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Microfinance in Tanzania

Duration

1 - 24 weeks

Language requirements

English

Availability

All year

Age

18+

Price starts with

580 EUR

Type of program

Volunteering or Internship

Microfinance organizations make an important contribution to development work by providing financial opportunities to people who would otherwise have limited access to funds due to their socioeconomic status. This allows them to start small entrepreneurial activities or finance their children's education. They also offer basic insurance options in case of serious illnesses and other emergencies. You can do an internship on-site in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania with a microfinance organization and learn in detail how microfinance work operates. 
Description

This internship is also available as an remote/virtual internship.

Village Community Banks (Vicobas) and Economic Empowerment Groups

Many people in Tanzania lack access to even small amounts of money in the form of bank loans due to insufficient collateral. This is one of the region's biggest developmental hurdles. In rural areas, there are so-called "Village Community Banks" (VICOBAs) aimed at promoting financial stability and economic independence by managing available funds within a group or village community and distributing them as microloans. A similar concept exists in cities, where savings groups are often referred to as "Economic Empowerment Groups." Each group consists of 25 to 30 members living in the same village or neighborhood. Membership is not limited to women, but around 90 percent of the members in the Kilimanjaro region are female.


The VICOBA concept has three main advantages:

  • Entrepreneurial Support: Members of a VICOBA group can implement entrepreneurial ideas or projects. Typical projects include those in agriculture (e.g., purchasing machinery for the cultivation or processing of agricultural products), services (e.g., opening a small shop, restaurant, food stand, hair salon, copy shop, etc.), and crafts & manufacturing (e.g. buying machinery, equipment, tools and materials for producing goods) to create a source of income for themselves and their families. Additionally, microloans can provide access to education, such as paying for school fees or related costs like uniforms and books.
  • Confidence Building: Through regular meetings and training sessions, participating women and men can expand their knowledge in finance, administration, and entrepreneurship, becoming active members of their community.
  • Basic Security: VICOBAs offer a basic insurance fund to cover medical expenses or other unavoidable difficulties requiring quick financial access.


Volunteering and Internships in Microfinance

We collaborate with various organizations in the Kilimanjaro region that manage different VICOBA groups. They have qualified staff knowledgeable in finance, entrepreneurship, and the challenges faced by people with low socioeconomic status in Tanzania. They ensure VICOBAs adhere to internal statutes, resolve conflicts within the groups, advise members, and provide evaluations, training, and workshops on topics such as business startup, project development, marketing, business plan creation, and strategy development, while also investing group funds profitably.
As an on-site volunteer or intern, you actively contribute to developing financing and income opportunities in rural Kilimanjaro and/or the poorer districts of Moshi Town. You help individuals and their families, who lack access to conventional bank accounts and funds, sustainably improve their livelihoods. You work Monday to Friday with your microfinance organization. The typical working hours are from around 8 AM to 5 PM. You may also visit Vicobas and small entrepreneurs in the villages around Kilimanjaro to attend regular group meetings, conduct training sessions, or evaluate business activities, which may extend your working hours.


Your specific tasks can be adapted to your interests and are usually varied. Possible tasks include:

  • Assisting with training, workshops, and information sessions (e.g., on business management, business planning, and/or accounting)
  • Supporting strategy development for newly established VICOBAs
  • Evaluating small businesses
  • Marketing
  • Preparing loan assessments and monitoring credits
  • Administration
  • Project planning
  • Customer care and service


As a volunteer or intern with a microfinance organization, you should have a background or interest in finance, management, entrepreneurship, or other related fields.

Program details

Rates

Who can join

Anyone over 18 years old can do this online internship. No special technical knowledge is required.

Program start

flexible

Getting there

You book a flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). We will pick you up from the JRO airport and take you to your accommodation in Moshi.

Your flight should land on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday between 4 AM and 11 PM.

Your return flights should also be on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday between 4 AM and 11 PM.

Visa

For stays up to 90 days: You buy a volunteer visa at the airport in Tanzania upon arrival for 50 USD. We will send you the required documents to get the correct visa.

For stays of 91-180 days: The total cost is 200 USD.

Accommodation Options

You can choose between shared accommodation or host families. 

KCMC Residence

The KCMC Residence is a new and well-maintained accommodation with bungalows, each containing 1-3 bedrooms. Each bedroom in the bungalows can be booked for single or double occupancy. There are rooms with two single beds and rooms with a double bed. Each bungalow accommodates up to 6 residents who share a bathroom with a hot shower, complimentary toiletries and towels, a separate toilet, a communal kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, toaster, oven, and kitchen utensils, a lounge with a flat-screen TV, and a terrace.
There is a garden between the bungalows. Continental breakfast, Wi-Fi, and private parking are included in the price.

