Library and Literacy Volunteer

Please Note: Volunteer positions are temporary and the length of your volunteer term can be anywhere from 3 weeks to 1 year. You must be at least 21 years old to be a volunteer with us.

Organization Overview

The Tanzanian Children's Fund (TCF) works to eliminate generational poverty in rural northern Tanzania by ensuring that the children and families in this region have access to all of the care and services they need to lead healthy, secure, and fulfilling lives. Our work falls into 4 key program areas: Education, Health, Home and Family, and Economic Opportunity. You will be supporting activities in the Rift Valley Children's Village, which provides a permanent home and family for orphaned and vulnerable children in our community.

Position Overview

The Library and Literacy Volunteer supports the Children’s Village by organizing and strengthening its small physical library, promoting a culture of reading in English, and developing engaging reading programs for children of all ages. The role focuses on improving access to books, supporting caregivers, and making reading a joyful, regular part of village life. This volunteer will also help design simple systems for borrowing, storing, and tracking books both in the library and inside the children’s homes.

Ideal Background & Skills

• Experience in library science, education, literacy development, or early childhood/primary education
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Passion for children’s literacy and reading engagement
• Strong English fluency; ability to read aloud expressively
• Creativity in designing activities and reading programs
• Comfortable working in a low-tech, limited-resource environment
• Culturally sensitive and collaborative

Core Expectations

• Respect the Tanzanian cultural setting and the pace of working in a rural community
• Promote English-language exposure through structured and unstructured reading activities
• Organize and maintain physical book collections across multiple locations
• Develop systems that local staff and future volunteers can maintain
• Encourage daily reading habits among children and caregivers
• Actively participate in village life during weekends and school holidays

Primary Responsibilities

1. Library Organization & Maintenance
   • Sort and categorize physical books by reading level, age group, genre, or curriculum relevance
   • Review existing book clusters and strengthen sets for small-group or circle reading
   • Label or code books for easy identification
   • Establish child-friendly browsing areas and reading spaces
   • Train staff and older children on library care and organization
2. Development of a Reading Program
   • Design a weekend and school-holiday reading program for children of different ages, which may include:
     • Storytime sessions
     • Paired reading or reading buddies
     • Reading challenges (stickers, certificates, book logs)
     • Small-group reading circles
     • Themed reading weeks (animals, friendship, geographical area/culture-centered stories, etc.)
   • Introduce daily or weekly “reading moments” during after-school hours
   • Teach children how to choose appropriate-level books
3. English-Language Reading Support
   • Read aloud to children regularly to model fluent English
   • Support early readers with phonics, vocabulary building, and reading confidence
   • Offer reading support during after-school study hall
   • Collaborate with Early Childhood Care and Education teachers on storytime or literacy-rich activities
4. Support for Books in the Children’s Homes
   • Inventory and organize books currently placed in each children’s house
   • Train caregivers on how to use and refresh house book collections
   • Create simple “reading corner” setups in houses
   • Develop routines that encourage nighttime reading, shared storytime, or weekend reading challenges
5. Weekend & Holiday Engagement
   • Plan and lead reading-centered activities for the larger group of children
   • Organize storytelling competitions, drama reenactments, or read-aloud parties
   • Support general weekend programming with creative, literacy-rich activities
   • Assist with study hall and homework support focused on reading comprehension
6. Book Tracking & Lending Systems
   • Help the organization establish a sustainable, low-tech-friendly book-tracking system. Options include:

Low-Tech Systems (preferred in rural contexts):

• • • Simple borrowing cards inside each book
    • A checkout notebook maintained by teachers or caregivers
    • Color-coded shelving system or baskets
    • A rotating “classroom box” or “house box” for children’s homes

Digital Options (if feasible):

• • • A basic spreadsheet catalog (Excel/Google Sheets)
    • QR-code sticker system
    • Photo-based catalog for staff to reference

Impact of the Role

The Librarian volunteer/intern strengthens the reading culture within the children’s village, improves access to organized books, and helps children develop essential English literacy skills. By setting up sustainable systems and engaging reading programs, this role leaves lasting tools that benefit children, caregivers, and teachers long after the volunteer departs.