Volunteer Teaching in Tanzania – Zanzibar

Yes, for all participants it is mandatory to have a travel medical insurance. If you do not have a travel insurance, you have the option to purchase the Travel and Medical Insurance at a nominal extra cost from us. To provide the best option to our participants, we offer comprehensive insurance coverage in collaboration with a leading insurance provider. To view details of the insurance policy, please click here

As we have limited spots available in our programs and we follow the first come first serve basis, it is recommended that potential volunteers book their programs well in advance to get confirmed placements. You can book your slot by filling the application form online and pay the application fee. You can pay your program fee later and also, in installments, however, the complete payment should be made 45 days prior the start of the program. If you are volunteering in a group, you can also fill a group application form.

We encourage volunteers to get in touch with former Volunteering Solutions Tanzania program participants and also other program participants joining our projects. You are recommended to join the Volunteering Solutions Facebook Page or Facebook Group and connect with other participants and our team.
To read alumni interviews from past participants, visit, Meet a Volunteer section on our website.

After you complete your application, your personalised ‘My Account’ will be active.You will need to upload your CV/Resume along with your photo in the same. Our backend team and the placement site takes around 10-12 days to review your application. After we review your CV and documents, your booking is confirmed and booking confirmation is updated in your ‘My Account’. Approval of your application depends on your qualification and eligibility criteria for each project as well as availability in the program.

The necessary requirements to participate in the Arusha volunteer projects are as follows:-

All programs have a minimum age for volunteers joining independently. Depending on the program selected, the minimum age is either 17 or 18. For some programs it is possible for volunteers to join below this age if volunteering alongside a parent or guardian.

Volunteers must be in good health, and need to have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment, and should bring energy and enthusiasm to make a difference.

We encourage our participants to volunteer in a group. We take special care in providing you a placement and also customize your itinerary to make sure you get exactly what you are looking for. Also, we can design special group programs for groups of 5 or more. Our programs are designed to be safe, affordable and offer a great group volunteering experience to the volunteers.
In our experience of more than 12+ years we have enabled and facilitated volunteer program placements for student groups- college groups, university groups, high school groups, group of families, group of couples as well as groups of colleagues.

Yes, we will provide you with the Certificate after successful completion of your program. The certificate is provided on request.

If you are planning to come for multiple programs in your trip, you will have to pay the application fees just once. Your application fee is valid for a years time (from the date of application). You will not have to pay the application fees again if you come within the mentioned time frame.For our returning volunteers, $50 discount is provided for the application fee for their next Vol Sol program.

Volunteering Solutions offers volunteer placements in and around the region of Arusha, which is surrounded by some of Africas most famous landscapes and national parks. Situated below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley, it has a mild climate and is close to Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Tarangire National Park, and Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as having its own Arusha National Park on Mount Meru.

All volunteers need to arrive in Tanzania on the mentioned program starting dates, which is usually a Sunday.Volunteers are picked up from the Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) by the in-country coordinator or representative. You will be transferred to the volunteer house accommodation in Arusha followed by an orientation session. Kilimanjaro International Airport is around 50 km drive from Arusha city and it takes around 45 minutes to reach.Volunteers also have an option of arriving in Nairobi and then taking a shuttle bus to Arusha. Pickup will be provided from the bus station. Drive from Nairobi to Arusha takes around 5 hours. This option is chosen by many volunteers. Volunteers should note that airport pickup is not provided from Nairobi airport.

All participants joining the Tanzania volunteer projects, need to apply for the relevant tourist visa at the nearest Tanzanian Embassy or Consulate. Along with the visa application, you need to attach the required supporting documents. Volunteers are provided with the necessary supporting document for their Tanzanian Visa application. More information shall be provided after you become a Volunteering Solutions’ enrolled participant. Participants also have the option to get the visa on arrival at the airport. The tourist visa can be obtained on arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport or at the border when arriving overland.
All volunteers working in Tanzania need to get a Class C Permit while in Tanzania. The Work permit costs $100-200 USD (depending on your program duration) and you will be provided assistance by the local team in Arusha to get the necessary work permit.

Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) has flight connections from Europe and other African destinations. KLM Dutch Airlines, Qatar Airways, Kenya Airways, Condor Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Precision Air and Ethiopian Airlines are the major airlines flying in directly to Kilimanjaro Airport.

Arusha is regarded as the gateway to the popular Northern Safari circuit and attracts tourists from around the world. Arusha is a safe city, however, as in any country around the world, you need to take general precautions for safety. You will be given safety precautions and instructions by your coordinator during the orientation as well as in your Pre-departure handbook after you become an enrolled participant.

We recommend you to consult your physician or travel doctor before traveling to Tanzania. All travelers are required to carry an International Certificate of Vaccination (Yellow Card) to show proof of Yellow Fever immunisation, if travelling from or via a Yellow Fever infected country.

The following vaccinations are recommended for travelers going to Tanzania.

• Yellow Fever
• Hepatitis A and B
• Typhoid
• Rabies

Our in-country coordinator will take you to your placement and introduce you to your project after providing a basic orientation about the program, city, culture etc. You will be provided with the directions for the project from your accommodation and will be briefed about the mode of transport to be used.

