Teaching and Community Upliftment, Zambia

Teaching Volunteer's spend their time providing much needed assistance within the educational establishments of Livingstone, such as assisting teachers, group work, marking tests and assignments as well as revision classes.  You will also have the opportunity to get involved with numerous afternoon community projects in and around Livingstone.

6 Great Reasons to become a Smaller Earth Teaching and Community Volunteer in Zambia

• Work in the community and be involved with those who really need help..
• The variety of activities and community projects, from building and painting to HIV education and reading clubs, there’s something for everyone.
• The variety of locations!  You will be based within poor communities in various districts of Livingstone. Within clinics, hospices, farms, the old people’s home, and schools ensuring there isn’t an inch of African day-to-day life that you won’t see.
• Gain teaching experience in a challenging environment
• Work with and have the opportunity to give love and attention to disadvantaged children
• Immerse yourself in local Zambian culture

Volunteer in Zambia with Smaller Earth!

From April 2008 to November 2009 Volunteers  contributed over 53260 hours to community development on our volunteer projects in Livingstone – Medical, Teaching and Sports projects.

As always volunteers continue to do a great job of assisting in the classrooms at the various schools in Livingstone. The work on the two new classrooms at Nakatindi School began in 2008. Having already assisted with the first classroom block, our partners began the building and painting of the additional office & two classrooms. Although the pace of work was slow at first due to a number of set backs such as a freak storm taking the roof off in January. However, since March this year building work resumed and was completed at record speed!

After a LOT of volunteer blood/sweat/tears, our partner on the ground was able to support Malota Community School and cement an already fantastic relationship. By far the poorest and most needy school we work with, the Malota community have been an absolute delight to assist and very much appreciative of all that has been done this far; including the building of a security wall, providing desks and chairs for the classrooms, and painting and leveling the floors of two classrooms.

Program Details

Teaching Volunteers’ spend their time providing much needed assistance within the educational establishments of Livingstone.  You do not need to be qualified for our Teaching Project; you just need the Desire to Impact!

Teaching Assistants

As a teaching volunteer you will spend your mornings in one of 6 of our community schools- schools that are positive environments to orphans and vulnerable children alike. You will be assigned a class and will provide assistance to your teacher. While the teacher is in front of the classroom, teaching a class, it is extremely valuable to have a teaching assistant who can go around and help individuals’ children with their assignments. Since classes are usually very large, the pupils do not often get this individual attention, so any extra attention they receive is highly appreciated

Group Work

A volunteer may find in class that there are a group of children who struggle to keep up with the rest of the class. Volunteers will take groups of children out of the class to go through the class work at a slower rate with greater repetition to enhance their learning experience

Marking Tests and Assignments

Teachers at Livingstone schools give a great amount of tests and assignments to their pupils, so there is always a lot of marking to do. It may not even be a test that needs marking but homework or simple class exercises. This is an important role of the teaching volunteer but don't worry! It is mixed it up with other teaching assistance methods – marking books for 4 weeks can be tedious!!

Revision Classes

Since the pace in class is fast, and individual attention low, children often fall behind. By repeating subjects in revision classes, these children might have a better chance of keeping up during their regular classes.

Should you feel comfortable you can teach your own class using the in depth lesson plans

We are currently working in six different schools in the local community.

Nakatindi Community School: (420 pupils, 10 teachers, morning and afternoon sessions) - This is a a fairly large school but still under construction. African Impact have built a new general classroom as well as a new classroom for the pre-schoolers.  We also have Physical Education classes taught by the sports volunteers.  Additional to that we run reading clubs to assist the students struggling with their literacy and art club some afternoons

Mwandi Community School:  (250 pupils, 11 teachers, morning and afternoon sessions) - A small under privileged school situated on a hill in Mwandi community overlooking Livingstone. African Impact has finished the building and painting of the main classrooms and school buildings.  Physical Education is facilitated by volunteers in the afternoons also as well as Art Clubs and Reading Clubs.

Malota Community School: (150 pupils, 2 teachers, morning and afternoon sessions) - This is an extremely under privileged and tiny school which African Impact is proud to be associated with. Its teaching principles and methods are extremely admirable considering the massive lack of resources this school has. We have finished building them a new roof (higher and without holes!!), and we have painted the room used for the pre-school and are now working on the plastering of the main room.  Volunteers also help out in the mornings providing assistance within the classroom, and we are looking to build an additional classroom (however there is very little space as it is), develop reading clubs and other extracurricular activities in the near future as our relationship with the school goes from strength to strength.

Livingstone Primary School:  This is the 1^st out of the 2 basic schools that we work in. This school, although it is a basic (technically government funded) receives little in the way of funding and we assist with classroom assistance and soccer training as well as revision classes on a Friday afternoon for those children that struggle.

Dambwa Christian School: This is an extremely under privileged school with only one permanent structure. We provide teaching assistance within the school. This is one of our smaller schools.  We also teach Physical Education in our Sports Programme.

