I had the most incredible experience in Arusha, having immersed myself in the culture, and learnt a lot about myself in the process. Life is so different in Tanzania compared to England, and I will never live my life in quite the old way. I have a new appreciation for all the things I take for granted. My agricultural project has also made me love the topic so much more, and has given me more confidence in taking it further. Be brave and prepared to be out of your comfort zone. But the benefits and the experiences will be immense! It will be frustrating at times, which is inevitable, but there is also great highs which more than outweigh the frustrations.
Sustainable Agriculture Volunteer Program in Tanzania - Arusha
Purpose
Promote sustainable farming practices
Start dates
Programs start on the 1st and 15th of every month
Duration
Choose from 1-16 weeks
Volunteer hours
Up to 8 hours a day
Age
Volunteers aged 16+ and families
Accommodation
Volunteer house or homestay
Who is going?
Group video calls
Once you have secured your place, join regular video calls to meet your Program Manager and other volunteers before your trip.
This program is ideal for:
Active volunteers who like being outdoors, want to learn about sustainable farming practices and don't mind getting their hands dirty.
Project details
Interested in horticulture and agroforestry and want to be a Sustainable Agriculture volunteer in Tanzania? International Volunteer HQ’s Sustainable Agriculture project is a great way to learn about, experience and help improve techniques and practices adopted by local small-scale farmers in communities in Arusha.
What to expect and how you'll make an impact
Sustainable Agriculture empowers smallholders by providing them with the skills and resources needed to increase crop yields and diversify their farming methods. This not only boosts their income but also ensures food security for their families and communities. By adopting sustainable practices, these farmers contribute to environmental conservation and create a more resilient agricultural ecosystem, benefiting the entire community.
Volunteers in the Sustainable Agriculture project in Arusha can assist smallholders by sharing modern farming techniques, helping to implement sustainable practices, and providing hands-on support in the fields. Volunteers can choose tasks according to their knowledge and interests or as instructed by the local staff and farmers. The majority of tasks are hands-on activities related to sustainable agriculture and you can expect to provide support with:
- Seedbed preparation and management
- Transplanting
- Weeding
- Mulching
- Integrated pest Management
- Biopesticide preparation
This project incorporates mostly Horticulture (herb, spices, veggies, flowers, seed production) and in some cases Agroforestry (apiculture, meliponiculture, synotropic, silviculture). The work volunteers take part in will vary seasonally, and will depend on the work already underway at the time you join the project.
Why do Sustainable Agriculture volunteering in Arusha with IVHQ?
As a volunteer farmer in Tanzania you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:
- Improving farming practices for local communities
- Helping with farm work outdoors
- Developing your communication and practical skills
- Gaining agriculture experience
- Immersing yourself in Tanzanian culture
- Discovering Africa’s incredible wildlife
Volunteer requirements
- Volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or friend who is over 18 to participate in this program
- Volunteers aged 16 or 17 on their program start date are required to provide IVHQ with parental consent in order to participate on the program, and may be asked to provide additional document to the local team.
- All volunteers are required to provide a criminal background check to IVHQ prior to departure, or if aged under 18 need to provide two character reference letters instead
- All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance
- All volunteers must speak fluent English.
Are you eligible to volunteer?
Submit a free application so we can confirm your eligibility and check availability for your preferred dates.
Not sure which program to join?
Get personalized recommendations >
Who is going?
Group video calls
Once you have secured your place, join regular video calls to meet your Program Manager and other volunteers before your trip.
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IVHQ Sustainable Agriculture project
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IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Childcare project
IVHQ Sustainable Agriculture project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Construction project
IVHQ Teaching project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Animal Care project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Animal Care project
IVHQ Women's Education project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Animal Care project
IVHQ Childcare project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Teaching project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Animal Care project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Animal Care project
IVHQ Teaching project
IVHQ Medical project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Construction project
IVHQ Teaching project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Teaching project
IVHQ Animal Care project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Construction project
IVHQ Teaching project
IVHQ Teaching project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Childcare project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Animal Care project
IVHQ Women's Education project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ Maasai Immersion project
IVHQ volunteer orientation
What recent volunteers said about their IVHQ experience
EP
Ellie Plume
06 Nov 2024
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AP
Andrea Power
19 Sep 2023
Everyone was so lovely and welcoming. Each and every member made my feel settled and secure. They were available to contact 24/7 if we ever required it. I always felt safe and that I could turn to any of the local team for anything. Their help was greatly appreciated. This has been an amazing experience. I have loved every minute of my time here. I have meet incredible people from the local area and volunteers. I loved my placement and learned so much as well as exchanged some of my own knowledge about the chosen project. I have an open mind and appreciate everything I have after volunteering. The accommodation was perfect. It was clean and secure. The mosquito net was provided which worked really well. Have nothing bad to say. The meals were lovely. There was plenty of options for everyone and different meals each day. They catered for every dietary requirement. I really liked tasting the local food.
