Pre-School Orphan Teaching & Community Project Detail
- £730
- $1315
Pre-School Orphan Teaching & Community Project
PRE-SCHOOL LEARNING CENTRE
Volunteers visit the pre-school every morning to assist the local teachers and educate the children in creative ways. There are currently approximately 70 young learners enrolled at the pre-school and volunteers teach in small groups of about 8 children. Your role at the pre-school is as a teacher, preparing the children for their next steps into primary school and involves the following:
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Singing and dancing with the children in English, Portguese and Xitsua
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Developing the children’s imagination and creative skills through crafts such as painting, drawing and coloring
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Teaching basic lessons about colors, numbers, letters and knowledge of the world in English with the assistance of a translator
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Giving the children the opportunity to let off some steam through fun games and structured physical education classes
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Helping to prepare lunch for the children
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General upkeep of the school to keep it a pleasant environment in which to learn
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Some basic work at the preschool farm, aimed at providing a source of sustainable income for the preschool
We are currently teaching English to a group of about fifty students, split into 2 groups depending on ability, ranging in age from young adults to middle-aged adults. Volunteers are responsible for making the lesson plans, which are always interactive and fun with the use of flash cards, games, objects and worksheets. Volunteers encourage active participation from the students by reading out loud, role-playing, writing on the board and participating in educational games. The volunteer role includes:
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Planning fun, interactive, and challenging lessons for the students
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Conducting these lessons with the help of a translator in a patient, creative, dynamic and passionate manner
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Assigning and correction of homework assignments
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Getting to know an amazing group of individuals with an inspiring dedication to learning
The English lessons are free for the students and open to the community at-large. They offer an amazing and rare opportunity for the people of Vilanculos to increase their knowledge of English, which greatly increase their chance of securing employment in Vilanculos’ growing tourism-based economy.
COMMUNITY PROJECTS
After having spent the morning at the Preschool, you will help out the local community through a wide array of projects that are outlined below:
1) Orphan Care and Development
We visit the orphanage twice a month on a Saturday afternoon to visit with the 15 children that live there. As a volunteer you will be involved in the following:
- English and Portuguese lessons with the children with the assistance of visual aids and a translator.
- Developmental playtime where the children get to learn new games and play with toys to which they wouldn't normally have access.
- Constructive sports games such as frisbee and football
- Giving the children the one on one care and attention that is so critical for their development
2) Language Club
Saturday mornings are spent at the language club, an informal learning group open to the community surrounding the volunteer camp. The students that attend include young children, young women, and adults, all of whom perhaps have missed out on other formal learning opportunities. The language club is an amazing opportunity for these individuals to pick up some English that can help them procure employment and therefore a more stable lifestyle. Also, what better way to get to know and form close bonds with your neighbors than learning together? You will be involved in:
- Play creative language learning games with the littlies, such as bingo and pairs game to encourage fun learning.
- Arts and crafts as a means of increasing vocabulary, with themes such as sea-life and the animal world.
- More formal English lessons with advanced students, keen to further their education in their spare time.
- Singing in English and Portuguese
3) Home-Building
Cyclone Favio hit the Mozambican coast in February 2007 and devastated much of the local area. African Impact was involved in the initial relief work and assisting aid agencies. Through our local contacts we have continued with rural home-building for those who do not have the means to build for themselves (monetarily or physically) We work in close conjunction with community leaders to assess the most critical housing needs and then act accordingly.
We are currently managing to build 1 home approximately every 2 months (dependent on volunteer numbers!). They are simple and rustic structures typical of construction in the Inhambane Province. The work is sometimes challenging but always rewarding and offers an amazing insight into rural Vilanculos as well as the chance to meet and form working relationships with members of the local community. Other building projects that we undertake include refurbishment at the preschool, such as new classrooms and amenities.
4) Other Community Projects
There are a number of other community iniatives that we are involved in the afternoons. These include maintaining the farm at the pre-school, painting projects, beach clean up days and cultural immersion day.
