Teacher at Der es Salem

Hi

it highly depends on the International School you have been called by.

I work at an international school.
$2000.00 is good pay if they are giving you good housing, medical and airfare. WIll they also send a percentage of your salary to a home bank? What about getting around Dar? Will you be provided with a car or will you need your own transportation?
Will there be free education for your kids? Who is paying for yor work permit? What is the length of the initial contract?Apart from Medical is there any other insurance offered? What opportunities exist for professional Development? What area exactly will you be living in because security in Dar highly varies. WIll they pay for your security needs or will you? WIll they ship your belongings? Will you be paid in dollars or local current? Lots to knoe before you really commit but welcome to Dar ;-)

Neema

Hi Neema
Thanks a lot for your guiding questions. 95% of your questions answer is YES.
Can you tell me about normal cost of leaving there? Just basic – like Rice, tea, milk etc….
With regards
Chandananup

Hi,

food stuff is really really cheap as long as you don't insist on shopping in the expat areas. For the first few times you go shopping I suggest you go with a Tanzanian. You will then know the prices and will be aware of how to bargain in Tanzania.
Most foreign foods can be found in the supermarkets and these also depend on the neighborhood where they are located. But basically food is cheap and readily available. Seafood is abundant and can be bought at wholesale prices from the seafood auctions.

Hi
What about the local food? I always enjoyed the local foods.
I love photography. Is there any Canon retail shop? Can i get all the Canon Lenses? or i will buy from here? What about repairing? Otherwise i need to carry a backup camera with me!! So sorry i'm disturbing you a lot. Can you send me some shop's website number or name?
What about Laptop? Is it available there? What's the cost?
Now local language! That's the best way to interact with the people. What is the local language? So many or one?
I'm so sorry to bothering you a lot.
With regards

Hi very good questions and luckily I can answer because i am in the communications field.

We do have local camera shops but believe me when i say that they will be more pricey and also you may not have the selection you need. For anything not here they will always order and deliver to you, but of course that comes at a significant fee.
Laptops are very readily available, butthen again if you can get them somewhere cheaper that would be the way to go. And also make sure that they are in your hand luggage during your flight.

Our local language is swahili and the food is quite excellent. Due to Arabic and Indian influences our food is somehow spicy with a lot of use of coconuts and various spices that are readily available from the spice island (zanzibar) and mainland Tanzania. The best thing aboutthe food is that it is so fresh. You will also be able to cook you home cuisine because most ingredients will be readily avavilable. I suggest for anything too specialized you make a point of coming with some until you are better situated.

Kind regards,
N

Good work. Neemsy

I aim to please

Hi Neemsy
Thank you very much for your reply and lovely reflection on all the matter.
With regards
Chandananup

Hello Neemsy, I am so impressed with your very thorough answers to questions posed to you. I am planning to move to Tanzania with a large family, 5 children. please tell me anything you can, or feel would be relevant. Are they teaching jobs available for English TESOL teachers? If so, what credentials are necessary? I have limited time now,but will check back and look forward to corresponding with you!

Good morning Dfam,

I am actually having alot of fun being a 'consultant of sorts' , but back to your question.
Tanzania is a great place to live, lots of stuff you need to overlook as you will be in a developing nation.
There is always a great need for teachers, volunteers or otherwise.
I actually work at a school that uses the PYP, MYP and IB programmes in their teaching and if you have this background you will most assuredly get a well paying job as alot of IB schools are cropping up with no teachers to fill these positions. Because most of the kids that attend these schools are children of diplomats, expats, etc. there is almost always a need for TESOL teachers. I wouls suggest that you start sending out feelers and you might be surprised at what you get back.
Some of the international and IB schools here in Dar are International School of Tanganyika, HOPAC (Haven of Peace Academy), Brookhouse, Aga Khan,Kwanza, Genesis, and many many more. Credentials usually look for a BA and more pay for Master's of course.
Don't know if I have addressed you q's but on this front I don't see you being idle for long...

