“To see the absolute joy on the faces of the children when we arrived to spend time with them, or their excitement at being given some new clothes, or the opportunity to do something creative, was incredible…”

Project Location: The rural coastal town of Vilanculos, Mozambique, a short boat ride from the World Heritage Site of the Bazaruto Archipelago.

Project Age Limit: Minimum 18 years, maximum decided on potential participants’ health.

Required Experience: For this project no specific experience is required although you will need a solid and confident command of English.  An interest in teaching and enthusiasm with children and young people is encouraged.

Project Highlights:

• Teaching in a rural pre-school through songs, games and crafts.
• Conducting HIV Education workshops in the secondary schools of Vilanculos.
• The possibility of being involved in a community testing and awareness day, conducted in partnership with CARE International.
• Local orphanage involvement and youth development.
• Build houses for individuals and families in critical situations using local materials and traditional methods.
• Optional once a week training sessions with our youth soccer team, aimed at keeping teenagers off the streets and out of trouble.
• The opportunity to pick up some Portuguese and Xitsua, the local Mozambican language.
• Immerse your senses while you learn how to cook traditional Mozambican cuisine at a once monthly Cultural Day

“The whole experience was absolutely incredible. It was uplifting, rewarding, challenging, grounding, heart-breaking and soul-destroying in equal measure. To see the absolute joy on the faces of the children when we arrived to spend time with them, or their excitement at being given some new clothes, or the opportunity to do something creative, was incredible. This is why I WILL do it again and why I would encourage anyone who is thinking about doing this sort of thing to stop thinking about it, and go and do it.” Stuart Neath, UK.

Project Achievements so far:

From January 2008 to May 2009 African Impact volunteers contributed over 30,600 hours to community development in the Vilanculos area of Mozambique. Our project structures, together with the support and advice of our charitable foundation team at The Happy Africa Foundation, are continuously assessing our work and project strategies to ensure that these hours are meaningful with measurable outcomes.

The African Impact project in Vilanculos, Mozambique has succeeded in facilitating HIV testing and awareness for over 400 members of the Vilanculos community.  At the rural preschool we have built a full new classroom, a large vegetable garden, a kitchen, a toilet facility, and a new shady veranda for the children’s eating area.  Our home-building project has provided approximately 25 new homes to those without the means to build for themselves. We have also enrolled approximately fifty students in our English language school who are amazingly keen and dedicated learners.

More about our Vilanculos Pre-school Teaching and HIV/AIDS Programme:

This project has a very rural feel and involves various aspects of community work and development in and around the coastal town of Vilanculos.  We support a number of different community development initiatives.  We spend our mornings at a rural preschool and most afternoons conducting HIV education workshops in the secondary schools of Vilanculos.  When you are not leading or planning the HIV education workshops, you will be involved in a number of other community initiatives, such as rural home building.

The projects are always evolving so are likely to be at different stages upon your arrival.  Volunteers should be prepared to be involved in a wide spectrum of project work as things progress, all of which help move the projects and the people of Vilanculos towards a more positive tomorrow.

Rural Pre-School Learning Centre:

Volunteers visit the pre-school every morning to assist the local teachers and educate the children in creative ways.  Volunteers teach in small groups of about 8 children and if they are interested or comfortable, can chose to work one-on-one with children who display learning difficulties or require extra attention.

Volunteer involvement at the pre-school:

• Singing and dancing with the children in English, Portguese and Xitsua.
• Developing the children’s imagination and creative skills through crafts such as painting, drawing and coloring.
• Teaching basic lessons about colors, numbers, letters and knowledge of the world in English with the assistance of a translator.
• Giving the children the opportunity to let off some steam through fun games and structured physical education classes.
• General upkeep of the school to keep it a pleasant environment in which to learn.
• Some basic work at the preschool farm, aimed at providing a source of sustainable income for the preschool.

HIV Education Workshops :

Volunteers, with the assistance of a trained translator, will be responsible for planning and leading HIV Education workshops in the secondary schools of Vilanculos.  Each workshop includes four sessions spread over the course of two weeks, to allow the volunteers to foster close and trusting relationships with the students.  The workshops will be a dynamic combination of presentations, dialogue and interactive drama and arts as a means of conveying information about the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.  The goal of the workshops is to liven up and deepen the very basic HIV/AIDS education provided for Mozambican young adults in the government school system.  Prevention is the way forward in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa, and we believe these interactive workshops can be hugely instrumental for that cause in Vilanculos.

During school holidays the HIV Education project will still run but in different locations and with a different structure. Volunteers arriving over the school holidays should be prepared to be involved with workshops in a variety of settings, from a group of youngsters in the local market to church groups.

Other opportunities possible with the HIV project includes participating in a community testing and awareness day, conducted through our partnership with CARE International.  Volunteers are responsible for putting together a dynamic presentation about HIV/AIDS while CARE International simultaneously provides on-site testing and counselling.  These amazing days are able to affect so much change in the local community and give the volunteers a unique opportunity to see a difference being made in the course of one afternoon.

