Social Sector Volunteering Program — Art in Tanzania
One placement. Nine areas of community impact. All of it is real.
Tanzania's social sector spans a wide and interconnected range of human needs — from the earliest years of childhood through to old age, from education and health to rights and psychological wellbeing. Art in Tanzania works across all of it. The Social Sector Programme is designed for students and volunteers who want broad, meaningful exposure to community development work in a developing-country context — without being confined to a single discipline or setting.
If you are looking for a placement that reflects the full complexity of social work in Africa, this is where you start.
About the Program
Since 1996, Art in Tanzania has placed approximately 250 participants annually in hands-on community programmes across Tanzania. Our Social Sector Programme is one of our most wide-ranging offerings — connecting you with the full breadth of Art in Tanzania's community development work across nine distinct focus areas, tailored to your background, academic requirements, and professional interests.
You will work alongside a multi-professional team of international students and local Tanzanian practitioners — gaining cross-disciplinary exposure that enriches your professional understanding and expands your capacity to work effectively across complex social challenges.
Nine Areas of Focus
Your placement will be shaped around one or more of the following programme areas, depending on your discipline and goals:
🏠 Orphanage Programs Work directly with orphaned children — providing care, support, structured activities, and the consistent human presence that children without family structures depend on. This is immediate, relationship-based work with some of Tanzania's most vulnerable young people.
👶 Children Under School Age Support early childhood development programmes for pre-school age children — contributing to the foundational cognitive, emotional, and social development that shapes everything that follows in a child's life.
🏥 Care Centres Contribute to the running and development of community care centres — facilities that serve a range of vulnerable groups and require consistent, skilled, and compassionate staffing support.
📚 Education Programme Development Work on the design, delivery, and improvement of educational programmes in village schools and community settings — contributing to learning outcomes across nursery, primary, and secondary levels.
👩 Women's Programme Support Art in Tanzania's women's development initiatives — vocational training, rights education, entrepreneurship, and health awareness programmes that build economic independence and community resilience for women in poverty.
⚖️ Human Rights Contribute to human rights advocacy and community education — raising awareness of rights, supporting access to services, and working with partner organisations, including UNICEF and local NGOs, on child protection and women's rights initiatives.
👴 Elderly Care Support Art in Tanzania's gerontology programme — providing care, health advocacy, physical activity, and meaningful social engagement for older community members within a significantly under-resourced social care system.
🏥 Public Health Contribute to community health education and advocacy across key public health priorities — HIV/AIDS, malaria, maternal health, nutrition, hygiene, and sanitation — working with families, schools, and community groups.
🧠 Community Psychology Support mental health, trauma recovery, and psychosocial wellbeing programmes — using community psychology tools and approaches to connect with and empower individuals and groups facing significant life challenges.
How the Placement Works
Your placement begins with a careful look at your academic background, professional experience, personal preferences, and any specific requirements your university has for the internship. From there, we build a structured weekly plan — tailored, digital, and regularly updated — that maps your activities to the focus areas most relevant to your goals.
Daily work combines practical fieldwork in community settings with planning, reporting, and programme visibility activities. Academic-level team leaders supervise your placement every day, and a weekly reporting system ensures your progress is tracked and your academic outcomes are met.
How It Works
Hours: 6–8 hours per day, Monday to Friday. Start date: Flexible — the programme runs continuously year-round. Duration: Adjustable to your academic schedule and goal.s Group size: 15–40 international students at any time, drawn from 400+ partner universities worldwide
Social work, social policy, education, psychology, nursing, public health, occupational therapy, human rights, international development, and all related disciplines are well-suited to this programme. Students at any stage of their training are welcome.
Life in Tanzania
Beyond your placement, Tanzania offers an experience that enriches everything you bring back with you — vibrant community life, extraordinary natural landscapes, remarkable wildlife, and a culture of warmth and generosity that leaves a lasting impression. Affordable, sustainable safaris and tours are available for you and visiting friends or family.
Funding
Erasmus+ funding may be available for this placement. Speak with your student office about grant options that could fully or partially fund this experience.
Ready to Apply?
📋 Apply now 🌐 Visit our website 🏡 See the compound ✈️ Pre-travel info 🎓 EVOLVET volunteer development programme 💬 Read testimonials 🎁 Benefits & perks
Get in Touch
Tell us about your background and which areas of social sector work you want to focus on — we'll build a placement around it.
📧 < E-Mail aus Sicherheitsgründen gelöscht > 📱 WhatsApp: +255 767 777 73 🎥 Schedule a Zoom call — reach out by email