I learned so much from this experience. I stepped completely out of my comfort zone. I am so glad I did this. I learned so much about the culture of where I am volunteering and so much more about myself. I am very grateful for this experience and appreciate everything I have. I will definitely volunteer with IVHQ again, can’t fault a thing! I would 100% recommend this to everyone. It’s a life changing experience and everyone that you meet has a similar mindset so you won’t be alone. Meeting people from all around the world while helping a community is an amazing opportunity. Loved every minute of it!
...
MT
Man Yee Ting
05 Sep 2023
The local team took really good care of me and the food cooked by the mamas was really nice! For those who are still hesitating about joining this program, just go for it and you will gain much more than you expected.
...
ML
Marie Lafon
24 May 2023
The work of the local team in Tanzania is amazing! They have made my trip unforgettable and I will always be thankful for what they've done. The mamas and the coordinators in our accommodation were amazing! I did two different projects while I was in Tanzania. The first was Sustainable Agriculture; I really liked it and learnt a lot, I feel like I learnt more than I taught! My second project was Women Empowerment, I felt like I was really helpful and the women appreciated my work there. All the moments I spent with the women at my placement are memorable. They shared a lot with me and I did the same, I loved it. This trip made me want to help more people that don't have the same chances that I have.
...
AF
Alexander Fraser
18 May 2023
My favorite moment was getting to learn about sustainability in farming. We learnt about how methane gas was collected from cow excrement and used as cooker fuel, and how the remaining excrement was then used as a natural, organic fertilizer (combined with a few other ingredients) for a neighboring farm. The trip helped me to explore a different culture, and appreciate the lives we lead. It is so worth it! It is not just a trip to help the local community, but a trip which will change and inspire you. Both the impact it will have on you, and the impact you could have on your placement, is amazing.
...
MV
Micaela Vivar
08 Jun 2022
I cannot choose a specific moment of this experience to be my favorite. I enjoyed every second of it at the fullest, from the smiles of the kids at the school I was working in to the happy mamas that where making lunch at home. Every minute of it was a life changing experience. The biggest impact was that it change my perspective of seeing things totally. It make me realize that no matter what you can be happy. It is one in a lifetime experience that can change your life in so many different ways. You get to make a real impact in a community, get to meet people from all around the world with the same purpose and get to be immersed in the culture of the country you are visiting.
...
To read all reviews, visit our reviews page.
Academic course credit
Academic course credit
Gain course credit from your college or university and meet your academic requirements when completing a volunteer abroad program with International Volunteer HQ!
Learn about course creditLocation
Location
The IVHQ Tanzania volunteer program is based in Arusha, a small city often used as the base of many safari trips into the Serengeti and other national parks. It’s also near Africa’s highest mountain, Mt Kilimanjaro. Tanzania as a whole is known for its seemingly boundless areas of wilderness where African animals roam, sometimes migrating in vast groups across the plains; and also being the country where the oldest human skull and even older fossils of human ancestors were found.
Despite its many attractions, communities in many parts of Tanzania still lack access to the basic necessities of life. Volunteer projects based in rural and urban areas around Arusha and nearby help to provide better access to healthcare, education and childcare.
Arrival and orientation
The program orientation begins on the 1st and 15th of every month and volunteers need to arrive in Arusha on the day before orientation.
After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK) in Arusha. Your airport pick-up is included in your program fee. We recommend that volunteers under the age of 18 travel internationally with a notarized letter from their parents to support their documentation. When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and transported to the volunteer accommodation in Arusha. Your accommodation is covered by your program fee and includes the night before your program orientation.
If you are travelling in Tanzania prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up in Arusha on the day before your program orientation. Orientation is hosted by our local team at one of the volunteer houses in Arusha. Orientation begins on the morning of your chosen start date. If your start date falls on a weekend or a public holiday, your orientation will begin on the Monday or day following the public holiday. Orientation covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Tanzania – an introduction to Tanzania, Tanzanian customs, rules and expectations, language lessons (Kiswahili), safety, travel opportunities in Tanzania, and an introduction to your project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socialising.
