Tanzania information for sport volunteers

Capital City: Dodoma
National Dish: Ugali and Rice
National Sport: Football
Sporting Hero Past/Present: Filibert Bayi / Mrisho Ngassa
Greatest Sporting Achievement: Filibert Bayi’s silver medal at Moscow Olympics

Where are we based and where you will live

Tanzania is a beautiful country with stunning landscapes and diverse culture. Projects Abroad is based in two different areas: the large coastal city of Dar es Salaam and the small northern town of Arusha. Our placements for sport volunteers are all based in Arusha, which is an incredibly friendly place to volunteer on a gap year sport project.

You will stay with a local host family who will prepare your meals and look after you. We normally look to accommodate you with at least one other volunteer. Tanzania’s national language is Swahili but English is also widely spoken. If you really want to immerse yourself in the local culture then you can always take some Swahili lessons alongside your sports project.

Social life and travel opportunities for volunteers in Tanzania

Sport volunteers in Tanzania get the chance to take part in a variety of social events. Projects Abroad organise events for all of the volunteers, such as days trips to the local waterfalls or even karaoke nights! In Arusha you will also find plenty to do, ranging from meals at local restaurants to day trips to the nearby Lake Duluti.

There are also lots of opportunities for those looking to travel further afield. Tanzania is fast becoming one of the world’s top destinations for safaris and you can visit the Serengeti National Park. There are also opportunities to visit world famous landmarks such as Kilimanjaro or even the stunning island of Zanzibar. Many of these journeys are quite time consuming so the best option might be to book extra time at the end of your trip for some independent travel.

Volunteer Sports in Tanzania

Tanzania is not traditionally known as a sporting powerhouse. However, if you take a walk anywhere in the country you will find children playing sports on the streets. The most popular sport is football but there is a growing interest in other activities such as basketball and volleyball. Sport is considered an important part of the education process in schools so there are lots of opportunities to get involved in coaching.

You can take part in a sports project in Tanzania with children at a local school.