After completing an LLM in Human Rights Law from Giffith College Dublin, Ciaran Finn (24) wanted to gain experience and give back so he decided to volunteer abroad.

Finn searched on the internet for volunteer opportunities and discovered Projects Abroad, a global volunteering organization with placements in over 30 destinations all over the world. He was placed at the Human Rights project in Arusha, Tanzania where he would assist Inherit Your Rights, a local NGO.

“It needs help as it is a small organization with huge ambition and a lot of different projects that are very worthwhile. They primarily assist local Maasai widows who have little knowledge of the legal rights to the land and property once their spouse dies.”

While in Tanzania, Finn lived with a local host family with other volunteers and reported to work five days a week from 9am – 1pm. The volunteers engaged in research, preparing radio scripts, developing educational lectures, interviewing the Maasai widows and assisting them with the greeting card project which provided income for the women and funding for the NGO.

“I learned a lot about the general difficulties in law in the region and specifically the plight of widowed Maasai women. I feel particularly my contribution to the education research definitely made a difference and their feedback reflects this! Volunteers can have as much responsibility as they wish to take on. Jana, the co-founder of Inherit Your Rights, is very open to new ideas and change and the use of initiative is highly encouraged.”

Finn had always intended to make a career in Africa in either development or law and found his three months as a volunteer very useful. A few weeks after finishing his placement, Finn learned that Projects Abroad wanted to hire a new Volunteer Coordinator for the Arusha office.

“I applied for the position as I had for a long time thought it would be a really nice job to have because I love it here and also because I already had a good relationship with the staff and had good knowledge of the town and many placements. I’m very happy with my decision to stay and work here and have no regrets. I would highly recommend Projects Abroad Tanzania.”

After completing an LLM in Human Rights Law from Giffith College Dublin, Ciaran Finn (24) wanted to gain experience and give back so he decided to volunteer abroad.

Finn searched on the internet for volunteer opportunities and discovered Projects Abroad, a global volunteering organization with placements in over 30 destinations all over the world. He was placed at the Human Rights project in Arusha, Tanzania where he would assist Inherit Your Rights, a local NGO.

“It needs help as it is a small organization with huge ambition and a lot of different projects that are very worthwhile. They primarily assist local Maasai widows who have little knowledge of the legal rights to the land and property once their spouse dies.”

While in Tanzania, Finn lived with a local host family with other volunteers and reported to work five days a week from 9am – 1pm. The volunteers engaged in research, preparing radio scripts, developing educational lectures, interviewing the Maasai widows and assisting them with the greeting card project which provided income for the women and funding for the NGO.

“I learned a lot about the general difficulties in law in the region and specifically the plight of widowed Maasai women. I feel particularly my contribution to the education research definitely made a difference and their feedback reflects this! Volunteers can have as much responsibility as they wish to take on. Jana, the co-founder of Inherit Your Rights, is very open to new ideas and change and the use of initiative is highly encouraged.”

Finn had always intended to make a career in Africa in either development or law and found his three months as a volunteer very useful. A few weeks after finishing his placement, Finn learned that Projects Abroad wanted to hire a new Volunteer Coordinator for the Arusha office.

“I applied for the position as I had for a long time thought it would be a really nice job to have because I love it here and also because I already had a good relationship with the staff and had good knowledge of the town and many placements. I’m very happy with my decision to stay and work here and have no regrets. I would highly recommend Projects Abroad Tanzania.”

David Powis (UK) and Sara Edmonds (Ireland) talk about volunteering with the Microfinance Project in Arusha, Tanzania.

Marilyn Kasparian (23) is a recent graduate in marketing and communication studies at Universite Paris 2 Pantheon Assas. She wanted to volunteer before looking for a fulltime job so she signed up for the Human Rights placement offered by Projects Abroad.

