Organización sin fin de lucro
Be a PenPal to Kids in Tanzania
Descripción
Descripción
Location: Remote
Organization: The Small Things
Age Group: Children ages 8 to 14
Commitment: 6 months minimum
About the Opportunity
At The Small Things, we believe every child deserves to feel seen, heard, and valued. Many of the children in our care have experienced poverty, family loss, or unstable home environments. Through our PenPal program, you can become a steady, encouraging presence in a child’s life from wherever you are in the world.
By exchanging letters and occasionally joining supervised video calls, you will help a child practice English, build confidence, and experience the joy of a positive, consistent connection with a caring adult.
What You Will Do
As a PenPal volunteer, you will build a one-to-one friendship through thoughtful, age-appropriate communication.
Your responsibilities include:
- Writing one to two letters per month to your matched child
- Sharing encouragement, stories, and positive reflections
- Keeping communication respectful, simple, and culturally sensitive
- Participating in occasional supervised video calls, if available
- Being consistent and reliable so the child feels secure
- Following all The Small Things safeguarding and privacy policies
All communication is reviewed and supported by our team to ensure safety for both children and volunteers.
Time Commitment
- Each letter takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes to write
- Estimated monthly time commitment is 1 to 2 hours
- Minimum commitment of 6 months to support meaningful relationship building
What You Gain
- Make a real difference without traveling
- Build a cross-cultural friendship
- Support a child’s confidence, literacy, and emotional wellbeing
- Join a global community committed to child protection and empowerment
Safeguarding and Requirements
Because this program involves children and occasional video calls, safeguarding is essential.
Volunteer requirements:
- No Minimum age
- Strong written English skills
- Willingness to commit for at least 6 months
- Respect for cultural differences and strict privacy guidelines
- Reliable internet access for optional video calls
Safeguarding rules:
- All communication goes through The Small Things staff
- No private social media contact or direct messaging with children
- No exchange of gifts, money, or personal contact information
- Video calls are always supervised and scheduled by staff
- This program focuses on encouragement and friendship, not counseling or parenting
Important Processing Note
Our team processes letters and schedules video calls during weekday working hours only. Messages sent over the weekend will be handled the following week.
Ready to Get Started?
If you are looking for a meaningful way to give back from home, we would love to hear from you. Just one or two letters a month can help a child feel valued, supported, and hopeful.
Ubicación
Ubicación asociada
(volunteering site in Tanzania)
Por favor, llena este formulario
Thank you for your interest in becoming a PenPal with children ages 4–14 at The Small Things in Tanzania!
- You don’t need to submit additional documents—just complete the questions on this page.
- Letters and communication will be supported and monitored by The Small Things staff.
- There’s no required prior training, but we ask all volunteers to follow safeguarding rules and commit to writing at least 1–2 letters per month for six months to build meaningful relationships.
- If you are interested in learning about additional ways to support children (e.g., sponsorship), you’ll have the opportunity later.
