Full details are available from this free leaflet download but you could, for example, go swimming with dolphins in Zanzibar.

How about a free sunset cruise on the mighty Zambezi river above Victoria Falls? Perhaps a free Cape vineyards tour is more to your taste?

There are half a dozen fascinating free adventures depending on which project you volunteer for so download the leaflet, see which one appeals to you and get in touch.

Places are limited, so you’ll need to act quickly if you would like to join us.

Please note that these trips are in addition to your volunteer placement. We are unable to offer free volunteer placements themselves because the projects and people still need your help and support. These extra adventures are our way of thanking you for that help.

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After the ongoing stress of BA air strikes and volcanic ash clouds we left from Heathrow to Joburg without any problems or delays. The flight was brilliant and I fell asleep after our meal, only to awake to my husband telling me we’d arrived.

We collected our cases at Joberg and re-booked them in (we were told to do this because luggage can go astray otherwise). On arrival at Vic Falls, Zimbabwe, we queued for our visas. I would get a multi-entry visa if I go again because if you cross the border to Zambia or Botswana it is 55 US dollars to re-enter and it makes trips very expensive.

We were picked up by 3 chaps from lion encounter who were very friendly and helpful, and taken to out lodge. The accommodation is basic but clean and it suited the type of holiday it was.

Vic Falls was very small but at no time did we ever feel threatened even if we were out walking at night. People do approach you in the street to buy curios but they are harmless and there is no need for concern.

Sundays are days off and usually volunteers group together to do activities (there is something for everyone). My husband and I did a flying fox and a zip wire across Victoria Falls gorge. This was enough for us but there are much more daredevil type things for those who are inclined.

If you do want an afternoon off at any time to go on a sunset cruise down the mighty Zambezi or go for high tea at Victoria Falls hotel the staff on the project will usually be happy to oblige.

The lion encounter itself was truly amazing. We spend hours each day with the lions cubs, walking with them, playing with them, feeding them and going out on client walks (these are ‘Joe Public’ who pay 115 US dollars for a 45 minute walk with the lions). We take photos of them and make sure they don’t do anything silly or put themselves at risk.

You do have lion training, learning how to read their body language, how to approach the lions and all the other do’s and dont’s. We built a platform for one of the lion enclosures. We also learnt a great deal about the African bush including tracking skills, survival skills and medicines from the bush.

As a volunteer the project aims to please and throw in a lot of extras for you at no extra cost. We spent a morning with elephants, mucking out, filling in holes etc but then we had a wonderful elephant ride through the bush back to Masuwe where the lion project is based. These elephants are wonderful and to get up close was just fantastic. We hand fed them and spent some time stroking and fussing them.

We were taken on a night game drive in the bush where we set up a camp fire and had a BBQ. It was very cold by the end of the night and those who took blankets were very wise! The day game drive was also fantastic and all these extras were free! There were other free activities but the problem was fitting them all into a very busy working holiday.

We ate out most evenings although there were 3 meals a day included in the price. The food was plain and I just felt the need to try the local delights. Lots of curios and things to buy but we started off paying a lot more for them and ended up getting them for next to nothing – you must learn to barter!

It was a holiday to be reckoned with and jolly hard to beat. It was excellent value for money. The people were kind, courteous and friendly. I am saving up for our next trip.

Mrs M, UK

If you would like to make the same trip as these satisfied volunteers you can check full details here.

For reasons of privacy we have not published the names of these African volunteers. However, we do have the original letter at our office if anyone wants to check its authenticity.

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Which is all great publicity. The more people who know about the need, the more help and support they will get. Of course the real work happens largely without the gaze of the camera, so we thought it might be useful to feature our own volunteer orphanage opportunities. That way you can get a better flavor for what goes on and how you can help.

What we would like to do is actually take the focus away from volunteer orphanage placements and look at African children in general. Obviously those without parents have their own challenges, and we wouldn’t want to minimize their problems, but there are obstacles faced by all African children that you can help them overcome.

If you are looking specifically for a volunteer orphanage position there are (sadly) plenty to choose from. We say sadly because it is a shame that there are so many orphans in Africa that need your help. Fortunately the volunteer organizations are doing much to give these young people the support they need.

Which is why we would rather focus on the needs of children. The need for education, not just to read and write but also to make them aware of HIV and AIDS, which takes so many of their parents.

If you have medical or teaching qualifications you will be more than welcome, but none are necessary. Volunteer teaching assistants and volunteer nursing assistants just need a willing pair of hands and a willingness to get involved. You can read to children, help them learn through play, through making crafts and through sports activities. If you have a few muscles you can help paint classrooms or put up new buildings!

Whatever your skills you can make a massive personal impact on the lives of these young Africans.

But please don’t get the idea that everyone you meet will be down-trodden and that this is depressing work. While it’s true that these children often live very hard lives, surrounded by tremendous poverty, they nevertheless remain bright, cheerful and receptive. The only problem you might have is face-ache from smiling too much!

So please have a look at volunteering Africa in more detail by reading through our current projects featuring volunteer orphanage work and working with African children:

Sports Coaching and Physical Education, Cape Town, South Africa
Teaching and Community Development, Cape Town, South Africa
Sports Development and Community Project, Livingstone, Zambia
Teaching Assistance and Community Upliftment, Livingstone, Zambia
Rural Pre-School Teaching and HIV/AIDS Awareness, Vilanculos, Mozambique
Pre-School and English Teaching, Vilanculos, Mozambique
Orphan Care and HIV/AIDS Awareness, St Lucia, South Africa
Pre-School Teaching and Community Assistance, Zanzibar

If you have any questions, please do get in touch. We will do our best to make sure you find the best match for your abilities. We’ll also try to ensure you have a really good time!

