Teaching and Community Development in Zanzibar
Work with community members of all ages, as you teach, as well as contribute to practical initiatives promoting economic development in Zanzibar.
Program Code: TZZB0847POur Impact
Location
Volunteer In Zanzibar
Program Information
Online programs available
Online
only
Online +
Abroad
We now offer an online program so that you can make an impact from home. Complete only the online program or combine it with one of our programs abroad.
- Overview
- Dates & Costs
- Life On Base
- Flights
- Your Impact
- Exploration
- Cultural Immersion
- Our Ethics
- Support & Safety
- What's Included?
Overview
A typical day on the program may involve a variety of activities, from teaching in a nursery school, working at the community education centre, doing a presentation on local charities that are in support of the projects in the region, teaching English to young adults, or even taking part in a games evening arranged by your fellow volunteers. Lesson plans are tailored in such a way that they provide for creative freedom and input from volunteers. These lessons may include elements of teaching children basic motor skills, arts & crafts, English and more.Community involvement also forms a big part of this project, so you may be involved with more hands on work, related to the improvement of educational facilities, repairs and general maintenance required at schools and project locations.
You will also have the opportunity to connect with the community on environmental issues. You will play an active role in sustainable development initiatives, which could include beach cleanups, running health awareness workshops, building eco-bricks (in contribution of a larger initiative creating an Educational Centre in the village), planting trees, or even assisting with community gardening. The learning opportunities presented by this program are vast and will make for great additions to your CV when you return home.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Teach health classes and run workshops in the local region;
- Immerse yourself in a completely different culture, in a remote location that hosts a variety of historical and cultural gems for you to learn about.
- Get involved with local sustainable development initiatives, promoting greater environmental accountability by the local community;
- On your free time, enjoy sunsets and BBQ’s on the base, which is located on the beach;
- Get the opportunity to plan a Safari Blue Island Tour, snorkel and tuck into a picnic lunch with your fellow volunteers;
- Make a contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to make an impactful contribution to the world by 2030.
Program Details
Life On Base
Zanzibar is a world renowned destination spanning across a series of islands on the Indian Ocean. It boasts some of the most extraordinary beach landscapes in the world. The marine dolphin research program, in particular, is based in the fishing village of Kizimkazi, where you will spend most of your days. The community hosts a diverse range of cultures, and in Zanzibar you are exposed to quite a difference experience in comparison to mainland Tanzania. Jambiani is a stunning, safe beach location where you will have the opportunity to explore village life. While on a stroll around Jambiani, you will constantly hear the phrase Karibu (‘you are welcome’), which sums-up the island way of living in a nutshell.
Accommodation Tour
ACCOMMODATION
Housing for our programs in Zanzibar is provided directly on base in Jambiana, right on the beach. Your accommodation comes in the form of en-suite rooms with a balcony overlooking the sea, providing a truly unique island experience. Hot water, towels, pillows and bedding are provided as are shelves to store your personal items.
MEALS
In-house chefs on base provide three delicious meals a day throughout the week. Most types of dietary needs are catered for, but please indicate your requirements prior to departure. Drinking water, as well as amenities such as tea and coffee, are available on base, with soft drinks being provided for purchase too.
COMMUNICATION
You will be able to purchase a local SIM card when you arrive in Zanzibar, but it is important to make sure your phone is unlocked to allow foreign SIM cards before you arrive. Discuss this with your mobile operator a few weeks prior to your departure to make sure you are prepared. The volunteer house does have wifi available.
TRANSPORTATION
All airport transfers are included. It takes approximately 1.5 hours to reach the volunteer house in Jambiani from the local airport. Be mindful that any additional travels outside of your project work are at your own expense.
CLIMATE
Jambiani has a tropical climate. Summers tend to be much rainier than in the winter, so ensure that you pack accordingly, depending on when you will be travelling for your program. Temperatures are fairly high year-round, in the region of 29 to 32 degrees celsius. Due to its proximity to Equator, Zanzibar is warm throughout the year and has equal day and nights (12-hours each), like most of the East African countries.
Flights
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Your Impact
All of our programs have short, mid and long-term objectives that fit with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or UN SDGs. This enables us to report on our collaborative impact across the world in a streamlined manner, measuring which UN SDGs we are making a substantial contribution to. Furthermore, this will help our local partners and communities measure and visualise their contribution to the UN SDGs.
