Volunteer projects in Africa

Volunteer projects in Africa are a rewarding opportunity to be a responsible tourist and give up some of your time in order to `give something back' when you're travelling in this beautiful continent. Although Africa is a fantastic gap year destination many of its people live below the poverty line and much of its wildlife is endangered - so volunteer projects in Africa are a chance for you to do your own `small bit' to help tackle some of these problems.

It's important to stress that helping out with volunteer projects in Africa is also hugely beneficial to the volunteers themselves. By working on volunteer projects in Africa you'll get to know the country and its people on a far more intimate level than if you'd simply visited as a tourist. Volunteer projects in Africa involve working closely with local people on a daily basis - providing volunteers with a unique and privileged insight in to local culture. What's more volunteer projects in Africa are also a great place for meeting other volunteers (with whom you'll already share a common bond and interest).

Having said all of the above career break volunteer projects in Africa can also be quite challenging at times, so it's important you pick a volunteer project that's right for you. The majority of volunteer projects in Africa don't require volunteers to have any specific skills or previous experience - just plenty of enthusiasm and a strong desire to `make a difference.' The main priority when you're choosing between volunteer projects in Africa should be to try and find one that most matches your interests and (to a lesser extent) abilities.

The best source for detailed information on volunteer projects in Africa is the GYFGU's website. However if you'd prefer to discuss the various options for volunteer projects in Africa with someone in person you can also speak to one of our expert career break travel advisers.

GYFGU's has a diverse range of hugely rewarding volunteer projects in Africa to choose from. In order to provide a brief idea of the various different types of volunteer projects in Africa that are available it's possible to break them down in to three main categories…

Volunteer projects in Africa - People

Many volunteer projects in Africa are dedicated to providing help and support to disadvantaged people or communities. If you'd like to help in this way there are numerous hugely worthwhile people-based volunteer projects in Africa available - from caring for orphaned babies in Senegal to providing support to street kids in Cape Town.

Volunteer projects in Africa - Wildlife

GYFGU's has some incredible wildlife-based volunteer projects in Africa - from helping endangered desert elephants in Namibia to a WWF-endorsed black rhino conservation programme in Zimbabwe. Wildlife volunteer projects in Africa enable you to get close to some incredible animals whilst making a real difference at the same time.

Volunteer projects in Africa - Environment

GYFGU's also has volunteer projects in Africa which focus on caring for the environment - such as our wild coast conservation project in South Africa for example.