Marilyn arrived in Arusha, Tanzania in early February, where she spent one month in a care project at a special needs school and one month at a local human rights organization, called Inherit Your Rights (IYR). The NGO was formed one year ago with a mission to educate, empower and represent individuals in the developing world concerning their property and inheritance rights. IYR works primarily with low-income single, widowed, and divorced Maasai women.

“The human rights project needs volunteers because the situation of the widows is not well known. Volunteers studying law are able to research the legal situation and write booklets for the women so they understand their legal rights. Marketing and communication volunteers are valuable because the NGO is run by lawyers, who aren’t well versed in the area of publicity.”

Marilyn reported to IYR five days a week. She says that there was plenty of work for all the volunteers to do. As the communication manager, she was responsible for writing articles for the website, writing press releases and contacting local journalists, and developing proposals to plan conferences and build awareness for the NGO.

“I was never bored in this project. Since the NGO is very new, it needs publicity, fundraising for their legal fellowship program and help writing radio scripts, and making retail greeting cards with the women.”

The experience taught Marilyn to be autonomous, pro-active and how to write proposals. However, there were often challenges with practicing her skill in a foreign country.

“Everything is different. The different culture meant that I had to reorganize myself and think about other ways to communicate and present ideas. For example, most people in Tanzania don’t have access to the Internet and in Europe its available everywhere. We also had to find different ways to raise money because Tanzanian people mostly donate to their close communities such as their church.”

One of the most memorable moments for Marilyn occurred on a trip to give a lecture to the women in a Maasai village.

“One of the women started to cry as we were talking about the legal rights available to them after becoming a widow. We thought she was sad because her husband had died but we finally figured out that she was crying because she was happy to know she had rights and that the situation she was in wasn’t fair. It was very emotionally intense.”

Marilyn returned to Paris to look for a job but will never forget the impact of her volunteer experience. “Tanzania is a wonderful country. The landscape is amazing and people are friendly and welcoming. As well, there is a lot to do.”

Marilyn in the IYR office with other volunteers.

“I wanted to contribute something valuable and try to help parts of society that are less fortunate than others,” says Hazel Keegan.

Hazel (34), a native of Ireland, is currently living and working in London. She wanted to volunteer in a field outside of her career scope, so she signed up for a medical placement with Projects Abroad, a global volunteering organization with projects all over the world.

In early April, she arrived in Arusha, Tanzania where she would spend one month volunteering at a local hospital. “The hospital is often short staffed and underequipped. Volunteers are needed to help nurses with certain tasks.”

Hazel had the opportunity to work in the surgical, medical and physiotherapy departments. Her responsibilities included paperwork, preparing patient dressings, and ordering medication and supplies.

“I learnt how hospitals really operate but also about African life and culture which I really appreciated. I feel like I made a difference to 2 or 3 patients by being able to dedicate time to them.”

One patient’s story had a huge impact on Hazel and motivated her to take action. Ramadhani, a young man in his early twenties, had been hit by a motorbike while working on a local bus as a conductor. He fractured his right thigh bone/femur and had multiple fractures of his left lower leg. When Hazel met him, he had already been in the hospital for five months. His femur had healed after surgery but he still had problems with his lower left leg. The bones could not knit together and required further surgery.

“Unfortunately he already owed nearly 3 million Tanzanian shillings, which was impossible for him to pay as he was so poor. He couldn’t even afford food. I had collected some donations before leaving London so I decided to pay his hospital bill. I was glad to be able to help someone like Ramadhani.”

Hazel walked away from her volunteer experience feeling very fulfilled. “Tanzanian life is culturally very different from the West, but it is great to embrace new people and ideas. Time is spent differently but if you try to adapt, you’ll enjoy yourself.”

Hazel makes the hospital bill payment of 3 Million TSH to the local hospital on behalf of a patient in need. 

Twenty year old, Anne Sofie Nielsen wanted to do more than work or travel during her gap year so after graduating from Silkeborg Gymnasium, she signed up to volunteer with Projects Abroad.