Dambwa Basic School: Due to the fact this is a large basic school and our assistance is needed more elsewhere, there are areas where our input is greatly appreciated. This is the school where we conduct our Life Skills Workshops with the children aged 16 to 18 – this is an educational course designed to assist the children with the transition from School to employment. The course covers aspects such as “how to write a CV”, “Improving your business”, “Telephone and Interview Skills”, and “Basic first aid”.

During school vacation time volunteers run “holiday clubs”: Holiday club is extremely important as it offers students valuable time to catch up on learning missed due to the Zambian “Hot Seating” system.   Not only does it give young people a safe environment to spend their summer holidays, it is also a lot of fun whilst providing an effective educational tool

AFTERNOON COMMUNITY PROJECTS

After having spent the morning in a clinic or Home Based Care, you will help out the local community in different areas in the afternoon. You will rotate between the following community projects: 
(Please note that if you prefer to spend every, or several, afternoons a week helping out in the clinics instead of working on the community projects, this can be arranged.) 

Build / paint / refurbish schools and clinics

Schools in Livingstone deal with a great shortage of classrooms, and as a result most children do not receive the full day of class that they need. With the help and guidance of professional builders and the community, we are aiming to build new classrooms for as many schools as we can raise funds for. Volunteers will help with mixing cement, making and laying bricks, laying concrete floors, plastering walls, and painting. It is hard, but highly rewarding work! In addition, we refurbish and paint existing classrooms.    

Elephant Pepper Project

(Please note that this project is seasonal)
The Elephant Pepper Development Trust is an organisation that aims to reduce the conflict between farmers and elephants. Particularly in the dry season, elephants raid people's crops which can cause farmers to loose their whole years' income in one night!  Sadly elephants are often shot as a result. To save the lives of both people and elephants; the Elephant Pepper Trust has developed ways to use chilli peppers to keep elephants away from people's land using the animals intense dislike for the taste and smell of chilli. As a volunteer, you will be involved in the project by helping prepare the lands, tend the seedlings, watering / weeding / harvesting.

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, Dambwa. The women spend each morning visiting patients within their local community. The patients generally have HIV (and various afflictions due to a low immune system),TB and Malaria.  Patients often cannot afford to go the clinic or hospital, or have carers to help with their condition.  The Home Based Care community volunteers rely on medical supplies given to them by the government health department (which happens rarely) or  donations.  However, some have their own land that they use to farm for the purpose of raising money for their  
initiative. This is obviously the most sustainable way to ensure their project continues independently of aid.  We would like to assist all communities in setting up farming initiatives, as well as helping with actual work on the farm.  As a  volunteer you have the opportunity to join the women on their visits to patients and contribute to the help they offer by the means of basic First Aid as well as help teaching a structured indepth First Aid / Health Care course 

Please note that as this can be a shocking experience, we visit some very deprived areas which can be quite upsetting, but volunteers so far have said that it's been a valuable experience that offers a deeper insight into the lives of those suffering from terminal illness, and better understanding of Zambian society.

Reading Club

We arrange for students at various schools to come back to the club in the afternoon where our volunteers will assist with the literacy skills of the children. As a volunteer, armed with your box of books, you will arrive at the school and help give the students the extra support that they need. You do this by helping with difficult words, encouraging them as they read and offering the opportunity to practice their literary skills outside the limited lessons available.

Art Club

Volunteers will plan their own art club using suggested lesson plans, their initiative and creative ideas. Here you can encourage students to deal with a variety of issues through art. For example; you can hold an Anti Drugs campaign using your art club to produce posters, or your art club could make demonstrative models in order to educate them on many different topics. You could also produce seasonal art e.g. Christmas Cards, Christmas decorations, Easter Masks etc.  Have finger painting sessions or papier mache - the possibilities are endless!!

Adult Literacy Club

Not only a very popular activity amongst volunteers but also an extremely important project aimed at helping adults become more employable through literacy.  This is a structured syllabus with beginners / intermediate / advanced classes, lesson plans, tests and a certificate upon successful completion.  The course will improve the students understanding of English both written and reading, as well as mathematics.

Location & Accommodation

Livingstone, Zambia – a stone’s throw away from the Victoria Falls (10km) - ‘Mosi-oa-tunya’ - The Smoke That Thunders…this is how the locals refer to the magnificent spray that is elevated high above the Victoria Falls.  Against this backdrop we find the town of Livingstone, a place of supreme adventure, of friendship, of unlimited challenge, a place to care for and become a part of; a place of initiation, and an unforgettable life-changing experience

You will be provided with three meals a day.  Breakfast is on a help-yourself basis and usually consists of cereals/ porridge, toast, tea and coffee.  Lunch and dinner are full meals, and will be cooked for you by the chef at your volunteer house.

Note: Sometimes on weekends you will need to cook your own meals with ingredients that will be provided, as our staff will need to be given time off. Weekends are usually good times for tourist activities and to get out and explore the surrounding area!

