Volunteers are vital to our work here in Moshi. As a result of PTA’s ongoing role with its projects, including the current project, it has continuous work and positions that need to be filled by volunteers. The type of work and volunteers needed varies from project to project. Though we are currently focusing all resources on the construction of the children’s centre PTA has been, and still is, involved with many projects in Moshi town.
Volunteers with specific skills (such as teachers, social workers, landscape gardeners, web site designers, builders, managers, entrepreneurs, seamstresses, hair dressers, or bakers, for example) are always needed, while there is also work that can be undertaken by those without a specific skill.
Typical volunteer positions include school teachers, vocational teachers, teacher’s aids, nursery and orphan care, project and business management and logistics, drafting funding proposals, overseeing activities or sports with children, or overseeing the use of funds on construction materials, food, supplies or medical care.
We generally have between 14 and 22 volunteers at any given time working on the projects, and their dedication and enthusiasm has allowed us to achieve all that we have achieved in the last few years.
Volunteer work is largely dependent on the individual volunteer and each volunteer will often have the flexibility to focus on their interests and use their own skills within a certain project.
The type of work will also vary, depending on the activities of a project at a given time. For example, a project may be focused on the construction of an orphanage, teaching children, providing vocational training, arranging health care services, or setting up a small business, so volunteers should contact PTA directly to see what projects are going on and where they are best suited.
Volunteers are asked to volunteer for at least one month, as volunteering for a lesser amount of time makes it difficult for substantive objectives to be accomplished, and can lead to the disruption of the project.
All PTA volunteers stay at Hostel Hoff, a hostel set up by the founder of Path to Africa to provide economical accommodation to international volunteers. For information on staying at Hostel Hoff, please contact Amanda Natai at hostelhoff@gmail.com or visit the Hostel Hoff website at www.hostelhoff.com