'Mosi-oa-tunya' - "The Smoke That Thunders" - is the local description of the spray created by the world famous Victoria Falls, the magnificent number one tourist attraction in Zambia. Volunteers will have opportunities to visit the Falls and perhaps take part in some of the fantastic adventure activities on offer at this exciting venue - or they may just wish to immerse themselves in the local culture and enjoy the wonderful scenery that this area offers.
This extremely worthwhile project gives volunteers the opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of the children in this region of Africa and no previous teaching experience is necessary - just the desire to help! Volunteers will help teach at six community schools in the town - keeping the local children off the streets and helping them to have a more positive future. Volunteers will also be involved in some very worthwhile community development projects including the Home Based Care Group, reading club and art club and building, painting and refurbishing schools and clinics. Any volunteers with experience are able to teach their own class using in-depth lesson plans.
Duration & Fees
- £799 - 2 weeks
- £995 - 3 weeks
- £1,195 - 4 weeks
Start Dates
2012: 2 Jan | 16 Jan | 6 Feb | 20 Feb | 5 Mar | 19 Mar | 2 Apr | 16 Apr | 7 May | 21 May | 4 Jun | 18 Jun | 2 Jul | 16 Jul | 6 Aug | 20 Aug | 3 Sep | 17 Sep | 1 Oct | 15 Oct | 5 Nov | 19 Nov | 3 Dec | 17 Dec
Payment
£180 deposit at time of booking – balance payment of project fee due 12 weeks before departure
What's Included
- Financing that goes directly back into the projects themselves, to buy building materials, books, equipment etc
- Airport transfers from Livingstone Airport on arrival and departure
- Daily support from your Project Managers
- Full board and lodging including three meals a day, monday to friday
- Full orientation on arrival
- Daily transfers to and from projects
What's not included
- Travel insurance to include cover for repatriation
- Personal items eg clothes, travel goods
- All transport by air or bus to Livingstone
- Use of internet (email) and telephone
- Laundry service
- Soft drinks, wines, beer and spirits and snacks
- Visas for border crossings and any trips undertaken other than in the planned programme
Volunteers will have the opportunity to:
- Gain teaching experience in a challenging environment and work with disadvantaged children
- Work on school refurbishment and building projects
- Get immersed in local Zambian culture
- Make friends for life
- Visit Victoria Falls and enjoy some of the amazing tourist activities that Livingstone has to offer
Teaching Projects
Volunteers will spend their time providing much needed assistance within the educational establishments of Livingstone. Most of the schools have large classes and few facilities, but many children with a desire to learn. There are several ways in which volunteers will assist the schools:
Teaching Assistants
Teaching volunteers will spend the mornings in one of the six community schools in the area that cater for orphaned and vulnerable children. They will be assigned to a class and focus on getting to know the individual needs of the students. It is very helpful to the teacher in front of the class to have a teaching assistant who can go around and help individual children with their assignments as needed. Classes are large and volunteers can be of great help particularly by giving the children the individual attention that will help them make progress. This is very much appreciated.
Group Work
Volunteers may be asked to help with small groups of children who are struggling to keep up with the rest of the class, and can provide support at a slower rate with greater repetition to enhance the learning. Volunteers will take groups of children out of the class to go through the work at a slower rate with greater repetition to enhance learning. As there are few structures in place to help struggling students, early intervention is key.
Revision Classes
As the pace in the class is fast and individual attention is low, children often fall behind. Volunteers can help by repeating subjects in revision classes to help the children keep up in the regular classes.
Marking Tests and Assignments
Teachers at schools in Livingstone give many tests and assignments to their pupils, and with homework this results in a lot of marking to be done. Many of the teachers in the community schools are volunteers themselves who give long hours to the school for minimal pay and the opportunity to relieve some of their workload and allow them to concentrate on academic instruction is very much welcomed. This is an important role of the teaching volunteer but is mixed in with other teaching assistance tasks so as not to become tedious.
Any volunteers who are comfortable with teaching their own class using in depth lesson plans are welcome to do so and this is a fantastic opportunity to gain a fresh perspective on this role.
The schools in which volunteers will work are:
Nakatindi Community School (420 pupils, 10 teachers and two sessions - morning and afternoon) - quite a large school that is still under construction. It also has PE classes run by the sports volunteers, reading clubs to help pupils struggling with literacy and art club some afternoons.
