Amizade Handbook info:
Culture and History
Tanzania will stimulate you on all levels. The beauty and warmth of its people, pleasant climate, and rich culture will constantly amaze you. With this beauty also comes a complex history that includes colonization and extreme poverty. In recent years, Tanzania has been seriously affected by International Monetary Fund and World Bank policies as it struggles to modernize and keep its economy competitive in the global market. Small, rural communities like Karagwe where we will stay are rich in agricultural products but poor in any source of cash income. They are limited by their ability to develop the economy by the lack of paved roads in their district.
For more information on Tanzania, please visit the following websites:
Official Tanzanian website: http://www.tanzania.go.tz/index2E.html
Lonely Planet World Guides: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/africa/tanzania/
Encyclopedia.Com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/section/Tanzania_History.asp
GeographyIQ.Com: http://www.geographyiq.com/countries/tz/Tanzania_map_flag_geography.htm
In country website: http://www.start.co.tz/
Community Background
Amizade volunteers serve in a rural Tanzania community near in Karagwe district in the northwest of the country. The nearest city is Bukoba, which is 2 hours by jeep. Karagwe is a rural area with many towns. We will spend most of our time in Omurushaka near the orphanage we are building and the hospital where we will be working or in Kayanga, the district headquarters. The daily pace is relaxed and community members are very friendly and welcoming. They will be joining in with your service projects. The community is dispersed with houses scattered among banana fields, shambas (gardens associated with the houses) and winding roads. Travel around the community can be done in groups on foot, with farther distances done by hired vehicle, which run all the time through the town.
Members of the community are poor and work primarily as subsistence farmers, for the hospital, or one of the other service providers (Lutheran church, Anglican church, other NGO’s). The standard of living for a typical Tanzanian is much lower compared to developed countries around the world. Without sufficient support from the government, Support services, educational facilities, and the hospital are often under staffed and facilities are in desperate need of repair and renovation.
Climate and Weather
Karagwe has a tropical climate, but the high altitude tempers it. The annual average temperature is 26 degrees C (79 degrees F). Tanzania in the southern hemisphere so in June, it would be their winter. June through August, the temperatures overnight can fall below 70 degrees F so a jacket is useful. Daytime temperatures will vary from mid 70’s F to mid 80’s F. Rainfall pattern is bimodal, with the peak rains falling between September to December and March to May. The period between January and February is the dry spell while June to September is a period of marginal or no rainfall.
Cultural and Recreational Activities
Volunteering in rural Tanzania puts volunteers in the heart of a
fascinating, beautiful community where recreational and cultural
activities abound. Volunteers will visit a local secondary school,
hear local farmers talk about the area, visit local non-profit
organizations, visit a soccer game, and interact with the hospital
and local community. Volunteers are often invited to cultural
events such as church meetings, and other local celebrations.
In the past, the volunteers have gone to visit a rural community
at the Rwandan border on an excursion and shopping for batiks
and other items at the local markets. The local tailors are very
inexpensive and many volunteers have been delighted to order
clothing in local patterns and styles.
Housing
For most Tanzania programs, volunteers will stay in hostels. Cooks will provide three meals a day. The selection of hostels is arranged through Amizade’s on-site staff.
Meals
Eating abroad is an adventure of new tastes, smells, and meals! Since you are living as part of the community, you will have the opportunity to try genuine local dishes. You may be eating the same or similar food regularly if that is the local custom. In Tanzania, you will be eating plentiful amounts of freshly prepared foods including, several varieties of bananas, potatoes, peas, tomatoes, squash, eggplant, peanut sauces, rice, eggs, meat, and delicious coffee and fresh milk. Very little western food is available so bring along snacks if you are a snacker or junk-food addict!
Volunteer Opportunities
In Tanzania, Amizade partners with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (ELCT), a local church and organization that does community projects (education, service, support) throughout Karagwe district and runs the hospital in collaboration with the government of Tanzania. Please refer to your specific program sheet for more detailed information about your volunteer program.
