Combining Volunteering and Safari in Tanzania

Volunteers at the Fruitful Orphanage & Day Care Center spend Monday to Friday with the children — helping in the classroom, in the kitchen, in the garden, and simply being present. Weekends are free, and Arusha is the gateway to the entire northern safari circuit.

The usual rhythm

• ·Weekdays at the centre in Arusha.
• ·One free day: Arusha National Park, including a walking safari.
• ·A weekend: two days covering Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater.
• ·End of placement: five to seven days including the Serengeti.

Why it works so well

You are already in the right town, already acclimatised, and already understand something about Tanzania that most safari tourists never see. Guests who come to us through the orphanage ask better questions on game drives, and the conversations with our guides go somewhere.

It also closes a loop. Ten percent of what you pay for the safari goes straight back to the centre where you spend your weekdays — so the trip you take for yourself funds the place you came for.

Practical points

• ·Book safari dates as early as you can if you are travelling July to September.
• ·A single-entry tourist visa covers a volunteering stay of up to 90 days for most nationalities; check your own requirements.
• ·We collect you from your volunteer accommodation in Arusha, so no extra transfers are needed.
• ·Bring neutral safari clothing separately from your volunteering clothes — laundry between the two is easy.

How to arrange it

Volunteer placements are organised through the Fruitful Orphanage directly. Once your dates are set, send us an enquiry and we will fit the safari around your placement calendar.