She began her stint in Arusha, Tanzania volunteering for one month in a local orphanage followed by two months with the human rights project.

“I worked at an NGO called Inherit Your Rights, which works with Maasai widows. It is a very new NGO and therefore it is still working on setting up a bunch of different projects and needs all the help it can get.”

Sophie lived with a Tanzanian host family and reported to work five days a week to the Inherit Your Rights (IYR) office.

“I mainly worked on the Micro-finance project, where we helped the widows make greeting cards to sell. Twice a week we would go to a Maasai village called Kyoga, to manage, supervise and assist the widows making the cards. I would then organize and set up the stand at a community fair once a month.”

The volunteers also visited the Maasai Village of Monduli to conduct interviews with the widows and find out if they needed assistance. “During one of our visits to Monduli, one of the Maasai men working with us gave a lecture to the widows about their rights. When he was done, one of the widows started crying because she realized how easy it is for them to get help, with our help. That made me realize that the lectures, booklet and curriculum we have made during my time there is going to make a huge difference once we get them distributed out. And the radio scripts that they are working on now will as well.”

When she was not in the field, Anne would engage in political research to find out if international funding was available to the project. Anne felt her involvement in research will prove useful when she begins studies in political science at Aarhus Universitet.

“I want to work for the UN with human rights later on, so this project was the perfect place to start. It has given me a lot of experience, and I have also found out that I love working in the field. I learned a lot about managing and organizing, and improved a lot on doing research. I also learned that even the smallest NGO can make a huge difference in peoples’ lives, just by getting a couple volunteers helping them.”

Anne Sofie at the What's Up Arusha Community Event @ Mango Tree Bar selling the greeting cards made by the widows.

Inge Holtman (25) was inspired to work with people who have special needs by her older sister who has down syndrome. “She is great and always positive,” says Inge. “Because of her I look otherwise to the world and my clients.”

Inge pursued studies with concentrations in special education, psychiatry and addiction. Since 2004, she has worked with people with a mental handicap on different levels or with problem behavior and/or psychiatric problems. As a Team Leader at S Heeren Loo Midden Nederland, she divides her time between working with her clients and time in the office.

Despite having a wealth of experience, Inge was curious about how developing countries managed care for people with disabilities.

“I wanted to see how healthcare is done in Africa. I really wanted to work with handicap people and share my knowledge and experience with the local staff. I also wanted to develop myself and share it with my colleagues at home. I am the type of person that always wants to learn something new and challenge myself and working in healthcare is my passion. I love it with all my heart.”

Inge signed up with a six week care placement with Projects Abroad, a global volunteering organization with projects all over the world. She was assigned to a special needs school in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

“Projects Abroad makes a big difference at the school because the children have low education. The school needs volunteers to give the children the attention they need and teach them new things.”

Inge spent five days a week at the school assisting the teachers and often leading classroom lessons in basic math, English language and games.

 “You can get as much out of it as you want because when you do nothing, they do nothing. During my six weeks I learned a lot about African culture but the most important lesson was patience.”

One of the most rewarding experiences for Inge was teaching one of the young boys how to use sign language. The student had been unable to communicate when he needed to use the bathroom and as a result had been wetting himself regularly. Within one day the student was able to use signing to ask the volunteers/teachers to escort him to the toilet.

“I feel like I made a difference because I saw progress in some of the children in speaking and basic skills. I will never forget how amazing these children are and how happy I felt when teaching them something new. I will carry this experience with me for the rest of my life.”

Inge in the classroom with the students from the special needs school.

Inge, along with other volunteers enjoy a day at the Zoo.

Nineteen year old Iris Van Loo wasn’t sure what she wanted to study after graduating from Het Stedelijk Lyceum, so she decided to use her gap year to volunteer abroad in Tanzania.

In January, she arrived in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and was placed at a special needs school by Projects Abroad.

