Maasai Girls Rescue House & Empowerment

location
4 - 12 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+

rating  Brilliant 4.7  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Good response rate

Highlights

  • Experience a life changing cultural journey to Africa.
  • Gain perspective of how developing nations keep their cultures alive in our modern fast changing world.
  • Become more passionate about social care and gain a sense of community!

Highlights

  • Experience a life changing cultural journey to Africa.
  • Gain perspective of how developing nations keep their cultures alive in our modern fast changing world.
  • Become more passionate about social care and gain a sense of community!
  • Make memories you will never forget with people from all over the world sharing your experience with you.
  • See some of the most incredible nature scenes in the world including Kilimanjaro, Mount Meru, Hot Springs, waterfalls and so much more.


  • Especially good for

    Age 18+
    Singles
    Couples
    Families
    Groups
    50+

    About the program

    Join to help this incredible NGO provide empowerment to Maasai girls in Tanzania rescued from forced early marriage and FGM get safety and finish their education.

    The NGO we have collaborated with is a non-partisan, multisectoral development initiative with good collaboration with local government. The NGO was founded nearly 20 years by a Tanzanian woman an active advocate in the Maasai empowerment groups to end FGM practice and sits on several Health Boards. ..

    About the program

    The NGO we have collaborated with is a non-partisan, multisectoral development initiative with good collaboration with local government. The NGO was founded nearly 20 years by a Tanzanian woman an active advocate in the Maasai empowerment groups to end FGM practice and sits on several Health Boards. Interlinking with government bodies is a key element to their ability to provide cross agency support without coming across bureaucratic issues as well as resistance from conservative opposers who do not support the change to cultural practice.

    They provide a holistic approach to supporting Maasai women and girls, providing medical, educational, empowerment support as well as a rescue home for those that need to be sheltered. 

    What they do: 

    • The NGO provides a rescue home for any Maasai girls who needs to flee hardship in their villages by refusing forced marriage or FGM.

    • Healthcare education and community awareness: 

      • They go out to hard to reach Maasai villages to provide mobile clinics for expectant mothers, new mothers and women who have health complications from female genital mutliation (FGM)

      • They service pregnant women and new mothers in the Maasai catchment area through their reproductive and child health service

      • They provide a Youth Friendly Service which is a department teenage girls can privately receive support, treatment and/or contraceptive/family planning services

    • They have started a women’s empowerment group aimed at eliminating female genital mutilation (FGM) practice from rural villages. 

      • The group has stopped or saved over 200 girls from being mutilated

      • They provide a safe haven and medical support to women and girls who have suffered severe complications after giving birth due to FGM i.e severe tears, emergency caesarians, hypovolemia, fistula’s, psychological trauma.

      • The group supports mothers who do not want their daughter to go through generational trauma of FGM or forced marriage by defending and advocating for them when they are harassed or assaulted for helping their daughters escape.

      • The group advocates and provides a defensive network for Maasai young girls and women who need to escape Forced or Child Marriage

    Your role as a volunteer:

    Volunteer to provide your time and talents to the foundation. As a Siret Volunteer, you will be mainly working at the Rescue House helping provide support to this NGO which delivers training, legal support to train women about their rights, development, basic education, basic reading and writing. You will also have the opportunity to experience their simple and rural way of life. 

    Your main objectives will be:

    • Support the foundation to help with the functionings of the rescue home
    • Help with the daily running of the rescue house with the same duties as the girls: cleaning, cooking, baby care, helping to organise the day's schedule, food shopping and organising the week's work.
    • Training workshops and support sessions: English language classes and other important remedial classes
    • Support the life counselling work run by the foundation staff which encourages the women to gain empowerment and independence
    • Provide your time and skills to stimulate the women's curiosity for learning and social development
    • NGO management: You role as a volunteer will be to provide extra overall support of the rescue home and empowerment program for the women.This great opportunity will mean an amazing cultural exchange experience for you and a brighter opportunity for the community.



    Typical day

    Your typical day will usually begin very early, supporting the safe house to prepare for the day. You will be assigned to a specific group of girls to work with with a goal orientated plan to work on, depending on the skills or support you will be providing. Your day can be either very hectic and ...

    Typical day

    Your typical day will usually begin very early, supporting the safe house to prepare for the day. You will be assigned to a specific group of girls to work with with a goal orientated plan to work on, depending on the skills or support you will be providing. Your day can be either very hectic and extremely challenging or slow and very quiet. You will need to be motivated, resilient and work well in a team in order to get the best out of your experience. 

