Volunteering in SDA

This is me :)

You may be curious to know what for I´m actually volunteering here. So, let me tell you something about my volunteering period (instead of the excellent fruits I´m eating and the wonderful weather I´m enjoying... :) )

As you may know, I´m currently volunteering in a Tanzanian non-governmental organisation “Sports Development Aid”, which was established in 2001. The main aim of the ngo is to promote health and welfare through sports in Mtwara region, southern Tanzania.  

SDA and the Finnish organisation LiiKe has been co-operating since 2002. Two projects have been implemented during the last nine years. The first project from 2004 to 2008 was “Education through sports in Mtwara”, which target was to increase the awareness of having a good education. There can be many reasons for not passing school. For example, lack of motivation, household duties at home, early marriages or pregnancies, some problems in a school, lack of items like good shoes, bags or money (“I may want something ‘cause my friend has it too”) and so on.

SDA office

SDA is organising sport lessons in primary schools, therefore, the pupils have more motivation go to school and get their primary school completely finished. Participating to the sports lessons improves not also children´s physical and social skills but also empowers children to be active in going to a school and studying. That project has been succesful, and the sport lessons are still going on in the schools.

Another project, which was implemented 2010 and continues until the end of 2011, is “Sports for Mothers and Daughters”. The main target is to empower girls and women through sport education, raise women´s and girls´ awaraness of healthy issues and promote women´s rights in the society.

A gym

I have started my volunteering period by organising sports lessons in schools together with SDA staff (Despite of the fact, I told you before that I was supposed to be included in the Moms and Daughters project. During the first week, we decided that another Finnish volunteer, Krista, will be working on that issue and I´ll be working in the schools. This is great, I volunteer there where the help is most needed).

So every day from Monday to Thurday, we go to the schools to teach sports. I have to say that I haven’t seen so excited pupils since.. never! I can’t stop wondering how energic and enthuatistic children are when we go to the schools. It is amazing! We have been playing eg. fireball, various tags, “who is afraid of lion” and doing some streching. We organise sport lesson for different class every week, therefore, every pupil will be included in sports with us at least once.

A beach which is not too crowded for relaxing after work.

After many years working for sports and education issues by SDA, it is clear that the SDA work has become very important for the primary schools. The number of pupils, who has passed the primary school, has increased in Mtwara. Last week SDA staff got a really good feedback from the head teacher, who is working in a school where the number of passing pupils has increased over 30 % comparing to the year before. We were told that one of the biggest reason for that was the sport lessons, which SDA had organised.

I feel very happy to do volunteering work that is important for local people and meaningful for children.