Report on my primary school volunteering in Tanzania

Once on the continent of warmth and wild animals - that has been my dream for a long time. Now the time had finally come and I started my adventure in Tanzania. After a long journey, I arrived at Dar Es Salaam airport, but unfortunately nobody with an RGV t-shirt was there to pick me up.

I was already prepared for the fact that punctuality is not taken very seriously here. Nevertheless, I was glad that after a few tried and tested phone numbers and a three-hour wait, I was finally in a taxi to the transfer house. However, these initial difficulties were the only thing that didn't work out during my stay. After that, my time could really begin.

The life on the spot

My first impressions: warm, colorful, loud, different. But different in a positive sense. Mbae, a small town next to Mtwara, where my student house was located, was scenically beautiful, but kept very simple. Sand paths, small huts and only a small market characterized the streetscape. In Mtwara itself you could find everything you need for everyday life and leisure time on the large market.

My roommates gave me a warm welcome and living with them and the other volunteers was like a big family. We did a lot together, you could always get a tip and get into the Tanzanian culture. The other locals were also interested and open, especially the children always shouted a happy "Hi" to us.

The volunteer work in a primary school

My project work took place in a primary school. A public school that gives education to the children with the lowest standards. Here I taught English every day in the fourth grade. This was not always easy, as my knowledge of Swahili was not sufficient for teaching and the children's knowledge of English is still very limited and some of them are very shy about trying to speak it. So you often had to be patient to get at least an attempt at a correct answer and to explain everything several times.

Even if some difficulties were hidden here, the children were very happy when the lesson was spiced up with balloons to learn colors or an ABC coloring book. The teachers from the college welcomed me very friendly and partly also supported me with translations so that all children really understood the content of the lesson. I enjoyed going to school every day and I think there is still a great need for volunteers to improve their English skills so that the little ones have a good chance of a successful future later on.

Leisure and travel

I had booked both the Zanzibar tour and the Morogoro tour including safari via RGV. Both tours were well organized and were a lot of fun. Whether seeing turtles on the dream island, snorkeling and exploring the old town or observing wild animals in their natural environment in the Mikumi National Park and hiking to a waterfall the next day - experiences that make my time even more unforgettable.

All in all, I really enjoyed my ten weeks in Mtwara, actually they were over much too quickly. The Tanzanian culture is very different in many ways, but that was what was exciting and exciting. The standards can hardly be compared with those in Germany. This opened my eyes once again to the imbalance that still prevails in the world. Getting out of our luxury and reflecting on what really matters is an experience that everyone should have at least once. I would choose this country and this project again and again.

Field report on my primary school volunteering in Tanzania, by Laura W., July 2018