Zanzibar is world famous for its white sandy beaches and historic Stone Town, but life beyond the usual tourist trail is difficult for many locals.
Known as the ‘Spice Island’, Zanzibar has been a destination for spice traders for years and, more recently, a popular destination amongst tourists for its beautiful coral reefs, varied history and diverse culture.
We work on the outskirts of Stone Town, the largest city on the island. While Zanzibar has seen impressive economic growth over recent years, 37% of Zanzibarians live in poverty and survive on 75p per day. Government-run schools are overcrowded and underfunded, preventing many children from achieving their full potential at school. We’re working with these schools to improve their facilities and provide additional teaching support.
Did you know?
Zanzibar’s government-run schools are severely underfunded and are struggling to cope with a growing population of young people. It is not unusual for classes to contain upwards of 100 children with just two teachers. Some schools have two sittings, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, literally cutting access to education in half.
In Zanzibar, we’re working with six schools to improve the school environment through renovation and provide extra support in the classroom so that the children attending can enjoy a better education.
Experience an island full of culture
We work with six government schools in Zanzibar, three of which are large, overcrowded schools that educate a combined total of 17,000 children aged 5-16. All of the schools are based in low-income areas and lack the basic equipment and facilities needed to provide a quality education.
Volunteers travelling to Zanzibar with African Adventures have the opportunity to help teach in classrooms, coach sports and get involved in our building programmes, which focus on developing key infrastructure in schools. Find out more about what you can do.
Every day in Zanzibar, extraordinary experiences are sure to unfold.
Typically, our trips last between 1-3 weeks. Our volunteers work in their partner school from Monday to Friday during normal school day hours.
As our partner schools are closed on Saturdays and Sundays, the weekend is the perfect time to go and explore the rest of the country through our organised adventure activities (see below).