The GSC Community Development Program in Tanzania is designed for individuals who are interested in acquiring in-depth knowledge of international development through first-hand experience working with community development organizations and their projects.
The first part of the GSC Community Development Program consists of participation in the four-week short-term program in either HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention or Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security. This Community Development Program includes one or two weeks of orientation and technical training, followed by two to three weeks of community training. Beginning with week five, program participants are assigned to work with a community organization to assist with its program implementation.
Community Development assignment options for HIV/AIDS Prevention participants include assisting GSC
in-country staff with AIDS education and prevention program development, supporting GSC’s Peer Education Health Clubs with HIV/AIDS prevention training and materials, working with a local community organization like Women In Action, and working with local orphanages. Community Development project assignments in Sustainable Agriculture include activities such as improving and expanding GSC’s sustainable agricultural program and demonstration plot, working with local farmer groups on their own plots and marketing programs, and working with GSC’s Peer Education Health Clubs to develop family subsistence gardens. Other community development assignment options may be available, since GSC is continually being contacted by community groups requesting assistance.
It should be noted that the needs of the community will dictate what partnership projects may be available for the Community Development participant. Therefore it is impossible to determine in advance precisely what the community needs will be. The successful Community Development participant will be flexible and available to what the community needs are while in-country.
