Where does my money go?

Volunteer Africa is a UK-based international 'not for profit' organisation that is run by a team of volunteers spread around the world. Volunteer Africa has been established for two reasons;

1. As a mechanism for raising money for development organisations in Tanzania, primarily HAPA in Singida.

2. To give people from around the world the opportunity to work on community initiated projects in developing countries.

The combination of these two objectives works well as the money fundraised by volunteers enables much needed work to be accomplished in Tanzania and volunteers get to see and work with genuine locally-led organisations that are making a real difference to the lives of people in their region.

Volunteer Africa is a charity registered in England and Wales (registration number 1097963). Our background can be checked with the Charity Commission and Companies House in the UK.

Below is an example of how funds were spent during 2009.

Vol Africa Expenditure 2009

Partner NGOs
VA is currently working with the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) HAPA in Tanzania.

HAPA-Singida was established in 2000 and formally registered in May 2001 (Society No SO10892). HAPA seeks to provide support to community-initiated efforts that tackle the development of health, education and good governance. The organisations full name is Health Action Promotions Association however HAPA is also a Swahili word meaning 'here' or 'this place'. HAPA builds its foundations on the principle that where you are now, this place, is the essential starting point for facilitating development.

HAPA is a small organization that grew out of the work of the British Charity Health Projects Abroad, known as HPA, whose founder and director was Simon Headington. Simon also set up Volunteer Africa so the two organizations have strong links. HAPA’s approach is participatory and community–led, empowering local people to plan, initiate and develop their own development projects.

What is included in the programme fee I pay?

A substantial donation to the host NGO (around half of your total programme fee) to support the work of our partner NGOs. This donation is administered at the discretion of Volunteer Africa Trustees to the host NGO.
Support from application, pre-departure, throughout your volunteering time and on return
Airport pickup and transfer to residential training centre
Accommodation from the night of your arrival till the end of your volunteering time
All meals eaten at the Dar residential training centre and throughout your time as a volunteer in the volunteer compound or camp at your project
An allowance towards the cost of meals eaten outside the residential training centre, when taken out by the tutors
Language and cultural training and a course booklet
Travel from Dar to your host project
Shared kit bought for volunteers’ accommodation e.g. mosquito nets, cooking equipment etc

What’s not included?

Cost of getting to and from Tanzania from your home country
Your personal equipment
Medical insurance or any medical treatment you may require whilst in Tanzania
Trips outside the residential training centre and related costs such as taxi fares extra to the training course
Return travel from the project sites to Dar. (Most volunteers go off traveling rather than heading back to Dar).

What have we achieved?
Since we started operating in 2002, over 550 volunteers have been to Tanzania with Volunteer Africa. Volunteers have made a valuable and welcome contribution to the communities they work with directly by helping out on the building sites of schools and clinics and furthering the education and opportunities of orphans and vulnerable children.

In addition volunteers have made a huge impact on the lives of many Africans through the donations made in their programme fee. By the end of 2009 VolunteerAfrica had donated £398,334 (approx US$ 640,000) to our partner NGOs in Tanzania.