Volunteering Experience in Tanzanya

Week 3

A short week of only 3 days begins, because during the weekend we were working on humanitarian aid and at a camp for an orphanage, so this week we only worked from Monday to Wednesday.

At the school, we decided to choose the classes where we feel most comfortable to spend the next 2 weeks with them. In my case, I stayed with the oldest students’ class, “Grade 7”.

We are working on a group project where they have to create their own machines as a team. The students did a great job.

In the afternoons, we started collaborating in permaculture. We continued learning farming techniques and cleaning a piece of land to start planting in the future.
In humanitarian aid, we distributed food in a nearby neighborhood.

Also, on Monday and Wednesday we attended Swahili classes from 4 to 5:30 pm at Babu Saidi’s house.

During our free days, all the volunteers and coordinators decided to travel around Tanzania together. They were amazing days.

Week 4

This week in my class at school, we are preparing for the official government exams, because the oldest students have to take them soon. I help them prepare summaries and review the lessons. We reviewed the parts of the reproductive system by drawing them and remembering each part.

In permaculture, on Monday and Thursday we continued cleaning the land to prepare it for planting.

In humanitarian aid, we distributed food on Tuesday and Wednesday.

We also attended the school club on Thursday. I organized the face painting activity, and the children really enjoyed it.

On Friday, we spent time reviewing the week and giving feedback to our coordinators.

Week 5

This week we will be collaborating a lot with the school because it is Road Safety Week. During the week, we will do different activities so the children can learn traffic rules and stay safe.

We make a road in the outdoor area of the school, create cars using recycled materials, and learn some basic traffic rules.

On Wednesday we have a trip outside the school! The children (and us too) are very excited. We are going to the Traffic Police headquarters, and afterwards we will visit the vehicle inspection office, where the children can see the different parts of cars.

The teachers ask for our help to prepare a small gift to finish the week in a special way: we create driving licences for all the children (170 children!!). On Friday, when we finish all the activities, we hold a small “award ceremony.” They finish the week very happy, and so do we.

Besides being very involved at the school this week, we also collaborate three afternoons in humanitarian aid, preparing and distributing packages.

Week 6

We start the week very busy. Usually, we are at the school in the mornings. I am very happy with my group; they are very good students and also very kind to me.

This week we have a big task ahead of us: we need to prepare 166 clothing packages for children from the orphanage on Tumbatu Island, where we will go this Saturday.

On Monday we go to the storage room and start preparing the packages. As we do not have enough clothes for everyone, we make a list of needs so we can complete the packages during the week.

On Tuesday we take the opportunity to organise the storage room and do inventory work. In addition, at night we prepare 50 food packages for families in need.

On Wednesday we distribute the 50 food packages in two different areas of Zanzibar, as well as some meat for the Kurban celebration next week.

For the rest of the week, we continue finishing the clothing packages for the boys and girls, and we also make a plan about how we are going to organise ourselves on Saturday.

In addition, on Thursday we collaborate in permaculture by doing…

Without a doubt, it is a very exhausting week, but also very rewarding at the same time.

Week 1

The arrival in Zanzibar was warm. When I left the airport, Adam was waiting for me with a sign. Honestly, it was the first time I experienced something like that like in a movie! Even though I arrived at 3 a.m., my roommate Louise was waiting for me to show me the room and accompany me. She was very kind to me.

The first three days were for orientation. We got to know each other five young female volunteers, all very motivated to give our best.

We learned about all the Assalam projects and met the people who make everything possible.

We visited the Assalam International School, saw all the classrooms, and learned how they work. I was really surprised by the teaching methods and how connected they are to practical learning and nature.

We also visited the empowerment program and the sewing workshop, where women create products for the Assalam shops.

We saw the music and art department as well, where they taught us some songs.

Finally, we visited the area where essential oils and soaps are made, and we had the opportunity to create papaya oil from scratch.

It was an incredible week, where we had the chance to fully understand the foundation and meet the people behind it.

During the weekend, we had some free time to explore the area and enjoy the beach.

Week 2

After the first days of adaptation and orientation, it was time to get started.

We began our first week of volunteering with a very full and varied schedule.

In the mornings, we go to the school, where we receive guidance from Rumbi, one of the teachers. She has been explaining everything to us the class dynamics and how we can support the teachers.

In the classes, students have very different levels and educational needs. This is where we can be very helpful, as teachers do not always have enough time for students who cannot keep up.

We also help with group activities, exam preparation, games, and sports. We are free to suggest activities, and we usually plan educational games so that children can learn while having fun.

Here is a photo of a science project by Grade 7 students, where they worked on understanding different machines and created their own project.

In the afternoons, our work takes place in two different areas, depending on the day.

On one hand, we have Permaculture, where our teachers Farid and Antoine have taught us about this concept. We help by cleaning the garden area and building, with our own hands (something I never thought I could do), a small house to store compost.

With them, we also learn many things about ecology, agriculture, and the role of human beings in the world.

Although the work is tiring due to the weather, we are sure it will be worth it.

On the other hand, we have humanitarian work, which I would say is what I enjoy the most. It is intense and exhausting but also very rewarding.

This week, we distributed a total of 73 food packages for vulnerable communities.

We prepare the packages from the beginning, usually after dinner when it is cooler. The bags contain rice, legumes, sugar, salt, oil, vegetables, and fruits.The next day, we all go together in a van to distribute the food.

As part of this program, we also helped plant fruit trees at a local school.

And the best part: Last Sunday, we had the visit of 100 children from an orphanage. We organized a festival for them, where they enjoyed different workshops: bracelets, art, cooking, drums… I led the bracelet workshop, and it was very special. The girls were very attentive. After lunch came the most fun part face painting and team games, where everyone received a small prize or medal. It was truly an unforgettable day that I will carry in my heart.

These first weeks have been intense and exhausting, but we are learning a lot. We are giving our best and creating very meaningful and rewarding activities.

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Ahh.project24@gmail.com

Fatma Sümeyye Şahin

Çengelköy, Kalantor Sk. No:6 Üsküdar/İstanbul

Project Coordinator

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+90 551 256 52 46