Volunteering in Africa

[karsensimone]

Hi everyone

We are traveling through Africa right now (in Morocco at the moment) and like to do some volunteering work along the way (eco-projects, building, gardening, environmental projects,...). Tips and recommendations are very welcome for Senegal, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, anywhere. Please let us know!

Thanks in advance!

You can also mail us at vrijwilligdoorafrika@gmail.com

[TillyM]

I too would love to find out more on volunteering in Africa - at this point I plan to visit the countries along the East Coast and down South (currently in South Africa)...

Previously I have been advised to use workaway.info , but a lot of the jobs advertised here seem to be for helping out at a backpackers in exchange for accommodation.

Apologies for not having info for your particular question, but if any one has suggestions for organizations to contact, it would be greatly appreciated.

Tilly

[Walkabout]

Both of you could get some value from reading the thread linked below:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ile-road-67718

[reggie3cl]

If you have a skill or qualification that is in short supply where you are, then there are opportunities to do real good, but African people are perfectly capable of building simple schools, thatching roofs and digging irrigation ditches themselves. There is no labour shortage!

We talked a lot to lodge owners (we're in the same line of work so often get to know them on our travels) who try to help the local community and also various people working for NGOs.

And they painted a pretty depressing picture of good intentions undone and money wasted- a couple we met in Tanzania employed by a charity said there were something like 1800 NGO/charities working in the country and they were to all intents and purposes in competition with each other to 'do good' and keep their organizations going- so choose carefully. We came across a bunch of NGO types staying in a luxury lodge (weeks at a time) and all those nice Landcruisers need to be paid for...

I know this sounds cynical, but when you hear from someone who provided the local school with desks which were promptly disassembled for the screws, or the community who wouldn't put up a fence around a school (built by a charity) because they expected the mzungus to do it for them, or the lack of communication in the voluntary sector, then you might feel as I do now that providing simple labour or even goods is often a waste of time. Even handing out goodies to all those adorable kids leads to an unpleasant begging culture if overdone.

Bring your skill and education, they've got the muscle!

[Walkabout]

Originally Posted by reggie3cl

If you have a skill or qualification that is in short supply where you are, then there are opportunities to do real good, but African people are perfectly capable of building simple schools, thatching roofs and digging irrigation ditches themselves. There is no labour shortage!

We talked a lot to lodge owners (we're in the same line of work so often get to know them on our travels) who try to help the local community and also various people working for NGOs.

And they painted a pretty depressing picture of good intentions undone and money wasted- a couple we met in Tanzania employed by a charity said there were something like 1800 NGO/charities working in the country and they were to all intents and purposes in competition with each other to 'do good' and keep their organizations going- so choose carefully. We came across a bunch of NGO types staying in a luxury lodge (weeks at a time) and all those nice Landcruisers need to be paid for...

I know this sounds cynical, but when you hear from someone who provided the local school with desks which were promptly disassembled for the screws, or the community who wouldn't put up a fence around a school (built by a charity) because they expected the mzungus to do it for them, or the lack of communication in the voluntary sector, then you might feel as I do now that providing simple labour or even goods is often a waste of time. Even handing out goodies to all those adorable kids leads to an unpleasant begging culture if overdone.

Bring your skill and education, they've got the muscle!

+1 basically and this ties in with the interactions I have experienced with similar charities, not excluding UN employees.

there is more than a grain of truth in this website:
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