Community Work - Pre-School and Orphange Volunteering with Children, Bazaruto Island Adventure
The highlights
- Teaching in a local pre-school using songs, games and crafts
- Local orphanage involvement and youth development
- Teaching English and life skills to keen and motivated groups of young adults
- The opportunity to learn some basic Portuguese and Xitsua, the local Mozambican language
- Build houses for individuals and families in critical situations, using local materials and traditional methods
- Indulge your senses while you learn how to cook traditional Mozambican cuisine at a once monthly cultural day at the Orphanage
- Make friends for life with the other international volunteers on the programme
Optional activities and excursions
Some of the activity highlights for you to do in your spare time include:
- Sailing Dhow excursion to the Bazaruto Islands (US$60 per day) - Includes snorkelling equipment, National Parks fee and a seafood BBQ cooked for you from the dhow on the beach)
- Snorkelling excursions (US$60 per day)
- Horseback rides on the beach US$45 for a basic 2 hour ride or US$55 for a ride to a local fishing village where a fantastic lunch is provided with coconuts, matapa and freshly caught crab
- Eating out at fantastic restaurants that can either give you a taste of Mozambique or a taste of home
- Deep Sea fishing excursions US$300 for full day
- Open Water 3-day PADI Certified Scuba Diving Course (US$530). If you are interested, we can arrange the details and it can be easily incorporated into your volunteering stay.
(Prices accurate as of December ’09)
Where will I sleep?
You will be staying at our rural volunteer camp in our rustic yet comfortable thatched A frame bungalows. They are located just a stone's throw from the beach with a view of the stunning Indian Ocean. Each bungalow sleeps 6 (they may be unisex!) and has its own en-suite bathroom with toilet and shower. The volunteer camp shares some facilities, including a swimming pool with the other guests staying at Aquia Negra Lodge. There are seperate communual areas provided for the sole use of volunteers which include a kitchen, lounge/dining area and resource area in which to plan for their weekly projects.
Members of our African Impact team will be staying across the road from the volunteer camp property, so that they are always available to you for any questions or issues you may have.
We find that volunteers living together and working closely together with their volunteer co-ordinators is the surest way of guaranteeing their safety and being able to attend to their most pressing needs. For this reason, we expect all volunteers to stay only in the accommodation provided for them and do not allow volunteers to spend nights away in the town or nearby villages, unless they are away on pre-arranged sightseeing excursions.
Meals:
You will be provided with three meals a day. Breakfast is on a help-yourself basis and usually consists of cereals, toast, tea and coffee. Lunch and dinner are full meals, and will be cooked for you by our volunteer cook at the volunteer base. At weekends lunch is provided by one of the African Impact staff.
Please advise us of any specific dietary requirements or food allergies before you arrive.
Please also remember that you will be on a rural placement and food will be quite simple, but plentiful and nutritious.
How do I get there and travel around?
One of our African Impact staff members will meet you at the airport upon your arrival!
Fly into Vilanculos International Airport where you will be met by our project coordinators on arrival. They will then take you to the project accommodation (approx. 15 minutes' drive) where you will begin your orientation programme.
What does the cost include?
- Project Fee: this is financing that goes directly back into the project with which you are involved. This project fee facilitates funding for items such as teaching materials, sports equipment, supplies, etc. as well as the development of the actual programme.
- Transfer from Vilanculos Airport to the project accommodation in town
- Orientation and introductions to project work upon your arrival
- A monthly cultural day involving an insight into the traditional lifestyles of the local area, including traditional food, dancing, and singing.
- All daily transportation to and from the project
- Full board and lodging which includes 3 meals a day at your volunteer accommodation
- Assistance in your projects by various staff and project managers
- Full support from African Impact and your coordinator throughout your time at your placement
Excludes:
- Personal travel insurance for the duration of your placement (expected to include cover for repatriation)
- All items of a personal nature, such as curios, gifts, clothing (work and other)
- Email/Internet and telephone calls
- Soft drinks, wines and spirits
- All visas for border crossings (on extra excursions)
- Any excursions over and above your planned itinerary with us in Mozambique
Do I need experience, is there orientation?
Upon your arrival in Vilanculos an African Impact representative who will escort you to your new ‘home’ will meet you. Once you have settled in, you will receive further information on the current status of our programme involvements in the local community. You will be given a detailed Welcome Pack, which will contain all the important information you may need. You will also receive a local SIM card to help get in touch with family and friends back home.
You will be orientated to the area that you will be living in and also the local town as well as be shown the areas in which you will volunteer. In the next few days, you will visit the project sites and be introduced to the relevant project staff, translators and project coordinators with whom you will be working closely.
Support:
Throughout your stay in Vilanculos you will have the support and guidance of our project staff and coordinators. They are part of our greater African Impact support team, and will provide you with competent 24-hour field support and assistance.
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