***Please
note***- There are risks involved in "do it yourself
volunteering" where by you apply to volunteer direct
and miss out a sending company. Please research a company
thoroughly prior to applying and get feedback from past
volunteer participants.
One
Placement
Organisation -
Volunteering
in Zambia
From
£2575 (3 months) including flights from the UK, induction
course with basic Nyanga training and accommodation. This
trip can also be booked without flights, 3 - 4 placements
also available.
Departures
- January - November
Come
to Zambia if you want to immerse yourself in an African
country with the natural beauty of Victoria Falls, the vibrant
cultures of the Zambian people and the African wildlife
of Mosi o Tunya National Park.
We have
a range of projects within health care, children's homes,
adult education and community schools. The variety of these
projects will suit a whole range of skills; from building
classrooms, to setting up sports programmes to creating
a loving home for orphaned children.
The
projects are based in and around Livingstone; an attractive
town steeped in colonial history. Livingstone lies a few
miles away from the second Wonder of the World; Victoria
Falls. The town is a popular stopping point for Western
travellers travelling between Cape Town and Cairo.
Livingstone
is named after the famous explorer Dr. Livingstone ("I Presume").
It is the heart of the South of Zambia and connects roads
leading to Lusaka, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The town, with
its colonial history, boasts good infrastructure and heritage
and all projects are within a five mile radius of the town.
Livingstone lies 10km from the might Victoria Falls, know
locally as Mosi Oa Tunya (the smoke that thunders).
These
falls are the widest and highest in the World making them
the second wonder of the World, beaten only by Mount Everest.
The falls are majestic in themselves but the Surrounding
national parks and the mighty Zambezi River bring their
own attractions in terms of extreme sport, safari and sightseeing.
Elephant and gazelle have both been seen in the area recently.
On the
periphery of this bustling town, however, lie small communities
who continue to struggle with basic health, education and
social care. This is your chance to help these communities
build a future for themselves whilst enjoying the wonders
and vibrancy of daily life in the heart of Africa. a day
in the life of a volunteer
The
first week aims to acclimatise you to local life. You will
be given a language course in Nyanga and shown around the
town and surrounding areas. You and your group will see
all the projects as well as going on a tour of Victoria
Falls. Once you have settled into your home you will begin
your projects. We have identified a variety of projects
to suit your passion and skills.
We have
set up links with a number of community schools which are
run independently by the local community. These schools
are often very poor, relying on foreign aid to provide food
and books and using local volunteers to teach.
They
are very keen to have enthusiastic volunteers to assist
with English as well as developing sports and art. One school,
Nakatindi, has a garden and has built this into the curriculum;
they would be keen to have some help in this area as they
sell the produce to fund the school. They are also building
new classrooms from scratch so anyone keen to help make
bricks and build the school would be most welcome.
Kwathu
Children's Home lies within the town and is a small and
personal home for 9 children. It is managed by Aggrippa,
a Zambian man who firmly believes in setting up a loving
and sable home to orphaned and abandoned children. Your
role would be to get involved with the daily routine and
help keep these children entertained, but also to act as
a trusted adult helping them develop life skills and listening
to their problems.
We have
joined forces with local government to work with a variety
of community projects including adult education. For example,
you can work with Zambians to improve their literacy, craft
making skills and small business management. Alternatively
LIWOMADI (LIvingstone WOmen MAke a DIfference) is a local
NGO that wants to work with Oyster volunteers on anti poverty,
corruption, AIDS and HIV workshops as well as assisting
in Health clinics.
You
will be based in Livingstone living in safe local accommodation
that Oyster will rent for you and your fellow volunteers.
Please expect to share a room. You can go out or cook for
yourself in the evening. If you are based at Kwathu Children's
Home there would be an opportunity for you and a fellow
volunteer to stay within the home which is very central.
Our
representative in Zambia is there to be a helpful friend
to you and to steer you through difficulties of any kind.
He will keep us updated on your health and welfare. He has
knowledge of both cultures and well as local expertise and
sympathy for Oyster's aim. You will see him regularly while
you are in Livingstone, at work and socially at various
informal occasions.
The
whole placement is geared towards helping the local community.
We place volunteers in projects where they will make a valuable
and worthwhile contribution to the community. Volunteers
will be living near the projects with other volunteers.
By working and living locally participants will become immersed
in the country and will live in a way that is harmonious
with the culture and environment.
The
accommodation is locally owned and any food provided is
locally sourced and cooked by locals. Volunteers are need
in Livingstone, where there is poverty. The area has little
infrastructure and no welfare system. This means that the
vulnerable within the society are in need of external help
to provide them with basics such as education and healthcare.
We are certain that volunteers will have a really positive
effect on the community.
Our
volunteers are given a pre departure briefing where they
are encouraged to minimise waste and to live in a way that
will not have a detrimental effect on the country or communities.
There is a special session entitled 'Responsible tourism'
where we discuss cultural differences and sensitivities
as well as advising volunteers on appropriate conduct. Volunteers
are given a Nyanja language course and briefed on what is
considered polite in terms of eating, greeting and dressing.
By learning
the language individuals will be able to communicate effectively
with the local community so minimizing possible culture
clashes. The duration of the visit means that a real bond
can be made with locals rather than just a tourist-host
relationship. The visitor will learn more about real Zambian
life as lived by ordinary people in a variety of areas and
know Zambia in its real perspective compared to what is
depicted in the International News.
The
group size of volunteers is small so that the cultural impact
is minimal and there is more integration with the society.
Our company is an environmentally responsible one that operates
recycling and reusing of waste products. We also offset
carbon emissions in our office (gas, electricity, business
mileage).
Contact
For
more information concerning volunteer programmes in Livingstone:
Sarah
Barber
E-mail: sazbarber@hotmail.com
Telephone: +447885684744
Obert
Mwandu
E-mail: obertmwandu2002@yahoo.com
Telephone: +260 979 152 666
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