Why this project?

'What are you going to do down there' was a very frequently asked question to me. Now it is time to answer that question. Here is the more detailed version of why I chose this project. What exactly I will do will be revealed in a separate post soon.

At the beginning of the year, I looked at many projects in Africa (internet search or catalogs of providers). There were projects with animals, such as raising lions, observing/counting turtles or dolphins, working on a farm with goats and chickens, or monitoring large animals in a national park. Other projects focused on children and teenagers (orphanage, kindergarten, school, street children activities). And then there were the more technical projects, such as promoting solar power and equipping houses with photovoltaic systems (presumably for a fee), or assisting with construction projects (wells, houses for orphaned children, or kindergartens). In my opinion, there is something for everyone.

So what should I do now? On various websites, I was warned that depending on the organization/agency, some projects are not recommended. For example, there are lion breeding stations that claim to raise lion cubs and then reintroduce them into the wild. Sadly, the mother was killed during a hunt. The warning was that often the lions raised are simply used as game animals for hunters. So they make money twice: from the volunteers and from the hunters. Of course, this is not obvious, and to clarify, it may be like this. There are certainly good organizations as well.

The projects related to orphanages also need to be carefully examined. Sometimes, children with parents from the street are collected just to found an orphanage. The aim is to collect children from a greater distance. I do not know how many bad apples there are, but at least one should be cautious, I was told.

If someone wants to teach as a volunteer at a school, there are also several things to clarify in advance. In a television report, a young girl who was supposed to teach at a school in West Africa (I think Ghana) was interviewed. She was disappointed that she could not teach herself. She was mainly a playground supervisor and occasionally helped in the classroom. She had the impression that only money was needed. At least that's what the principal or a teacher said. Two other German women said that they feel that the children are spoiled. For example, every four weeks, a new volunteer comes and the students ask him/her to buy something sweet. Here, one can legitimately question whether volunteering is useful at all. Because, of course, job opportunities should not be taken away from the locals, and the children should not be spoiled (I can't think of a better description at the moment). But I don't want to go into detail about that. I already show what I think about volunteer work just by being here in Tanzania.

But even with construction projects, one must be careful how well they are implemented. I read an article about well-intentioned well construction that sensitized me to pay close attention. I found the article again if someone wants to read more about it: http://app.wiwo.de/technologie/green/entwicklungshilfe-sind-wasserbrunnen-in-afrika-verschwendetes-geld/13550236.html.

It takes more than just building something and not considering sustainability. So pay attention when selecting projects.

With this information, I started searching for my project. I wanted to help people by leaving something lasting. As a scout, I used to work a lot with children aged 8 to 20. I would certainly have a lot of fun here, but I would have been one of the many volunteers, and it wouldn't have been particularly helpful for my profession. However, as a student of teaching, for example, I can imagine it well. But a house is already there, and depending on the quality of construction and maintenance, it will be there for at least a decade. If it is also used for something good, I find that very meaningful. Especially since my craftsmanship skills and technical knowledge from my upbringing and profession are certainly sufficient for such a construction project... at least I hope so.

Finally, I chose an organization and project where I had the best information and support. For example, I was able to talk directly to the responsible person at the site before making my decision. I wanted to make sure that all the project preparations were completed by the time I arrived. This included determining what should be built, ensuring that the financing was in place, having the building permit, and of course, knowing the structure, such as the foreman. I had a few more open questions, but that should be enough here. Lukas and the RGV team were able to answer all of this for me. And so, the decision was also made about which country I would travel to as a volunteer. I don't think young people are sent to unsafe areas, at least that's what I think. But Tanzania is certainly one of the safe countries here in Africa. Poor but safe. At least that's what my brief research suggested.

There were also other organizations that I considered good (preselected on www.freiwilligenarbeit.de; e.g., Praktikawelten), but ultimately, one has to decide. And the criteria were clarified, so the decision was easy.

In conclusion, it can be said that the search was well thought out, and I believe I made a good choice. At least I really like it here, and the project has started very well. Tomorrow, I will write and show what is supposed to be built and what has already been done. Until then, take care.

PS: Since I am only writing these texts with a mobile phone, there are often errors due to autocorrect. Proofreading is also a bit difficult for me with a mobile phone. Just overlook them or try to understand the meaning. Thank you.