Volunteer schedule example
First Day
On the first day of the volunteering placement, you will be introduced to the staff at the project you will be working with.
Weekdays
Work and hours are dependent on the project and placement that each volunteer is working at. A typical volunteer day would be as follows:
| 8:30 AM | Breakfast at the volunteer house or homestay. |
| 9:00 AM | Volunteers leave home and travel with the local staff to their placements. Work and hours are dependent on the project and placement that each volunteer is working at |
| 12:00 - 1:00 PM | Lunch break. Volunteers are welcome to bring a packed lunch provided by the local team. |
| 3:00 - 5:00 PM | Work at the placement usually ends. Volunteers are taken back to their accommodations by a local staff. |
| 8:30 PM | Dinner at the volunteer house or homestay |
Weekends
Tanzania is a wildlife lover’s dream. In your free time you can venture out on a safari and see Africa’s Big 5 - lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards and rhino - as well as the mind-blowing number of other species that call Tanzania home.
In Arusha itself you can find great markets, take a few days to hike up the nearby Mt Meru, or learn about the Maasai and Meru tribes of the area. You can also take take a short flight down to Zanzibar for a weekend of sun and sandy beaches or save some time before or after your program to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
Accommodation and WiFi
Volunteers in Tanzania are accommodated in dorm-style volunteer houses or homestays located in Sakina, Arusha. The local team currently hosts volunteers in three volunteer houses, typically for younger volunteers, and two homestays, often preferred by families and mature volunteers.
In the volunteer houses, volunteers share a room with one to nine others of the same gender, with most rooms accommodating up to six people. Homestays can accommodate up to 10 volunteers, with rooms also separated by gender and a maximum of four people per room.
Living conditions in Arusha are basic but comfortable. Both volunteer houses and homestays have running water and electricity. Toilets and showers are Western-style, though power outages are common, which can affect the availability of hot water and electricity.
During the busy months of January, June, July, and August, the volunteer accommodations in Arusha may reach capacity. To ensure everyone is comfortably accommodated, some volunteers may be hosted in a nearby hotel in dormitory-style rooms separated by gender. Volunteers can expect to share a room with up to seven people.
Wifi is not available at homestays, and although volunteer houses have wifi, it is slow and unreliable. To stay connected, we recommend purchasing an e-SIM before arrival or bringing an unlocked mobile phone and buying a local SIM card in Tanzania. The local team can assist you with purchasing a SIM card and data during your program orientation. Complimentary wifi is available at the hotel.
If you wish to arrive before your recommended arrival date or extend your stay, extra nights at the standard accommodation can be arranged for US$40 (approximately £33) per person, per night. Extra nights include three meals a day, are subject to availability, and bookings can be requested by registered volunteers via their profiles.
For added privacy and comfort, private room upgrades are available year-round at a nearby hotel for an extra cost. These rooms can accommodate one or two persons and offer private bathrooms. They are subject to availability and can be booked as an add-on through your MyIVHQ account after registration.
Meals
Tanzanian cuisine varies across the country due to differences in produce found inland and along the coast. The immigration of Khoja Indians has introduced Indian flavors to local dishes. Staple foods in Tanzania include rice, ugali (maize porridge), chapatti, and beans. Rice and beans are significant components of meals, so expect to be served these often.
Volunteers are provided with three meals a day. Breakfast typically consists of eggs served with pancakes, mandazzi (deep-fried dough balls), or cake, along with plenty of fresh fruit, bread, and a selection of jams and other spreads for toast. Lunch and dinner usually feature a traditional meat dish (chicken or beef) alongside a vegetable dish, beans, lentils, or cooked vegetables served with rice, pasta, chips, or chapatti.
Meals are prepared for volunteers by host families at homestays and by cooks at the volunteer houses. Those accommodated in the hotel, whether in private room upgrades or during the busy season, will receive their meals on-site. Lunch boxes and sandwiches can be provided upon request if your placement is scheduled to finish after lunchtime.
Bottled water is readily available in Tanzania, and volunteers should budget approximately US$5 per week for 2 liters a day. Filtered water is also available at the accommodations, and you can choose between purchasing bottled water or using the free filtered water provided in the houses.
If you have any special dietary requirements, please inform us so that the local team can make arrangements for you. They can provide vegetarian meals and options that are dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free. However, vegan, halal, and kosher options are not available.
