your life in tanzania

You can very much look forward to life in Tanzania outside of your role as a volunteer at Flowers. First of all, you can easily walk around by yourself (at least during daylight). Our neighborhood is extremely friendly, quiet and will soon give you the feeling of being part of the village. Everybody greets each other with "Mambo" and "Poa". People are very happy to see new faces and especially kids will touch your heart with their biggest smile when you pass by. 

There are a few ways to easily get around by public transport: Dalla-Dallas, Piki-Pikis and the Bajaj. 

It’s definitely an experience and you will quickly feel very local, when using them. Dalla-Dallas are the small buses, where they squeeze in as many people as they can. Compared to other countries, they drive quite slowly, so it’s not a super crazy ride. The Piki-Piki is the motorbike that you can take for smaller journeys or to places where the Dalla-Dalla doesn't go. If you feel a bit nervous, just tell them "Pole Pole" or "Mdogu Mdogu" and they will drive very slowly and carefully. 

The Bajaj is like a Tuk-tuk, super practical also to get to places when you are on the road with friends, as they have space for up to 3 people. 

There is a lot to explore around Arusha, you can either go to Lake Duluti - a nearby lake - enjoy the stillness, walk around it or even take a kanoe. You can go to the city to different bars, clubs and shops. There are many markets to get food or local crafts. And you can explore wildlife and the huge variety of beautiful nature, and get to know different tribes and their way of living. 

Tanzanian people are generally very warm and friendly, sometimes a bit reserved, sometimes very open to connect with new people. They obviously love it, when you learn a few Swahili words and it’s important to bargain when you buy something, as it is part of the culture.

There are the most delicious mangos, avocados and bananas that you can buy at almost every corner (they do have a fixed price). You will also see people offering their food on street corners, where they often cook rice, veggies, beans and meat. However, there is also a big variety of different kinds of foods in restaurants in short distances from our hostel. 

Life in and around Arusha is quite pole pole (slow). You will not see anyone in a rush, hurrying from one place to another. Things take their time here. You can easily wait for one hour to get a new SIM card. Life slows down here.

There are many people living without having their basic needs met, so you will be confronted with seeing poverty very regularly.

It is often quite touching, eye-opening and humbling to see how happy the people here are. How they live their lives and how they make the very best of what they have. They are in general optimistic and grateful, even when what they have physically is very little. 

And obviously there is sooo much more to life in Tanzania, the new experiences you can have here are endless. Come explore or get more questions answered on our FAQ page.