Tanzania Volunteer Programs from $24/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

I had always wanted to do a trip like this and I'm SO happy that I did. If you're feeling nervous or hesitant, I believe that is completely normal & just do it! You will thank yourself later. The experience that I had in Tanzania was one that I will never forget. I stayed at the Simba volunteer house for 6 weeks with about 10-30 other volunteers. The friends that I made and connected with were absolutely amazing and it was so hard to leave at the end of my 6 weeks. The local children that came to play at the house inspired me every single day to be grateful and look at the positive in every situation.
I also ended up finding a puppy that needed his leg amputated and I ended up bringing him home to Canada. The support that I received from all of the people working there was AMAZING & I am forever grateful for them.
All in all, IVHQ is a wonderful organization that is very reasonably priced. You will not regret going.

I spent the month of July 2017 in Arusha, Tanzania and it truly stole my heart! The staff in Tanzania were so helpful from the minute we got off the plane. I always felt so comfortable talking to them about any questions I had with my placement or any other aspect of the experience. The school I was in truly changed my perspective. The wonderful children gave so much more to me than I could have ever given to them. I miss walking into the little school and being welcomed by so much love. The language barrier can be challenging but it's worth all the effort and hand gestures! I feel so honored to have been apart of their school for such a short space of time. Tanzania is a beautiful country with kind people. There is so much opportunity for excursions if you want to experience the culture while there. I couldn't recommend volunteering in Tanzania more! You'll make lifelong friends with the locals and people from all around the world.

My friend volunteered through IVHQ over four years ago and had nothing but amazing things to say. Every summer I planned to do the same but fear kept pushing me back. Finally, I stomped on fear and booked and it was the scariest, yet most exciting thing I had ever done. I was going to Africa! Being home now it still does not feel real. I am so proud of myself for being so brave and conquering my fears of traveling alone across the world. If anyone is having doubts, don't think about it, just go!!! It will be the best decision you ever made!

While I was in Africa, I felt at home. At the airport pick up, I was greeted by the local staff (TVE) and already started mingling with other volunteers and got to know them while we waited. I was placed in a brand new volunteer house along with 20 + other volunteers and instantly we felt like family. I arrived on the Friday and within a few hours I had already booked up my weekend with a trip to Moshi and the Massai Village. Both of which I would highly recommend. The local staff made us feel welcomed and accommodated. They were very helpful in booking excursions and answering questions. Luckily I arrived on a Friday to allow the time to do things, which I would recommend doing. I really only knew about the safari excursion so I was very pleased to find out all of the possibilities upon arrival. I wish there could have been a detailed list sent ahead of time of options and price costs as I did miss out on some things that I wanted to do.

I volunteered at an Orphanage/ School and it was the most amazing experience. You're heart becomes so full of love but also heartbreak at the same time. I loved my placement so much. My only regret is not staying longer. It's hard to make the connections and then just leave 2 weeks later. You don't feel like you've made any difference. I only stayed for 2 weeks and it was not long enough. I was supposed to be teaching but I ended up really only providing child care. This was okay for me though as I enjoyed just playing with them. The local staff is very helpful in helping you relocate if you are not happy though. I also helped donate a lot of food and supplies to my school and the local staff helped me purchase and transport it all to the school.

I really don't have anything bad to say about my experience. All the set backs were really just because I was in a different country, #TIA (this is Africa). You just have to be open-minded, patient and do your research so you don't have any surprises.

If you're having doubts, don't. Just GO!

I have wanted to teach in Africa since i was a young child. I've researched many volunteer programs and IVHQ was the most affordable. Before the program start, I was in contact with the tanzanian coordinator, volunteer directors in tanzania, recent volunteers, and the tour coordinator. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the local team at the airport. I was escorted to the volunteer house, to town, and to my placement for the first time, allowing me to feel confident and safe in my environment. This program was an extremely rewarding experience. I have made many life long friends. My entire outlook on life has dramatically changed. I would recommend IVHQ to anyone.

78 days ago I left what has been the most impactful experience of my life. As I sit here staring at this computer screen, I struggle to write a review on my time volunteering in Tanzania. I have already written multiple journal entries and blogs, told numerous stories to friends and family, but how can I possibly find the words to suffice how important this trip was in a review. The truth is I can’t. I can’t convey such an experience into words, but I can try.

After four busy years getting my degree at Michigan State University, I decided I needed a mental break before I started medical school. I took the plunge and signed up for 3 months of volunteering alone in Tanzania, not knowing at all what I was really getting myself into. I remember standing at the door of the Twiga volunteer house, suitcase in hand, nervous to walk through the door. The current volunteers were nothing but warm and welcoming and I was even convinced to climb 19,341 feet to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro over New Years.

Not a day goes by where I do not think about Kilimanjaro and my time on that 7-day hike. Through the shivering nights, the laughs shared from the food tent, and the long, slow 8 hour summit hike through the snow during a whiteout, I became family with a group of strangers. Kilimanjaro is like nothing else. It pushed me until I cried, showed me the astounding beauty of 5 different climate zones ranging from jungle to tundra, and provided me with the best climbing guides I could imagine. Never have I felt such a liberating moment than when I stood on top of Uhuru peak, and I am always longing to be back.