Upon arrival to base, you will be educated about the history of the UN SDGs. You will learn about the specific goals of your location, the long-, mid- and short-term objectives, and also clarification of how your personal, shorter-term involvement contributes to these goals on a global level.
Our aim is to educate you on local and global issues, so that you continue to act as active global citizens after your program, helping to fulfil our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.
The programs in Zanzibar are a mix of community development and marine conservation. Working with the community and in partnership with established organisations, each program has its own goals in relation to the needs of the community at any given time.
Programs are coordinated keeping the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in mind, and the programs in Kilimanjaro promote a variety of these, including #4 (Quality Education), #13 (Climate Action) and #14 (Life Below Water).
Project Objectives
Zanzibar’s Long-term Objectives:
1. Enhance the landscape for educational support within the community, to help improve the learning environment for the children in the village;
2. Empower the local women of Jambiani by working together on education, health and income generating projects;
3. Monitor dolphin behavior for research purposes and to protect the species;
4. Survey the impact of tourism on dolphin behaviour that helps to promote eco-tourism around Zanzibar;
5. Run workshops with local boat and tour operators educating them on ethical dolphin tourism.
Exploration
Joining a program not only allows participants to collaborate with communities or work toward preserving unique ecosystems but it also offers plenty of opportunities to explore the surrounding area or travel further to see what other parts of the region have to offer.
Long term field staff are a great source of advice, and have helped us put together the following information on local travel options. Many decide to travel before or after their experience (subject to immigration restrictions), solidifying the lifetime friendships established on program. Please note that the below suggestions are not included in the program fee, and are for the individual to organise at their own expense.
Weekend Trips
Full Moon Party
City Tour
Safari Blue Island Tour
Zala Park Conservation Area
Local travel
Further Travels
South Africa
Mozambique
Malawi
Zambia
Cultural Immersion
Engaging intimately with a new context teaches not only global awareness but adaptability and critical thinking, skills highly valued in the modern marketplace. Local and cultural immersion is encouraged on all our programs around the world, and is also one of the most enjoyable aspects of your experience. Luckily, there are many activities you can get involved with in your free time, or before and after your program. On our community programs the focus is on cultural topics, while on marine or wildlife programs the emphasis is more on the environmental element. Use your evenings and weekends to explore diverse and eclectic topics like Theravada Buddhism in Laos or how plastic pollution and climate change affects Indian Ocean coral.
Local Cuisine
Biryani is one of the most popular dishes in Zanzibar and is definitely something to experience if you are a first time traveler to the region. Zanzibar is also known for Birimbi, also know as Star Fruit, a juicy yellow fruit that, when cut, resembles a 5-pointed star.Marine Life
Zanzibar is famous for its abundance of reef fish and large variety of small marine life. Sea creatures such as nudibranch, leaf fish, frog fish, crocodile fish, sea horse, mantis shrimp, octopus, are very common to spot in the crystal clear waters.Historical Artefacts
Some ancient potteries have been discovered in Zanzibar, illustrating that at some point it was a major trading route for the ancient Assyrians. Explore these at local museums in the area.Languages
Swahili is the primary language spoken in the region, though due to early colonial influence, English is spoken in the region extensively as well. Be sure to ask about the more than a hundred languages spoken in Tanzania, most of which are traditional, rural dialects.Our Ethics
Below is a list of core ethics and best practices we believe are essential to the operation of high quality, ethical volunteer and sustainable development programs. We believe that all responsible volunteer and sustainable development operations should focus upon these principles. If you are considering volunteering, these are some of the key considerations you should question, to ensure that your time and money contributes towards positive change.
We want to constantly develop our own understanding of ethical best practice. In so doing, we aim to provide an exemplary industry standard for other education institutions, international development organisations, and social enterprises. Our Badge of Ethics stands for the drive to always do good, better. Find out more, click on the Badge below.
Our 10 Ethical Commitments
Locally Driven, Collaborative Projects
We aim to design all our projects in collaboration with local organizations and communities and ensure that they are locally driven.
Clear Objectives & Sustainable Outcomes
We aim to clearly define short-, mid-, and long-term objectives with sustainable outcomes for all our projects.
Impact Reporting
We aim to track, record, and publish the impact of each of our projects.
Working Against Dependency
We aim to build in-country capacity by assisting local organizations in becoming self-sustaining.
Responsible Exit Strategies
For each local organization we work with, we aim to have a plan in place for withdrawing support responsibly.
Clear Roles & Specialized Training
We aim to ensure that ever participant is assigned a clear role and that they are fully trained and supported to carry out their work by specialized staff.
