Volunteers wanted to help build homes for vulnerable communities in Tanzania

Joining a home-building expedition offers you the opportunity to witness and experience the stark realities of choices (or lack of them) that many communities in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania face.

Expeditions are usually made up of 15-25 volunteers who spend two weeks working at grassroots level with our Tanzanian partners, helping to construct small homes for marginalised families, and also larger children’s centres for vulnerable children and orphans.

Working with local builders and the surrounding communities, you’ll be involved in marking and digging out the foundations of a new home, helping to make bricks, mix cement and plaster and paint walls, as well as spending time playing with the children and organising activities for them.

There’s also time to visit local tourist attractions and national parks, as well as sign up for a safari to appreciate the stunning wildlife and scenery of Tanzania.

Home-building expeditions are open to anyone over the age of 18 (or 16 if accompanied by a guardian), with no prior construction experience necessary. Enthusiasm and a willingness to work as part of a team are the only things required!

So if you’d like the opportunity to make a direct contribution to the lives of some of the poorest children in the world and to witness the impact your contribution will make, we’d love to have you as part of one of our teams helping to ‘Connect People to Change Lives’.

To find out more about our home-building expeditions, download our handbook HERE and check out our Frequently Asked Questions HERE. Or why not find out from others what it’s really like on an expedition, by looking through some of the stories and photos from our Tanzanian blog HERE

Home-Building Expedition Dates

2016

21st March - 4th April

7th July - 20th July

7th October - 20th October
You can also combine this expedition with our Kilimanjaro Trek. Click here to find out more.

 
2017

16th February - 1st March (includes Kilimanjaro Marathon and 5K)
Click HERE for more details about the marathon event

1st April - 14th April

29th July - 11th August

7th October - 20th October
You can also combine this expedition with our Kilimanjaro Trek. Click HERE to find out more.

We can also accommodate ‘private’ teams at other times of the year, such as for businesses, churches and anyone who is able to get their own team of 15-30 people together. Please email expeditions@vinetrust.org or phone 0131 555 5598 to discuss this option further. 

Cost

The cost for home-building teams in 2016 is £1,250 and £1,400 for 2017. Costs include a minimum £370 contribution towards building materials and wages for local builders in Tanzania. 

Not included in this cost are the price of international flights (which will be booked by the Vine Trust), the cost of any immunisations and anti-malarials required, visa entry fee (currently $50) and optional safari.  

Pre-Trip Orientation Sessions

Pre-trip orientation days are a vital way to learn more about your expedition, including details on the culture in Tanzania, health and safety, in-country logistics and what you’ll be doing—as well as to meet other members of your team!

The days are normally held at the Vine Trust barge in Edinburgh (Vine Trust Barge, Prince of Wales Dock, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 7DX). Orientation days confirmed for 2016 are:

Saturday 21 May, 10am-12.30pm

Saturday 20 August, 10am-12.30pm
   

Many flight-inclusive trips on this website financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all trips listed on this website. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: http://www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate

Following an independent assessment, we are pleased to say that Vine Trust’s expeditions are BS 8848 compliant, meeting the rigorous standards required by the British Standard for ‘organising and managing visits, fieldwork, expeditions and adventurous activities outside the UK’. The award highlights our commitment to putting health and safety first in all aspects of our work.

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