Volunteer involvement in the HIV Education Project:

• Planning fun, interactive, and informative workshop sessions for the students.
• Conducting these sessions dynamically and responsibly in the schools of Vilanculos.
• The opportunity to form close bonds with the youth of Vilanculos, in the hope that it will form a strong bridge upon which to convey vital information about HIV/AIDS.
• Once-monthly community awareness and testing days with CARE international.  Volunteers are involved in all aspects of these days, from the planning of the presentation to the local marketing in anticipation of the event.

After having spent the morning at the Preschool, you will help out the local community through a wide array of projects that are outlined below.

1. Orphan Care and Development: We visit the orphanage once a week to visit with the twenty-two children that live there.  The orphanage is also the site of our once-monthly cultural immersion days (local cooking and song and dance!).

Volunteer Involvement at the Orphanage:

• English and Portuguese lessons with the children with the assistance of visual aids and a translator.
• Developmental playtime where the children get to learn new games and play with toys to which they wouldn’t normally have access.
• Constructive sports games such as Frisbee and Soccer.
• Giving the children the one on one care and attention that is so critical for their development.

2. Rural Home-Building: Cyclone Favio hit the Mozambican coast in February 2007 and devastated much of the local area. African Impact was involved in the initial relief work and assisting AID agencies. Through our local contacts we have continued with rural home-building for those who do not have the means to build for themselves (monetarily or physically)  We work in close conjunction with community leaders to assess the most critical housing needs and then act accordingly.

We are currently managing to build 1 home every 2 to 3 weeks. They are simple and rustic structures typical of construction in the Inhambane Province.  The work is sometimes challenging but always rewarding and offers an amazing insight into rural Vilanculos as well as the chance to meet and form working relationships with members of the local community.  Other building projects that we undertake include refurbishment at the preschool, such as new classrooms and amenities.

3. Language Club: Saturday mornings are spent at the language club, an informal learning group open to the community just up the hill from the volunteer camp.  The students that attend include young children, young women, and adults, all of whom perhaps have missed out on other formal learning opportunities.  The language club is an amazing opportunity for these individuals to pick up some English that can help them procure employment and therefore a more stable lifestyle.  Also, what better way to get to know and form close bonds with your neighbors than learning together?

Volunteer involvement at language club:

• Play creative language learning games with the littlies, such as bingo and pairs game to encourage fun learning.
• Arts and crafts as a means of increasing vocabulary, with themes such as sea-life and the animal world.
• More formal English lessons with advanced students, keen to further their education in their spare time.
• Singing in English and Portuguese.

“I will certainly be volunteering again – in fact, it’s the only way I want to travel from now on. I have been recommending it to EVERYONE!” Carly Parrot, Australia.

For some exciting news and stories from our Mozambique project, check out their blog at:
http://ai-mozambique.blogspot.com

Volunteer Expectations – Please read carefully:

Africa provides an ever-changing environment and power failures, water shortages, temperature fluctuations and other uncontrollable situations do occur, particularly in the rural location of this project. You will need to remain flexible, understanding and in good humour. “African time” can be difficult and frustrating for those used to a very structured life so this is something to keep in mind!

Once you arrive in Africa, your care is the responsibility of our partners at African Impact and our project managers. We always aim to provide you with all your daily needs, keep you out of harm’s way and support you in your volunteer work. In exchange, we ask you to attend work punctually and to behave consistently in ways that reflect well upon African Impact and our project managers.

The African Impact projects rely on networks, and those networks are held together by good relations. If a case should arrive in which our staff feels that volunteers have repeatedly behaved in ways that contradict the basic spirit of this agreement, we reserve the right to remove you from the program.

We view the volunteer experience as a commitment that includes a willingness to overcome challenges of various sorts. In cases where volunteers are experiencing difficulties, we strongly encourage creative, collaborative solutions. At the same time, we respect the ability and freedom of our volunteers to make their own judgment and understand that volunteer work only functions well when volunteers retain the will to participate fully and energetically.

Project Cost:

2 weeks: GB£730 / 4 weeks: GB£1,100 / 6 weeks: GB£1,480 / 8 weeks: GB£1,865 / 10 weeks: GB£2,225 / 12 weeks: GB£2,580

Project Cost Includes:

• Project Fee: this is financing that goes directly back into the project with which you are involved. This project fee facilitates funding for items such as teaching materials, sports equipment, supplies, etc.  as well as the development of the actual programme.
• Transfer from Vilanculos Airport to the project accommodation in town.
• Orientation and introductions to project work upon your arrival.
• A monthly cultural day involving an insight into the traditional lifestyles of the local area, including traditional food, dancing, and singing.
• All daily transportation to and from the project.
• Full board and lodging which includes 3 meals a day at your volunteer accommodation.
• Assistance in your projects by various staff and project managers.
• Full support from African Impact and your coordinator throughout your time at your placement.

