4 - 26 weeks
from € 1.270
Tanzania & Zanzibar

Audio & video production

  • Directly at the sea
  • Many volunteers on site
  • Day tour included

This project is about preserving the culture in Tanzania. Young people are encouraged and enabled to take part in audio and video productions in order to be able to make an important cultural contribution. Music videos are produced and songs from the fields of hip-hop, rap, RnB, bongo flavor and gospel are recorded. Songs composed by the children of the kindergarten are also recorded on site.

Location icon Mtwara
Minimum age icon from 16 years
Icon Duration 4 - 26 weeks / from €1.270
Departure days icon Wednesday, Sunday
SDG 4 - Quality education
Quality education

Ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Project ID : FA-TA368

As a volunteer
Tanzania & Zanzibar

4 - 26 weeks / from €1.270
to the cost overview

What's the matter?

Our local team works closely with other organizations that want to empower the youth of Mtwara in Tanzania to preserve their culture and promote it in audio and video production. Different types of songs are recorded:

  • Hip-Hop
  • Rap
  • RnB
  • Bongo flavor
  • Gospel
  • Songs of kindergarten children

In addition to the songs, music videos and other content, such as films, are produced and events are organized. These include:

  • Open cinema
  • Dance battles
  • Talent shows
  • Open air parties
  • Theater

The focus is on cultural exchange and learning from one another. Everyone can contribute their own ideas, because creativity is very welcome!

In your assignment there is a studio with a voice room, a production room, a waiting room and an office. In the outdoor area there is an open cinema, a theater with a bar and two roof terraces for hosting VIP parties.

The aim of the project is not only to preserve African culture, but also to share it. It should be brought closer to people from all over the world, with the focus on cultural exchange.

Work on creative projects at Audio & Video Project in Tanzania

Your tasks as a volunteer

As a volunteer, the following tasks are involved in this project:

  • Audio production (beat production, writing lyrics, voice covering, mixing)
  • Video production (writing the script, shooting in front of or behind the camera, directing)
  • Event management (DJ, promotion and organization of parties, fashion shows)
  • Cooperation with the Women Empowerment Project (fashion shows, theatre, dances and costume design)

You can get involved in this project wherever you want and feel most comfortable. Events are organized twice a month. Volunteers can always host open cinemas or improve their DJ skills.

As a volunteer, you usually work six to eight hours a day from Monday to Friday. The working hours depend on the respective projects. Sometimes the team starts recording early in the morning - from time to time artists also record songs late into the night. There are four artists on site: a director, a producer and two DJs. The organization is also well connected with all directors, radio stations and artist groups in Mtwara.

Accommodation Catering

Volunteer House in Mtwara

As a volunteer in Mtwara, you will live on a 15.000m² site with various bungalow houses. It depends on the number of volunteers and the time of year where exactly you will be accommodated. Other employees live on the same premises but in different rooms. You can reach your location on foot from all accommodations. WiFi is also available here.

The stone bungalows are equipped with wooden roof terraces and a roof made of bamboo, coconut and metal and are located on small hills in a small village near the city. From the roof terrace you have a great view over the green valley of Mtwara. The accommodation has space for up to 30 volunteers, who are housed separately in the rooms according to gender.

The accommodations have French toilets (no sit-in toilets) and showers with running water, a private fresh water well and a solar powered water pump. You will also find a spring with natural drinking water 100 meters away.

During your time as a volunteer you will receive half board, i.e. breakfast and dinner. You also have the option of using different kitchen spaces for cooking or ordering food such as fries and chicken, salad or fish and drinks.

There is also a sports bar and restaurant, a kindergarten and a music and video studio on the site. The Women Empowerment Project is also in the immediate vicinity.

In about 400 m distance you will find a market, shops, bars and restaurants. It is 500 m to the bus station, 5 km to the city center, 5 to 6 km to clubs and gyms and 7 km to the beach and ferry. If you want to discover Mikindani, the historical side of the place, you have to travel about 15 km. The nearest national park (marine park) is about 40 km away. There is the possibility to rent motorbikes or bicycles and to do tours as well as a boat trip with a local sailing boat.

Between 6am and 00pm it is safe to be outside alone. At night you should only travel in groups and take the transport directly to the house.

Location

Mtwara

Mtwara is located in southeastern Tanzania, near the Mozambique border and just off the Indian Ocean coast. Palm trees and natural sandy beaches characterize the image of the likeable port city. Mtwara used to be a small fishing village. Even today, there is fresh fish every day at the port, which you can enjoy while walking around, fried until crispy! You will certainly find your way around here quickly and enjoy the Tanzanian serenity.