Keep in mind that your eating experience may differ from what you’re accustomed to at home. The local team will do their best to accommodate your needs and ensure volunteers are well taken care of, but it’s essential to remain flexible.
Typical volunteer bedroom
Typical volunteer bedroom
Typical volunteer bedroom
Typical volunteer bedroom
Typical volunteer room upgrade
Typical volunteer room upgrade
Typical volunteer bedroom
Volunteer living room
Volunteer living room
Outside of volunteer house
Outside of volunteer house
Volunteer kitchen
Volunteer kitchen
Typical volunteer meal
Typical volunteer dinner
Typical volunteer breakfast
Typical volunteer lunch
Typical volunteer dinner
Pricing
Secure your place for just US$299 (approximately £247), pay your Program Fee later.
Spots are limited. For a Registration Fee of just US$299 (approximately £247) you secure your spot and unlock all our preparation and training tools.
You don't need to worry about paying your Program Fee until you get closer to your start date.
Duration |
Program FeeDue 30 days before you start, or within 48 hours if you register inside of 30 days. Covers the cost of hosting you.
|
|---|---|
| 1 week | $470 Equivalent to $67/day |
| 2 weeks | $620 Equivalent to $44/day |
| 3 weeks | $825 Equivalent to $39/day |
| 4 weeks | $1,040 Equivalent to $37/day |
| 5 weeks | $1,255 Equivalent to $36/day |
| 6 weeks | $1,470 Equivalent to $35/day |
| 8 weeks | $1,900 Equivalent to $34/day |
| 10 weeks | $2,330 Equivalent to $33/day |
| 12 weeks | $2,760 Equivalent to $33/day |
| 16 weeks | $3,620 Equivalent to $32/day |
- All programs attract a Registration Fee of US$299 (approximately £247) in addition to the Program Fee. This covers all pre-departure support services.
- A 5% international banking fee is added at point of payment.
- Independent volunteers under the age of 18 will have an additional cost of US$80 per week added to their program fee to cover extra logistical support provided by the local team, including transportation to and from placement each day and airport drop-off.
- Additional things to budget for include: Visa, flights, travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check, transport to and from your placement each day and return to the airport when your program finishes.
- Recommended spending money: Volunteers in Tanzania generally find US$75-100 per week to be sufficient for expenses.
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Airport pick-up
- US$100 donated to the placement to cover costs with logistics, materials and supervision
- Accommodation
- 24/7 in-country support
- In-country program orientation
- Pre-departure support from your Program Manager
- Personalised preparation tools, guides and check lists
- Access to IVHQ’s preferred insurance and flights partners
- Discounts on travel and tour add-ons
- Certificate of International Volunteer Service
Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.
- Return to the airport when your program finishes
- Transport to and from your placement each day
- Flights
- Visa (if required), travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check.
- Personal spending money for snacks, laundry, public transportation, drinks and leisure activities during your free time.
Popular add-ons & experiences in Arusha
Take your volunteer experience to the next level with these popular add-ons and experiences. Explore your options below and learn how to book them once you've been accepted onto the IVHQ Arusha program.
Kifaru Safari
A 2 day safari in Tarangire National Park and Ngorongoro Crater where you will have the opportunity to see amazing wildlife in their natural habitat.
£292
Maasai Village Tour
Gain an authentic insight into the Maasai way of life on a full day tour to Maasailand.
£99
Moshi Weekend Escape
A weekend getaway to Moshi Town, the last village before the Kilimanjaro National Park, and and its surroundings.
£99
Check what's required to visit Tanzania
Safety and support
Safety and support
IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.
- All volunteers encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training.
- All local teams trained on best practice volunteer management & First Aid.
- All IVHQ programs are required to adhere to IVHQ's Risk Management Policy.
- All volunteers have access to 24/7 in-country support from our local team.
Essential country information
Essential country information
| Capital | Dodoma |
| Population | 58 million |
| Languages | Swahili and English |
| Currency | Tanzanian Shilling (TZS) |
| Time zone | UTC+03:00 |
Weather and climate
Tanzania is hot throughout the year and is humid on the coast and dry on the central plateau. The heavy rains last from March to June and can make unsealed road travel difficult. The hot, dry weather in January and February attracts the most tourists. The best time to visit the Serengeti is from January to March, when the grazers are calving and there are plenty of lions around. Or witness the wildebeest migration to and from Kenya, which occurs at the onset of the dry season and again with the first rains, usually around the beginning of June and mid-November.
Apply to check if you're eligible!
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