Field report Ecological House Building in Tanzania

After completing my bachelor's degree, I definitely wanted to travel and see the world again. However, since I felt that traveling alone is not the best way to get to know a country's culture, I decided to work abroad.

Africa has always fascinated me as a continent, so I was looking for a volunteer project in Africa and that's how I came across Rainbow Garden Village. The planning of the stay went without any problems and so I took the plane to Tanzania in the summer.

Living in Mtwara

Although I arrived in Dar Es Salaam at 3am, an RGV employee was already there to pick me up and took me to the transfer house in a Bajaji. It was he who showed me the city the next day and taught me some important things about life in Tanzania (withdraw money, buy a SIM card,...).

The next day we went by bus to Mtwara. The bus was surprisingly comfortable, but it took some getting used to the fact that there was only a 11-minute break during the 10-hour journey. Arriving in Mtwara, Beka and another volunteer were already waiting for me at the bus station and then took me to the student house.

In the accommodation we volunteers lived together with the Tanzanians Beka, Joshua and Tembo who work for RGV. We did a lot with them, whether it was going to the beach, to the market or to a bar in the evening. Overall, the climate in the accommodation was excellent and I got on really well with everyone.

Since we lived in a village, we also got to see real Tanzanian life. The village consisted of small shacks, sandy streets and a few small shops and a market. People were very friendly and always said hello.

Since there were hardly any white people in Mtwara, many people always approached them by name. Overall, the Tanzanians are very warm and always give you the feeling that they are happy to talk to you.

My project

My job consisted of helping to set up an Education Center, which is being built right next to the Student House. There will later be a kindergarten here as well as the already ongoing women empowerment project.

Working on site with the locals, I got to know the Tanzanian culture even better. There are no fixed working hours, and if someone didn't want to work, they just stayed at home. Nevertheless, we made good progress with the construction, especially since the workers, if they know what to do, can work really well.

Conclusion

All in all, it was an incredibly great time in Mtwara, which went by far too quickly. Life in a Tanzanian village had a huge impact on me and I can only recommend everyone to do something like that. The planning with RGV ran without any problems and someone was always available on site. Above all, the fact that you lived with Tanzanians and did a lot with them made your stay unforgettable. The friendliness and openness of the people is very impressive and makes you feel very comfortable there from the first moment!

Experience report ecological house construction in Tanzania, by Daniel F., April 2019