Volunteering in ecological house building in Tanzania

After weeks of planning and preparation, I finally got going at the beginning of January - between high school and university, doing something completely different for 12 weeks!

The trip

Early in the morning we went to the airport and around 22:00 p.m. local time we arrived in Dar es Salaam. As planned I was picked up by Emanuel, we got a SIM card for me and exchanged some money and then took the Bajaji to the Student House.

It's hot and crowded, everyone is in a hurry and nobody cares about red lights or road markings. My first night was quite sleepless due to the heat, in the morning there was white bread with peanut butter and my first bucket shower. Around noon I was picked up again by Emanuel and we drove around the city a bit and got my bus ticket to Mtwara for the next day.

First Impressions

At the beginning I was still of the opinion that I would definitely rebook my flight and fly back earlier than planned, as I believed that I would never find my way around this confusing country on my own. My bus to Mtwara left at 6:00 a.m., it was not easy for us to get to the bus terminal on time, we then had to push our way through the crowd with our luggage and find the right bus in the dark, but everything worked out. Contrary to my expectations, the bus left very punctually, I waved to Emanuel and immediately thought to myself that such fleeting acquaintances and farewells would probably be waiting for me more often now.

The bus ride south was supposed to take about 8 hours, after 11 hours I had arrived. Even if I didn't go to the toilet the whole time and had hardly anything to eat with me, I had imagined the journey and especially the bus to be worse. At the bus station in Mtwara I was welcomed by Tembo and a few others and we drove to the student house.

The Student House

The Student House is located just outside of Mtwara in the village of Mbae and is built on a small hill between palm trees and mud huts. I had seen a video of the Student House beforehand so I knew roughly what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. At the time of my arrival there were two other volunteers and locals Joshua, Beka, Mike and Tembo living there. In the next few days, three more volunteers joined, as well as Henry and two teachers who worked at the school. In addition, the girls from the Women Empowerment Project and the cook were still in the house during the day during the week – so there was always something going on. Thanks to the open and friendly nature of the people in the house, I quickly settled in and felt comfortable.

The project

The construction project took place in the school, which was directly attached to the house at the bottom of the hill. The aim was to complete three more classrooms. During my time on the project, we often needed concrete, so the task was to shovel sand or stones or carry them from A to B in buckets. The whole thing was simply dumped on the ground in a heap, cement and water added and then mixed with shovels. I was always impressed by the strength and endurance of the local workers when it came to getting something done. The work was very physically demanding and we tried to take turns. 

In the afternoon, when all the children had been picked up from school or taken home and we had also finished on the construction site, the six of us usually ate our ugali for lunch together and then went into town with the Daladala or Pikipikis or to one of the many nice ones beaches driven. In Mtwara we were mostly at the baker, juice shop, one of the supermarkets or at the big market where you could buy vegetables, clothes or fabrics the old-fashioned way. With a little practice, you can get along very well with Swahili, get your bearings and negotiate prices for all sorts of things to avoid being ripped off and paying the Mzungu price.

Friendships & free time

We did a lot with the boys who lived in the house with us, because one or the other became real friends! Whether together to the hairdresser, to the local restaurant for rice and beans, to the beach, to the bar or club in the evening or simply to relax on the roof terrace.

There were always excursions on the weekends, whether it was a sailing trip through the Bay of Mikindani, a motorbike trip to Msimbati, wellness at the Old Boma or simply taking the ferry over to the beautiful beach at Msangamkuu. My personal highlight was a 3-day motorcycle tour to Ndanda and on the way back over the Makonde plateau.

After my nine weeks in the project in Mtwara, I traveled around the country for another three weeks. The first week together with Lukas and two other volunteers by car, first to Lake Malawi and from there to Iringa to do the Ruaha Safari there. From Iringa I went alone by bus to Arusha and Moshi and then took the plane to Zanzibar to meet the other volunteers there again. The RGV contacts helped me a lot, so I spent 3 nights in the Student House in Arusha and continued to Moshi with Caroline's help.

Tanzanian relaxation

Basically, people are very helpful. Even if they like to ask for a higher price or are a bit pushy, you can always ask them for help or tips. In this way I got to know many people in different places and, as expected, said goodbye quickly. Of course there is always some risk, but if I hadn't trusted the safari guide in Arusha, the trekking tour guide and the Maasai guide in Moshi or Henry's buddy in Zanzibar, I would have fewer great memories and time and time again probably not found my hotel again.

Looking back, I find it particularly amazing how easy it was for me to change my demands and habits. Cold water, hand washing, a monotonous diet, the toilet situation - all things you can live with. Just like the attitude to life, the Tanzanian relaxation, there is no rush, just live and enjoy life as it comes.

Report from the project Volunteer Ecological House Building by Lona M., May 2019