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Big 5 Wildlife Conservation Experience Work with elephants and rhinos and walk with lions! Get an in depth insight into Zimbabwe’s wildlife and bush, and make a valuable difference to the efforts to protect them. Black Rhino and Elephant Conservation Zimbabwe Live and work on a safari ranch, helping with efforts to protect black rhino, elephants, buffalo and more. Assist with anti-poaching measures, look after rhino, help with training elephants and get a feel for the real Africa. Build a Future in Swaziland Put your DIY experience to good use – or learn as you go. Help build and repair homes and other facilities, get involved with painting projects and generally give underprivileged children a safer, more secure environment.  Cape Town Home For Girls Give some much-craved attention to girls from a township. Help them with their schoolwork, teach them vital computer skills or direct them in a play or dance show. They have few possessions but lots of enthusiasm. Cape Town Literacy and Language Project In the typical over-crowded conditions of most schools in Cape Town pupils often find it difficult to excel in their learning due to the lack on individual attention. This teaching initiative takes children away from the classroom environment for one-on-one tuition sessions. Not only will you see the pupils reading and writing improve but through the interactive and varied teaching methods their awareness of language will develop, providing them with a vital life skill. Cape Town Medical and Community Programme Put your medical skills to use in area with many sick children. Help out at a clinic, or, if you’re not medically qualified, get involved with education, building or community projects. Cape Town Sports Set up and run sports and teaching sessions for children with virtually nothing. Introduce them to sports they don’t know, like rugby, netball and cricket, or help them improve at football. Use your initiative and you’ll be well rewarded. Cape Town Teaching and Community Development Get involved in several projects, based around two schools. Run craft and sports sessions, work with orphans, pass on vital skills and generally help lift the area out of poverty. A varied and rewarding programme. Cape Town Volunteer Projects The time you give to these projects will benefit Cape Town’s underprivileged communities tremendously. Live with a local family and choose from projects including Healing Through Horses, Marine Conservation and Penguin Rescue and Cape Town for Orphans. Chimpanzee Sanctuary Volunteer Get to know the ins and outs of this South African sanctuary. Study the history and behaviour of chimps, sanctuary management, environmental issues and sustainable tourism. You’ll take home a recognised sanctuary management certificate. Coach Sports and Teach Malawi Make a vital contribution to a beautiful but impoverished country. Give the teachers a much-need hand with English and maths, and help set up sports training sessions and competitions. A little time will make a lasting difference. Community Voluntary Projects Senegal Work on one of several projects and help a country ravished by AIDS. Get involved in teaching English to children and adults, building facilities, assisting in an orphanage, improving health education or raising awareness of HIV. Community Voluntary Work Ghana Sample Ghana’s fascinating and largely undeveloped culture. Take part in projects that provide medical care and tackle the AIDS epidemic, improve education and leisure activities in orphanages and schools and build new facilities for the community. Ethiopia Community Volunteers For a nation recognised as one of drought and famine, the inspiring natural beauty of Ethiopia will surprise any visitor. Volunteers are needed in the northern city of Gondar to assist with education and community initiatives. Your role may vary from teaching basic English to primary school children, developing language skills with secondary school pupils, offering IT training and coaching sports. Field Guide Training Course South Africa Spend a year in South Africa and become a fully qualified field guide. Learn about field research, game capture, patrolling and more, through practical tuition and on-the-job training. You’ll then be eligible to work all over Africa. Football and Teaching Project Ghana Put your passion for football to good use and coach disadvantaged children – enthusiasm is more important than expertise. Give them vital English lessons, and show them much-needed care and attention. Ghana Community Development Project Match your skills to one of several worthwhile projects. Get involved in teaching, orphan care, HIV projects and health care, construction, community development, ecotourism and more. Whatever you do will be much appreciated. Ghana Netball Coaching Give disadvantaged children in Accra the chance to develop their netball skills, and, in some cases, introduce them to the sport. Coach at different levels and unleash masses of young potential. Hockey Coaching Project Ghana This programme is currently unavailable; to find out about similar projects, please contact us. Sport is a terrific way for people of all countries to find common ground, and hockey is now one of the fastest-growing games played in schools and clubs throughout Ghana. This programme is ideal for anyone with a good grounding in hockey who wants to share that skill and enthusiasm with some of the more deprived children of West Africa. Hwange National Park Wildlife Conservation Get to know the park in a way most tourists don’t. Monitor the elephant population, carry out snare checks, help look for signs of poaching, learn about research methods and take a bush survival course. Kenya Camp Life Volunteer Immerse yourself in Kenyan life and become part of a three-year plan to improve life in a rural village. Live and work with the community, helping with tasks such as construction, teaching, landscaping and painting. Kenya Community Development Busia Dedicate time and energy to children orphaned by AIDS. Teach them the skills needed to raise a family, give out food, build shelters, help with training and workshops – there’s a huge range of things to do. Kenya Community Outreach Volunteer Get involved with successful projects that aim to give children and families the means to sustain themselves. You can help provide food, shelter, clean water, training and health care – and most valuable of all, emotional support. Kenya Family Life Volunteers Family Friendly! A rewarding ten-day community development experience for families looking to give something back to underprivileged African communities. Plus, you’ll experience the beauty of Kenya through a varied activities programme. Kenya Maasai Wildlife Conservation Go back to basics and help some truly magnificent animals. Observe and collect data on elephants and big cats, often on safari. A fantastic opportunity to experience the sights, sounds and smells of rural Kenya. Kenya Medical and Community Programme Make a small but meaningful difference to people in Nairobi. Work in a hospital or orphanage, reaching out to people who live in poverty. You can teach and care for the children, help repair infrastructure and learn Swahili too.  Kenya Orphanage and Community Outreach Orphans in Kimilili get very little love and attention because there simply isn’t enough staff. This is where you come in. You’ll divide your time between teaching and caring for the children – both equally worthwhile tasks. Kenya Sports and Teaching Programme Teach English and computer skills in the morning and organise sports sessions in the afternoons. The lessons will greatly improve the children’s prospects, while sport will keep them fit and give them a chance to enjoy themselves. Kruger to Coast Volunteer Adventure Get adventurous in Africa with the Kruger to Coast adventure, packed full of the best of what southern Africa has to offer. You’ll get the wildlife, the people/culture and the beaches as you intrepidly venture through South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique, interspersed with exciting game drives, worthwhile volunteering and chilled out beach time! Kruger Wildlife Conservation Course This unique project based in the Kruger National Park looks at the role of the game ranger in managing a game farm or wildlife reserve. It is ideal for those interested in wildlife, African conservation and people who want to learn something during their grown up gap year. Lake Malawi Hippo Project Embark on a four week Lake Malawi adventure to work to prevent the continuing decrease of the hippopotamus in the area. The hippos populate the southern shores of the lake, and volunteers will be involved in monitoring them Lake Malawi Teaching Volunteers Schools in Malawi are seriously under funded with little resources and a lack of trained teachers to educate classes of sometimes up to 200 children. Volunteer help is desperately needed. Lion Breeding Conservation Volunteer Project