what to expect when volunteering in Iringa

Iringa

Find out what to expect when volunteering in Iringa

Iringa is a pleasant small town in the southern highlands, with a focus on regional agriculture. The streets are quiet and peaceful, and the market offers a colorful scene of traditional African culture.A popular stopping point for visitors to Ruaha National Park.

To get you started and acclimated with your new environment, we offer 3 days orientation on arrival. including Swahili language course, Culture orientation, Iringa town tour and Pre visiting your placement

Street childrens project with Mama Dani Organization

Our Street Children Project aims to help children and youth living and working on the streets of Iringa. The goal of the Street Children Project is to help reintegrate these children back into society, entry into the education system, and opportunities for training and employment.

Sports coaching project in Iringa

Raise the profile of sport and get children from the local community involved in positive team activities that benefit them both physically and socially. Provide support, Identify and nurture young talent, and who knows, you may be coaching a star of the future.

Short Safari to Ruaha National park

Ruaha NP in Tanzania is the second largest park in the country, and is renowned for its excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. Visitors can spot lions, wild dogs, elephants, and antelope, while budget and luxury camps offer a unique wilderness experience.

Discover the Mufindi Highlands

Take a break from all the action on your Iringa Volunteer programs and visit the tranquil Mufindi Highlands. This peaceful retreat in the Southern Highlands provides a much needed respite from the heat and dust of the safari circuit.

Tea plantations, wildflowers and cool mountain air are what you will find in the Mufindi Highlands of Tanzania. Take some deep breaths and relax in this scenic and tranquil destination. You can set your own pace and do exactly as you please.

In Mufundi you will be off the beaten track and that means quality time for yourself and your loved ones as you savour the greenery. This area is characterised by volcanic mountains, grasslands, some forest, lakes and winding farm roads through the tea plantations.

Activities

  • Tours of tea estates and visits to local villages
  • Horse riding
  • Walking trails and hiking
  • Mountain biking
  • Golf
  • Birding
  • Canoeing
  • Fishing (also fly fishing)
  • Scenic drives (4×4 required for more extensive exploration)

Visit Isimila Stone Age Site

Here, in the late 1950s, amid a dramatic landscape of eroded sandstone pillars, archaeologists unearthed one of the most significant Stone Age finds ever identified. Tools found at the site – hammerstones, axeheads, flints and scrapers – are estimated to be between 60,000 and 100,000 years old. There’s a museum with small, well-captioned displays highlighting some of the discoveries. Isimila is signposted off the Mbeya road to the left, about 21km southwest of Iringa.

The main pillar area is accessed via a walk down into a steep valley (about one hour round-trip), for which you’ll need a guide. Visits are best in the morning or late afternoon, when the sun is not at its zenith. There’s also a covered picnic area (bring your own food). Unexpectedly, the dusty museum has an excellent small shop selling colourful men’s shirts and a few other items.

Visit Iringa Boma

This excellent EU-funded museum is a great new development, as is its small cafe and quality gift shop. Located between Uhuru Park and Neema, Boma is housed in a 1900 German colonial building. Artfully displayed objects, including an embroidered chief’s robe, wooden ceremonial stool and gleaming calabashes, are illuminated by extended captions exploring the ancient and colonial history of the area, tribal traditions and clothing and nearby attractions. It’s the perfect place to start your explorations of the town.