tanzania are marginalized through extremely limited access to education which leads to fewer opportunities for employment and less power within society. In growing numbers, women are organizing themselves into different groups to help improve the living standards of their families. Groups have been formed for business start up guidance, milk processing, pottery projects, vegetable growing, adult education, and other enterprises. The women face many challenges: how to market their goods, understanding loan application procedures, and the basic requirements for running a business on a day to day basis. Volunteers with this project will work with local women's cooperatives on projects such as giving seminars, assisting with project management, assisting with proposal writing, and helping the organizations to write grants to fund future activities. Past volunteers have assisted with a wide range of projects including compiling cookbooks of Tanzanian meals to sell to tourists, marketing handicrafts to local markets, organizing training seminars for the women, and health education projects.

Dar es Salaam:
The Chiseco Widow Cooperative Savings and Credit Society, a group founded in 2001 to provide economic opportunities to widows in Dar es Salaam, pursues income generation activities through sales of products such as honey, chili sauce, peanut butter, eggs, chickens, and vegetables. The largest challenge the group faces is finding a market for their products and creating consistent income flows for the members of the group. Volunteers with this project will assist with training the women in keeping accounts, basic marketing, project appraisal, and assisting with grant writing.

Kilimanjaro:
Volunteers can work with a nursery in Tengeru where trees are cultivated and transplanted to areas in need of reforestation. Volunteers will assist with tasks such as sowing seeds, filling the polythene seedling tubes, transplanting trees, and assisting with educational programs about the importance of trees in the community. Please note that this project is only available from February to July, during the rainy season.

Maasai:
The greater part of Maasailand is now so dry from ongoing droughts that many areas are fast becoming semi-desert. The trees of the savannah are also being cut to make charcoal at an alarming rate, leaving the land vulnerable to further erosion and loss of moisture. Many families have homesteads with no trees. The shade offered by trees in the heat of the day offers some relief to the families. Volunteers with this project will assist planting trees both on homesteads and on the plains of Masaailand in order to help improve life for future generations. Volunteers will also assist with ongoing education programs focusing on the importance of tree conservation.

This is a part-time project. Most volunteers work for 2 to 4 hours per day, Monday through Friday. Volunteers must be prepared for the tough physical work of planting trees. Participants are welcome to assist with local education projects in conjunction with this placement. This placement is not available from the end of July though January because newly planted trees rarely survive the harsh dry season.

Maasai:
There is a wealth of discovery to be explored throughout the Maasai community: people, history, customs, traditional food, etc. Many travelers wish to visit a small community and learn firsthand about the hidden cultural treasures. It has been a formidable challenge for the communities to prepare brochures and organize tours by themselves. Volunteers offering their creativity and guidance are welcome to assist a Maasai community with developing cultural tourism programs which can generate income and improve the living standards for everyone in the group.

Please note that Maasai projects are only for the most adventurous travelers. The living conditions are very basic with no running water or electricity. Participants stay in traditional Maasai huts made from mud.