My placement was at Hillcrest Nursery School, where I spent my time in a class of about twenty 5-6 year old kids. I remember the first day arriving to the school after a 20 minute walk through a nearby village. The kids instantly ran up to me and the other two volunteers showering us with hugs and hands to hold, screaming, “Teacha! Teacha!”. Over the 3 months I was overwhelmed with the students compassion, eagerness to learn, and curiosity for the world. The teachers at this school are some of the most wonderful, hard-working women I have ever met, and I am thankful for the time I had. I was able to see the progress of the students’ work and noticed how proud and happy I had become. Though some days could be tough, these children are the future and have overall provided me with the most pure happiness I have ever felt, while teaching me to become more patient and committed. These kids whom have much less than you and me, still have the biggest of hearts in the smallest of people.

Aside from my wonderful experiences with the students, Kilimanjaro, and Safari, I made friends that will last a lifetime. Living in the volunteer house allowed me to meet people from all over the world. I feel that there is something very special about befriending people from different countries. It was interesting to trade culture and language differences, but the friends I made also brought about parts of me I have never noticed before. It is amazing to have friends who have been a part of such a meaningful experience in your life and I feel lucky to have friends worth missing, whom I can now visit.

I think back on the person I was before Tanzania, and to the person I have now become. A more independent me: without that comfort person from home, I was forced to expand my comfort zones as I made friends and did things alone. In Tanzania I learned the concept of “African Time” and noticed things do not always happen on time, and sometimes things happen hours later. I became more easy going, as I realized I need to have the ability to adjust expectations in life and take things as they come. Whether it was drinking goat’s blood, taking the public transportation to town to meet a friend alone, or dancing in the rain, I learned the importance of “living in the moment”. Life is to precious to be occupied thinking about the future, or dwelling on the past. We should be focusing on the now, and since Tanzania I have made it my mission to say “yes” to as many safe opportunities that come my way, no matter how silly. Life has so much to offer if you let it.

78 days. It has been 78 days since I left Tanzania. Although the post-travel depression has come and gone and I am adjusted to life back at home, I am always thinking about Tanzania and its beautiful people and versatile landscape. I feel it is so important to experience a new culture in a country that is different from our own, and I recommend volunteering abroad to anyone, as you will find giving back provides you with a sense of purpose. This experience has only made me more competent and ready to take on the world, and I know that one day I will be back.

When I heard about IVHQ I was really impressed by the cheaper fees for their volunteer programs. I chose to go to Tanzania for 8 weeks and I am beyond happy that I got to go! The staff were so supportive and answered my concerns, I got to stay in a volunteer house that was a lot of fun and I made a lot of friends, and my volunteer program was life changing. Working as a teacher with primary school kids was so much fun and I learned a lot about Tanzania. I will miss this experience so much because it changed my life and opened my eyes to a whole new world. I can't wait to do another program with IVHQ!

I'll keep this brief--I believe everyone is a little apprehensive when they enter the unknown continent of Africa for the first time, based on preconceived ideas of what it's like there. I would be lying if I said I wasn't one of those people. At the moment of arrival I was anxious about the culture, the natives, the other volunteers, the food, getting sick... By the second week, I had come to love everything about Tanzania. You have to be open-minded if you are going to survive here. And by "survive" I mean getting along with your fellow volunteers, getting around town, and experience everything this beautiful country has to offer. The mamas' cooking was excellent, the sights: Moshi (waterfall + hot spring), safari, Zanzibar, Maasai village were all breathtaking, and the nightlife at Via Via with my new friends were unforgettable.
What I'm trying to say is, be in the moment--every second of it--because although it's not what you're used to, that's what makes it awesome. Appreciate the kids you are teaching, embrace their hugs, and return their smiles with yours because it means more than you can imagine. Enjoy sitting around the table with new friends from all over the world and share your life with theirs'. Before you know it, your last day will come and you'll wish you had more time!

Never will I ever forget the Christmas I spent in Tanzania, it was nothing like the snowy holiday I was used too. It was amazing in a way I never expected my first Xmas away to be like. We got to placement early that morning to get all the kids ready and loaded up into a bus. To take them to lake Duluti for the day they were so crazy excited, dancing and running around. We even cooked them a special Christmas lunch which was delicious. After lunch they all went and jumped into the lake and splashed around for over an hour. And then we played pass the parcel so that they all could get a little present. Which then turned into a great dance party with more treats and toys. Once the kids were dropped off back at the school. All the volunteers headed to Twigga house to help make Christmas dinner. Then we all sat down together to eat, I think we even got those Christmas crackers. It was just so surreal being surrounded by people from all over the world and sharing a holiday together.

I cant say one bad thing about my entire trip everyday was amazing.
Thank you