Volunteering Experience

Pazza is a Raleigh Tanzania alumna who volunteered in the village of Msunjile, located in Kongwa, Dodoma. Today, he takes us through his journey as he shares his volunteering experience with Raleigh. He focusses on personal development and the contribution to the lasting change that volunteer brings to the communities.

 He says; ‘’volunteered with Raleigh in School Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (SWASH) project in Msunjile. The main purpose of our team of volunteers going to the village was to help improve the WASH condition in the school and the wider community’’.

He continues, ‘’in our project, we made bricks, we dug pits for the septic tank and we dug the foundations for the superstructures that were put in place with the help of the community members and the fundi. The Msunjile community was very welcoming of our project and they gave us an opportunity to stay in their homes. I was inspired by how open the Tanzanian communities are for the sustainable development and lasting behavioral change’’

As a part of a team of volunteers, Pazza feels that what they’ve done is an accomplishment to remark. He comments;

 ‘’I was part of an amazing team that did both physical works such as helping the construction of latrines as well as delivering soft skills to the children and community about good hygiene practices. We planned and delivered SWASH lessons to students and teachers, organized mobilization groups (youth, elders, and women groups), ran awareness-raising events, and resource development to the community and the teachers. All these have contributed to the sustainable development goals which are very important to ensure that we the progress is inclusive of all stakeholders, including the then marginalized communities’’

All volunteers were involved in lesson development that were delivered at Msunjile Primary School from standard 1 to 7. Pazza as a volunteer team leader says he enjoyed being part of that process. ‘’I personally enjoyed taking part in teaching students, playing games with them, and interacting with the Msunjile community. I believe that the knowledge that we have imparted to them will help in behavioral change hence they will have a happy and healthier life, but also good ambassadors to the whole community’’

He comments; As a young person, this was not only about contributing to a change that I wish to see in our Tanzanian communities but also, the experience I have gained through all those activities have changed me a lot as a person. I can now firmly say that I am not the same person as to when I joined the program’’