sudan Volunteer programme
34 estelle rd, london nw3 2jY, uK
%+44 (0)20 7485 8619
[email protected]
http://www.svp-uk.com
sVp organises volunteers to teach english
in universities, schools and colleges in the
developing country of sudan. english is the
second official language of sudan, and while
many locals have studied it, most have never
had the opportunity to practice with a native
speaker. Volunteers work approximately 30
hours per week. outside teaching hours,
there are also opportunities to work with
children displaced by sudan’s civil war.
status: registered charity.
timing & length of projects: placements begin
in january or october for a minimum of six
months.
destinations: sudan.
Costs/pay: a fee of £65 covers insurance and
accommodation. a modest stipend is paid
during the placement.
eligibility: graduates or undergraduates with
english as their native language.
groups or Individuals: Volunteers work
individually or sometimes in pairs. married
couples may apply.
annual no. of Volunteers: 20-40
annual projects: 1
partner programmes: 1
selection & Interview process: potential
volunteers are interviewed in person or by
telephone.
In-country support: a local support group
is available at all times and organised to
respond to emergencies.task brasil
po box 4901, london se 16 3pp , uK
%+44 (0)20 7735 5545
fax +44 (0)20 7735 5675
[email protected]
http://www.taskbrasil.org.uk
task brasil’s aim is to improve the lives and
support the needs of children and pregnant
girls living on the streets in brazil. It does this
by providing a clean, safe place to live and
training in beneficial skills. Volunteers work
alongside local educators and care-workers,
helping the kids with things like sports,
reading, writing, music, art and computer
skills. placements are either in rio or with
teenage boys on an ecological farm (called
the ecotour farm experience).
status: registered charity.
timing & length of projects: placements are
for a minimum of one month and preferably
at least three months and up to one year.
placements begin year-round.
destinations: brazil.
Costs: Volunteers must fundraise £1200 to
£2500, which covers portuguese classes,
accommodation, food and a donation
towards the projects. the ecotour farm
experience costs £245 to £495 (depending on
accommodation) and participants must raise
an additional £350.
eligibility: Volunteers must be at least 21 and
have a genuine interest in children. skills in
music, It, teaching english, crafts, sports or
lifesaving are an advantage, as is a working
knowledge of portuguese, spanish or Italian.
there are no age restrictions or requirements
for ecotour participants.
groups or Individuals: placements are made
for individuals, although volunteers may work
in groups of two to four on some projects.
ecotour participants are in a group of two to 15.
annual no. of Volunteers: 20 (not including
ecotour participants).
annual projects: 6
partner programmes: task brasil has a number
of trusts and companies supporting its work.selection & Interview process: applicants
apply in writing and interviews are conducted
in person in london.
In-country support: while on placements,
volunteers work with task brasil staff.
In-country, a volunteer coordinator, two
volunteer leaders and an english-speaking
farm manager are available for support.Volunteer africa
po box 24, bakewell,
derbyshire, de45 1up, uK
[email protected]
http://www.volunteerafrica.org
Volunteer africa works with partner ngos in
tanzania on sustainable community-initiated
projects. Volunteers live and work in rural
villages in the singida region on community-
development projects. programmes are of
varying lengths (four, seven or 10 weeks),
with regular start dates throughout the
tanzanian dry season (may to october).
status: registered charity.
timing & length of projects: placements last
from four to 12 weeks, year-round. the singida
programme only runs during the dry season.
destinations: tanzania.
Costs: fees range from £950 to £2000,
depending on the length and location
of the placement. this includes food,
accommodation, internal travel and one week
of language and cultural training.
eligibility: the minimum age is 18.
groups or Individuals: Volunteers work in
groups of four to 12.
annual no. of Volunteers: 120
annual projects: 1
partner programmes: 1
selection & Interview process: applications
can be made via the website and are
followed by a telephone interview.
In-country support: support is given by
the host ngo, as well as by the volunteer
coordinator, who is accessible at all times.Conservation &
wildlife placements
In addition to the listings in this section,
many of the organisations included in the
Development section have an environ-
mental component. For example, see PoD(p168), KEEP (p159), or Rural Commun-
ity Development Programme (p160). The
Ecologia Youth Trust (p169) is also in the
process of establishing a volunteer pro-
gramme within a sustainable agriculture
eco-village in Mexico’s cloud forest –
it might be worth getting in touch with
them about this exciting project.International Organisations
earthwatch Institute
mayfield house, 256 banbury rd,
oxford, ox2 7de, uK
%+44 (0)1865 318831
fax +44 (0)1865 311383
[email protected]
http://www.earthwatch.org
earthwatch is a global conservation charity
that places volunteers on scientific research
expeditions in over 50 countries, with the aim
of promoting the understanding and action
necessary for a sustainable environment. past
volunteer expeditions have included projects
as diverse as looking at climate change in the
arctic, researching the habitat of the cheetah
in namibia, studying elephant behaviour and
protecting turtle hatchlings.
status: registered charity.
timing & length of projects: expedition
lengths vary from two days to three weeks,
with departure dates throughout the year.
You can also opt to go on two consecutive
expeditions at different locations within the
same country.
destinations: worldwide.
Costs: the cost of participation varies from
around £350 to around £2000, depending
on the project and duration. this includes
briefing, training, food, accommodation, in-
country transport and carbon offsetting.
eligibility: depending on the project,
volunteers need to be at least 16 or 18. there
are also some family teams which can
include children 10 years and older. no skills
or experience are required. earthwatch tries
to accommodate all disabilities.
groups or Individuals: most earthwatch
volunteers travel alone but on an earthwatch
expedition you will be in a group of between
four and 20 volunteers, depending on the
project.
annual no. of Volunteers: 3000
annual projects: 65Even extended placements can zip past
and morph into hazy recollections. Be-
fore you board that plane, consider the
words of Tom Wilmot, who volunteered
for six months as an engineer in India
with Development in Action (p165):
So many stories spring to mind, and so
many come flooding back on re-read-
ing my diary. This, in itself, prompts me
to highly recommend keeping a diary.
It can become a chore, but approach
it with good humour and try to record
all those little events as regularly as
possible. It really is worth it when
you look back. It doesn’t have to look
beautiful (mine is barely legible), but
looking back at it is one of those things
MasterCard just can’t buy!Dear Diary...
06: Structured & Self-Funding Volunteer Programmes:Conservation & Wildlife Placements