Help improve the education of children who are willing and eager to learn

Teaching Option
Teach extra classes to smaller group sizes allow more individual attention
Run fun afternoon activities, such as wildlife clubs, arts and crafts, reading clubs and drama
Provide adult education sessions, helping them develop skills and vocational training to rural communities
Teaching the teachers and students computer skills

Teaching and Sports Option
Help with sports coaching sessions such as football, netball, volleyball and rounders
Play with the local sports teams and organise matches or mini-tournaments
Feel part of the community and experience the hospitality and culture of the friendly community

As a volunteer in our teaching project, you will be supporting the teachers by assisting them in one of the local primary schools. On occasion volunteers with teaching experience can be placed in one of the community secondary schools.
If you choose sports in the afternoon you will run various sports sessions and activities.

Volunteers contribute massively to improving the children’s’ education. You may also have the opportunity to teach adult education classes, which provide necessary skills development to rural communities. Furthermore, as part of our initiative to integrate IT to local schools and communities, you can help teachers develop and improve their computer skills.

On your first day at the project you will get a project briefing and a village tour, you start work on Wednesday.
In the mornings volunteers will assist teachers with the curriculum subjects, including English, math and sciences. Most days you start around 07.30 and will finish teaching in the morning between 11:00 and 12:00 and have a lunch break back at the volunteer house during the hottest part of the day.

In the afternoons volunteers have the opportunity to plan and run extracurricular classes that may vary between schools or to organise and run sports activities and coaching sessions, including sports like football, netball, volleyball and rounders.:

Teaching Options
Library Workshops:
The library workshops we organise give the children the opportunity to do activities they would not usually have the chance to, such as art and crafts and reading. Volunteers will assist with these activities as well providing extra English and maths tuition.

Wildlife & Environment Club:
This entails educating the children about the environment, conservation and the importance of preserving the wildlife in Malawi.

IT Lessons:
These lessons will initially be taught to the teachers and introduces to the students as soon as the teachers have achieved basic knowledge (specific computer skills are not necessary for these lessons)

Drama, Music, Arts & Crafts:
These activities are open to be filled in however you would like, depending on your personal interests.

Sports Options
In the afternoons you will organise and run sports activities and coaching sessions, including sports like football, netball, volleyball and rounders.

Volunteers that are with us for a longer period of time will have the opportunity to organise sports matches or mini-tournaments for the children, or even with a neighbouring school or village teams.

Football & Netball:
In Malawi, football is the most popular sport for boys and netball is the most popular sport for girls. Existing teams in these sports usually meet every afternoon to train or play matches. As a volunteer your role will be to work alongside the local team coach or teacher (if there is one) and assist them with:

Warm ups and drills
Ball skills and game play
General fitness - speed, stamina, balance and coordination
Cool down and stretches
Basic nutritional and hygiene advice

The involvement of volunteers encourages more children to participate in sport and the training sessions. This is very important regarding their health and fitness, personal development, such as learning team skills, and involving them in a positive activity in their free time.

Additional sports that you may coach or get involved in include volleyball, cricket, or swimming. We try to encourage new sports, so if you have a particular sport in mind that you would like to coach feel free to let us know. However, we ask volunteers to be patient, as these sports are not played as commonly in Malawi.

Sports sessions are a lot of fun and can be very rewarding. Please keep in mind we only have basic sports equipment and due to the climate, conditions and everyday use the teams are always in need of new items, especially balls. If you would like to and are able to bring a football or sports equipment, it will be very much appreciated by us and the children!

You can be involved in the activities that interest you most. However, a certain amount of flexibility is required in order to maintain the continuity of the afterschool clubs and activities. Friday afternoons are free. Please specify if you are choosing the Teaching or Teaching and Sports Option when you book.

In your free time, you can relax at the volunteer house, swim in the sparkling waters of Lake Malawi and explore the local area. Weekend trips can also be organised by the project staff.

- Liwonde National Park offers a variety of wildlife and large herds of elephant, where you can enjoy the combination of a vehicle safari, walking safari and boat safari in search of the numerous hippo in the rivers.
- Cape Maclear, a popular tourist village at the edge of the lake. Enjoy snorkelling, boat rides on Lake Malawi, exploring the craft stalls and sunbathing on the beach during the day. In the evening there are a couple of lively bars to let your hair down.
- Zomba Plateau, is a cool forest where you can relax, take in the great views, trek and even go horseback riding if you wish.

Although organised weekend excursions are not included in the program price, we do recommend doing a couple of these groups trips during your stay. This way you will be able to see a little more and make the most of your time in Malawi.

Airport pick-up
Accommodation
Three meals a day
24-hour support and supervisor at the project
Donation to the project
Certificate of appreciation

Minimum age of 18
Police clearance certificate
Fully completed Application Form with reason for wanting to join the project.
A suitable level of teaching or relevant volunteering experience.
TEFL certificate (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). TEFL Courses - If you have little teaching experience , we recommend a TEFL course prior to volunteering. TEFL Org UK has a 120 hour premier online TEFL course.
Copy of return flight itinerary
Insurance

Volunteers need to be flexible and keep an open mind concerning their placements as situations can arise beyond our control which could require you to be placed at a different project than the one you have initially chosen. We will of course always do our utmost to fulfill your initial wishes but do remember that where you are going is quite different from where you are coming and as such one should be prepared for things not always going according to plan.

Volunteering and intercultural travel share a common trait: the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. This program is designed for proactive individuals and groups that are prepared to adapt to the local environment and its current needs. Naturally, the scheduling and activities of our program are subject to change. Alterations in activities are mainly due to changes in local conditions, which we believe is part of what makes overseas programs the interesting adventure and incredible learning experience that they are.

Our projects range from 1 week up to approx. 30 weeks. Projects have a specified minimum stay, then it’s up to you how long you can commit. In our experience the longer you stay the more you will gain, as your understanding of the project broadens and you take on more responsibilities. Every volunteer will be given a certificate of appreciation at the end of their stay as a symbol of volunteering stay.