Eternal Family believes family is the key to helping abandoned and neglected children, and is the foundation of their success. Families are comprised of a married couple who dedicates their life to raising a “family”. They may or may not have children of their own, but they will begin to take on children over a 2 year period, up to 10-16 children in all, and they will raise them as a family unit. Priority at Eternal Family (EF) is given to children that have lost their parents to HIV/Aids, malaria or yellow fever.

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The village was founded in 2008. There are currently 7 families caring for 70 children, with the goal of eventually having 10 families. Once a family reaches its full capacity, that family will remain unchanged until all the children eventually move out of the home. When a young adult moves out, another child is not brought into the family unit to fill the void, so the unit stays constant and children are not constantly coming in and out. This is important in keeping the family unit strong, and also eventually allows parents to phase out of service after 20+ years of dedication, unless they decide to go on to continue to care for a second generation of children.

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Until last year EF was renting homes where the families were placed, but was finally able to purchase a plot of land that they are working on developing. They are currently working on finalizing the construction of home 2 & 3, and beginning construction on the 4th home in November 2019. Each home is 3,700 sf and includes 7 bedrooms, kitchen, pantry, laundry room and basement. 

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Our team will be helping EF on construction efforts around the site. This may include construction on one or more of the homes, site work, etc. The exact projects our team will be working on will be finalized in the month or two prior to departure. We are estimating that we will be assisting with finalization of house 4 and the beginning of construction on house 5. 

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Special Skills Needed

TBD

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Eternal Family Donation Requests:

• Clothes are most needed: dresses, t-shirts, shorts, pants & shoes for boys and girls (no winter clothes)

• hygiene products (unless these are specialty products, we always recommend buying locally)

• toys/games (learning games, books, balls & pumps, etc.)

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Preliminary Itinerary

Our preliminary schedule is as follows:

• Thursday - Team arrives in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Group dinner & introductions.

• Friday - Saturday - Tour of Dar Es Salaam focusing on culture, art and history

• Sunday - Free morning. Afternoon flight to Tabora. Dinner at Eternal Family​.

• Monday through Friday - Team works on site. Lunches and dinners will be at EF with the families.

• Saturday & Sunday - Team has a free weekend or you can participate in group activities planned with the children in Tabora

• Monday & Tuesday - Team works on site. Lunches and dinners will be at EF with the families.

• Wednesday - Team says goodbye, airport transfers 

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Project Costs

The total cost for volunteer participation is $1250 USD. Each volunteer also commits to raising an additional $1000 USD for the construction costs of the project. Volunteers are expected to reach this target by the start date of the trip and will be required to self-fund any shortfall in donations. 

 

A non refundable $250 deposit is required to hold your spot. 

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Donations made toward your costs are tax deductible and receipts can be provided to donors. We recommend volunteers ask their family, friends, coworkers and local office/business line for support. Additional fundraising events are also a great idea. We will send volunteers a booklet to assist in fundraising efforts. 

 

Included in event costs are the following:

• Flight from Dar Es Salaam to Tabora (one way only to allow you to leave from Tabora onto whatever adventure you have planned after....safari, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar...etc.)

• pickup/drop-off from airport (if arriving/leaving on beginning/end dates)

• transportation

• accommodation in double occupancy room (single occupancy room can be requested for additional fee)

• meals & water (no alcoholic beverages)

• Tour of Dar Es Salaam

• Volunteer T-shirt

• personal protection/safety equipment

 

This cost DOES NOT INCLUDE flights to/from your home city/country, alcoholic beverages, snacks, additional/optional trips or souvenirs. Meals are accommodated in the group. If you choose not to participate in group meals, no reimbursement will be made.

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Insurance & Vaccines

Prior to the trip, volunteers are responsible for securing a travel visa (Building Humanity can offer support and references), travel insurance, vaccinations and medication. 

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The CDC and WHO recommend the following vaccinations for Tanzania: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid,

yellow fever, rabies, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia and influenza. This is by no means an exhaustive list or recommended for everyone. Please consult your physician to find out which vaccines are recommended for you personally. 

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Your Expectations

Lastly, don’t expect to work miracles in a week and a half - be realistic. The work we do is designed to impact in the long term, and as such we are committed to investing ourselves into doing things the right way, which is not always the quickest way! You are bound to find the enthusiasm for learning, sharp curiosity and inherent willingness of everyone you meet an inspiration. Lastly, understand the importance of sustainability. In some senses the real lessons about your time on a build are only learned when you return home. How do you replicate the unique and vivid experiences that you have just lived through? How do you pass the baton on to someone else before settling down once again to the routine? By sharing your own experiences and perspectives, you can help to educate others, and challenge some of the preconceptions and stereotypes that persist about the people and the world you have just experienced.

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As a volunteer, you have an increasing role to play within the responsible tourism concept. We have ensured a solid framework to achieve these goals but it is your actions that uphold the impact and the good foundations we have laid.