Mwandi Community School (250 pupils, 11 teachers and two sessions - morning and afternoon) - a small under-privileged school on a hill overlooking Livingstone. Physical Education is facilitated by volunteers in the afternoons as well as art clubs and reading clubs.
Malota Community School (150 pupils, 3 teachers and two sessions - morning and afternoon) - a small and very under-privileged school with limited resources but very good teaching principles and methods. Teaching volunteers help out in the classrooms in the mornings and once further classroom space has been created will help to establish activities in the afternoons. As teaching volunteers focus specifically on improving reading, writing and speaking skills (through reading clubs etc) a good command of English is essential.
Livingstone Primary School - a basic school that receives little by way of government funding - where volunteers will assist in the classroom and with football training as well as revision classes for those that are struggling to keep up.
Dwamba Christian School - a very under-privileged school with only one permanent building. Classroom assistance and PE are provided.
Indeco Community School - a poor school operating in the corner of a larger government school, catering for vulnerable and orphaned children in the area who cannot afford the school fees at the government school. It lacks basic infrastructure and resources and volunteers assist with teaching lessons, reading clubs and physical education.
Term dates for 2012:
Term 1 : 9 January - 6 April 2012
Term 2: 7 May - 3 August 2012
Term 3: 3 September - 30 November 2012
During school holidays volunteers help to run "Holiday Clubs" which allow pupils to catch up on any learning missed due to the "hot seating" system in Zambia. These clubs are great fun and provide a safe place for the young people to spend their holidays. Teaching volunteers work closely with sports volunteers to teach lessons for the first half of the morning and then plan recreational activities and teach the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
Community Projects
After spending the mornings in the schools, volunteers will rotate between the different community projects in the afternoons.
Building, painting and refurbishing schools and clinics
Schools are very short of classrooms resulting in most children being able to attend one session per day only. Volunteers will help the local builders and community to build as many classrooms as funds allow and will help with mixing cement, bricklaying, plastering and painting. Hard but very rewarding work!
Home Based Care / Farming
There are several home based care projects run by local volunteers in districts of Livingstone such as Maramba, Ngwenya, Libuyu, Linda and Dambwa. The women spend each morning visiting patients with HIV, TB and malaria within the local community who cannot afford to go to the clinic or hospital. They may contribute by way of basic first aid and help with advice on basic health care. The home based care community volunteers rely on government medical supplies or donations but some have their own land that they use to raise money for their work. This is the most sustainable way to ensure the project continues independently and volunteers may assist with setting up more farming initiatives as well as simple farming. The goal is to help in the initial set-up stages by assisting with the acquisition of land, tools and seed and then with the practical work of planting, watering, weeding and harvesting the produce which is sold to raise money for medical supplies. Although visiting these very deprived areas can be quite a shocking experience, volunteers consider that the opportunity to work with this group gives a real insight into the lives of those suffering from terminal illness and a good understanding of Zambian society.
Reading Club
Pupils from various schools attend the afternoon reading club where volunteers help out with literacy skills - encouraging the children to read and helping out with difficult words. Volunteers will go armed with a box of books and offer the opportunity to the children to practice their reading outside the limited lessons available.
Art Club
Volunteers are encouraged to plan these themselves using their own creative ideas to deal with a variety of issues. For example, the art club could produce posters for an anti-drugs campaign or make Christmas cards or decorations, Easter masks etc. The children also enjoy finger painting and making papier mache models.
Adult Literacy Club
This is a very important club and one that is very popular with volunteers - aimed at helping local adults become more employable through improved literacy. There is a structured syllabus with beginners/intermediate and advanced classes, and relevant testing and a certificate issued to those who are successful. The course improves the students' understanding of written and oral English as well as mathematics.
Study Group
Students come from various schools throughout Livingstone for structured study led by volunteers. The specifically designed programme aims to help the children get a greater grasp on subjects taught in class as well as tackle subjects that are not covered in the curriculum. Many of these children are orphans and don't get the support at home. This is a great opportunity to monitor students' academic and personal progress.
