Making the move abroad to become a volunteer in Africa is an exciting idea – for the mutual benefit of supporting a good cause and growing as a person. Before you can start planning, you need to decide on a country to go to. Why don’t you start with our Top 6 to get a first impression, or learn more about your country of choice if you have decided already.
Learn more about what makes each country unique, interesting facts and some of the most urgent issues the countries face. Once you know what country you’re interested in, you can move on to each country’s full guide and get all of the information and guidance you need to volunteer in Africa.
Volunteer in South Africa
South Africa is known for its wildlife and the big five are probably the first that come to mind. But those are in fact just one example for the variety in nature and wildlife South Africa is home to. For example, did you know that the country has wetlands, deserts, grasslands, bush, subtropical forest, escarpments and mountains? Along its coast you can also find whales, dolphins, sharks and… penguins! If you’re interested in animal care you therefore have lots of opportunities to volunteer – even in marine conservation!
Areas of interest in South Africa
The opportunities to volunteer in South Africa are more diverse of course. No matter what your unique talent is, you can probably make use of it to benefit one of the local social projects. A good way to do that is by volunteering in a local community. This work can range from construction projects, human rights initiatives and social work to being a sports coach and working with children. And while you’re doing that, you’ll become a part of the community yourself and almost certainly grow personally as well.
Volunteer in Ghana
When planning to go abroad and live in a country you haven’t been to yet, it’s important to learn about its history and culture. This will definitely happen once you’re there and can talk to the people and get to know life in Ghana, but to arouse your curiosity and anticipation in advance, let’s highlight some cool facts about Ghana. The country, formerly known as the Gold Coast, was the first in Sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence from colonialism. This happened in 1957 under Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah. It was then that the country was renamed to ‘Ghana’, which translates to ‘Warrior King’. The name reflects the ancient Ghana Empire which had flourished in West Africa during the 10th century.
Areas of interest in Ghana
If you’d like to move to Ghana to become a volunteer in Africa there are many options to support the local NGO’s. One way to do that is by becoming a volunteer in health care. Many students of medicine are looking for opportunities to make new experience and use their skills to make a positive impact. Volunteering in Ghana is a great way to broaden your horizon, work in a completely different environment and learn from the culture that is very different from your own.
Volunteer in Kenya
Did you know that coffee production is what most of Kenya’s income comes from? The highlands of central Kenya provide just the right amount of sunlight and rainfall for the coffee plants. Kenyan coffee is well known for its intense flavor and high grade of coffee, and is among the most acclaimed coffees in the world. The number two income generator for Kenya is tourism. People from everywhere travel to Kenya for its wildlife, culture and nature. For example, have you heard of Kenya’s Great Rift Valley? It was formed when the crust of the Earth was split around 20 million years ago. Some of the oldest relics of man’s history were found here.
Areas of interest in Kenya
Talking about income in Kenya – there’s a big gap in its distribution. Most Kenyans are either very poor or very rich, only a minority can be classified as middle class. If you’d like to volunteer in Africa and Kenya is the country you’d like to live in, you can support the ongoing efforts to change this situation. Are you good with children and teaching is one of your strengths? Then volunteering in education might be the perfect way for you to support the local NGO’s.
Volunteer in Uganda
Uganda is one of the last three countries that is home to the endangered mountain gorillas. The Bwindi National Park is inhibited by around 340 gorillas, which is almost half of the world’s mountain gorilla population. The park generates a lot of its revenue for the Uganda Wildlife Authority through tourism. It is open for tourists at any time during the year, although it’s not as accessible during the rainy season. To minimize the risks for the gorillas, there are strict rules for all visitors. But this is just one way of working towards saving this species.
Areas of interest in Uganda
Another way to help with the conservation of mountain gorillas is to volunteer in Africa and support a Ugandan organization on-site. One way of doing so is by becoming a volunteer in animal care and help to protect the endangered gorillas from deforestation and habitat loss. The social projects have many ways to raise awareness for these problems and greatly appreciate every helping hand.
Volunteer in Tanzania
Interested in languages, anyone? In Tanzania you’ll have a great opportunity to pick up one or two new words out of… 120 languages! Yes, there are actually more than 120 languages spoken across Tanzania. Most of them are Bantu languages, which is a category of 535 dialects and languages spoken across Africa. Getting to know the different cultures of Tanzania will also be an interesting journey. There are just as many different ethnic groups as there are languages. If you decide to go to Tanzania to volunteer in Africa, then this will give you the perfect opportunity to get to know the country and make lots of new experiences within its rich culture.
Areas of interest in Tanzania
Apart from your personal learning and growth, being a volunteer in Africa also includes the work you’re doing to contribute to a positive development in the country. If you decide to go to Tanzania, some of the most problematic situations the social projects are trying to improve are child poverty and rural poverty in general. If you become a volunteer in Africa, you can for example use your business skills to support the NGO’s with management in fundraising and thus help their cause directly.
Volunteer in Madagascar
Don’t let that popular Pixar movie fool you – there are no lions, giraffes or zebras on Madagascar. But that’s ok, Madagascar’s wildlife is more interesting anyway. It has been isolated as an island for more than 70 million years, which let its flora and fauna to develop in a unique way. This means that today, 90% of the wildlife on Madagascar can only be found there! Some of those are the pretty Blue Coua, the Panther Chameleon, the Sifaka, the Fossa and the Aye-Aye, just to name a few. You’ll also find around 103 species and subspecies of lemur.
Areas of interest in Madagascar
Unfortunately, almost all of these are classified as rare, vulnerable or endangered. But the lemurs aren’t the only threatened species. Madagascar faces problems such as deforestation, erosion, fires and the overexploitation of living resources. Part of this issue is that people’s survival is dependent on using those resources day-to-day, because Madagascar is among the poorest countries in the world and many Malagasy don’t have any alternatives. As a volunteer in Africa you can support a social project that tackles these issues, for example in environmental protection.
How to find Volunteer Opportunities in Africa
Ready to start planning? Find and compare volunteer programs in Africa and find your very own volunteer opportunity on Volunteer World. This platform is all about making volunteering in Africa simple and transparent. Featuring more than 800 volunteer programs in 80+ countries, Volunteer World is a one-stop resource for volunteer opportunities abroad.
Thank you for the true comment and perspective about our beautiful country Kenya. We welcome Volunteers.