Volunteers in Arusha are provided accommodation in a volunteer house/ hostel. The accommodation is centrally located and it is not far from the central part of the town and Arusha clock tower. It is exciting to stay at the volunteer house as you get to meet and interact with other volunteers from around the world. The volunteer house has a guard, a cleaner, and cook who prepares meals for the volunteers. Volunteers share the rooms on the same gender basis. Usually,3-4 volunteers share a room together. Private room upgrades are also available at the accommodation at extra charges. Volunteers are provided with all three meals. Breakfast usually comprises of Tea, Coffee, Bread, Jam, Butter, Eggs and/or Fruits. Lunch and Dinner usually comprise of a mix of Western and local dishes such as vegetables, chicken, rice, spaghetti, meat, and fruits. The dishes can vary on a daily basis and lunch is usually packed for the volunteers or you can eat at the house if you are there.

Yes - please do ensure that you inform the local team about your food preference and they can help ensure you are able to order the best food! Also, please do mention your specific food preference in the application form as well.

Volunteers typically work for around 5-6 hours in a day, for 5 days a week. Depending on the workload every day, working hours can vary. Evenings are free for the volunteers when they can get together and go out for social gatherings, eat out or just relax at the volunteer house. Weekends are free for the volunteers and you can go for short weekend trips.Volunteers go for Safari trips to Serengeti, Tarangire, and Ngorongoro. You can also go for shorter trips to Arusha National Park or Hot Springs outside Arusha. Local sightseeing trips are arranged for the volunteers by the local coordinators. Volunteers are encouraged to explore different places on the weekends and do sightseeing so that you can see as much of the country during your stay in Tanzania.

Your program fee covers your Airport Pickup, Accommodation, Food and In-country Support. You will have to get a work permit, which will cost around $100. The in-country coordinator will guide you about it.
You will need to cover your personal expenses, such as bottled water, local transport, telephone, the internet, shopping, weekend trips etc. However, you should carry around $50-60 per week for your basic personal expenses. This amount can vary and you would need a higher amount if you choose to go on Safari trips. The cost of the safari trips varies between $300- $600 depending on the safari option you choose.
Airport drop is no included in the fee but we can arrange for it at an extra cost of approx $50.

VolSol volunteers usually put 5-6 hours of volunteer work, 5 days a week depending on their program. You will have the weekend for yourself to explore in and around the city. However, volunteers need to be flexible, open minded and understand that work requirements can change on certain occasions.

On arrival in Arusha, you can change your currency to Tanzanian Shillings at the currency exchange shops at the airport. There are several ATMs available and, mostly Visa and Mastercards are accepted. During the orientation, the coordinators would show you the nearest ATM as well as foreign currency exchange shops. Tanzania is mostly a cash-based society and you would need to pay in cash at most of the places you shop. Credit cards are not accepted at many places.

Being at foothills of Mount Meru, the weather in Arusha is extremely pleasant and moderately cold at night. You can carry light jackets.

We can only provide contact details for former volunteers who have consented to having their data shared. However, there is a Facebook group for past and current volunteers which you are welcome to join. There are also hundreds of reviews online from our former volunteers as well as social media posts on Instagram, TikTok and our You Tube Channel.

The best thing to do is join our Facebook group and put up a post detailing your start date, that way you can connect directly with other volunteers joining at the same time as you.

We don’t organize the flights for volunteers, but if you know your arrival date and find other volunteers travelling from the same location, you can book your flights together.

You don’t need to know the local language but you will need some knowledge of English to join our programs in Tanzania, but the level required will depend on the program you choose. For the Childcare and Special Needs programs, you will need a minimum of basic English (A1-A2 in the European Framework for Languages) and for the Teaching and Women’s Empowerment programs, intermediate level English (B1-B2) is required. However, we encourage volunteers to practice their English as much as possible before arrival to get the best out of their volunteer experience.

You can book your slot by filling the online application form and pay the application fee. You can pay your program fee later and also, in installments, however, the complete payment should be made 45 days prior the start of the program. If you are volunteering in a group, you can also fill a group application form. The initial application fee is refunded in the unlikely event that we’re not able to offer you a place on the program, and you have the flexibility to request a change of start date up until the 45 day payment deadline (this is subject to availability for other dates).

Yes! On our application form you can detail the name of the friend(s) or partner you are applying with. You will be placed in the same project and accommodation and in the same dorm (subject to restrictions regarding male and female dorms). There is also the option of a private room upgrade in the volunteer house, subject to availability and the relevant upgrade fee. Please enquire with our team regarding prices and availability.

We will refund your application fee if the program isn’t available after you have applied.

For individual volunteers:

You will arrive on the same start date as other volunteers joining at the same time and will be part of a cohort for your program. This means you’ll share the same orientation day, accommodation, and overall experience; a great way to meet new people and make friends from around the world. The best time to join if you want to meet lots of other volunteers is July and August as these are the most popular months.

For groups:
If you already have a group, we also accept applications from university and college groups, high school groups, corporate teams, families, and groups of friends. Your group can fill in our Group Application Form, providing details such as the number of participants, preferred duration, budget, and destination. We take special care in providing your group with a placement that best suits your goals, and we can customise your itinerary to ensure you get exactly the experience you’re looking for. For groups of five or more, we can even design special group programs that combine meaningful volunteer work with cultural immersion and travel opportunities. All our programs, whether individual or group, are designed to be safe, affordable, and rewarding, offering every volunteer a memorable and impactful experience

A Volunteering Solutions oferece oportunidades de voluntariado em Arusha e arredores, uma região cercada por algumas das paisagens e parques nacionais mais famosos da África. Situada abaixo do Monte Meru, na extremidade leste do Vale do Rift, Arusha possui um clima ameno e fica próxima ao Serengeti, à Cratera de Ngorongoro, ao Lago Manyara, ao Parque Nacional de Tarangire e ao Monte Kilimanjaro, além de ter seu próprio Parque Nacional de Arusha no Monte Meru.