Maramba Old People's Home
Culturally, older family member are looked after within their community so old people's homes are not common. Therefore people who come to this home have no-one to look after them and come from far and wide. There are few staff and volunteers help with daily tasks such as cleaning and cooking and also with providing stimulation for the residents and improving the living conditions.
A day in the life of a volunteer ...
Please note that itineraries may differ depending on the number of ther volunteers and needs of the project at teh time.
| 7.30am |
Get up, eat breakfast and start getting ready for your project |
| 8.00am |
Head off to work. The volunteer arrives at their assigned school and class, and after saying "Hello" to the children, gets down to work. Lessons usually last half an hour and include maths, science and English - and also native language lessons |
| 11.30am |
Lunch break. You will be picked up from your project, and taken to your volunteer house, where lunch is waiting for you |
| 12pm |
Lunch |
| 1pm |
Planning sessions - time to prepare for the afternoon projects - perhaps making posters or flash cards, writing a quiz or just getting supplies together |
| 1.30pm |
Depart for the community project. This may be farming, building or painting - or perhaps an art club or a reading club or helping out at the Maramba Old People's Home. Or it might be planning and delivering a workshop to the children at the community school on topics such as basic first aid, drugs and alcohol, HIV and AIDS or life skills |
| 5pm |
Arrive back at the volunteer house for supper and a free evening, perhaps to enjoy a beer in front of the TV. |
The number of volunteers at each project will approximately be 12.
Livingstone volunteers live at a comfortable and secure complex, a 5 minute walk from Livingstone town centre where there is a wide range of amenities.
The accommodation features a dining area, bar, swimming pool and garden and sleeps up to 68 people. There are up to 6 volunteers sharing per room and all volunteers will share between three bathrooms.
Volunteers from the Zambia Teaching, Sports Coaching and Medical project all stay at this accommodation.
Accommmodation is multi-sex, but with separate bedrooms for males and females, each bedroom sleeping 6 people with three bunk beds in each room. Some rooms sleep up to 8 people and each room has a lockable cupboard for each volunteer's valuables.
Bed linen is provided (apart from towels) and beds are made and rooms cleaned daily. A laundry service is provided for a small fee.
The house has 24-hour security and a safe for valuables. Three meals a day are provided from monday to friday. Breakfast is on a self-serve basis and usually consists of cereals, porridge, toast, tea and coffee. Lunch and dinner are full meals and will be prepared by the resident chef. They are usually simple but nutritious. Any food allergies or specific requirements should be advised before departure.
Meals are not provided at weekends as many volunteers choose to eat out, as weekends are usually good times for tourist activities and exploring the surrounding area. The volunteers kitchen will be available for your use over the weekends and there is access to a fridge to keep your supplies fresh.
Zambia
Why visit Zambia?
For anyone out to experience the ‘real’ Africa, Zambia is that diamond in the rough. The country boasts some of Africa’s best game parks and shares (with Zimbabwe) some of the region’s major highlights, such as Victoria Falls, Lake Kariba, Lower Zambezi National Park and South Luangwa National Park. South Luangwa National Park is one of the best parks in Africa for night game-drives. More than 60 mammal species and over 400 bird species are found in this Park, which is also renowned for thousands of hippo and crocodiles. Luangwa is the birthplace of the Walking Safari and there is no better way to explore this wilderness. Featuring leafy woodlands, slow-moving river channels and lily-bedecked lagoons, South Luangwa is renowned for the expertise of its guides. It is also excellent for spotting leopards and is home to about 15,000 elephants and the same number of hippo. The Thornicroft's giraffe and Cookson's wildebeest are unique to the region.
The mighty Zambezi River is tamed by the Lower Zambezi valley, becoming gentle as it spreads languidly across the Valley. Islands and floodplains create a densely vegetated habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, elephant in particular. This area is seasonal and many of the lodges and camps are closed from November to March. It is also an angler’s dream as fishermen try their luck on the mighty Zambezi, with the hopes of landing a tiger fish or rare, giant vundu. Avid birdwatchers also flock to Zambia to glimpse its fabulous diversity of birds.
Game viewing along the upper Zambezi River by canoe or cruise boat is rewarding and relaxing. Adrenaline junkies may want to experience the spectacular view while bouncing upside down from the end of a bungee cord off the Victoria Falls Bridge. Intrepid travellers will also be attracted by the white-water rafting excursions on the swirling waters of the Zambezi Gorge. Helicopter or micro-light trips over the Falls, game-drives in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, horse trails along the Zambezi River and a visit to Maramba Market are also available. Most activities are accessible from the quaint colonial outback frontier town of Livingstone.