If you have thought about teaching volunteering in Africa but are worried about the qualifications you might need then don’t, because to take part in our volunteer teaching opportunities you only really need one thing – a willingness to help!

If you are already considering a career in teaching – maybe you are looking for a gap year placement – then that’s great. Teaching volunteering in Africa is a superb thing to put on your resumé and something not many others will have. If you are a teaching professional taking a career break then we would welcome your help too, of course.

But qualifications are not vital. If you would like to help and one of our teaching assistance positions appeals to you, please don’t let a lack of formal teaching credentials put you off. Much of the time you can be of enormous assistance working with staff who are already in place. Many lessons use dance, play or crafts to teach. Your willingness to join in is as valuable as any certificate or diploma.

Teaching volunteering isn’t just sitting in classrooms either. If you’re the sporty type then we would love to have you along and we have volunteering projects specifically for you. If you are particularly good at one particular sport our volunteer organizers might well want to work with you to run specific lessons that will make the most of your skills.

Nor is it just about orphans or local children – although of course that’s very important. There are also teaching volunteering placements with adults. These encompass English teaching but also health education, a vital area where your work will directly help save lives.

Obviously if you want to volunteer teaching English you will need to be confident in the language, but apart from that we have a teaching volunteering position for you whatever your age or skill set. If it’s something that interests you but you’ve got questions, please ask – that’s what we’re here for!

Our volunteer teaching in Africa. You can choose from:

Pre-school Teaching, Zanzibar

Sports & Community, Livingstone

Pre-school & English, Mozambique

Teaching & HIV Awareness, Mozambique

Teaching, Cape Town

Teaching Assistant, Zambia

For some people the objection seems to be that insurance is a bit of a rip off. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Your investment is very little and in return you get thousands of dollars of cover. So maybe you don’t need it – let’s hope so – but what if you do?

We take care of our visitors volunteering in Africa as much as we possibly can. We pride ourselves on it. Unfortunately we can’t control the company who provides your flights. What happens if they go bust? Who gets you home? Who provides somewhere for you to sleep while alternative travel arrangements are made?

No travel insurance = no flights and no bed!

Now maybe it’s an unlikely scenario. After all, travel companies don’t go bust every week. That’s true, but it seems all too frequent that we hear of one that has. Do you really want to take the risk for the sake of a few dollars?

Of course getting to Africa and back isn’t the only thing covered. We have to be realistic. While volunteering Africa isn’t a dangerous thing to do, sometimes people are unlucky enough to stumble and break bones in their own homes. We hope it never happens to anyone who volunteers in Africa, but however remote the possibility you need to know you would be taken care of properly. It’s why we insist on a “get you home” policy when you volunteer in Africa with us.

You also need to check everything that you are covered for. Read your policy carefully. If you are taking advantage of all that volunteering in Africa has to offer, including things like bungee jumping at Victoria Falls or white water rafting down the Zambezi, you want to know that your travel insurance doesn’t have one of those clauses that says you are OK as long as you aren’t enjoying yourself .

Any volunteer organization will have a preferred provider and we’re no different. World Nomads have many years experience and specialist knowledge so they’re the people we suggest to all our volunteers. Whether it’s volunteering Africa or just Disneyland, they are the people we recommend. Full details here.

So how would you fancy coming home to this at the end of a hard day? Or waking up here in the morning?

This is the new accommodation that volunteers at our Mozambique projects will be enjoying. As you can see it’s right on the beach – that’s the Indian Ocean in the photo – but if that’s just a bit too far for you there is also a pool

Each A-frame style beach villa has 3 bedrooms with en-suite toilet and shower and takes up to 6 people. Although accommodation is shared, bedrooms are not mixed. There are kitchen and dining/lounge areas with TV and DVD player. Next door there is a dive center that you may be interested in when you are not volunteering.

The place is called Aguia Negra Vilanculos and we think you’ll agree it’s rather attractive. Looks tough this volunteering in Africa, doesn’t it!

More details on our Mozambique volunteer projects are here:

Volunteer Pre-School and English Teaching

Volunteer Pre-School and HIV Awareness

If you think “volunteering Africa” then one of the things that’s probably going to come to mind is being out in the wild – or at the very least somewhere where you can get away from the hustle and bustle of your normal life.

What’s more, you probably can’t get a phone signal in the African bush and there certainly won’t be an internet connection so nobody is going to bug you for a few weeks. For some it’s a very exciting thought.

Of course for some it’s a nightmare idea! Many people would be lost without their daily intake of Facebook or texting!

The fact is somewhere between the two extremes. If you’re out on a lion walk then you probably won’t get a signal. However, depending on your service provider and the deal you have you might well have access once you get back to your overnight accommodation. If you’re helping orphans in the slums of Cape Town you’re not likely to find somewhere to charge a laptop but in Cape Town itself you will find internet cafés so you can catch up if you want to or need to.

Modern communications are necessary for your volunteer project to work efficiently. We would also never leave you without any means of staying in touch with people. You may not be able to pick up your emails 24/7 but equally if you need to telephone home – or they need to contact you – a message can always get through.

You could look at volunteering Africa in some ways as the best of both worlds. You are safe and secure in the knowledge that you can make a call if you need to. On the other hand, if there are people that you would rather not talk to for a while you have a useful excuse – just tell them you can’t get a signal, they probably don’t know any better!