FAQs

General Program Questions

Health and Safety Questions

Application Questions

Miscellaneous Questions

Why are most SIC programs based in rural areas?

Levels of knowledge about HIV are much lower in rural communities, and we believe that our volunteers can have a far greater impact by teaching there. Living and working in the same areas greatly reduces daily travel time for volunteers and increase the number of communities we are able to serve. In addition, we believe that rural programs provide volunteers a more thorough cultural immersion, and that living and working in the same area will help volunteers get to know the people they are teaching.

(back to the top)


How will I stay in touch with people back home while living in a rural homestay?

Each volunteer is provided with a cell-phone for the duration of their stay in Tanzania. Although service is sometimes interrupted, it is usually possible to dial directly to and from the US using these phones. We will also offer regular trips to Arusha town, where email services are readily and cheaply available.

(back to the top)


How do pre-field training and orientation work?

We want to help you become an effective HIV teacher, and to make sure that you are happy and safe in Tanzania. The program therefore includes both a mandatory series of pre-field meetings led by program coordinators and an intensive in-country orientation led by an HIV expert and SIC Tanzania staff. Pre-field training and orientation will include the following:

- Introduction to International Health
- The Ethics of Volunteering
- HIV Biology
- Transmission and Prevention of HIV
- Caring for an AIDS Patient
- Social and Cultural Risk Factors in HIV prevention
- Techniques for teaching about HIV in Tanzania
- HIV as a Barrier to Development / Multilateral Approaches
- Prevention of Infectious Disease
- Tanzania History and Culture
- Health and Safety in Arusha
- Appropriate Behavior
- SIC Rules and Expectations
- Travel Logistics
- Extra Projects
- Curriculum Planning
- Intensive Swahili Class
- Group activities

(back to the top)


What will the homestays be like?

Every family is different – some have small children, others have teenagers. Some houses have flush toilets, others pit latrines. In some houses, there will be a “house girl or boy” – usually a teenager who lives with the family and takes care of household chores and cooking in exchange for food and shelter. Most houses are made of cinder blocks. Few (if any) of the houses will have electricity; therefore it may be common to eat or read by candlelight. You will probably take bucket baths – the family can heat water for you if you ask them.

You will have your own room, likely shared with another volunteer or teaching partner, and the families treat this as your own private space. Breakfast and dinner will be eaten with your family most days – this is one of the best ways to get to know them. Some families speak a little English, but there will definitely be plenty of opportunities to practice your Swahili.

All SIC homestay families are excited to welcome you into their home – expect to be treated as one of their children. Most volunteers find the homestay to be one of the most rewarding parts of their time in Tanzania.

Click Here to visit SIC’s Homestay photo album on Flickr.

(back to the top)


What will I eat?

Every homestay is different but you should expect simple, nutritious meals. The common staples are ugali (thick cornmeal), rice, potatoes and noodles. Beans, eggplant, greens, and meat may be served for dinner. For breakfast, tea is served every morning, along with eggs, toast, porridge, or fruit. Mealtimes are one of the most important ways that you will get to know your family. SIC will provide a weekly stipend to cover the cost of lunch. On weekends, Italian, Chinese, Ethiopian, Indian, pizza, steak, and hamburgers are all available in town, in addition to Tanzanian restaurants, although western food tends to be more expensive.

Click Here to visit SIC’s Food photo album on Flickr.

(back to the top)


What exactly will I do during the program?

Each program will be divided into 2 sections:

1) Orientation – weeks 1 and 2 (described above)
2) Awareness Campaign(s) – remainder of the program

During the awareness campaigns, your main activity will be teaching. Each teaching team will have a different schedule, but expect to spend at least 4 hours each day teaching, planning lessons and in transit to project sites. Each group will teach both school and adult community groups.