Our RGV location in Mtwara was set up together with our volunteers. In addition to a women's aid project and kindergarten, we also built a small amphitheater and a bar with a concert stage in 2020. Mtwara is the place for cultural exchange - meet people from all over the world!

The city is the perfect location if you like spending time on the beach and want to make new friends. The relaxed atmosphere will definitely have an effect on you too! Hakuna Matata!

Your free time in Mtwara

Mtwara is located in southern Tanzania on the coast of the Indian Ocean. The former fishing village has developed into a vibrant port city where fishing still plays an important role today. Stroll along the harbor and taste the fresh fish prepared at one of the many stalls.

In addition, the direct location by the sea opens up numerous other leisure activities. For example, take part in a boat tour, explore the colorful underwater world with your diving goggles or relax on the beach in the shade of large palm trees, for example on the natural Shangani Beach.

The city also offers you other exciting opportunities: Stroll through colorful markets where you can buy clothes or traditional products. Stroll along Aga Khan Street, which is lined with old Indian trading houses from the 50s and 60s, or through the nearby historic town of Mikindani - culture enthusiasts will also get their money's worth here. In addition, the lively districts of Majengo and Chikongola are definitely worth a visit! As a rule, the residents of Mtwara are very hospitable and open-minded - let yourself be infected by their friendliness and the relaxed local atmosphere as you explore the city.

You don't necessarily have to walk for all these activities - in Mtwara it is common to explore the town by bike or motorbike. You can also discover the area with the other volunteers by motorbike - for example, take a group trip to the nearby Msimbati Marine Park. This is just before the Mozambique border, on a paradisiacal peninsula lined with beautiful sandy beaches. Here you can experience not only hippos and crocodiles, but also sea turtles, dolphins and humpback whales up close.

Our project site itself also has numerous leisure activities. On the site there is a small amphitheater and a bar with a concert stage. There is also a sports bar/restaurant and a music and video studio. You can meet the other volunteers at all of these locations and benefit significantly from the international exchange. 

During your volunteer work, a day tour with the team and the other volunteers is included, with the exact time being determined on site. On this day you will first go to Montessori Beach, which is located on the Shangau Peninsula. Afterwards you will travel along the coast of Mtwara on a so-called dhow, a traditional African sailing boat, visiting many small islands or the fishing village of Pemba - depending on the tide. In the meantime you will get a strengthening meal, which you can either enjoy on the dhow or on a sandbank. The day ends in historic Mikindani, from where you make your way back to the Student House.

On-site procedure

Arrival in Tanzania

Arrival in Tanzania

For your stay abroad in Tanzania, you fly directly to the coastal city of Dar es Salaam. There you will be picked up and welcomed at the airport by Ester, a team member of our Rainbow Family! After your arrival, she will take you directly to your accommodation so that you can recover from your journey. Your host father Kelvin will welcome you and show you your new temporary home. As soon as you have arrived correctly and have had a good night's sleep, your orientation program begins.

Orientation in Tanzania

Orientation program in Dar es Salaam

Your orientation program starts together with the RGV team in Dar es Salaam. Ester introduces you to the culture and lifestyle of the local people. This will make it easier for you to get used to it. For example, she shows you how to shop at local markets and familiarizes you with the banks and withdrawing money in Dar es Salaam. Ester will also give you valuable tips on safety and hygiene on site. 

Volunteer project in Mtwara

Your first day in the project

As soon as you have familiarized yourself with everything, you can start with your project work. To do this, you will drive to the deployment site together with one of our team members the next day. You get to know your contacts there and become familiar with the area. Depending on how much previous knowledge you have and depending on the assessment and needs of the local specialists, you will be slowly introduced to the work or you will soon be assigned your own tasks.

Pricing

  • base fee
    € 1.270, -
    4 weeks of participation
  • extension week
    € 150, - / week
    up to 48 weeks

included
Services

Before departure

  • Individual advice and support from our trained RGV team in Munich
  • Organization including placement in the project and coordination of your stay on site
  • Assistance with preparation: visa, health care, travel insurance, etc.
  • Non-binding flight advice
  • Travel ABC with packing list for your travel preparation
  • RGV t-shirt

On site

  • Orientation program with the team on site
  • Support and guidance from the on-site team
  • RGV 24h emergency number
  • Project t-shirt to wear during on-site activities
  • Airport transfer on the agreed arrival and departure days
  • Accommodation in Volunteer House
  • Meals: Breakfast and dinner
  • Local SIM card with 2 GB data volume (one-time, deposit required)
  • Impressive day tour

After return

  • Participation confirmation of your voluntary commitment
  • Reflection course on your experiences abroad
  • Evaluation sheet and optional feedback discussion
useful additional services

not included
Services

  • Round trip
  • Private expenses on site
  • Excursions with microlight flights
  • Travel and cancellation insurance
  • Visa and Vaccinations
  • All nights outside your agreed accommodation
  • Public transport and extra transfers

Individual Recommended additional offers
& must-haves

Picture must-haves

Would you prefer to stay in a single room? Are you vegan or do you have special requests for food? Or do you want to do some cool trips with other volunteers in your free time and explore the country?

