Your Stay
This could
very much be your first time in Tanzania, hence we will send you Swahili learning
information prior arrival to help you with basic swahili. Once in country, you
are picked up at the airport and taken to your accommodation. You receive three
meals a day whilst on the project, and your accommodation is included too-
either in group lodgings or you can choose to homestay with a Tanzanian family,
which is a great way to really immerse yourself in the culture. The local
KiVolEx team, including graduates with degrees in social work, medical and project management, are on hand 24/7 to
help you get the most out of your project. From tours of the city, to being
constantly on call to answer your questions, to helping you book onward travel,
we will look after you in country, because you will be a valued part of our
team whilst working with us
About Tanzania
With such a
perfect location, perched on the edge of the African continent, and facing the
Indian Ocean, Tanzania’s weather and climate leaves nothing to be desired. Warm
and sunny days are followed by cool and balmy nights, and whether you’re on
safari on the Serengeti plains or enjoying the tropical beaches of Zanzibar,
the temperatures are always welcoming and gentle.
Location:
Situated in East Africa just south of the equator, mainland Tanzania lies
between the area of the great lakes—Victoria, Tanganyika, and Malawi
(Nyassa)—and the Indian Ocean. It contains a total area of 945,087 sq km
(364,900 sq mi), including 59,050 sq km (22,799 sq mi) of inland water.
Comparatively, the area occupied by Tanzania is slightly larger than twice the
size of the state of California. It is bounded on the North by Uganda and
Kenya, on the East by the Indian Ocean, on the South by Mozambique and Malawi,
on the South West by Zambia, and on the West by Zaire, Burundi, and Rwanda,
with a total boundary length of 4,826 km (2,999 mi), of which 1,424 km (885 mi)
is coastline. Tanzania claims part of Lake Malawi, although its internationally
recognized boundary is the eastern shore.
Population: 50,483,923 inhabitants
Capital
city: Located in the heartland of Tanzania, Dodoma is the nation’s new official
political capital and the seat of government in the country. Today Dar es Salaam
remains the principal commercial city of Tanzania and the de-facto seat of most
government institutions. It is the major seaport for the country and its
landlocked neighbours.
Ethnic
Groups: Mainland-native Africans constitute 99% of the total population. About
120 peoples have been categorized into 5 ethnic groups distinguishable by their
physical characteristics and languages. Approximately 95% of Tanzanians may be
roughly classified as Bantu, a comparatively recent blend mainly of Hamitic and
Negroid stocks. Tribes range in membership from only a few thousand to the
Sukuma tribe, which numbers more than 2 million. Other major tribes include the
Nyamwezi, Makonde, Haya, and Chagga. The Luo, east of Lake Victoria, are the
only people of Nilotic origin; the Masai of the northern highlands are
Nilo-Hamites. A very small number of Bushmen-like people are scattered
throughout northern Tanzania, where small tribes of Cushitic origin also live.
The inhabitants of Zanzibar and Pemba are chiefly descendants of mainland Africans
or are of mixed African and Arab extraction. The remaining 1% of the populace
is made up of non-Africans, including Arabs, Asians, and Europeans.
Languages:
The official languages of Tanzania are English and Kiswahili. However, some 120
languages are spoken within the borders of Tanzania. The large majority of
these (ca. 100) are Bantu languages. The others belong to the language families
Afro-Asiatic, Nilo-Saharan and (controversially) also Khoesan. A small number
are unclassified. Immigrant languages from Europe and Asia can also be found.
Religion: Christianity and Islam are the
predominant religions of Tanzania. About 40-45% of the population practice
Christianity, about 35-40% practice Islam. The rest of the population adheres
to traditional beliefs, most of which centre around ancestor worship and
nature-based animism. Most Christians live on the mainland, where missionary
stations and schools reach deep into the continent. Islam is the major religion
of the coastal areas but is also practiced further inland along the old caravan
routes.
Transportation within
We will provide you with reliable Taxi drivers phone number,which you could use in case you want to move around. However you could also use Daladala these are buses, public transport that most people use to travel locally on daily basis. There is also an option of using bodaboda these are motorcycles that are used as taxis. Other volunteers choose to walk whoever if you also choose to do so like any other new environment we encourage you to be very careful with thieves and pick pocketing
Visa and Permit
A volunteer is required by the government to pay for a Visa and a permit to be allowed to volunteer in Tanzania. Kindly contact us for more information regarding this.
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