There are many ways to fill the remainder of your time. There may be opportunities to practice with local sports teams, or get to know your teaching groups through other extra-curricular activities. You can also work on extra projects related to our work, such as condom distribution or community event planning. Coordinators will help you make plans to do this. Visits to orphanages will be arranged, and you have the opportunity to visit people living with HIV in their homes. Finally, spending time with your homestay family or in the villages is a great way to make friends and learn about Tanzanian culture.

(back to the top)


Since I am going all the way to Tanzania I want to see some of the country. Is this possible?

Yes. There will be limited opportunities for independent travel on weekends during the program. You may also want to consider spending extra time in Tanzania before or after the program if you want to do a lot of traveling. Coordinators can help you make decisions during prefield.

Staff members have traveled extensively in East Africa, and can provide advice. Most activities can be arranged on arrival (it is generally cheaper to do so than to book in advance).

(back to the top)



Is it possible to stay involved with SIC after the program?

Yes, SIC is committed to leadership development and we encourage former volunteers to stay involved. 2011 volunteers will be invited to apply for 2012 coordinator positions, and management level openings are sometimes available to former coordinators. We also encourage volunteers to stay involved with other aspects of HIV prevention, and many of our former volunteers are active with campus advocacy groups.

(back to the top)


Will I get sick while I am in Tanzania?

When traveling to a tropical climate you will inevitably be exposed to many new diseases. However, with proper preparation and behavior you can minimize the risk of getting sick. We require all volunteers to be vaccinated against Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Hepatitis A and B and Polio before they arrive in Tanzania. You will also be required to take anti-malarial medication for the duration of your stay. Homestays will provide mosquito nets, and it is recommended that you use insect repellant during the day. As a rule, food that is not boiled, peeled, or cooked should not be eaten. These precautions reduce, but do not eliminate the chance of getting sick. Many volunteers experience some kind of mild gastro-intestinal discomfort while in Tanzania, but this is usually short-lived and not serious. Western-trained doctors in Arusha are experts on tropical disease and are used to treating traveler’s diarrhea and other ailments. A vehicle will always be available to take volunteers to a clinic in Arusha. In the unlikely event of a hospitalization, Nairobi’s western-quality hospital can be reached within hours. An SIC coordinator is on-call at all times, and you will have use of a cell-phone to contact them.

(back to the top)


Will I be safe in Tanzania?

Most Tanzanians are very poor but their culture is peaceful and welcoming of foreigners. As in any developing country, pick-pocketing is a problem in town, but there is very little violent crime. However, it is not recommended that volunteers carry large sums of money and you will be forbidden from walking around town at night. SIC will provide transport if any program event ends after nightfall. Most thefts and losses of belongings are more of an inconvenience than a danger, and usually result from carelessness on the part of the volunteer. We have had success recovering lost or stolen passports and credit cards in the past, since few Tanzanians have any use for these items.

The American Embassy will be informed of the names, passport numbers and dates of stay of all volunteers. In the event of an international emergency their advice will be strictly followed.

Most SIC activities will involve volunteers working in groups, and we will never require a person to work alone if they are uncomfortable doing so. Volunteers will have use of a cell-phone for the duration of the program, and a coordinator is on-call at all times. A portion of in-country orientation will be devoted to personal safety. With prudent behavior anyone can live safely in Arusha.

(back to the top)



What happens if there is a severe medical emergency?

SIC has hosted hundreds of volunteers, and we have never had an acute medical emergency. However, we are prepared for this possibility. A vehicle is always is available to take volunteers to a clinic in Arusha. In the unlikely event of a hospitalization, Nairobi’s Western-quality hospital can be reached within hours. There are a number of evacuation services in the area, including Flying Doctors. Flying Doctors offer in-flight treatment for trauma while a patient is in transit and cover all of the areas in which we work.
While we have never had a volunteer hospitalized, we do have emergency evacuation protocols. The volunteer’s emergency contacts at home (usually parents) will be contacted as soon as we have information regarding a serious medical condition, and we will be in touch every step of the way. For further details on our emergency protocols, please contact Lindsay Whiddon (lindsay@sichange.org)

(back to the top)



What about non-medical emergencies?