With us, you benefit from a variety of optional additional services that you can add individually to your booking, depending on your preferences.

Flight booking icon
" Round Trip
Cheap flights with our flight partner thanks to volunteer rates.
Flight offers with maximum flexibility

Would you like to receive a cheap flight offer for your stay abroad that is perfectly tailored to you? After you have successfully registered, you can have a non-binding offer created.

The excellent rates for volunteers, students and young people are a great advantage. Arrival times and flight time changes can also be sent directly to RGV upon request, so that our RGV teams in the destination countries are always informed about your arrival times.

These special tariffs give you special added value:

  • maximum flexibility for rebookings and cancellations
  • generous baggage allowance
  • Additional discounts on one-way flights: The new volunteer tariffs include attractive discounts to reduce your financial burden on one-way flights (e.g. for stopovers, project or country combinations).
Insurance icon
" Insurance
Benefit from the 4 in 1 ERGO travel insurance.
The 4 in 1 insurance cover for volunteers and internships abroad

You can easily book the long-term travel protection of ERGO Reiseversicherung after you have registered. You will receive the links to this automatically after a successful registration.

The following building blocks are included:

  • Health Insurance
  • Comfort protection: accident, liability and interruption insurance
  • Travel insurance

Mtwara Team
site

In Tanzania we have a big colorful team, that of Lukas and Flora is conducted. Lukas comes from Tübingen and studied renewable energies. Flora originally comes from northern Tanzania and studied teaching.

Our project locations in Tanzania are spread across the country. During your volunteer work in Tanzania, you will have reliable contact persons at your side at all of our project locations.

The location in Tanzania was set up by our team leader Lukas and he and his team are among the most experienced RGV teams in the world. Lukas normally lives in the RGV Mtwara location. If Lukas is not in Mtwara, Hamisi is your main contact. Tembo is also on site during the day and is available to give you help and advice.

Our RGV team in Mtwara will be happy to help you settle into Tanzanian culture and will give you a warm welcome "Caribou Sana!"

RGV FAQ
to the project

What are the project fees used for?

Although we are a non-profit organization, there are costs associated with volunteering abroad. Find out here, why volunteering requires money and what your project fee is used for.

Which visa do I need for Tanzania?

For Tanzania you need a business visa. You can apply for this either online before your trip or directly upon entry at the airport. It is valid for 90 days and costs around €250. If you enter with a tourist visa, you can convert it into a business visa on site.

Participants from Switzerland must have the visa Globetrotter.ch apply for.

For projects in Arusha, a student visa is sufficient, which must be applied for online in advance and is valid for 90 days. This costs around €50, with a possible additional €200 for a work permit.

You will receive all the necessary documents and further information for the application from us after you register.

What language skills do I need for the project in Tanzania?

In order to be able to communicate well with the team on site, you should definitely have knowledge of English. A Swahili course is also recommended.

What vaccinations/ health precautions do I need?

If you are traveling from a yellow fever area, you need a yellow fever vaccination. Otherwise there are no compulsory vaccinations.

We generally recommend a consultation in a practice for travel and tropical medicine.

You can get general information about recommended health care and vaccinations online Center for Travel Medicine as well as on the side of Foreign Office.

What are the requirements for the project?

Your own ideas are always welcome! No special previous knowledge is necessary.
Interest in audio and video production or event management is important.

What do I have to consider as an LGBTQ person?

Please be aware that homosexual acts are considered undesirable in many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America and are even punishable by law in some places. In general, people who are identified as queer are often exposed to hostility.

For example, get information from Foreign Office about the exact regulations in your destination country.

General FAQ about volunteer work

Ready to volunteer in Tanzania & Zanzibar? Start your adventure abroad with Rainbow Garden Village!

Rainbow Garden Village has been offering volunteer work and internships abroad since 1999. What started as a small student initiative in Ghana has now grown into an organization with over 250 projects around the world.

You can be sure that your work as a volunteer will be an unforgettable experience. Bring your commitment and your knowledge to do good locally - and at the same time benefit from the unique experiences that will promote your personal development.

Become part of our RGV community!
We look forward to you.

RGV Your way
to the volunteer

1
Choose your volunteer project and register online.

2
We will review your application and confirm your participation.

3
Prepare for your assignment online or in our preparatory seminar in Munich.

4
Here we go! During your volunteer work, we will support you at any time with our on-site team.

Gallery Impressions &
Impressions

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