Highlights of Zambia
- Renowned for its pristine National Parks, including Kafue, South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi.
- It is named after the mighty Zambezi River flowing along its southern border, which is fed by the Kafue and Luangwa tributaries.
- Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River are accessible from nearby Livingstone Town.
- Livingstone is home to numerous activities for adventure seekers, including bungee jumping, white-water rafting and abseiling down the gorge.
- It boasts one of the largest areas of land under the protection of national parks in Africa, featuring abundant wildlife.
- Canoeing, rafting and fishing safaris, upstream from the Falls on the Zambezi River, are possible, as are canoeing trips on the Lower Zambezi.
- Kafue National Park is about the size of Wales or Massachusetts, with exceptional bird watching.
- The country, shaped by three great rivers, is characterised by water, including a trio of massive lakes - Lake Tanganyika, Lake Kariba and Lake Bangweulu.
Climate
| Seasons | Max | Min |
| Summer (November - April) |
30 ° |
26 ° |
| Winter (May - October) |
23 ° |
20 ° |
| Rainfall: April - May (Long rains) November - Mid December (short rains) |
Zambia's elevation on a plateau gives it a moderate climate, despite the fact that it is within tropical latitudes, and the average monthly temperature remains above 20 °C most months.
There are three seasons:
- cool and dry from May to August, when temperatures drop at night but the landscape is green and lush;
- hot and dry from September to November, the best time to see wildlife as flora is sparse;
- warm and wet from December to April, ideal for bird-watching.
The Victoria Falls are spectacular in April and May after the rainy season.
Key Facts
Population – 12.9 million
Capital - Lusaka
Currency – Zambian kwacha (ZMK)
Language – English is the official language, with Nyanja, Bemba, Lunda, Tonga, Lozi, Luvale and Kaonde being recognised regional languages.
Time difference – GMT +2 hours
Telephone – country code 260, international access code 00
While I was away I took my entire class on an excursion to the Victoria Falls! Although the kids live literally only kilometres away from one of the world's wonders, many of them had never seen it and it was a wonderful experience for all to be able to show them the magnificent "Mosi-O-Tunya". (Smoke that Thunders)
Amanda/UK (Zambia Teaching Volunteer)
Everyone that has the chance to do something like this should definitely take the opportunity. It was the best part of my year out, and wish I could have done it for longer.
Alice, Scotland, aged 19 (East African Discoverer - 15 Days, Zanzibar Island Rural Teaching Volunteer, Zambia Teaching Volunteer, East African Discoverer - 15 days)
Working with the Zambian people and children was an incredible and life changing experience. The people are utterly appreciative of all that you do. However, as much as I was able to teach them during my short time there I learned even more from them. This program is great because you get to see Zambia through the eyes of a resident rather than through the eyes of a tourist. You get the real Zambian experience.
The staff at Amanzi Travel were excellent. We had many questions that Gemma always responded to in a very timely manner and gave the information we needed. She was great! In addition to the volunteer project, she also set us up to go to Matetsi Water Lodge in Zimbabwe for a safari. It was a highlight of the trip and one of the most luxurious places I have ever visited with the kindest most knowledgeable staff. We saw great game, incredible views, and had amazing hospitality.
Jennifer, USA, aged 26 (Zambia Teaching Volunteer)
A lot of energy, goodwill, companionship, idealism, lovely atmosphere. I thoroughly enjoyed spending a whole month in the company of so many wonderful young people. The age thing mattered less and less as time went on.
Gemma was very helpful and extremely enthusiastic. The induction sessions were helpful, especially the parts about the differences between English and Zambian cultures and the things one should and shouldn’t do. The teaching at Malota Community School was, as they say, awesome. I learnt such a lot and was very privileged to be given free rein to teach Grade 3 as I liked. It was a really wonderful experience.
The adult literacy was fascinating and very worthwhile. There was a valiant attempt to make some sort of continuity by keeping a planning book that was passed on from one volunteer to the next.
Alison, UK, aged 58 (Zambia Teaching Volunteer)