At a glance
- This is a volunteer opportunity with Projects Abroad. Devxchange will assist you in choosing the right fit, raising funds with your own campaign page, issuing tax receipts to donors if project meets CRA criteria as a charitable activity. Devxchange will also assist you in onboarding with Projects Abroad.
- You’ll focus on building classrooms and other school buildings in a rural Maasai community.
- The building work you do here provides children with a safe place to learn, and will be part of their education and development.
- You’ll dig foundations, mix cement, plaster walls, or add a coat of paint to the finished building.
Details
- Work with a local builder
- Help with building, plastering, and painting
Included
- Food (three meals a day)
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Full induction and orientation by an experienced staff member on arrival
- Transport to and from your work placement
- In-country support and 24-hour back-up from our team of full-time local staff
- Emergency assistance from our international emergency response team
- Project equipment and materials, including access to our database with thousands of resources
- Training and workshops from our experienced local staff
- Regular social events and community activities with other volunteers and interns
- Access to our local office with internet connection
- Certification of project completion
- Access to our alumni services and discounts
- Visa support and advice
- Fundraising support, including your own personalized fundraising website with DevXchange
- Tax Receipts for your donors if activity meets CRA criteria for charitable activity.
- Pre-departure preparation by your own specialist Volunteer Advisor
- Personalized MyProjectsAbroad website, with all the information you need about your project, accommodation and destination
- A free cultural awareness course
- Membership to our volunteer social media groups, to share information and to get in touch
- Support to help you complete registration or internship documents, if applicable
Not Included
- Flights
- Visa Costs (where applicable)
- 10% Admin fee for donations involving tax receipts.
About This Trip
This project is perfect for anyone eager to use their hands to help. If you want to see tangible results from your volunteer work, join our Building Project.
You need to be motivated and hard-working, because the physical labour can sometimes be tough. But it’ll be worth it when you see the smiles of children learning in their new classroom.
No building experience is needed. All the work you do is under the guidance and supervision of a professional builder, and they’ll teach you everything you need to know.
This project runs all year round so you can choose to volunteer when it suits your schedule. You can volunteer for a minimum of two weeks, but we encourage you to stay longer so you can do more.
With the help of an experienced builder, you’ll construct classrooms and other school buildings. It will be tough work, but knowing that you’re helping local communities will make the effort worthwhile. You will do things like:
- Work alongside an experienced local builder
- Dig foundations, mix cement, build walls, or construct a roof
- Give completed buildings a fresh coat of paint
Work with a local builder
You don’t need to worry if you don’t have any building experience. A local builder will teach you all the skills you need to participate fully in this project. The work you do will depend on how long you’re volunteering for and the progress that’s already been made on buildings when you arrive. The local builder will guide you in using construction techniques that are easy to master.
Help with building, plastering, and painting
You might start the building process by digging foundations, or if you arrive near the end of a building’s completion, you’ll plaster and paint walls. No matter which part of the construction process you contribute to, you can be sure that you’re adding a very necessary piece to the puzzle.
You’ll use locally sourced materials and you won’t need any electricity at the site, because your building work is done by hand.
Arusha
Our Building Project is in a Maasai community just outside of Arusha. Arusha is a city located at the foot of Mount Meru. It’s an eclectic mix of lush natural landscapes, rustic buildings, and more developed areas.
You’ll be helping to build facilities like classrooms and teachers’ staff rooms. The village where you work is rural, giving you the chance to immerse yourself in the local culture and experience the beauty of the surrounding nature.
On a typical day, building work will usually take place in the morning or afternoon, depending on the weather. So your work hours might be from about 8am to 12pm or 2pm to 6pm. Over midday, when it can get particularly hot, you’ll break for lunch and spend time relaxing in the shade of an acacia tree.
With the help of other volunteers, and under the guidance of an experienced builder, you’ll do things like digging foundations, mixing cement, laying bricks, or plastering walls. It’ll be tough but rewarding work, as you see the tangible results of your efforts.
You’ll have your evenings free, giving you the chance to explore vibrant Arusha. You can hike along a nature trail, or go on an evening safari drive, watching as lions prowl through the vast African savannahs.
The aim of this Building Project is to give young children in a Maasai community a safe place to learn.
Projects Abroad has set up a nursery school for the Maasai children living on the outskirts of Arusha. These children have little or no access to early education. Before we started building the school, they had no formal preschool system in place and, if classes were taught, they were held in a damaged church building. This nursery school plays an important role in preparing these children for primary school.
We’re building classrooms where our Teaching volunteers can help with building a foundation for their education. These classrooms provide a safe space where children can learn.
Do construction volunteering in Tanzania and help build a school in a Maasai community.
You’ll stay with a host family in Arusha. They will welcome you into their home, eager to share their customs and have you teach them about your own culture. We believe that this is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of Tanzania and have a truly unique experience.
We will always try to let you live alongside at least one other Projects Abroad volunteer or intern at the same host family. Your room will be modest, but comfortable, clean, and safe.
Your programme fee includes three meals a day.
Find out more about our accommodation.
A trip to Tanzania is the chance to experience life in the heart of Africa. There’s plenty to see and do here during your free time on your project.
A project in Tanzania wouldn’t be complete without a safari! This is a chance to see the beautiful wildlife of this country, like elephants, rhinos, and lions.
What’s more, Tanzania is home to the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro. Hiking around the base through lush vegetation is a peaceful way to spend an afternoon.
Browsing through a vibrant, local market is a must while you’re there. You can also spend time in a Maasai village, getting to know a completely different way of life.
There will likely be many other volunteers in Tanzania with you. This means you have the option to explore the country independently or with a group of like-minded volunteers from different projects.
Your safety and security is our prime concern. We have many procedures and systems to ensure you have the support you need to enjoy your trip with peace of mind. Our Projects Abroad staff are available 24 hours a day to help, and will be on-hand to make sure you settle in well at your accommodation and placement. If you encounter any problems, they will be available to help at any time.
Find out more about safety and backup.
