Vounteer placements in Tanzania ...

Volunteer opportunities in Tanzania - a stunning destination full of enormous cultural & ethnic variety, stunning landscapes and intriguing tribes.

Tanzania has more than 120 ethnic groups each with individual languages. There is no official language in Tanzania, although Swahili is used for inter-ethnic communication and for official matters. Tribal diversity is prized and far from being a source of division, Tanzanians place a high value on their country’s multicultural heritage. Over the past few years, cultural tourism has become an increasing attraction for visitors around the world and visits to tribal villages are often a highlight of safari itineraries.

The Masaai tribe is probably the most known and inhabit the northern regions of the country. Masaai tribal life revolves around protecting and caring for their farm animals and finding ample grazing land in their region. The tribes live in circular enclosures called manyatas, where small mud huts surround a secure open circle where their animals sleep protected during the night. Natural fibre bushes form a thick fence around the enclosure to protect them from attacks by lions and other predators. Tribal tradition separates men and women into different age groups: the youngest members take care of sheep and goats while the job of young male warriors is to protect and care for their family’s cattle. Male leaders hold a position of respect in Masaai society and once a warrior becomes an elder, he may marry to begin a family of his own.