Regards,
N

PLUS, if you do not have IB experience don't back off because on the job and Profession Development opportunities will be available to get you up to speed!

Just re-read your question...5 kids to Dar? Not a small fete!

N

Hi neemsy
Impressed with all your replies, i have a few questions of my own. Hope you don't mind answering them.

I have got this internship opportunity through a student exchange program at filbert bayi school at mkunya kibamba for a period of about 6 months. The pay is 150,000 TSh per month and they would be providing the accom and food for free (So they say)

Does this whole thing make sense to you looking at the pay and the Tanzanian experience?
Please note that i am an engineering student currently in my final year and not a professional teacher. I was just looking at an opportunity to try something different far away from my place for a while, before the grind of professional life takes over. The teaching is for secondary school students.

Waiting for your reply since i have to decide on this quite soon.

Hi there,

wow that pay is very little. It is about $125 which would really not be enough unless you have another source of funds. The place where the school is located is very far from anything, it's a far away suburb with not much to do. I believe for the 6 months you will want to experience alot of Dar es Salaam so I would ask them to increase that package a little.
If you are just coming for the adventure and have alternative funds then this should not be a big deal.

Karibu (welcome to) Tanzania

Thanks Neemsy.
Must say your prompt response is helping a lot of people including me in deciding on our Tanzanian endeavor.

Since you said this place is far from anywhere (Google maps put the place - kibamba,  only about 12 odd kms from Dar es salaam but i am guessing 'mkunya kibamba' is different from 'kibamba' since you have said it is in the middle of no-where), what are the cheap transport options and time taken to and from DES?

Also since you are from the teaching profession, what do you think of the school (filbert-bayi secondary school) and the work culture/ timings etc there (If you possibly know someone working there)

Funds wise, i will have an alternate source in place but how much would you estimate i would need (say monthly) in order to explore DES as well as rest of the country? A very rough estimate would also help, since i have no clue what the cost of living, traveling etc in Tanzania would be.

Thanks in advance

Hello again Neemsy, Dfamily back at it. Thank you for your reply. The information you provided is very clear. Now, I have another question. Please forgive my ignorance, maybe after living in China for the past 7 years I am not up on such initials as PYP, MYP and IB. Please provide the written out form. Thank you!
The Children, no problem they are well suited to travel and are looking forward to the adventure of living in Africa. We want to be there today!, But we must work out the details.
I appreciate you listing several schools in Dar, I will look into them and see what turns up.
Best regards,
Deanna

Hello,

sorry it's been a long break here so I was unable to get to your questions.

I'll start with Dhalwanik (sorry if I butcher your name)
Kibamba is very much in the boondies. I'm afraid there really isn't much to do there. When you say 12 kilometers I think that is the very edge of Kibamba, but Kibamba center is further than that.
The places that have anything going on will be across town as you will find out when you get here. It's doable but traffic between the places is quite dreadful. It's quite normal to be in traffic for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Filbert Bayi is an English Medium school and it offers kids an affordable education. I don't know too much about it as I am more in the International Schools arena while Filbert Bayi offers the Tanzania Education System. I will try to find out more about it for you.
I think $500 a month will be sufficient for you as you have housing and food free anyway. You will only need cash for entrance into some places and for transportation etc.
Hope it's a bit more helpful.

At Deanna - Well Welcome to Tanzania. PYP - Primary Years Programme, MYP - Middle Years Programme, IB - International Baccalaureate. But as I said these are not an absolute must. You noted that you have worked internationally before so that exerience will be a very good chance for you to get a good job here. I'm glad the kids are positive about the move. The hardest part is settling down then it's a breeeeezeeee :-)

Thanks again! Now on to more practical questions such as:
1. Housing market, for a 5 bedroom home what is the general price range.
2. purchasing a vehicle, difficult or not?
3. Safety and issue or not?
4. What is the best city to live in; in you opinion?

