Join a variety of local building projects in a beautiful rural location, working with a small charity called Village Africa.

About the building projects and your work

In the villages of Yamba and Milingano there are a number of building projects that are being undertaken with the assistance of Village Africa. These are all 'local' projects so volunteers will work closely with local builders, carpenters and labour.

The project you will do depends on what is in progress at the time but ongoing work includes the building and renovation of classrooms, health posts, accommodation and toilets.

You will receive training appropriate to the project and you will work under the supervision of Village Africa staff. Volunteers work Monday to Friday with weekends off to explore the local area.

Click here for more information about the charity Village Africa.

Lifestyle and accommodation

A huge part of the adventure of Tanzania is the environment you will live and work in. The villages are in an extremely beautiful area with a mixture of forest and farmland. There is lots of wildlife including dikdiks, rabbits, chameleons and birds. The people who live here are subsistence farmers and, despite it being fertile, are incredibly poor.

Volunteers live together in simple houses in the village. A housegirl is employed to fetch water, shop, cook and clean and a watchman is employed to oversee the houses at night.

You will soon adapt to the Tanzanian way of life that is dictated by the hours of daylight. With the absence of electricity, waking hours become fairly similar to daylight hours. You will have plenty of free time to relax, enjoy Africa and get to know local people. There are also some great hiking opportunities in the area including viewpoints of Kilimanjaro and the Tanzania/Kenya border, waterfalls and historical caves.

What our volunteers say

"I was posted at the school aiding the regeneration effort of both the toilets and classrooms. These were great projects to be a part of as they will obviously bring so much ongoing benefit to the village. I have been lucky enough to experience rapid progression of these areas during my short stay and had a chance to see the huge amounts that have been accomplished by Village Africa this far, for this I feel very privileged and thankful to those who made it possible." - David

For more views from past volunteers please see our testimonials.

What's included

• Travel advice and assistance
• A comprehensive information booklet
• Pick up and drop off at Tanga
• Transfers to the village
• Local introductions and tours
• Training for the building project, including health & safety
• Accommodation (shared with other volunteers)
• Food (main meals) is included for 2-3 week placements
  
• Ongoing support, help and advice from the Village Africa team
  

What's not included

The following estimates are given as a guide for your budgeting: flights (£450-£600), visa (£38), general living costs (£40-£50 per week), travel insurance.

Benefits

By providing new and renovated buildings there is great benefit to the local community, schools, healthcare and the running of the charity.

You will be helping some of the poorest people in the world and supporting the work that Village Africa is doing.

Challenges

Due to the nature of the project, the work is physically challenging and very tiring!

This is a remote and rural village environment with no running water and electricity.

You should be adaptable to living and working in a group.

Requirements

Volunteers need to be in good health and able to undertake the physical nature of building work.

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.

Next steps and how to apply

Please contact us if you would like to discuss the placement, or go to the how to apply section where you can apply online or download an application form.

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