Zambia encompasses everything magnificent about Africa - wetlands, wildlife, birds, safaris, lakes, rivers, culture and adventure sports! Livingstone is close to the incredible Victoria Falls. where everyone goes to enjoy the multitude of activities available, from white-water rafting and canoeing on the magnificent Zambezi River to bungy jumping or game spotting in the Reserve.
WHAT YOU'LL GAIN FROM DOING THIS PROJECT:
► An exciting, never-to-be-forgotten adventure into real Africa.
► The enormous satisfaction of helping disadvantaged children and knowing that you made a difference to them
► New skills, more confidence, a greater understanding of a different culture, invaluable personal and professional development.
► An entry on your CV or résumé that will put you head and shoulders above most others in the job market
► And best of all ... an unforgettable experience!
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
You may be asked to teach anything from English to Maths and Sports to children aged between two and 16 years. Your help will form an important part of their educational and social development. Livingstone is a very friendly place and the schools are no exception!
You'll normally assist the teachers to start with, but depending on your ability you may be given complete control of a particular class or group. You'll receive a lot of help and support from the teachers and staff at the schools to help you prepare for your lessons and settle you into your role as teacher.
The schools we work with are private schools, but these are very poor schools that need as much support from volunteers as possible. Schools can be both secondary and primary and you will generally be asked to help out with any age groups. You will be able to teach a specific subject of your choice if you wish to, such as Mathematics or Science.
In addition, for those of you who enjoy Sports, you will be glad to know that sports are also a very popular subject for the children, and they would love for you to help out with the game periods which the schools have. The facilities are poor, but football and volleyball have quite a following. Some sports coaching takes place throughout the day, but most is after 3pm for an hour or two.
The schools themselves are quite small and incredibly basic - you will feel part of the family immediately! School sizes range from 100 to 150 pupils at one given time. This means that class sizes are also fairly small and very manageable, normally ranging from 20 to 30, although occasionally you may have smaller classes.
One primary school we work with is funded purely by external donations and has only four qualified Zambian teachers. Their dedication and enthusiasm have resulted in fun and lively classrooms full of interest and activity. The children here are fantastic and the hard work and attitude of the teachers is heart-warming.
Most of the children are very shy to speak English and it’s in this area that your help is needed – to give the children confidence to speak the language.You'll be greeted with huge smiles and a very warm welcome. Usually the children don't want to let you go and may even resort to clinging on to your legs to stop you from leaving. You are sure to enjoy every minute of your teaching experience!
COACHING FOOTBALL:
Zambian children love football! If you would like to spend some time coaching football during your teaching placement your help would be appreciated by all. Most schools have only very basic facilities so you will need to be creative, but the children's enthusiasm makes up for this.
TEACHING ART, DRAMA AND MUSIC:
If you have some know-how, some initiative and lots of enthusiasm, you can also get involved with teaching Drama, Music, Dance or Arts and Crafts lessons. If you enjoy being creative, then you can share your talents and enthusiasm at the various schools we work with. Teaching Arts subjects is an excellent way of engaging children’s imaginations and encourages them to communicate with few constraints.
What’s more, it is very satisfying to watch their confidence grow as they learn and develop new skills. At some of our schools in our other destinations, volunteers and pupils together have produced plays and concerts, and performances have been put on in the evenings for parents, students and visitors. Because the schools are poor, the volunteers and children have had to be very creative in putting together costumes and sets – but all productions have been a resounding success!
Volunteers have found that producing short plays written by the children that address local social issues has been a successful means in educating the children on issues such as AIDS awareness, cultural relationships, peer pressures, and bullying. It gives the children an informal forum and a means of sharing their concerns and learning to deal with issues. You can either teach one or more of these subjects for the whole of your placement, or you can combine one of or all of these subjects with teaching conversational English.
ACCOMMODATION:
You'll live in a small, modern and lively hostel situated in the center of Livingstone. The hostel has a very large private garden shaded with huge mango trees and a crystal-clear swimming pool. It also has a lively, sociable bar area where many activities are arranged. You'll share a room with three or four other volunteers.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
If you’d like more information about this or any of our projects, please email or call us! If you’d like to apply for this project, please complete the application form. As soon as we receive it, we’ll liaise with you and then start making your travel adventure happen.
