Spend your gap year teaching children in rural villages around the base of Mount Kilimanjaro

With Mt Kilimanjaro at your doorstep and eager school children next to you, this gap year programme will be truly fascinating.

The area around Kilimanjaro is populated by the Chagga tribe, who have always placed a strong emphasis on education. The Primary Schools are within walking distance of Moshi town centre and the children are particularly keen to learn. The pupils speak English as their third language after Kichagga and Kiswahili. As with other Primary Schools in Tanzania the medium of instruction is Kiswahili with English only being used in English lessons. The primary schools were established more than 50 years ago. Average class size of these schools is about 60 to 80. Both schools are highly academic and expect good pass rates from their pupils.

Your role: At the Primary school you will be assisting class teachers in teaching English. to children in the age group of 7 to 15 years. Your role could involve working with groups and individuals, running activities during lessons and on occasion planning a lesson with assistance from the main teacher. The head teachers are very keen to have volunteers who are also interested in helping with art and/or sports. These activities take place in the afternoons and can be tailored to your interests. Expect lots of participants! You may also be taking your own classes and responsible for planning lessons and marking books. You will have between 10 and 15 periods per week and will be expected to teach to the curriculum. Both schools have basic equipment such as textbooks, blackboards and chalk but little else. There are lots of opportunities to make visual aids and bring fun activities into the classroom.

What you gain: Working in Tanzanian schools allows you to develop excellent skills – planning, communicating, evaluating, being imaginative, perseverance, managing in challenging environments and understanding other cultures. You will build good relationships with staff and students, as well as other volunteers. Moshi is a great base for experiencing Tanzania and the ever present Mount Kilimanjaro provides the ultimate personal challenge after finishing your volunteering.

Going to a new country can be unnerving. But it’s a great experience when you have the basics taken care of. At GapGuru, we have arranged for what we believe will make for a comfortable trip.

What’s included?

• Country and Project Guidance – There is so much to choose from! Our team gives you a run down on destinations and projects that you are tempted to go for, so that you can choose the right placement. If you are not sure of what you want to do or where you want to go, our experienced team is there to guide you all the way.
• Pre Departure Briefing – Before you leave for your chosen destination, we will arrange for a pre departure briefing where we help you out with extremely helpful details. Things like – what clothes are suitable, peculiarities of people, food that you could get, safety of the place and precautions if any, how much should you pay for a cup of coffee – simple things to make your life easier !
• Guidance for processing visa – GapGuru will arrange for all the relevant documents and guide you through the visa process.
• Airport Pick Up – Arriving in a new city and not knowing where to go and how to go can be quite unsettling. A GapGuru representative will meet you at the nearest airport or train station and take you to your place of stay.
• In country Orientation and Welcome Pack – When you arrive in the city, you will have an orientation where you could meet other gapers from GapGuru, know all about the city, how to find your way around, where to get SIM cards for the phone, small bits that you will need help sorting out in the first few days.
• In Country Support – Our local co-ordinators act as a friend and guide through out your stay. Whether you feel home sick or just want some local information, they are there to make sure you have a memorable experience.
• Accommodation – In most cases, you will be staying with a local host family. It gives you a taste of the daily life of a local and sample some delicious come cooked food. In some cases accommodation is provided with the projects.
• Breakfast and Dinner

Not included: ( But we are happy to assist you with)

• International Flights
• Visa and Travel insurance fee
• Vaccination
• Local Transport and Travel
• Personal Expenses

Next Steps
If you like this project, you can apply now here.
If you have some questions, send us an enquiry or call us and we’ll be happy to help.

Arusha Moshi Click on the cities to explore other destinations