Tanzania 2024 | buildinghumanityorg

Eternal Family Build, Tanzania
[July 11 - 25, 2024]

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.

The village was founded in 2008. There are currently 10 families caring for 100 children. 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.

Since purchasing a piece of land in 2019, Eternal Family has been building non strop. They have finished 10 family homes, a chicken farm and extensive farmland which provides fresh eggs, meat and vegetables for all the families, and just last year opened a school that will serve the EF families as well as the greater community with space for 680 students.

Our team will be assisting with the construction of home #11. Each home is 3,700 sf and includes 7 bedrooms, kitchen, pantry, laundry room and basement. Our team may also be asked to participate in other efforts around the village which might include site work or any other immediate project needs. We ask that the team remain flexible as we are there to assist in any capacity the village needs us.

Special Skills Needed

The following specialists would be given priority as volunteers.

• PV Engineer – Eternal Family is interested in setting up a solar array on site. A PV engineer that could help scout the best location and make recommendations for changes to current infrastructure would be valuable.
• Solar Water Heater Specialist - Eternal Family is interested in setting up solar water on site. An engineer that could help scout the best location and make recommendations for changes to current infrastructure would be valuable.
• Grey Water Treatment Specialist - Eternal Family is interested in setting up grey water treatment. An engineer that could help scout the best location and make recommendations for changes to current infrastructure would be valuable.
• Electrician - There are numerous electrical maintenance issues that require repair along with the need to install new wiring and lighting fixtures. A skilled electrician (or 2) would be an asset to the team.
• Plumber - There are numerous plumbing maintenance issues in need of repair. A skilled plumber (or 2) would be an asset to the team.
• Medical - A person with medical experience or knowledge would be an asset for the team to help check in with fellow volunteers. Building Humanity will have CPR & First Aid certified staff on hand, but additional participants with knowledge would be valuable to the team.

Project Design

Our team will be assisting with the construction of one family home. This home has 7 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, kitchen, family room, parent sitting room, and front porch. Each family will be comprised of around 12 children and a set of parents.

WHAT

construction on family homes & site work

WHERE

Tabora, Tanzania

WHEN

July 11-July 25, 2024

Sign Me Up

Create a Peer Fundraising Campaign

Project Cost

Each home costs $62,358.24 to build.

STEAM Education

During the volunteer event, STEAM activities will be scheduled for both the Eternal Family Orphanage (100+ children) and the Eternal Pre & Primary School (680 students). Our volunteers bring a breath of skills including various types of engineers, architects, sustainability experts, etc. Volunteers will initially schedule talks with students to discuss their professional careers, why they chose those careers, education requirements and possible opportunities available to future professionals. This open dialogue will allow students to ask questions and possible be exposed to these kinds of professionals for the first time.

Later in the week we will organize a STEAM Day where we will set up 6-10 different activity stations for the children to explore STEAM through experiments, crafts and projects. While they participate, they will be inquiring, observing, and experimenting in a fun and engaging manner.

Preliminary Volunteer Itinerary

Project Volunteer Costs

The total cost for volunteer participation is $2000 USD. Each volunteer also commits to raising an additional $1500 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.

*There is an active request for a grant to cover the construction costs. If that is funded, volunteers would NOT be responsible for the additional $1500 for construction costs, and would only need to fundraise for their volunteer costs ($2000).

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

Donations made toward the cost of construction 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:

pickup/drop-off from airport
Weekend excursion to visit local villages
Transportation to Eternal Family Village
Accommodation in double occupancy room (single occupancy room can be requested for additional $250)
Meals & water (no alcoholic beverages). Some meals will be at Eternal Families Village and some will be at local restaurants.
Weekend safari excursion (transportation, accommodation, meals and tour)
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.

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.)

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.

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.

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.