Watoto Wa Africa Volunteer & Mission Trips

Are you looking to spend some time serving and building

relationships? If you feel God leading you to go on a mission trip, serving in

Tanzania at the Watoto Wa Africa  orphanage

 may be the opportunity you are looking

for. Everyone is welcome and can find some way to use their special gifts and

talents.

You will be spending your days ministering to the kids, sharing

Jesus with them, and assisting the Tanzanian staff in feeding and taking care

of the children. Ministry opportunities include: working with children,

assisting the care of special needs children, teaching, bible lessons, arts and

crafts, providing healthcare, helping in school, housework such as cooking and

cleaning, and many more opportunities.

As a short-term missionary, you will be living at the Orphanage and

working with our kids and staff on a daily basis. There will be one or two days

a week that you will have the opportunity to see Tanzania and serve alongside

other ministries, we call these outreach days. Some of the things that you might be doing

include praying with people, helping at other orphanages, teaching at local

schools, door-to-door evangelism, building projects, work at babies homes,

serving with street and slums ministries, praying for the sick, doing community

outreach, playing football (soccer) with kids and more. There are many

opportunities and you can tell us what your passion is and where you would like

to serve. We go grocery shopping each week. It is usually a full-day event. You

are more than welcome to go with us to the open market and visit with the

Tanzanians selling food – this is a great chance to see more of the city, learn

about local culture and food, share your faith with Tanzanians, as well as

stretch your legs.

We are a home, a community, and a family. This means that it is

important to work together, intentionally looking for ways to serve each other, respecting

differences and teaching each other. We want to provide a united and strong

example for the children and for our community, communication and working

together is integral for this to happen. In the past few years, volunteers from

Europe, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and others have joined

us here in Tanzania to serve alongside our staff at the orphanage as well as in

communities.

This mission trip will particularly suit those with a heart for

children’s ministry. This mission trip is not a holiday! It demands a high

level of maturity and a certain degree of confidence and independence. You will

be joining our Tanzanian team. You will be expected to be up for a challenge

and be flexible with changes to the schedule. You will be expected to be humble

enough to accept unfamiliar cultural situations. Tanzania has its own timetable

(aka Bongo time). Things arise that need to be dealt with right away; power

goes out, water gets shut off, van breaks down, etc. All these things happen

and it means that we have to be flexible.

You will have accommodations at the Orphanage in Mwanza, staying with

other volunteers and Tanzanian staff. Mwanza is a huge city and is very

urban. The Orphanage is located in a safe area. We will always put your safety

first. The Orphanage is in a village on the outside of Mwanza with running

water and electricity. Sometimes the water is cut off and sometimes we go

without electricity. Space is limited so you will most likely be sharing with

others (guys share with guys and girls share with girls) depending on if there

are other short-term missionaries here serving with us when you are here. Some

of them could only be there for 2 weeks, 2 months or more so there will most

likely be some fluctuation in short term volunteers while you are here.

You can be in contact with your family and friends back home. We have

wireless Internet at the orphanage so you can stay in contact. Every once in

awhile we might not have electricity but it is usually only for a few hours so

it should not hinder you from contacting your family.

We are so excited that you are interested in serving with us in

Tanzania. We do have positions open throughout the year for anywhere from 1-2

weeks to 3 months. We are able to accept applications that are submitted at any

time, but please be aware that it takes time for us to go

through them and respond to you. Dates for a short-term mission trips are

flexible. This trip is customizable to fit your schedule. We can have a total

of 6-8 short-termers staying at the Orphanage at one time. We can take on

short-term missionaries at any time of the year for any period, providing we

have room at the Orphanage.

To apply for a short-term

missions trip with Watoto Wa  Africa

Orphanage:

1.   Fill out the short-term missions application.

2.   Have a pastor, Bible study leader, Christian

mentor, or ministry leader fill out the pastoral reference form.

3.   Read, sign, and return the Personal Covenant

and Liability Release Airfare costs usually around $1500-$2200 per person

(varies depending on when you travel)

1.   $50 tourist visa per person paid for at the

Tanzanian airport upon arrival

2.   $300/week to cover all living expenses while

in Tanzania including transportation, food, housing at the Children’s home,

internet use, etc.

3.   Extra money to cover additional expenses such

as souvenirs or gifts for family and friends and a safari if interested

“And Jesus went

throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and

proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every

affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they

were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his

disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray

earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’”

(Matthew 9:35-38)

5. Raise funds to help the many

unfinished projects at Watoto Wa Africa

Watoto Wa Africa

 needs the services of all

volunteers from any country, with no barriers to age, sex or color, who can

help in rural development either with the continuation of existing projects

(such as the orphan project, the afterschool project, community health

outreach, women empowerment clubs or the eco-tourism project),or in the

creation of new viable and sustainable programs. Smaller, more feasible

projects are preferred, with a focus on sustainability.

Is volunteering at Watoto Wa Africa

 for me?

Volunteering in a developing country for a grassroots organization

is a tremendous experience, though one that requires certain adjustments and

characteristics. It’s important to consider certain things so that a

volunteer’s experience will allow them to adjust to the way of life and enjoy

time in Tanzania.

·        

Are you flexible,

non-judgmental, tolerant, resourceful and inquisitive?

·        

Do you like asking

questions, learning by doing, exchanging knowledge and sharing skills?

·        

Are you compassionate

to children especially parentless children?, Are you  hard working, adventurous and willing to

learn?

If you think you may be suitable fit, then you may be the kind

of person Watoto Wa Africa is looking for.

If you would like further information on such things as

accommodation, cost and transport, please review the material on

“Information for Volunteers”. If you wish to apply to become a Watoto Wa Africa

volunteer, please go to the Online Volunteer Application. We will then get in

contact with you to propose volunteer work that best matches our needs with your

own particular abilities and interests. You may also wish to speak to former

volunteers.