    What will your schedule look like?
    07:00 Breakfast
    08:00 Report to placement
    12:00-13:00 Lunch Break
    15:00 Placement ends

    The rest of the day will be yours to relax and enjoy what the town has to offer you!


    Free-time activities

    Arusha provides an array of activities to get involved in during your free time. Explore the numerous walking trails, enjoy the large amount of cafe's bistro's and local food in town. There is a newly built mall in the town centre which also now has a cinema complex and more places to relax. There ...

    Free-time activities

    Arusha provides an array of activities to get involved in during your free time. Explore the numerous walking trails, enjoy the large amount of cafe's bistro's and local food in town. There is a newly built mall in the town centre which also now has a cinema complex and more places to relax. There is a vibrant night life on most evenings in Arusha, whether you want to enjoy a quiet drink, watch outdoor cinema or go dancing. 

    Siret Trip Adventures provide a unique opportunity for our special volunteers to experience more of Africa's beauty. Take a scenic weekend walking tour of the lush rolling foothills of Mt Meru or a breathtaking day trips to some the world's most admired national reserves. Arusha is packed with opportunity to experience unique and unforgettable outdoor adventures. 

    What else is there to do?

    • There are endless possibilities. Most volunteers rave about climbing Kilimanjaro. This usually takes about a week, so ensure you organise this with us before you arrive. Take advantage of this amazing tourist treasure.
    • Hot springs
    • An oasis in the middle of a barren landscape. The hot springs are truly magnificent. This can be organised as a day trip at any time. 
    • The Waterfalls
    • Another hot favourite. Hiking across lush vegetation to the spectacular waterfalls.
    • Safari
    Ah yes, what Tanzania is world famous for. Safari is once in a lifetime adventure that is unique to the Africa experience. Unforgettable and jaw dropping landscapes is what is promised. This will need you to sacrifice some days, so please ensure you organise this long in advance. 

    Tour packages, Safari's and cultural experiences are all available. 


    Requirements

    Requirements

    Minimum Age: 18 years

    In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

    Language Skills

    You need to speak English (basic level)

    Criminal Background Check

    required

    Required Documents

    CV or Personal Statement

    Nationality Restrictions

    No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

    Other Skills

    Desire to work with people in the community, social development, team work. The skills and talents you provide will be dependent on you!

    Time Commitment

    Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 09:00 - 15:00

    What's Included

    What's Included

    Services by Siret Volunteers

    • Placement Donation
    • Volunteer placement facilitation-full program scheduling 
    • Placement supervision
    • Pre-arrival support & preparation of your project/work placement
    • Airport pick up 
    • Orientation (usually begins on a Monday
    • Accommodation Room & Board (Breakfast & Dinner)
    • Housekeeping
    • Free Wifi
    • Daily in-person availability of coordinators
    • Donation to your project
    • EXCLUDES
      • Airport transport on departure (can be arranged)
      • VISA and PERMIT fees

    Airport Pickup at Arusha Airport

    Pick up points:

    • Arusha Airport
    • Kilimanjaro Airport 
    • Arusha bus stands

    Accommodation

    Our volunteers stay in a newly refurbished volunteer house with modern amenities for a comfortable guest house experience.

    • Conveniently located in town
    • Housekeeping daily
    • Hot showers
    • WiFi
    • Gated security with electric fencing and intercom entry
    • Overnight security guard

    Private double bedrooms available on request.

    Food & Beverages

    Breakfast and Dinner

    • Continental breakfast with, eggs, toast, variety of fruit! Coffee & Tea.
    • Dinner Mondays to Fridays. Kitchen facilities available at weekends.
    • We have a filtered water cold/hot water dispenser to save on buying bottled water and make sure you keep hydrated with clean and safe water!

    And of course the kitchen is yours to use! We have a fabulous chef who can guide you to local supermarkets if you want to buy your own personal food and snacks!

    During orientation you will be shown tasty and affordable places to get lunch during your work day. You will have a good variety of local and western food places. There are amazing cafe's, bistro's and affordable western restaurants to enjoy a burger, salad, seafood etc!

    Internet Access

    Good access at the project site

    What's NOT included?

    What's NOT included?

