Panos Education Support Organization

Instead of directly jumping into the trip, start planning the essential elements of your journey. Firstly, identify the core reason to decide on volunteering, in what sector you want to proceed, like healthcare, education, community development, sustainable conservation practices, etc. 

Next, start searching for organisations working in that sector. Look for an organisation that does ethical volunteering, keeping in mind not to disrespect anyone. 

When you finally select one of the organisations, the next step is to plan the logistics part, like flights, trains, buses, stay, and other finance-related things. You may not be precisely correct in determining the entire finances required, but you can still plan a budget for the volunteering. 

For volunteer work in Tanzania for a time period of 1-3 months, you will require an ordinary visa costing USD $50 for other nationalities and USD $100 for American passport holders. You can avail this at the airport or at the border crossing in Tanzania. You can also purchase this online through this website. This process might take 2-3 weeks.

You can have the following types of visa based on your situation:

• Ordinary visa A6 for the volunteers.
• Student visa C2 for students.
• Student visa C1 for interns. 
• These visas are non-renewable.
• To finalise your volunteering in Africa, you need to have the following things with you upon arrival in Tanzania:

Hostel Hoff provides an invitation to you after you confirm your volunteering with us. 

The USD $50 payment will only be valid for 1-3 months.

You will also receive a copy of our registration certificate after you confirm your volunteering with us. 

The government of Tanzania finalises the visa payment, which is compulsory. If you want a visa for more than 3 months, then email Hostel Hoff and enquire about the requirements for the visa. 

You are planning to help others in Tanzania, but for that, you must be safe yourself first. Tanzania is very prone to malaria and diseases related to mosquitoes. Consult with a travel clinic and take specific medications for the yellow fever, hepatitis A/B, etc. 

Opt for travel insurance so that you can evacuate the place immediately if it does not suit you well. Pack a basic first aid kit containing all the required medications and make sure you are prepared for all kinds of medical emergencies. 

Tanzania is not a highly priced place. You can also manage on a low budget. Volunteering hostels like Hostel Hoff take care that when a volunteer visits Tanzania, they should not spend more on the basic amenities like food and the stay. So, they provide a stay at a minimal price range. Well, the budget actually depends on the duration of your stay. 

• A minimum of 1 month stay is required, but in the quiet times, shorter stays can also be considered. The pricing structure of the rooms in Hostel Hoff is as follows:
• For shorter stays(less than 3 months), the charges will vary every month. The first month’s charges will be a bit more.
• For more extended stays(more than 3 months), you will be charged a flat rate for the entire stay.
• Sharing rooms, double bedrooms, and twin private bedrooms are available, and you will be charged an additional fee for that. But that solely depends on the availability of the rooms. 
• The amount covers a bed, breakfast, dinner, and daily laundry. 
• If you feel uncomfortable with our food style, you can request a vegetarian menu or any special menu. 

The amount you pay also includes a bed levy fee. Anyone seeking a volunteering opportunity in Tanzania can contact Hostel Hoff for the stay and food facilities. 

You will experience a fantastic stay in Tanzania for volunteering purposes. Organisations like Hostel Hoff provide good and safe facilities, charging a minimal amount. Along with food and stay, these organisations also help the volunteers to understand the place, people, their religion, culture, and help them wherever they get stuck or face difficulty.

We provide shared rooms where you can share your rooms with other volunteers from different countries, and make new friends. It is a different experience, as you can learn a lot about different countries that you have never visited before. You can also opt for the double or twin bedrooms, which have a higher price than the shared ones. Special food requests can be made, if you want. 

People in Tanzania are friendly and welcoming. They are very open to meeting and greeting new people, learn from them. There are no rules to follow when you are in Tanzania, but a few things need to be considered before you visit Tanzania for the first time:

• When you go out to meet the local people, ask the coordinator how to greet people there, because generally, the people there do not do handshakes. The local people are very fond of touching, so keep that in mind. 
• Tanzania is a foreign place, so the traditions and culture will be different. Respect the people and their culture, do not raise questions that may hurt the emotions of the locals. Ask them to explain their traditions and cultures politely. 
• Try learning a few words in their local language, Swahili, to form better bonds with the locals. 
• Never waste the food served to you, as people don’t like wastage. 

Swahili, the heart of Tanzania, is the language spoken there. The native language of every place is a part of its entire culture. To get to the soul of the country, Swahili is a good choice as you can establish better connectivity with the local people, and even they will feel comfortable speaking to you. You can discover more about the language from the blog, The benefits of learning Swahili while volunteering in Tanzania.

The majority of the population speaks Swahili, but English also comes into play in government offices, diplomacy, business, and higher education sectors. The primary schools teach in Swahili, but in the secondary schools, everything is done in English. So, the kids need to learn English from a young age so that they do not face a lot of difficulties when they go to secondary school. 

• Moshi City in Tanzania is a safe city for most people and even solo travellers. 
• With a welcoming nature and a medium-sized town, Moshi has volunteering organisations like the Hostel Hoff. Although Tanzania is a safe place to visit, there are a few things that need to be taken care of and mentioned here:
• You need to take care of your things and protect them from getting lost.
• Avoid being out in the dark alone on darker roads. 
• The Tanzanian people treat the volunteers like celebrities and call the volunteers “Mzungu”(white people) and hope that the volunteers will wave them back. 

• Moshi City in Tanzania is a safe city for most people and even solo travellers. 
• With a welcoming nature and a medium-sized town, Moshi has volunteering organisations like the Hostel Hoff. Although Tanzania is a safe place to visit, there are a few things that need to be taken care of and mentioned here:
• You need to take care of your things and protect them from getting lost.
• Avoid being out in the dark alone on darker roads. 
• The Tanzanian people treat the volunteers like celebrities and call the volunteers “Mzungu”(white people) and hope that the volunteers will wave them back. 

Here is a list of the essentials you have to pack for volunteering in Tanzania:

• Tanzania has a tropical climate and hence pack clothes that are comfortable and cotton. 
• Make sure you carry mosquito repellents with you so that you can be safe from mosquitoes and the diseases caused by mosquitoes.
• Carry essentials like sunglasses, sunscreen, etc, to protect yourself from the heat. 
• Carry the VISA and passport with you and keep them in a safe place. 
• Carry basic medicines with you so that you can treat yourself for minor problems like headaches and gastric problems. 

Tanzania is a very friendly place, and you are going to make a lot of good memories when you volunteer there. You will explore a lot, make a meaningful contribution, learn a lot and make bonds for life with other volunteers. The rich culture and the nature, everything is unique and attracts volunteers across the world.