Project Cost Excludes:

• Personal travel insurance for the duration of your placement, which must include cover for evacuation and repatriation. We recommend WorldNomads.com.
• All transport by air or bus to Vilanculos. We can help you here if you wish. Please just ask.
• All items of a personal nature, such as curios, gifts, clothing (work and other).
• Email/Internet and telephone calls.
• Soft drinks, wines and spirits.
• All visas for border crossings (on extra excursions).
• Any excursions over and above your planned itinerary with us in Mozambique

Project Orientation:

Upon your arrival in Vilanculos an African Impact representative who will escort you to your new ‘home’ will meet you.  Once you have settled in, you will receive further information on the current status of our programme involvements in the local community. You will be given a detailed Welcome Pack, which will contain all the important information you may need.  You will also receive a local SIM card to help get in touch with family and friends back home.

You will be orientated to the area that you will be living in and also the local town as well as be shown the areas in which you will volunteer. In the next few days, you will visit the project sites and be introduced to the relevant project and volunteer coordinators with whom you will be working closely.

Project Support:

Throughout your stay in Vilanculos you will have the support and guidance of our project staff and coordinators. They are part of our greater African Impact support team, and will provide you with competent 24-hour field support and assistance.

Project Accommodation:

You will be staying at our rural camp in rustic yet comfortable thatched bungalows, located right on the beach. Each bungalow consists of kitchen, lounge/dining areas, 3 bedrooms and appropriate toilet and shower facilities.

Members of our support team will be staying on the same property, so that they are always available to you for any questions or issues you may have.

We find that volunteers living together and working closely together with their volunteer co-ordinators is the surest way of guaranteeing their safety and being able to attend to their most pressing needs. For this reason, we expect all volunteers to stay only in the accommodation provided for them and do not allow volunteers to spend nights away in the town or nearby villages, unless they are away on pre-arranged sightseeing excursions.

Project Meals:

You will be provided with three meals a day. Breakfast is on a help-yourself basis and usually consists of cereals/porridge, toast, fruit, tea and coffee. Lunch and dinner are full meals, and will be cooked for you by our volunteer cook at the volunteer base. Note: On Saturdays and Sundays lunch food is provided but also on a help-yourself basis.  The cooks will be in to prepare dinner on both weekend nights.

Please advise us of any specific dietary requirements before you arrive!

Please also remember that you will be on a rural placement and food will be quite simple, but plentiful and nutritious.

Project Getting There: We will meet you at the airport!

You need to arrange your flight into Vilanculos airport. We highly recommend Pelican Air as the most reliable flight option. One of our project staff will collect you at the airport.

Flights and times Johannesburg (JNB) to Vilanculos (VNX) return.

Pelican Airways
JNB – VNX
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday – Depart 1020, Arrive 1245 / Tuesday, Friday – Depart 1020, Arrive 1315 (via Maputo)

VNX – JNB
Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun – Depart 1400, Arrive 1630

You can book Pelican Air flights by visiting www.pelicanair.co.za

10 Reasons to volunteer in Mozambique:

1. Coastal, we’re right on the beach!
2. Variety of projects, from pre-school to building to teaching English to Orphan care work.
3. Volunteers really become part of the local community.
4. The project is very rustic and rural, a taste of the real Mozambique.
5. Mozambique is so rich in culture, we’re exposed to it daily.
6. We live in a  small, friendly, close-knit community.
7. The Bazaruto Archipelago is so close, and makes for an incredible day trip out.
8. Learning Portuguese and Xitsua are a challenge, although so rewarding once people have mastered a few words….
9. Proximity of camp, on the beach, a 25 minute walk from town, perfect!
10. The Mozambican dish MATAPA!  You can’t describe it, you just have to try it…mmmmm.

Mozambique Rural Pre-school and English Teaching Project Notes:

• We have found in the past that the more you as a volunteer put in to your involvement, the more you will get out. You are welcome to contact a member of staff to find out how you can best prepare for your stay to assist the local community.
• 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…

Spare Time Highlights: (Prices accurate as of February ’09 but may change)

• Sailing Dhow Safari to the Bazaruto Islands (US$60 per day. Includes snorkeling equipment, National Parks fee and a seafood lunch cooked for you on the beach).
• Deep Sea fishing excursions US$300 for full day.
• Snorkeling excursions (US$60 per day).
• Horseback rides on the beach US$40.
• Eating out at fantastic restaurants that can either give you a taste of Mozambique or a taste of home.
• Open Water 3-day PADI Certified Scuba Diving Course (US$480).  If you are interested, we can arrange the details and it can easily be incorporated into your volunteering stay.

Help an African community, make a real difference AND have the time of your life – got to be done. Contact us now.