From day one, Iris realized that there was a big difference between life in The Netherlands and the culture in Tanzania. “The school is completely different from the schools in my country. The way of teaching, the relationships with the children, the motivation of the teachers and the equipment and resources available to the schools are all very different.”

A typical day for the students and the volunteers included a few hours in the classroom followed by recreational play. “We get a lot of responsibility. We play games with the kids and teach them basic skills such as the alphabet, counting, mathematics and improving their English language skills. We also take care of the smaller ones and help them go to the toilet and make sure they stay in the classroom and don’t walk outside.”

In addition to teaching, Iris says the most important thing she and the other volunteers gave to the students was a lot of love. She believes she gained a great deal within her three month experience.

“I learned a lot during my volunteer work. For example I learned how to gain trust from children and the teachers and how to work with people who have a totally different culture. I also learned to be more patient and how to work with disabled people. Some of the students did not speak English or had speech handicaps but I adapted by learning how to communicate nonverbally.”

Iris joined efforts with a Norwegian volunteer to raise money to improve the school. They were able to receive enough money to repair the school bus, purchase school supplies and new playground equipment and sponsor a field trip to the Dar Es Salaam Zoo for all the students and teachers.

Overall, Iris was very happy with her volunteer experience. “I love Tanzania because I think it’s one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The population is friendly and I really like Dar Es Salaam because there are a lot of things you can do during weekends!”

 Iris plays a memory game with the students during their recreational break time.

Cherie Smirl, a retired food industry professional from the Victoria province in Australia arrived in Arusha, Tanzania in early February. She had arranged to spend one month volunteering at a local orphanage as part of her care placement with Projects Abroad.

Cherie lived with other Projects Abroad volunteers in a house located next to the orphanage which enabled her to fully immerse herself in the culture and develop relationships with the children.

“The children at Tumaini for Africa are incredibly well cared for and guided in life skills. The kindergarten school offers good academic basics and the children are happy and loved. Volunteers have the ability to bring a variety of ideas, stimulation and a greater level of interest to the daily lives of the children while supporting the teachers and Mamas of Tumaini. The children respond positively to this interaction which in turn fosters and develops security and reassurance.”

A typical day started at 8:30am to 11am in one of the two classes at the school. In the baby room, Cherie and other volunteers initiated fun learning projects such as playing outdoor musical games, reading, and using primary coloured playdough to create “My Face” models with google eyes, pom pom noses, mouths, teeth, and long tongues. In addition, she utilized her background in agriculture to teach the children how to sprout seeds in mini-gardens. In the older class, Cherie assisted with preparing and correcting homework assignments.

“Volunteers from Projects Abroad fill Tumaini with inspiration and new life. Through this experience I have no doubts, volunteering can bring about change, albeit slow and filled with uncertainty, I am challenged to find positive outcomes and know these challenges will take me back to Tanzania when the time is right.”

Even though Cherie was only in Tanzania for a month, she has fond memories that she will cherish for the rest of her life. “Apart from being unconditionally loved every minute of everyday, the profound silence of children moulding playdough in their hands is something I will always remember. Another defining experience was undoubtedly spending a day at Robert’s [Projects Abroad Volunteer Coordinator] Maasai family village. My heart is empowered with love at every thought of that day, I feel such compassion and yet the greatest admiration at the same time for them.”

Cherie’s advice to future volunteers is to “Prepare for and research every aspect possible of your location and placement. Take nothing for granted and leave no stone unturned in your quest to make yourself as ready as possible for the incredible journey ahead of you. Never underestimate the difference you will make to even to one life and embrace every challenge of the days ahead of you. You will never regret it.”

Cherie taught the children how to make faces with playdough.

Chantal Antheunisse (Netherlands) and her friend Maxim Kolijn (Netherlands) spent 3 months at a care placement in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania beginning in March of 2012. The experience left a lasting impression on the volunteers so they created their own home video for their family and friends.