Tanzania
Overview
The first Vincentian Lay Missionaries (VLM) volunteers travelled to Tanzania in 2022. This was post-Covid 19 and the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia and VLM sought to build new partnerships with the Vincentian Fathers and Daughters of Charity in other countries.
Since then, many have volunteered in projects across Tanzania. Tanzania is located in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It has a population of 62 million, making it the most populous country located entirely south of the equator.
Some facts about Tanzania
- Tanzania is home to Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest free-standing peak in the world.
- Over 120 languages are spoken in Tanzania. Swahili is its official language.
- Most Tanzanians live in rural areas, and only about 7% of rural regions have electricity.
- Tanzania is one of Africa's fastest growing economies, however, widespread poverty persists. Almost half of its population is living on less than $1.90 per day.
- The flag of Tanzania represents four elements of daily life - the green represents nature’s beauty, the yellow represents the mineral deposits of the country, the black represents the people, and the blue represents the great lakes.
Projects
Songea
Project: De Paul School
Songea is a city of around 200,000 people. The De Paul school is located in a suburb of the city. Getting there involves flying to Dar es Salaam and then taking an internal flight to Songea.
This is a large school with around 1200 pupils in total aged up to 17 years old – 700 in primary school, 300 in secondary, 200 in nursery and baby school and some of the children board. It has 103 staff. The school has excellent facilities including sports field – soccer/football, netball, basketball, volleyball. Accommodation is with the Vincentian Fathers in their house which is beside the school campus.
This placement would especially suit primary and secondary school teachers with the possibility of teaching English and also some subjects. Running sports, games, arts, music, etc after school is also possible.
Dar es Salaam
Projects: De Paul School, Vinkindu Kindergarten, Hospital
There is a nursery and primary school up to age of 14 with 300 children. It would be possible to teach English here. Also running sports, games, arts, music, etc. They have a soccer pitch within the school. There is accommodation with the Sisters on the school campus.
The is a hospital that would besuitable for all healthcare workers. The sisters also run a kindergarten here. Accommodation is onsite with the sisters.
Suitable for: Teacher and hospital suitable for all healthcare workers.
Masanga
Project: St Catherine Laboure School, Hospital
Masanaga is a small village located in the north of Tanzania and is very remote.
The school has 236 pupils from age 5 to 14 (103 boys, 133 girls). Girls are prioritised for places. Some children board. The nursery has 35 pupils (15 boys, 20 girls).
There are 15 teachers and 12 non-teaching staff. Accommodation is with the Daughters of Charity in their house which is adjacent to the school.
The Daughters of Charity run a hospital in Masanga. Additionally, they have a women’s empowerment programme and a Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) project here.
Accommodation is with the Vincentian Fathers in their house which is beside the school campus.
This placement is suitable for volunteers with a wide variety of skills. It would especially suit primary and secondary school teachers with the possibility of teaching English. Also running sports, games, arts, music, etc. They have a soccer pitch area within the school. The school also has computers and it would be possible to teach IT to the children. The hospital is suitable for all healthcare workers.
Volunteer Stories
Impact
Read about our impact in Tanzania with the help of volunteers and donors.
Want to get involved? Visit ‘Volunteering with VLM‘.
Visit other countries we work in
Ethopia
Kenya
Ghana