As always thank you!
Dfamily

Good questions as always!

Ok so on to the fun stuff.

1. Housing market, for a 5 bedroom home what is the general price range.
For the areas that are generally inhabited by expats, that is the peninsular (Masaki, Oysterbay), Upanga and Mikocheni the prices are quite high. You will pay anything from $1,500-$5000. These houses will generally have back up generators and water reserves so you don't run out. BTW, this is something very important to ask about while house hunting. When I got here I found this site very useful and if you need a name closer to D-day I can give you my agent's name also, who i stumbled upon on this website.
estates.tzadverts.com

2. purchasing a vehicle, difficult or not?
Very easy. I purchased one when I just got to Tanzania and recently purchased another one and both times were a breeze...BUT... I would suggest that you scout through a Tanzanian so you get the lowest price and you can just show up at the very last second and approve the car. They usually allow you to test the car so you will be able to reserch it, etc without them ever seeing you. This is what I did with my very first car as I was still a newby. The car that I liked was quoted to me for about 4 million shillings ($3,200) more than it was to my cousin...so I used my cousin to lock a good deal and on the last day I showed up to pay for it :-). (the things we have to do!!!)
There is a very wide variety but for sanity's sake I suggest you get an SUV. The roads are nothing to smile about once you're out and about.

3. Safety and issue or not?
Safety is mainly common sense. Compared to other big cities, Dar is a relatively safe place. I work with alot of expats and I have not heard any complaints except for a couple of times over petty robbery which could have been avoided with common sense. There hasn't been any armed attacks or such.
At your home you will need security guards definitely and that costs anywhere from $75 - $150 a month. There is also the alarm security which is about $25 a month with 24 hours response. There are plenty of companies to choose from so you can interview some once you get here.

4. What is the best city to live in; in you opinion?
If you're asking about cities in Tanzania then definitely Arusha. LOVE IT, cool mountainous and just beautiful with game parks and eye view of Mt Kilimanjaro. If you mean suburbs of Dar then the ones I mention in 1 above would be the safest but I prefer to live in areas like Kawe or Bahari Beach that are near the water and less congested.

I hope the count down is going good and PLEASE forgive me for the booklet :-)

Cheers,
Neema

(moderated: no ads)

Hi Neemsy

can u please guide me.My husband got an offer for Dar.we are a nuclear family with a kid.

-what is the cost of food per month
-How are the indian school there if it is not an International school.
-As i am going on a dependent visa and  being a Mathematics Teacher can i get a job there and work permit from the schools there ?
-Is there any legal problem to work if i am going on dependent visa?
-we have read a specific problem of water  all throughout TZ the water has a high amount of fluoride in it, so the water your drink your filter, boiling does not help with the fluoride content, *with kids it can cause black spots on their teeth, that is why you see Tanzanian with discolored teeth, not that they are rotten, but the minerals and fluoride in the water has changed them.

if above is true what is the solution?

-how economical saloon parlour are?

Please reply

Thanks
NJ

Hi NJ,

first off welcome to Tanzania.