KDC Shared House

The spacious shared house for World Unite! participants is located in the KDC area of Moshi Town. It comprises 3 large bedrooms, one of which serves as a 4-bed dormitory, while the other two are used for double or single occupancy. All rooms feature private bathrooms with toilets and hot water. Additionally, the house includes a shared living room, a kitchen with a dining area, and a large garden. The house has a security guard and a backup power generator. The KDC bus stop is just a minute's walk from the house, providing a 10-minute Daladala ride to the city center or a half-hour walk. In the immediate vicinity of the house, there are several shops, restaurants, and bars.

Siarick Cottages

Siarick Cottages is a new and well-maintained guesthouse, designed in Tanzanian style and operated by a local family in the Kiboroloni area of Moshi Town. The 16 rooms, available for single, double, or triple occupancy, all come with private bathrooms featuring hot showers and toilets. Siarick also uses solar lighting, which is very useful in case of electricity cuts at night. The premises are fenced and there is 24-hour security.

You can choose between 3-share room accommodation (three single beds) and double rooms with other participants of the same gender or single room accommodation.

 

Host Families in Moshi

Staying with a host family gives you the opportunity to gain an in-depth look at Tanzanian culture and society. We cooperate with host families in the urban area of Moshi, whose living conditions are of medium and high standard. What this means exactly, we want to explain in the following.

The host families we collaborate with belong to Tanzania's upper middle class, and their homes meet standards that are well-suited for the majority of our participants in terms of construction quality, amenities, and furnishings. Typically, these houses are equipped with two tiled bathrooms—one for the parents and another shared by the children of the family and yourself. The availability of hot water for showers can vary. Western-style water toilets are typically provided in the house.

The host families provide meals that reflect typical Tanzanian cuisine. Breakfast might consist of toast with jam, egg omelettes, and tea. For dinner, expect dishes such as meat or fish with vegetables, served alongside rice, ugali, or chapati. Tea, boiled water, or homemade fruit juice is commonly offered. Vegetarian meals can be accommodated upon request.

In these households, refrigerators are usually present, and cooking is primarily done using gas. Domestic helpers are often part of the family structure, responsible for tasks like cooking, cleaning, and hand-washing laundry. Inside the living rooms, you'll find decorative curtains and doilies, as well as amenities like a stereo system, television, and an older laptop. As a common possession, the family typically owns a secondhand Japanese car. However, such items are often accumulated over many years due to financial constraints. The family's main priority is usually investing in their children's higher education, and the car is primarily utilized for absolutely essential journeys.

Extras

Read more

Book or Send an Inquiry

Selected program price
Choose Base Package
Choose Extension Time and Extras

Extension 1 week incl. dorm room accommodation (shared) without meals

+ 110.00 €

Extension 1 week incl. twin room accommodation (shared) without meals

+ 140.00 €

Extension 1 week incl. single room accommodation without meals

+ 160.00 €

Extension 1 week incl. host family accommodation with 2 meals/day

+ 200.00 €

Swahili language lessons (private tutor, on-site or remote), per 1 hour (minimum 20 hours)

+ 10.00 €
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What is included?

VM_WHAT_IS_INCLUDED?
  • Arrangement of your internship
  • Contribution to your microfinance organisation
  • Individual Consultation and Preparation prior to your arrival
  • Access to the World Unite! Knowledge Base which has preparation materials including intercultural preparation, compiled particularly for your destination
  • Preparation Session via Zoom, together with further participants
  • Applying for official permits
  • Pick-up and Transfers from/to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) on arrival and departure (scheduled arrival should be Monday, Wednesday, or Friday between 4 AM and 11 PM)
  • Personal support staff at your location and at our international office
  • Orientation and Introduction in Moshi
  • Accompanying you to your placement on your first day
  • 24 Hours emergency support by local support team
  • To compensate for the CO2 emissions of your long-haul flights: Costs for 10 seedlings of indigenous trees that we plant on the slopes of Kilimanjaro
  • Local SIM Card
  • Issuance of Confirmations/Certificates for your university, scholarship, insurance, etc. and filling out/signing Internship Contracts for your university
  • 15% Discount for Safaris, Kilimanjaro Climbs, Excursions and Watersports Activities offered by "Budget Safari Tanzania"
  • Participation in World Unite! Cultural Workshops and Activities in Moshi at no extra cost!

Not included?

VM_WHAT_IS_NOT_INCLUDED?
  • Meals (except when booking a host family, which includes daily breakfast and dinner)
  • Travel to/from Tanzania (you book it on your own; we can assist you)
  • Official fees for Visa
  • Insurance (Travel Health Insurance, Liability Insurance, Travel Cancellation insurance)
  • Personal Expenses (e.g. Internet, local transport)
  • Vaccinations

INSIGHT

5 REASONS why to join
this program
 

Great opportunity to fully understand the important development tool of Microfinance!

 

Participant discounts on safaris and excursions

 

Gain practical work experience by working on real projects

 

Exciting cultural activities included

 

Top support from our local team

contact kareen

Questions?

your consultant for this program is

Kareen Leodgard

(she/her)

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Did you know that you can earn academic credits by joining any of our volunteering abroad programs? Read more.