In the past, when volunteers are in Tanzania, there have been more emergencies in the US than there are in Tanzania. If a loved one passes away or has another type of emergency, volunteers can decide with their families whether or not they should return to the US.
We recommend that all volunteers buy airline insurance (~$75) so if their flight needs to be changed and they have to return on a different date than they planned, they will not have to pay a fee.

(back to the top)



 I have an existing medical condition, or a history of addiction, eating disorder, or other illness. Can I still do the program?

Please contact Lindsay Whiddon (lindsay@sichange.org) and she can help you figure out if you are going to have the support you need to complete our program. We appreciate your candidness with us, and no medical disclosure will impact our admissions decisions. Rather, any information you share will help us discuss with you what parts of the program maybe be a challenge for you so that you can make an informed decision. In some cases, we may also be able to connect you with former volunteers with similar histories.

(back to the top)



 Who is responsible for making the tough decisions regarding health/safety?

The Volunteer Program Manager is largely responsible for these decisions. Health and safety are our highest priorities during volunteer programs. Our very first group meeting with volunteers in Tanzania is to discuss health and safety guidelines, and they are continually reminded of the importance of following these guidelines. Though it is quite uncommon that volunteers do not take these protocols seriously, we have sent volunteers home early in the past for failure to comply with our safety requirements.

(back to the top)



 How are the coordinators trained and how equipped are they to make on the spot decisions concerning health/safety?

Our coordinators are selected from volunteers from our programs in the preceding year. Those who are chosen have displayed maturity in their work, aptitude for functioning in the rural environments SIC operates in, and dedication to the success of our programs. As former volunteers they have roughly three months of experience working in Tanzania. Because their experience is recent they serve as excellent guides for new volunteers, both during pre-field preparations and in Tanzania. Coordinators are well equipped to make most day-to-day decisions, and serve as an intermediary between staff and the volunteers. While the tougher decisions are made by, or in consultation with, the Volunteer Program Manager, coordinators greatly increase the amount of oversight we have during the program and help us respond to all situations much more quickly.

(back to the top)


How competitive are the programs?

We will accept 20 – 24 volunteers to the May, June and July programs and 14 – 20 volunteers to the September program. Exact program sizes will be determined by the quality of applications received, as well as the planned location for that particular program. Based on our experience last year we expect the overall acceptance rate to be around 40%.

(back to the top)



 Can I apply if I am a freshman? Can I apply if I am graduating this year? Can I apply if I graduated within the last couple of years?

Yes, yes and yes. We’ve had excellent volunteers ranging in age from 17-29. If you are under eighteen, you will need a parent to sign some of the forms on your behalf. We give preference to applicants who can attend pre-field seminar during the spring semester at one of our participating universities, so if you have graduated, please indicate on your application whether or not you are near one of our campuses.

(back to the top)



Is there a designated contact person for parents’ questions?

Please download our emergency contact list here.

(back to the top)



Any question that has in it “anti-US sentiment,” or “Foreign Relations”

All volunteers register with the US embassy, and we will follow their advice in case of an international security incident. However, there is little anti-US sentiment in Tanzania and while there are unfriendly individuals everywhere in the world, our volunteers have found most Tanzanian people to be warm and welcoming. While some people may disapprove of US policies, most are able to separate the US government from US volunteers. SIC is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that is not formally affiliated with any religious organization, which helps distinguish us from more controversial organizations. In addition, most of our staff in Tanzania are Tanzanians who speak very highly of SIC.

(back to the top)



Any question that has “terrorism,” “kidnapping,” or “Al Queda.”

While we cannot make a guarantee, an act of terrorism is more likely to occur in the US than in the rural parts of Arusha and Babati. It is highly unlikely that any terrorism will occur, but in the event that there are any anti-US emergencies, we will follow the State Department’s guidelines.

(back to the top)



I have a question you didn’t answer!

Contact us, and we’d be happy to respond!

(back to the top)