General Information for International Volunteer Opportunities
Duration of Volunteer Opportunities
The School is committed to supporting the community and provides employment to over 400 Tanzanians creating a widespread ripple effect. However, for specialized positions, where we are not able to employ a local person, we recruit volunteers from abroad.
Our volunteer opportunities require a long term commitment for consistency and to facilitate training of local staff. Specialist teacher and teacher mentor roles require at least 12 months' commitment. Administration roles also require at least 12 months' commitment. Short-term positions are only based on our project needs and are also advertised from time to time.
Stipend
International volunteers receive a small, monthly stipend, which is enough to live on but not enough to fund travel around Africa.
Specialist Teacher and Teacher Mentor Roles
A minimum one-year commitment is required. The school year is from January to December. Successful applicants arrive two weeks before school starts to settle in and assist with preparation of the new school year. There are three school terms and each term also has a mid-term break of a week. The year’s confirmed term timetable is available towards the end of the previous year.
Term Dates 2012 (subject to change)
Term 1, 2012: 3rd January – 17th February and 27th February – 5th April
Term 2, 2012: 24th April – 8th June and 18th June – 3rd August
Term 3, 2012: 20th August – 5th October and 15th October – 30th November.
International volunteer educators receive a monthly stipend between 537,000 – 767,000 Tanzanian Shillings (visit www.oanda.com for currency conversion). This stipend depends on the role and is only available for 1-2 year minimum commitment. All international volunteers must pass 3-6 month probation period. At the end of the first three months, the volunteer can review his/her decision to continue with their role, and management will take the opportunity to assess the volunteer’s performance.
Administration Roles
A minimum12-month commitment is required. Office hours are 8.30am - 5pm between Monday and Friday, and 8.30am – 12pm on Saturdays. Annual leave is granted at Management’s discretion after 3-6 month probation period. Twenty-eight days of leave are granted annual, and include Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays if taken consecutively.
International volunteers working in administration roles receive a monthly stipend of 587,000 Tanzanian Shillings (visit www.oanda.com for currency conversion). This stipend is only available for long-term commitments. All international volunteers must pass 3-6 month probation period. At the end of the first three months, the volunteer can review his/her decision to continue with their role, and management will take the opportunity to assess the volunteer’s performance.
Accommodation and Amenities
Basic accommodation is available for international volunteers. St Jude’s offers on-campus volunteer accommodation. Rooms are modern and clean with en-suite shower and western toilet. There is a communal kitchen with gas oven, microwave and fridge. International volunteers pay $650 as an accommodation and Resident Permit contribution before arrival.
When there is electricity or the generator is working, there are opportunities to watch DVDs, listen to music and use the Internet. Please remember that we are situated on the outskirts of a large town in a developing country in a severe drought. With little to no water available to drive the turbines of the country’s hydro-electric scheme, the area is suffering regular power cuts for up to 24 hours per day as well as an infrequent water supply – about the only thing we have plenty of is dust, or mud during the rainy seasons!
However, if you have packed lots of patience, tolerance, perseverance and a great sense of humour, you will have a fabulous time!
Child Protection
The School of St Jude has zero tolerance to child abuse of any kind and its standards will be upheld at all times. All staff, visitors and volunteers at St Jude’s have a responsibility to support the care and protection of our students. As such, all international volunteers are required to provide a Working with Children and/or National Police Check certificate (or equivalent thereof) from their home regulatory authority, prior to his/her arrival.
Moshono: location of Head Office and Primary School Campuses
The city Arusha is about a 20-minute drive along a very rough and dusty road but once there you can purchase most of life’s necessities – as long as you’re not too spoilt and not too fussy about the quality! There are supermarkets as well as local produce markets, which are relatively cheap for fruit and vegetables, and even a fairly decent bottle of wine can be found. You can treat yourself to a night on the town at one of the many international restaurants and bars or for a fun but economical night out you can visit a local restaurant and bar.
Our Moshono Campus accommodates the majority of International Volunteers. Several common rooms are available in which to socialise, enjoy communal meals, browse and swap books on the shelves or keep up-to-date with the details of meetings and social events placed on the notice board. There are enjoyable walks around the village and we can put in touch with sports and book clubs in Arusha.
Usa River: location Second School Campus
Our Usa River Campus opened in 2008. It’s the location of our Secondary School campus and where our students board during term. The International Volunteer living quarters are modern with en-suites. If you enjoy traditional Tanzanian food, meals can be taken with the boarders during term, or you can self-cater in a communal kitchen. Only a handful of international volunteer reside at Usa River, as most of the volunteer roles are Moshono-based.
Usa River is 20km east of Arusha and about 40 minutes drive from our Moshono Campus. St Jude’s Campus at Usa River is situated 2kms from the main road. It’s about an hour’s walk (or quick taxi ride) from our Usa River Campus to the village centre where public transport into town can be accessed. Market days are Thursday and Sunday. There’s a small supermarket and a beer-garden with self-serve meals and an ATM a short walk away. There are a number of luxury lodges in the area serving first class meals with pleasant surroundings including a small wild-life park at Mt Meru Game Lodge.
Adjacent to our Usa River campus is the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge (www.thengurdotomountainlodge.com) where the swimming pool is accessible to international volunteers.
International volunteers residing at Usa River have access of a small school bus on a pre arranged/emergency basis. There are opportunities to socialise with the majority of International Staff who reside at Moshono. On Saturday mornings a shopping bus leaves at 8.30am from Usa River and returns back around midday. There is nearly always an opportunity to book accommodation at our Moshono Campus Friday and Saturday nights.
Useful Links:
www.lonelyplanet.com/tanzania
www.tanzania.go.tz
www.traveldoctor.com.au