Despite major investments in AIDS prevention, the rate of HIV infection in many African countries is still rising. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has exacerbated poverty and malnutrition. Families hit by AIDS see their food production cut in half. UNAIDS and WHO estimate that 7 out of 10 people newly infected with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa . Nine out of ten children under the age of 15 carry the virus. 83% of AIDS-related deaths have come from Africa . Tanzania , like its neighboring countries, has not been able to escape the AIDS pandemic. Furthermore, the impact of AIDS is deepening and getting worse.

This project aims to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS and provide support to the affected. Our partner organizations work to advance adolescent reproductive health and HIV/AIDS prevention. Together, we focus on promoting behavioral change through facilitating discussions on HIV prevention and sexual health within community groups, including youth in- and out-of-school, clients at antenatal clinics, and general community meetings. We disseminate developmental information on health-related issues focusing mainly on reproductive health, and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS. We provide educational materials on issues relating to the causes, effects and prevention of HIV/AIDS.

Many HIV/AIDS affected people are living a sorrowful life. They have lost their self-esteem and power. The awareness of this pandemic is not sufficient. Loving, caring volunteers are needed to work as mentors and reach the maximum number of people –especially the younger generation and the children who are even more vulnerable to this deadly disease.

Role of a Volunteer

Volunteers take care of HIV/AIDS infected kids and people, simultaneously getting them engaged in educational and training activities meant to increase awareness and stop the epidemic of HIV/AIDS in Tanzania . Volunteers help could be highly useful in the following activities:

•  Care and encourage HIV/AIDS affected
•  Counseling and education in hospitals and communities
•  Raise personal risk perception among the youth, men and women by involving them to actively participate in HIV/AIDS preventive education in the district
•  Help various HIV/AIDS organizations in their community outreach programs such as hospice care, recreational and educational programs, voluntary HIV counseling and testing, and educational seminars and conferences on the virus within the local community

Skills/Qualifications Needed

There are no specific qualifications required to volunteer in this project. However, volunteers must possess an unwavering love and willingness to share their time and compassion with the people as well as show great patience and high flexibility.

Location Descriptions

In Tanzania , health projects are located in Dar Es Salaam , Arusha, and Moshi. Serving as both the capital and as a also a major port city, Dar Es Salaam is the natural starting point for volunteer experiences in Tanzania . Located near Mount Kilimanjaro, Dodoma and Zanzibar , Dar boasts numerous, beautiful beaches which are usually easily accessible from the city, namely Kunduchi, Mjimwena and Mbwa Magi.

Arusha is one of the bigger cities in the north of Tanzania  at the base of Mt. Meru , not far from the border with Kenya . It is well known as an African congress center containing the site for the International Tribunal for the Rwandese Genocide. Safari tours to the Serengeti, N'gorongoro, Manyara, and Tarangire usually begin in Arusha. The city is also an excellent base for visiting the Arusha National Park , where volunteers can experience a wide range of habitats: from the lakes which serve as a gathering point for a kaleidoscope of waterfowl, to the highland montane forests, all the way up to the imposing summit of Mt. Meru . Moshi is approximately an hour-and-a-half (90 minutes) drive from Arusha.