    Flight Tickets

    The nearest airport is Arusha Airport (ARK) in Arusha. We assist you to find cheap flights to Tanzania. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

    Travel Insurance

    Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Tanzania provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

    Vaccines

    If you are intending to volunteer in Tanzania you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Tanzania. VACCINE CHECKER

    Details on arrival

    Please book according to your arrival/landing date on a Sunday.

    Availability
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

    Program fees

    4 weeks (min. stay) 778€
    6 weeks 1,137€
    8 weeks 1,516€
    10 weeks 1,895€
    12 weeks (max. stay) 2,274€
    Average fees 192€/week

    Program fees

    192€ per week 4 - 12 weeks Age 18 - 50+

    Payment methods

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    NO CREDIT CARD FEES


    Duration

    4 - 12 weeks

    Deposit

    The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.


    Final Payment

    Your final payment will be agreed with Siret Volunteers during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


    Meet your organization

    Siret Volunteers

    Brilliant 4.7 rating (24 reviews)

    Agency - founded in 2019

    Verified by Volunteer World

      Good response rate

    Coordinated by

    Pearl

    Spoken languages: English

    About the project

    Siret Volunteers aims to connect volunteers to meaningful projects. We offer volunteering in orphanages, education, community and hospitals.

    Meet your organization

    Who we are

    Siret Volunteers is a volunteer organisation based in Arusha Tanzania, aiming to bring people together to help disadvantaged people in the local community find better opportunities. Through working together in social projects, the aim is to uplift impoverished parts of the community through meaningful projects and share the beautiful culture of Tanzania through meaningful travel.

    What we do

    Siret Volunteer place motivated and enthusiastic volunteers from different parts of the world in projects that they are most passionate about. We are excited to introduce our vibrant and diverse culture to people from across the world. 

    Our Projects

    Most of Siret Volunteer's projects are placed in and around Arusha region, Tanzania. 

    Our Mission

    Our vision is to bring people from different cultures together with the aim to uplift less fortunate people within out community. We want to show the power of diversity, sharing and caring for one another can make a big difference in people's lives. 

    Who we look for

    We are open to all types of volunteers to simply bring their passion for making a difference, enthusiasm for travel and open minded attitude to work on our projects. Everyone, whether they have specific skill or not, has something to contribute.

    Why Siret Volunteers

    With huge amount of travel and volunteer organisation experience, Siret Volunteer is run by people who know and care about community projects and meaningful travel. Our founding director has 10+ years in safari, tourism and climbing experience and has many years working with volunteers in Arusha as coordinator. He is welcoming, warm and very proud to share his culture with you."

    24 reviews · rating4.7

    I applied for the woman empowerment project and had the chance to work with Maasai Girls rescue house and empowerment organization. I mainly worked with the rescue center but also had chances to do some outreaches. I actually enjoy my time spent in Arusha, it’s better than what I expected ...
    The Maasai girls rescue house is run by a NGO called HIMD. As far as I’m aware, Siret allocates different volunteers to various NGO’s, and this is one of them. The rescue house provides the girls a place of safety as well as an opportunity to further their education. However, this is very ...
    Noémie and Samuel rating5

    2024 at Children's Center Assistant

    Bonjour Pearl, j’espère que tout vas bien, nous sommes bien arrivé à zanzibar et c’est le cœur lourd que nous vous avons quitté… nous tenions à vous faire un retour de notre investissement à l’orphelinat. Nous avons ramener de France un maximum d’affaire scolaire pour les enfants, ...
    Fabienne Klein rating4.2

    2024 at Baby Care & Early Years Development Worker

    My volunteer work was a wonderful and exciting adventure. Of curse, at the beginning it was really difficult und challenging but with the great support of Siret Volunteers (Pearl, Scolla, Anna, Mariam, Asha, Kombo and Emmanuel) and the other lovely volunteers from the hostel you quickly got used to ...
    Noémie VAISSE rating3.6

    2024 at Children's Center Assistant

    Nous avons passé 4 semaines avec siret pour une mission dans un orphelinat, la maison d’accueil dès volontaire est presque luxueuse a coter des conditions de vie des locaux, le personnel de maison est très à l’écoute (surtout meryam), nous avons apporté le plus de notre temps et de nos ...
    Eve Murphy rating5

    2023 at Children's Special Needs Support

    Had an amazing experience with siret volunteers volunteering in a special needs classroom in Arusha. The hostel/food/support and most importantly the kids and teacher in the school were amazing! The kids were so great-full for any attention and it was extremely heart warming. Would love to come back ...

    Location


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      Good response rate
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