Agriculture Community Services Volunteers work in Peace
Corps Tanzania’s Sustainable Agriculture project to
promote sustainable agriculture and natural resource
management. Volunteers work with their community based
organizations and non-profit organizations to raise
awareness of and engage community members in local
agricultural initiatives.
Volunteers collaborate with community leaders to identify
their community’s needs and implement appropriate
interventions. As such, Volunteers play the role of catalyst
for a wide range of activities, limited only by the creativity of
the community and the Volunteers. Activities may include
but are not limited to:
•Train farmers to employ climate smart agricultural
techniques to improve crop production and food security
•Educate farmers on water management to increase
availability of water for staple crop production
community members on small scale gardening
•Train farmers on increasing profitability by adding value,
selecting for quality, and monitoring markets
•Encourage farmers to implement small scale income
generating projects (i.e. animal husbandry, beekeeping)
•Teach community members to construct and use
appropriate technologies (i.e. energy efficient stoves)
•Facilitate and teach agriculture education programs in
schools, with out of school youths, and with different
community groups
With the various projects that Volunteers undertake, they
work with community members to assess the local
knowledge, resources and needs to determine the best
and most sustainable projects.
Volunteers also work with community members to develop
secondary projects. Examples of secondary projects
include: teaching English or science at local primary
schools, promoting sports for boys and girls, improving
school or health center facilities, construction of wells and
latrines, or working on local capacity building projects.
While much of the work will take place during weekday
daytime hours, some activities, particularly in the
community, may take place at night or on weekends. Big
events such the International Malaria Day and World Aids
day are opportunities for action, and many Volunteers work
with their village government to prepare a community wide
awareness event. Of great importance in any community
development work is the time one takes just being there,
developing relationships, and building trust.
Tanzania is one of the Peace Corps countries participating
in Let Girls Learn, an important initiative promoting gender
awareness and girls’ education and empowerment. You will
receive in-depth training on incorporating methods of
gender analysis into community assessment and
development efforts. During your service you will find
culturally appropriate ways to incorporate gender
awareness and the promotion of youth- especially girls- into
your work. As part of the initiative, you will also report on
these efforts and their impact.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have a:
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
Desired Skills
• Expressed interest in agriculture as demonstrated by
significant (3 months, 10 hours/month or 30 hours
minimum) relevant volunteer experience
• BA/BS Social Work, Social Services, Counseling or
Community Development
• Demonstrated ability in planning, organizing, counseling
on leadership
Required Language Skills
There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this
position. Please take a moment to explore the Language
Comments section below to find out more on how local
language(s) will be utilized during service.
Additional Language Information
Trainees will receive 10 weeks of training in the
predominant language, Kiswahili, and must attain an
Intermediate-Mid oral proficiency level before swearing-in
as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Additional language training
will be offered through independent tutoring and trainings
throughout service.
Living Conditions
Karibu Tanzania! Tanzania is located in East Africa in a
tropic region where most of the areas experience hot
weather except for the highland areas, which are relatively
cold. Volunteers are placed in communities in the far north
and the far south, but not the west. Most Volunteers live in
underserved mid-sized communities or rural settings.
Volunteers generally live within a few hours of larger district
towns, but travel to Dar es Salaam can take anywhere from
8 hours to two days depending on where they are located in
the country. Volunteers generally use public buses or
bicycles as their main mode of transportation.
The village government provides a Volunteer’s housing,
which is located at a school, clinic or within the community.
Housing varies from mud houses with a corrugated iron
roof to concrete houses with glass windows. Volunteers
have pit latrines and outdoor bath facilities, and fetch water
from a village water source. There may be no electricity in
your village/house. Kerosene or solar lamps will be the
main source of lighting and charcoal stoves or kerosene
stoves will be used for cooking and heating during cold
spells. Peace Corps provides a settling-in allowance that
can be used to purchase those furnishings necessary to
make your house comfortable on a modest scale.
In Tanzania, respect comes with age and experience.
Younger Volunteers experience initial difficulties gaining
respect from their counterparts. However, a Volunteer’s
professional appearance, work habits, and positive attitude
towards colleagues and community members will help
him/her gain respect within the workplace.
The manner in which one dresses is of great importance to
Tanzanians. A female Volunteer working as a teacher or
health extension worker is expected to wear modest
dresses and long skirts (far below the knees, with
shoulders covered) and sandals or flat shoes while at work
or in their communities. Tight pants for men or women are
not looked upon favorably. Male Volunteers should wear
slacks, collared shirts, and loafers or other closed toed
shoes when presenting themselves professionally.
A Volunteer’s work hours depend on the settings in which
he/she works. For example, to work in a school, A
Volunteer will need to determine an appropriate schedule
with the school administration. Work hours at a health
center would depend on the center's schedule for health
education or clinic days and on appropriate timing for other
interventions which a Volunteer might develop with
community leaders.
Volunteers also encounter very different social and cultural
norms that require flexibility and understanding. For
example, the American sense of privacy is a curiosity here.
A Volunteer will frequently be asked about his/her religion
and marital status. A Volunteer will be viewed as a role
model within their communities, and his/her life will be very
public. Volunteers may often feel they are "on stage".
Tanzania is south of the equator, the seasons will be
opposite of what you are accustomed to. During the cold
season (June, July, and August), temperatures range from
60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit in the lowlands and on the
coast from 40 to 50 degrees in the highlands. The hottest
months of the year are November, December, and January
when temperatures in the highlands range from 70 to 80
degrees and those in the lowlands range from 90 to 105
degrees, with considerable humidity. The rainy season
starts in late November or early December and continues
through April. The rest of the year is dry, but many highland
areas have showers and mist year-round.
PC/Tanzania provides support to a diverse group of
Volunteers, including Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender,
or Queer (LGBTQ) individuals. LGBTQ Volunteers have
served successfully in Tanzania; however, it should be
noted that homosexuality is illegal in Tanzania. Applicants
should be mindful of this fact when making the decision to
serve in Tanzania.
Learn more about the Volunteer experience in Tanzania:
Get detailed information on culture, communications,
housing, and safety — including crime statistics [PDF] — in
order to make a well-informed decision about serving.
Medical Considerations in Tanzania
Tanzania may not be able to support Volunteers with the
following medical conditions: asthma, including mild or
childhood; cardiology; dermatology; insulin-dependent
diabetes; gastroenterology; ongoing behavioral health
support; seizure disorder.
The following medication(s) are not permitted for legal or
cultural reasons: Adderall, Ritalin and Vyvanse.
Volunteers who should avoid the following food(s) may
not be able to serve: gluten and peanut.
After arrival in Tanzania, Peace Corps provides and
applicants are required to have an annual flu shot, to
take daily or weekly medication to prevent malaria, and
to receive mandatory immunizations.
Before you apply, please also review Important Medical
Information for Applicants (PDF) to learn about other health
conditions typically not supported in Peace Corps service.
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