CHILDCARE VOLUNTEERING PROJECTS IN AFRICA
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
TEACHING & CHILDCARE
TEACHING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
CHILDCARE VOLUNTEERING PROJECTS IN AFRICA
On a continent where millions of vulnerable kids face poverty, abandonment, neglect, and exploitation, childcare volunteers provide invaluable support that can literally change lives.
Early childhood development is a major focus on our child care volunteer programs. It is the psychological, cognitive, physical, and social development children experience between birth and school-going age. The interactions and opportunities for learning children have during this time can have a major impact on how they develop and learn.
Our childcare volunteer programs encourage positive interactions and experiences that encourage healthy development and give children a better chance of escaping the cycle of poverty.
How Can You Help as a Childcare Volunteer in Africa?
Like most developing places, Africa is home to millions of vulnerable children whose lives are a daily struggle. The continent’s complex and difficult history has resulted in failing education systems and almost 50% of the population living in extreme poverty.
- An estimated 50 million orphans live in Africa
- A third of those have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS
- Only 2 out of 5 children in Sub-Saharan Africa will finish primary school
- An increasing number of children are growing up with disabilities as a result of malnutrition
- 85% of all deaths to children under 15 years old occur among children younger than 5
Faced with these circumstances, most children in Africa are at risk of becoming just another statistic
Childcare volunteers play an important role in facilitating community programs and offering extra support to local teachers. The support volunteers provide contributes to positive early childhood development that can help children overcome their circumstances.
What to Expect as a Childcare Volunteer in Africa?
Our childcare volunteer programs allow volunteers to become fully immersed in the host community and provide assistance in a range of environments. You could work in community centers, daycare centers, schools, or after school programs.
These places offer vulnerable children from troubled communities safe spaces where they can learn and get one on one attention that is essential for positive early childhood development.
You might also get involved with life skills programs and other educational classes and initiatives.
As a childcare volunteer, you will provide much-needed support to local staff by offering kids one on one attention they would otherwise not receive and assisting with daily operations.
Types of Opportunities to Volunteer with Children
There are various ways to get involved if you want to volunteer with children in Africa.
Our childcare volunteer programs are carefully designed to let you get involved with various aspects of child care and community work. Each program includes work on a combination of projects and initiatives. However, this can vary depending on which program you join.
We DO NOT support orphanage volunteering. Volunteers on our programs work in community settings at schools, after school clubs, youth outreach programs, reading clubs, and daycare centers. We also have a Child Protection Policy in place to protect the people, children, and adults, from exploitation and the dangers of irresponsible volunteering.
Read more about our childcare policies.
Where Can You Volunteer in Africa?
Livingstone is a quiet little town on the edge of Victoria Falls in Zambia, a country known for adventure and wild national parks where elephants and leopard roam. It is home to one of our most beloved childcare and community volunteer projects.
Our project in Moshi, a small village town on the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, is one of our most successful community projects. It is a great place to volunteer in East Africa if you want to experience the unique culture of Tanzania and meet the noble Maasai tribe.
We also have childcare projects in Kenya and South Africa.