help2kids

*Care for orphans and vulnerable children
*Teach English
*Teach computers
*Lead projects
*Help with health initiatives

help2kids is a young, dynamic organization. We help orphans by providing food, shelter, and lots of love at our children's home. We help the community by bringing English and computers into the classrooms of local schools. We promote sustainable development and socially responsible tourism by feeding the profits from our guest houses back into our projects.

help2kids runs a children's home in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where we can house and take care of up to 35 children. We also support local primary and nursery schools by sending help2kids volunteers and providing educational supplies. In Malawi, help2kids runs education, sports, and health projects in the local community.

Setting:
Volunteers live in very comfortable and safe accommodations at our guest house (www.friendlygecko.com) a short distance from the Indian Ocean in Tanzania and directly on Lake Malawi in Malawi.

Program:
help2kids offers parent-less children the opportunity for education, nutrition, and a place to live. We strive to help people who cannot participate in a world of globalization and profit maximization. We strive to give young people a lasting perspective that will help them to achieve a better life.

We run an children's home in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where we can house and take care of up to 35 children. We also support a local primary school by sending help2kids volunteers and providing educational supplies. Finally we also support a primary and nursery school in Leopard Bay (Malawi) as well as a medical center.

If you are interested in volunteering with us you may combine all projects and both countries (Tanzania and Malawi). We will help you organizing the visa and transport. We believe it is very interesting to get to know both places because they are very different (Dar es Salaam is a big city whereas the projects in Leopard Bay, Malawi, are located on the countryside). You will experience completely different aspects of East-Africa!

Referrals:
"My name is Susi, I spent 3 months with help2kids in Dar es Salaam as a Volunteer. I enjoyed staying in the fabulous Friendly Gecko Guesthouse with the luxury of daily dinner, my own bicycle and the possibility to get to know many different people. To work in the orphanage with such adorable kids and nice mamas was really fun and it was interesting to get to know some of the habits and culture of local people. Designing 'Projects' and especially teaching was a challenge for me and helped me grow and learn new skills. Outside of working there was enough time to experience Dar es Salaam and other parts of Africa, such as, Zanzibar and one of the National parks. These experiences can be very nice but sometimes also be frightening, so you will get an opportunity to see the different sides of Africa during your time here.

All in all I am very happy that I risked this adventure and was able to be a part of help2kids and contributed something towards the children's education and their daily life."

Susanne from Germany

My name is Jenna Wolff. I spent almost three months volunteering at the help2kids children's home and English project in 2011. The experience was wonderful! The kids were great and such a joy to work with. From English classes to face painting, football games to field trips, every day was an adventure. All the employees at the children's home are amazing people, and they made us volunteers feel welcome and useful.

The help2kids organization did a great job of creating a fun and productive work environment. Volunteers have the opportunity to bring their own ideas and creativity. The employees were very open to suggestions and always willing to try new things. The organization was especially helpful because they introduced me to so many other people in the area. I had the opportunity to get to know social workers, teachers, and community leaders, which really enhanced my understanding of Tanzanian life. They even helped many of us find Swahili teachers, so we could learn to communicate better in our new community.

The living situation while volunteering was great. The house is beautiful and spacious, and so close to the beach! I always felt safe in our neighborhood and really enjoyed getting to know the shopkeepers, vegetable vendors, and restaurant owners nearby. It is very easy to get public transportation, in order to explore the rest of the city on your time off.

I would highly recommend help2kids to anyone who is looking for a volunteer experience. It provides the whole package- a fulfilling job, support, a great neighborhood, and the chance to experience a new way of life!"

Jenna from the USA