Respect for all
In all our actions we aim to respect the skills and efforts of all and seek to protect the rights, culture and dignity of everyone who engages with GVI.
Local Ownership
We work to ensure that credit for the results of any project, along with any data collected, research conducted, or Intellectual Property developed, remains the property of local organizations.
Transitioning from the Orphanage Model
We do not condone and aim to withdraw support of orphanages and residential care centers.
Child and Vulnerable adult policies
We will live by our Child Protection and Vulnerable Adult policies.
Continual Development
As an organization, GVI is committed to striving toward best practice, and to educating both our potential participants, our partners, and the world at large about them. Both the volunteering and sustainable development sectors are increasingly, and rightly, under scrutiny. Many recent local and global articles highlight poor practices and questionable ethics. GVI is widely recognized for striving to apply global best practice in the volunteering, education and sustainable development sectors throughout our operations by reputable organizations such as ChildSafe.
However, global best practice is always evolving and we dedicate both time and resources to engage with internationally respected experts and learn from the latest research to ensure our programs both fulfil their potential to create maximum positive impact, and minimise their potential to create unintentional negative impact. Along with and as part of the sustainable development and volunteering community, we are constantly learning and applying this learning to practice. We do not always get everything right, but we seek feedback from our community members, partners, participants and our staff, and react accordingly. We know are already doing a great job, and feedback we have received confirms this, but we aim to do even better and are continuously refining our operations to improve upon our already excellent reputation.
Support & Safety
We won’t sugarcoat it — traveling abroad is usually a complex process that carries an element of risk. But this is exactly why we’re passionate about providing extensive support throughout the process as well as the highest safety standards during the in-country phase. We believe that volunteering abroad should not only be impactful, but an enjoyable experience that carries as little risk as possible. This is exactly how we’ve been able to maintain our reputation as the most highly respected volunteering organisations in the sector over the past two decades.
Support
Once a participant books, they will be assigned a personal support coordinator who will oversee their pre-departure journey. The support coordinator helps to bridge the gap between program enrolment and arrival at one of our field bases. Your personal support coordinator will ensure that you are provided with all the necessary information required to apply for visas, background checks, and any other documentation.
Safety
Upon arrival at the airport, participants will be greeted by a GVI staff member. All GVI staff are our own and all our programs around the world are run by our staff. All GVI field staff are background checked, Emergency First Response and safety trained. The minimum staff to participant ratio on GVI’s programs is one to six, although on several bases we have a ratio of one to three. When finishing the experience, participants will provide feedback on all aspects of their program.
Health & Safety Case Studies
HOW GVI UPHOLDS HEALTH AND SAFETY
It takes courage to book a GVI program, get on a flight, and head off to somewhere new. Volunteering offers a level of cultural immersion that typical backpacking or holidays just can’t achieve. This is why thousands of people around the world participate in paid GVI programs.
GVI’S COMMITMENT TO SAFETY AND SECURITY
As the saying goes: ‘Expect the best, plan for the worst’. Cliched or not, we take it to heart. This tenet is at the core of how GVI operates when it comes to promoting the health and safety of our participants, staff, and local community members at all of our 20+ bases around the world.
HOW GVI REMAINS PREPARED FOR NATURAL DISASTERS
The weather isn’t just a topic for polite small-talk here at GVI. We have emergency action plans in place for all scenarios. So when the weather, or other natural forces, takes a nasty turn, we are prepared to respond to stormy situations.
HOW GVI MANAGES PARTICIPANTS EXPECTATIONS
Once GVI has matched a participant to a program that suits their passions and goals, our team aims to set the right expectations for them. In the event that false expectations around a program are created, the GVI team takes immediate action to ensure that the situation rectified.
What's Included
- 24-hour emergency phone
- 24-hour in-country support
- Access to Alumni Services and Discounts
- Airport pick-up (unless otherwise stated)
- All necessary project equipment and materials
- All necessary project training by experienced staff
- Location orientation
- Long term experienced staff
- Meals while on project (except on work placements for long term internships)
- Safe and basic accommodations (usually shared)
- Three meals a day, cooked by chefs from the local community (weekdays only)
- Welcome meeting
What's Not Included
- Additional drinks and gratuities
- Additional meals on weekends and while not on project
- Extra local excursions
- Flights
- International and domestic airport taxes
- Medical and travel insurance
- Personal items and toiletries
- Police or background check
- Visa costs (where necessary)
