Teaching And Community Upliftment Highlights

The highlights

• Assist in a rural community primary school
• Work with disadvantaged, orphaned and vulnerable children
• Educate pupils and the community at large on HIV and AIDS
• Help to uplift the community through education, health care, building projects and sports coaching
• Teach additional lessons for those childrenstruggling to learn
• Raise awareness and understanding of wildlife and conservation in Malawi

Where will I sleep?

You will stay in a very comfortable, shared volunteer house. The house is situated on the shores of Lake Malawi at the Southern end of the Lake in Mangochi District, so you can sit and gaze out over the waters. The property is fenced and gated and has a large green garden. Rooms in the house are dormitory style and there is cold running water, showers (Malawi is generally hot throughout the year, so a cold shower is usually welcome) and western style toilets. Please be aware that whilst electricity and water are fairly reliable, power cuts and water shortages may be experienced from time to time, mostly for no more than a few hours. Staff are present at the house, including a cook, house keeper (although volunteers are also expected to do their bit to keep the house clean and tidy) and night watchmen for your security.

And Meals?

Three meals per day are provided. Breakfast is usually on a self-service basis, consisting of either toast, or pancakes, or French toast, or porridge, although the cook may treat you occasionally. Lunch will either be a packed lunch, or self-service if you plan to return to the house at lunchtime. The cook will prepare the evening meal for you.

We can make allowances for most dietary requirements including vegetarians, vegans and common food allergies. In these cases, please speak to the camp manager or cook on arrival if you have specific requirements. However, you must take responsibility for your own allergies and carefully monitor the food that you consume. It is important that you let us and your project manager know of any dietary requirements that you may have.

Please note: There is a fridge at the house, which is used to store the food for your meals each day and some additional drinks, which you can purchase form the staff. If you do wish to buy some of your own food/snacks and drinks, this will be fine to do though you must be aware it cannot be stored in the communal fridge. Please let us know before you depart for Africa of any food allergies or specific requirements. We do everything we can to provide for any dietary requirements, but we may have to ask you to bring some things with you if what you need is not available locally.

How do I get there and travel around?

We will meet you at the airport! Our Destination Manager will assist you with the procedures and one of the project representatives will meet you at the airport upon your arrival in Malawi. You will then be escorted to your volunteer base near Monkey Bay.

What does the cost include?

• Project Fee: this entails financing that goes directly back into the project that you are involved with. This fee facilitates funding for items such medical supplies, building materials, equipment, etc. Project fees are also used to buy vehicles / equipment for the project, and for developing new housing for volunteers to provide for the expansion of the project.
• All airport transfers Lilongwe International Airport upon arrival and departure on set dates (outside these dates there will be a fee of USD175)
• Comprehensive orientation program.
• All daily transfers to and from your projects during your stay.
• Full board and lodging which includes 3 meals a day at our volunteer house.
• Assistance in your projects by various Project Managers and Coordinators.
• 24 field support and contact in the case of an emergency.
  
  The cost excludes:
  
  
  • Personal travel insurance for the duration of your placement, which must include cover for repatriation
  • All transport by air or bus to Malawi
  • All items of a personal nature, such as curios, gifts, clothing (work and other)
  • E-mail / Internet and telephone calls
  • Soft drinks, wines and spirits
  • All visas for border crossings
  • Any excursions over-and-above your planned itinerary in Malawi

Do I need experience, is there orientation?

You will be involved with to different degrees depending on your experience and project needs at the time.

On your first full day, you will be given a comprehensive orientation by one of the project co-ordinators. The orientation will include:

• An introduction to Malawian culture and values
• Basic local language lessons
• Your health and safety whilst in Malawi
• Workplace ethics
• Money and transportation in Malawi
• An introduction to the area, the teaching project and the staff
• Local food and practices
• Places to visit in your free time
• Excursion to the local town

Anything extra I need to know?

• We have found in the past that the more you as a volunteer put in to your involvement, the more you will get out. If you are coming to assist teachers, we suggest that you have some lesson plans or ideas, bring or make charts, maps, pictures of body parts etc and take initiative with the children. We are excited to offer you the opportunity to educate them, to entertain them and to love them…
• During the school holidays volunteers will assist teachers in the community projects and will be involved in holiday classes and activities for the children with the aim of keeping them off the streets. You can work at the local orphanage and educate the children, assist with building projects or extra curricular activities in the library, coach sports and teach art and music.
• Though the project might be slightly less ‘structured’ than during school term, there will be NO shortage of amazing, rewarding and exciting work to do with the local kids and in the local communities. You should be prepared to work hard to think up ways to entice the children to come into school and you should expect to be creative and motivated to implement your own ideas with the children each day.The school holiday dates for 2010 are as follows: *Mid April - early May *Late July - late August *Mid November - mid January
• If you wish to spend some of your free time getting involved with other community projects, you can volunteer at the local tree nursery or assist with local community building work. Please speak to your project coordinator if you would like to get more involved.
• Please also understand that our projects are continuously evolving, being improved, and adapting to the needs of the local communities that we are involved with, so involvement areas do change from time to time. Rest assured your work will be necessary, rewarding and exciting. We invite you to be more than a tourist…