Volunteering in Arusha, Tanzania

Hello everyone,

My name is Ulrika Mc Mahon and this July I will be travelling to Arusha which is located in the northeast of Tanzania to volunteer! I am volunteering for 3 weeks with Step Africa in a day-care, pre-school and after school centre called Jitambue kwanza.

Many children in this region, especially those under 6, spend their days on unsafe streets while their parents search for work. Jitambue Kwanza offers these children a lifeline—a safe, nurturing space to learn, play, and simply be children.

The centre, founded by a local artist named Elinaja, now supports over 100 children every day, despite having extremely limited resources. Many families cannot afford even the small school fee, and the dedicated staff work without regular pay. The centre also strives to include children with disabilities, in a country where inclusive education is rare.

School fees here are 15,000 Tanzanian shilling per month which translates to six euro but majority of families can not afford this fee which is why most of the children either pay nothing at all or contribute a small amount every now and then whenever they can. This then leads to the teachers receiving a very limited or a lot of the time no salary.

I will be working with the teachers taking care of the children and educating them daily, helping to make the school a more inclusive space for children with disabilities as there are currently two children who attend the centre with disabilities and Elinaja plans to open this safe space up to even more. I will also helping with the playground constructions and beautification of the premises.

My goal is to raise funds to support this amazing project—helping provide food, school supplies, classroom furniture, a safe playground, and support for the passionate teachers who give their time without pay. A portion of the funds will also help cover my travel so I can be there in person to volunteer and make a real impact. Any support you can give means the world—not just to me, but to the children too!

A donation of just six euro can cover a child's school fees for a month so every donation, big or small, helps create a safer, brighter future for these children.

Every donation is greatly appreciated, thank you :)

Ulrika