The Happy Africa Foundation | Always moving forward. Always giving back.

Zanzibar

This project is one of our newest initiatives through voluntourism organisation African Impact. The first volunteers arrived at the project in June 2008. 

Zanzibar Island is part of a beautiful and lush tropical archipelago of islands situated just off the coast of Tanzania in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Its capital, Zanzibar Town (known to many merely as Stone Town), is a fascinating place, with an intriguing blend of Indian, Arab, and African influences. African Impact’s project base is on the east coast of Zanzibar in a long village set on a pristine stretch of coastline, where you will be tempted to spend your days relaxing under the palm trees sipping coconut juice. In these spectacular surroundings you are invited to join our work in various teaching, community and environmental programmes. On weekends you will have time to explore this breathtaking archipelago further. 

Areas of volunteer involvement:
● Interacting with children of all ages in the local pre-schools, primary school and secondary schools
● Teaching English to teachers and scholars at the various schools
● Teaching Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) at the primary and secondary schools
● Teaching computer skills at the local secondary schools sports afternoons
● Helping with practical work that may need to be done (e.g. fixing roofs, painting classrooms etc)
● Teaching young local adults at the local tourism training school (English, computer skills, life & tourism skills, cooking, administration)

Click here to find out more about Volunteering in Tanzania on Zanzibar Island  

JAMBIANI DONATION: Opportunities and Needs

As you might know, much of the community work done in Jambiani is reliant on donations given to African Impact via The Happy Africa Foundation. Without financial contribution and aid, many of the bigger and long-term projects that we are involved in in Jambiani would not be possible at all.

There are a number of areas that you as an African Impact volunteer can get involved in to support the community in Jambiani. Some of these are one-off projects that will be replaced by new ones as needs arise, whereas others are long-term commitments that African Impact have made with the community. Below we have listed some of the areas that you as an individual or volunteer group can get involved in and/or even fund-raise for. If you would like any further information on any of the below, please contact the current project coordinator.

1. Sponsoring Children – clothes, food, school fees

We are currently sponsoring several children at the various nursery schools we are involved in. This includes their school fees, school uniforms, any books they need and monthly food allowance.

These are on-going/monthly costs, per child as follows:

• School Fees: USD6 per month (USD87 a year including registration)
• School Uniform: USD12 per year
• School Books: USD6 per year
• Food: USD6 per month

2. Sponsoring Teachers

All of the teachers at the nursery schools we are currently involved in are volunteers themselves and get very little pay. African Impact have committed (five year commitment) to help subsidise food rations on a monthly basis, for all the teachers and all the nursery schools.
Monthly costs that need to be met are (for all the teachers to share):

• Bags of flour: USD30
• Bags of sugar: USD30
• Bags of beans: USD30

3. Porridge/Uji in the Nursery Schools

Currently the Nursery Schools are providing porridge/uji to the children three times a week. If possible, we would like to be able to supply the children with uji the other two days of the week as well. Monthly costs are as follows:

• Provision of uji for one day a week: USD70 per month
• Provision of uji for two days a week: USD140 per month

4. Materials at the Nursery Schools

We are hoping to be able to build some big lockable cupboards at each of the nursery schools, to enable the schools (and volunteers) to lock away school resources, pens, books etc at the end of each day. Currently this is not possible as materials frequently go missing, and so must be taken to and fro on a daily basis. Also, we would like to purchase one big white-board for each classroom as blackboards deteriorate quickly in Jambiani’s hot and humid weather conditions:

Costs are as follows:

• Large cupboard: USD60
• Large whiteboard: USD60

5. Dustbins

We would like to be able to buy more dustbins for Jambiani Village as part of a long-term waste management programme. Initially we would like to get twenty dustbins, with costs as follows:

• Large Dustbin: USD60
• Chain for dustbin: USD15
• Vehicle hire for removal of waste: USD175 per month

6. Womens groups

There are a number of womens’ groups in the village that have started small businesses in poultry, jewelry, baking, fishing, carpentry, soap etc. We would like to make signs to market their various businesses so that people in the village and visitors know when and what they are selling, to help increase their sales. These signs require raw materials, but otherwise will be put together, painted and put up African Impact current volunteers.

• Cost of raw materials: USD46 per sign (approximately ten signs needed)

In addition to these signs, the groups are in constant need of additional donations towards the operation of their businesses, including:

• Chicken project:
  - Freezer: USD460
• Fish project: Freezer - USD460
• Soap project: Boxes (for packaging) - USD1150
• Bakery project: Applicable equipment - USD115
• Building of new nursery & primary school - USD2900

The above are some of many areas that would benefit greatly from your support. If you are aware of further needs that can be added to the above, please let us know. Even though you might not be able to commit to a long period or large amount of money, please note that every little bit counts and can go a LONG way in Jambiani. Please also note that ALL donations should be made to The Happy Africa Foundation. For further details on making a donation through The Happy Africa Foundation, please contact your project manager or Lucy Pollock lucy@africanencounter.org.