Community Health Educator

Tanzania has a diverse geography and climate. It can be hot and dry in central Tanzania, hot and humid in coastal areas, and the highland and mountainous areas have cool to cold temperatures seasonally.
During the hottest months (November-February) temperatures in the lowlands range from 90-105 °F, and 70-80 °F in the highlands. During the cold season (June-August), temperatures range from 60-75 °F in the lowlands and coast, and from 40-50 °F in the highlands. There are short rains in November or December and longer rains between March and May.
Volunteers are placed primarily in underserved rural communities. These communities can be within a few hours of small to mid-size towns, with banks, a variety of shops, markets, local restaurants, and guesthouses. Travel to Dar es Salaam can take anywhere from five hours to three days by road. Volunteers generally use public buses as the main mode of transportation.
The host village provides Volunteer housing. It is typically a stand-alone house. Volunteers may use pit latrines, outdoor bath facilities, and fetch water from a village water source, or they may have a toilet and bath facility in their house with running water, depending on the community. Access to and/or consistency of electricity and running water in one’s home is not a guarantee. Volunteer housing is assessed to meet agency safety, security, and health requirements. In all circumstances, Volunteers will want to learn and exercise the core competencies: adaptability and flexible thinking, emotional agility, and problem solving in response to the inevitable challenges of living in a new environment.
Personal appearance is of great importance in Tanzania. Female Volunteers are expected to wear modest dresses and long skirts (with covered knees, upper arms, and shoulders) and nice flat shoes or sandals. In Zanzibar or in other coastal Muslim communities, females tend to be more accepted when they cover their heads, which is the custom for women in those communities. When exercising, females should wear a sarong or cloth tied over shorts or yoga pants. Male Volunteers should wear slacks, collared shirts, and loafers or other closed toed shoes when presenting themselves professionally. A Volunteer’s professional appearance, work habits, and positive attitude towards colleagues and community members will go a long way towards helping them gain the respect of their community.
Volunteers may witness variations in dress among locals. What’s stated here is the traditional, most widely accepted forms of dress and it is the expectation during Pre-Service Training (PST) and likely throughout service. You should think of your presentation and dress as an important tool to facilitate your integration into the communities where you will serve, especially at times when your local knowledge and language are just beginning to build. Volunteers will learn and practice the core competencies of intercultural engagement and Volunteer accountability by adhering to dress code norms.
Volunteers will encounter different social and cultural norms that require flexibility and understanding. For example, the American sense of privacy in terms of information sharing or physical space does not exist in Tanzania. Volunteers are frequently asked personal questions and people will wonder why a Volunteer might want quiet moments alone. As a foreigner, there is also the added element of curiosity from children as well as adults.
Peace Corps provides a settling-in allowance that can be used to purchase furnishings necessary to make Volunteer houses comfortable on a modest scale. Volunteers get a stipend to purchase a bike to assist in their work activities and to make transportation easier.
Feminine hygiene products are provided to Volunteers via the Peace Corps Medical Office or through an allowance where Volunteers purchase them on their own. Those products may not be the same variety or brands that would be purchased in the U.S.

Learn more about the living conditions, including detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics on our Tanzania country page. You can also delve into stories about local communities by reading our blog or Volunteer stories.