Human Rights Volunteer Projects in Tanzania

Volunteering on a Human Rights Internship in Tanzania

Volunteers work alongside qualified and passionate individuals in a local community which is just a short distance from the centre of Arusha. The NGO helps a wide variety of people; however, their main focus lies with women, specifically widows. You will be given the opportunity to expand your horizons whilst also making a real impact to people’s quality of life.

The Human Rights project offers volunteers the unique opportunity to get involved at a grass roots level. Many communities in Tanzania still live in poverty. The organization we work with focuses on creating programmes which help individuals to claim their property and inheritance rights, and supports widows who have suffered injustice. The NGO aims to educate people on these legal areas by building a network of local leaders and pastors and through short bulletins on radio shows, to try and reach the widest possible audience.

Human Rights Work Experience Opportunities with The Maasai Land Explorer

Volunteers are involved in some of the following areas:

• Visiting the foothills of Mount Meru, where widow groups are based to understand the legal and human rights issues they face.
• Assisting the NGO to support the widows’ immediate needs and empower them through micro-projects that will provide them with a source of income.
• Representation of widows providing legal assistance to help them assert and defend their legal rights.
• Researching a number of different subjects thoroughly ensuring they are accurate in relation to relevant Tanzanian points of law. Information gathered will also be important material for compiling radio scripts.
• Under the NGO’s guidance, volunteers produce radio scripts to be translated in Kimasi, the local Maasai language.
• Volunteers will liaise with lawyers and other legal societies such as the Legal and Human Rights Centre in Arusha, and the East African Law Society.

These aims and objectives and their strategies are at the forefront of the work which is carried out on the Human Rights project. However, the project never stops developing and growing, so new issues arise on a regular basis and new strategies are constantly being put in place in order to overcome these issues and help those who are most in need.

As a volunteer you will be able to get involved in a variety of different areas depending on your level of experience and areas of interest. We require that all volunteers have a serious interest in legal matters with a particular focus on matters relating to land, probate and inheritance. In addition we welcome volunteers who have a qualification in law or who are studying in this field. It is also important that you are flexible, enthusiastic, communicate well and are willing to learn.

If you have qualifications or experience in this field then we can make use of your skills. Read more about the opportunities for skilled volunteers in Tanzania.