- The cost of fresh food here is very cheap. I buy a kilo of tomatoes for about $1.00 or less depending on the time of year. If it's harvest season it can go down to $0.50. I buy three kilos of onions for about $2.00, same for 3 kilos of potatoes. I always try to avoid buy fresh foods at the supermarket and instead I frequent the farmer's markets which are cheaper and have fresher food.
The supermarkets can't be wholly avoided as there are somethings you will need from there like soaps, tinned foods etc. but the prices are also pretty fair. What can be expensive is gourmet foods or ethnic food that has to be imported, but still reasonably affordable.
- There are several Indian schools here and also International Schools. They have a wide range in pricing from below a thousand dollars all the way to 25,000 per year. You would have to pick and choose. Several can be found online and you can let me know if you need some help with that.
- You can easily get a job as a teacher or a tutor but work permit is always an issue. Once you are in you may find some school that will sponsor you in getting a work visa but the laws are pretty strict on this front. It's really a game of luck. SOme people apply for one and get no problem at all and are able to work in Tanzania. Some people have been trying for years and are unable to get the visa even though they would be a good addition to the task force.
- The water problem is only in the Northern parts of Tanzania. When you are in areas or Arusha, KIlimanjaro, Myanyara, etc you will notice beautiful people with somehow browned smiles. Not everyone of course, but quite a chunk of the population. As you go south and east you will notice no such discoloration. It's a running joke here in Tanzania.
Still you want to boil your tap water to avoid illnesses such as amoeba and you should be fine. I also have a water dispenser at home jsut because I feel safer knowing my children have access to clean water. Dispernser cost anywhere from $50.00 to $200.00
- Beauty parlors are very reasonable and there is a very wide choice of Indian parlors also.

If you have any more q's or need indepth answers just let me know.

Nice day,

Neemsy

Hello,
I am considering a job offer to go to dar for one year, starting the next october. My salary would be 1500 USD aprox. , but no accomodation provided, so I would have to pay all my expenses with that money.
Do you think it is possible to leave easily with that salary? And do you think it is safe for a 30 year old woman to live there on her own?
Thank you very much for your help!

Hello,

I am considering a job offer in Arusha. Could neemsy or any other person advice on

1. how much it will cost to rent a standard detached 3-Bedroom house (with garden area) suitable for an expatriate?
2. What will be the cost of security per month?
3. How bad is the water situation in northern Tanzania. Can one buy bottled water that hasn't got this fluoride problem.

Other benefits such as free use of company vehicle, health and life insurances,child schooling at the international school, paid house expenses(Electricity+Water charges), Yearly Paid leave + paid family travel to home country are directly covered and paid for.

Thanks,

kafari

Neemsy! Another question:
What about living in Mwanza? Anything and everything you can share. Thanks!
Deanna

Neemsy

Ur answers to NJ has answered most of my questions but wanted to know what wuld be the annual fees of children at Indian School of Dar es Salaam.

Hi Roja,

I am not sure how much the fees are but they are known for being affordable. Please check out their website and if you know the grade and age of your child go ahead and send it in to them and they will give you the fees for that year.

Regards,
Neemsy

sorry forgot to post the website
isdtz.org/about_us.htm

Neemsy Tks

Any help on fees for class 5 in International School of Tanzania

Do you know anything about a school in Shinyanga? What is the town like? Is there tarred road?

Hi Worry not,

I will suggest you to start a new topic on the Tanzania forum.

Thank you very much.

Hi Roja,
Incedentally I did work at the International School for a while so I have all the information you would ever need. The School is pretty expensive in Tanzanian standards. Grade 5 school fees will be about $13,000 and there are extra fees that will run to about $3000 for the first year.

Hi Worry Not,
Shinyanga has an excellent international School called Savannah Plains and you can get more information at savannahplains.com/. Shinyanga is more of a mining town and is smaller with not as many utilities that you would find in the bigger cities. There are a few good hotels that I have stayed at while out there but nothing to write home about.

[moderated: off topic]

Hi Neemy,

How are you.
My friend is working in a college in Dar. His age 66. He is an english teacher (B.Ed, MA).
He is interested to teach in an international school.
Can you guide us.

Dr.Neeraj

Hi Dr.Neeraj > this is an old topic. You may start a new one on the Dar Es Salem forum.

Thank you,
Christine
Expat.com team

Is it Aga Khan? I can tell you all about it.

Does anyone know about HOPAC (Haven of Peace Academy) in Dar es Salaam. Do they pay their teachers a salary or just room and board?

Hello everyone,

Please note that this thread has not been active since the year 2013. As such, I would invite you to post your messages on the Dar Es Salaam forum.

Thank you,

Shaazia
Expat.com Team.