About the project
![Image by Oladimeji Odunsi](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_7455556d52383270713638~mv2_d_2452_3065_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_357,h_446,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/nsplsh_7455556d52383270713638~mv2_d_2452_3065_s_4_2.jpg)
Women's Empowerment
Join to help this incredible NGO that provides empowerment to women in Tanzania to build their dreams, goals and careers. Volunteer to help continue this amazing project!
Age requirement: 18 years +
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Number of volunteers: Solo individuals, Groups & Families are welcome.
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Duration: From 4 weeks to 6 months.
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Start date: No specific start date, start at any time during the year.
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Fees:
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$75 registration fee
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$190 per week
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Includes accommodation​
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Placement preparation
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Airport pick up + drop off
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Free 1 hour Swahili Language class with an experience professional instructor
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"Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise."-Maya Angelou
Our Solution
"It takes a village..."-African Proverb
So what exactly is it like to volunteer?
Volunteering is a fantastic way to travel abroad, give back to people who are in need and develop yourself as a person.
The experience you will get from giving up your time and care for others, will be like no other. You WILL make a huge difference and uplift those around you, as long as you stay motivated on your mission, positive and focused.
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Why Tanzania?
Tanzania is a bright, beautiful and amazing country to visit. That is why thousands of travellers pass through every year. It's capital Dar es Salaam sits on a breathtaking coastline, an hour from paradise island of Zanzibar. In the north, Arusha sits under the shadows of the great Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru. Tanzania is home to many famous Safari parks and game reserves where people from all over the world come to visit the spectacular wildlife. The people are warm and gracious and nothing makes them happier than welcoming you to their country. Tanzania is multicultural and has hundreds of various tribes and ethnicities, it's most famous being the nomadic Maasai tribe. Rich in culture and stunning to see, it really is an exciting part of Africa to visit.
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The project is a community and social welfare support for single women and single mother's in vulnerable situations.
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They provide a safe space for women who have been left widowed
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Women are a vulnerable group in Tanzania, often losing protection, safety and financial security when their husband who is usually the provider dies
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Widows often fall into conflict with in laws about land, property and can lose their homes and any property to in-laws without knowing their inheritance rights
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This has left many homeless and destitute, begging on the streets for help. This is not an uncommon occurrence nationwide.
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They provide counselling and legal aid for widows who are left in the worst situations
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It is not uncommon for widows to have caught HIV from their husbands who have died from AIDS; resulting in shame and social stigma in their communities. They also provide counselling and support groups for these women.
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A fully functional vocational training centre and welfare office
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Vocational training classes are provided to allow women who previously relied on their partners for financial support to become independent
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Vocational classes include tailoring, soap making and micro business/entrepreneurship training
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They also provide home visits for women too sick to leave their homes; providing them check-in’s and food assistance packages when funds are available
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They have started a women’s empowerment group aimed at economic empowerment
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They encourage the women to become economically independent and empowered and rely on their own skills to make a living
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They heavily promote self reliance and entrepreneurship
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The Village Bank
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The women belong to their microfinancing program which allows them to lend and borrow money privately to each other without any interest rates. This has been particularly successful with over 63 women having directly benefited from this program. Women have pulled themselves out of debt, started small businesses and helped their children through difficult times. Over 4 million TSH has been raised and borrowed in the past 90 days, showing the impact and success of this program.
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Children’s Daycare
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They run a nursery and daycare centre that has provided the children of their women a safe place to leave their children.
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The children receive pre-school classes, play time, meals and transportation
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The centre provides full time employment for salaried teachers
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Current Needs:
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A larger space to be able to include more women who are currently in need
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Funds to graduate women who have completed their vocational training course
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More trained staff to provide social welfare/home visits to women in their projects
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Equipment:
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One/two laptops to continue their fundraising efforts and awareness work
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Laptops also provide a way for them to document their information and keep track of data and records which they already are very competent at doing
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Donations and sponsor support.
They have already managed to begin an excellent grass roots project on minimal resources and local community support. The work they are already doing will be magnified intensely by financial donor support.
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Donations to create a bigger space for the vocation and micro business training
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New working equipment for the women: soap making; reusable sanitary pads; tailoring; children’s day care
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School sponsorships uniform, books, hygiene products
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More teaching staff at the children’s day care
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Volunteer Role:
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Skilled volunteers: social work; global development; business administration; teaching and women’s educational development
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Social Work volunteers: These would be volunteers who could provide intervention and training in social care. This work would include providing care plans for the women, support during home visits and sustainable goals for the project.
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Crucially these volunteers could also provide training, contribute ideas and knowledge to the assistance programs.
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Office administration: These volunteers could help to organise their information and resources. Help to create awareness campaigns and connect to sponsors/donors.
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Vocational development volunteers: These volunteers could work alongside bilingual local teachers to help provide the women with specific skills classes that would help their viable micro business ideas that are feasible in Arusha, Tanzania marketplace.
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​Tailoring: Design and Textiles field
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Helping with small/micro business start ups
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Helping the women manage their small businesses or entering new jobs
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What you can do!
Volunteer to provide your time and talents to the foundation. As a Siret Volunteer, you will be helping provide basic reading and writing within the community.
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Help with the daily running of the centre to provide support, training and access to counselling and social care
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Support the life counselling work run by the foundation staff which encourages the girls to learn to cope with their pasts and look after the psychological well being
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Provide your time and skills to stimulate their young women's learning, independence and social development
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Make any donations directly to the foundation to keep it's vital work running.
You role as a volunteer will be to provide extra reading and writing classes within the community, especially to those who don't have the chance to or cannot afford to attend regular local school. This great opportunity will mean an amazing cultural exchange experience for you and a brighter opportunity for the community.
Important VISA & Permit Information
You will be required to pay a for a VISA & Permit for voluntary work assignment. Please enquire for details.
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Your stay
Please note we now have 3 hostels: Siret Sakina Hostel, Siret Sakina Kwa Iddi and Siret Hostel. We will place you according to proximity or commute to their placement and space.
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You will stay with other volunteers like you in a newly refurbished guesthouse in Arusha. Providing safe, clean and comfortable accommodation, comfortable bedding, excellent breakfast and dinner and housekeeping. This will be a quiet and friendly neighbourhood only 15 minutes from the main hustle and bustle of town. You will have 24 hour gated security, a domestic/cook (who will happily do your laundry for a small fee) and a coordinator who will ensure you settle in quickly and comfortably into your new town. This is a shared home where you will be staying with other volunteers and guests from across the world, so you will never be on your own in your new environment. The house is impeccably clean, well kept, modern and spacious.
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Important VISA & Permit Information
You will be required to pay for a VISA prior to arrival. Please enquire for details.
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What about COVID 19?
Tanzania has received the safe travel stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (See here) in the wake of the current pandemic. Aside from that, you will receive safety guidance and protocol once you have registered with us.
About the project
![e07a0a20-6bea-4628-a921-65c585a2322c.v1.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6c0e39_8041b8e6f77948cf98069b3f4443bdcf~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_482,h_858,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/e07a0a20-6bea-4628-a921-65c585a2322c_v1.jpg)