Age & Required Experience

For this project, no previous experience is required. Any teaching skills would be useful. The minimum age to participate in this program is 18 years old

Orientation & Project Support

Upon arrival in Livingstone all volunteers are involved in comprehensive orientation programme, which is included in your fee.  This is facilitated by your project volunteer coordinator and entails an introduction to our projects. Not only will you see where you will be working, you will also see where your fellow volunteers will be spending their days. An experienced clinical assistant will give you a detailed briefing on common diseases in the area, working methods in the clinics, and safety precautions for working in the clinics. This is to ensure that you will start your work at the clinic in a well-prepared and safe way

Livingstone volunteers reside at a comfortable and secure complex, a 5 minute walk away from Livingstone town center.  This accommodation features a dining area, bar, swimming pool, large garden and a climbing wall!  The House sleeps up to 68 people and accommodates volunteers from our medical, teaching and sports projects.   The accommodation is mixed-sex, but males and females sleep in separate rooms.

The house has 24 hour security.  It also has a safe where you can store your valuables.  Your meals are cooked at the accommodation and you will have the support of our project managers at the site.  This house caters for 3 different projects, medical, teaching and sports.  Each bedroom sleeps 6 people, with three bunk beds in each room, some of the larger rooms can have up to 8 people in the room.  Each bedroom has a lockable cupboard for your valuables.

Bed linen is provided (please bring a towel) and the maid service will attend to cleaning the rooms and making the beds daily.  The maids will wash your laundry.  The house is positioned within close walking distance to town where you will find a wide range of amenities.  

We find that volunteers living together and working closely together with their volunteer co-ordinators is the surest way of guaranteeing their safety and being able to attend to their needs.  For this reason we expect all volunteers to stay only in the accommodation provided for them and do not allow volunteers to spend nights away in the town or nearby villages, unless they are away on pre-arranged sightseeing excursions

Throughout your stay at your placement you will have the support and guidance of experienced field-workers and coordinators. They are part of our support team, and will provide you with competent 24-hour field support and assistance

Getting There

Our placement coordinators will meet you at the airport in Livingstone!!

• Lusaka: fly into Zambia’s capital city and then transfer to Livingstone by bus (approx. 8 to 12 hours) or by means of a flight. The bus transfer will cost you approximately US$20.
• Livingstone: Fly to Johannesburg in South Africa and then connect to Livingstone.

WHEN FLYING VIA JOHANNESBURG DO NOT CHECK YOUR LUGGAGE THROUGH TO YOUR FINAL DESTINATION.  ALWAYS COLLECT YOUR LUGGAGE IN JOHANNESBURG AND RE-CHECK ONTO YOUR CONNECTING FLIGHT.  THIS AVOIDS LUGGAGE BEING LOST

Typical Day

• 0700: It’s rise and shine, and time for breakfast. The volunteers also spend some time preparing for the day, ensuring they have everything they need for the day ahead.
• 0745: Off to work. The volunteer arrives at their assigned school and class. After saying hello to all the children, it’s time to get down to some work. The children usually have half hour lessons, social studies, maths, science, English, and why not join in on their local language lesson and learn some Nanja yourself?!
• 1130: You will be picked up from your project and be taken back to the house for lunch
• 1200: Lunch
• 1300: Planning Session – You are given this time to prepare for your afternoon or other projects you may need to prepare for, this may mean designing and making posters, researching, writing quiz’s or tests or simply gathering supplies.
• 1345: Depart for your community project. This may be farming, building, or painting. It may mean an art club or a reading club, or assisting with home-based care or in Maramba Old People’s Home. You may also be involved in planning and delivering one of our workshops to the kids of the community schools covering topics such as basic first aid, drugs and alcohol, HIV and AIDS or life skills.
• 1700: You will arrive back to the house for supper after your projects. Your evening is free, so why not treat yourself to a meal out, or simply sit enjoy a beer in front of the TV whilst planning for the next day

Please be advised that we endeavor to keep all of our project documents up to date; however, due to the constantly evolving nature of sustainable projects expect amendments within all programmes.  Some projects will become self sufficient and no longer require the assistance of volunteers, others will slightly change focus and new ones will begin. Volunteers will be involved in a diverse range of project work as things evolve and develop, all of which are moving the project towards a common goal

Travel Opportunities

Here are some great ideas for travel which our partner on the ground can assist with the booking of tickets and general travel arrangements

• Dinner/Sunset cruise on the Zambezi River
• 2 nights on an Island paradise in the Zambezi, inclusive of several activities & meals
• 2 nights staying onboard a boat cruising along the Zambezi River
• 2 nights on safari in Chobe National Park
• The world’s most exciting white water rafting on the Zambezi River
• Bungee jumping and gorge swings over the Batoka Gorge which the water cascades into below the Falls.
• Helicopter Ride over the Falls
• Microlight Flight over the Falls
• Elephant back safaris
• Canoeing Safaris on the Zambezi River above the Falls with experienced guides.
• Game drives in Zambia’s Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park or neighbouring Botswana’s Chobe National Park.

What's Included?

• Project Fee: This facilitates funding for items such as coaching materials and equipment, building materials, etc.  This also entails financing that goes directly back into the project that you are involved with. This project fee facilitates funding for items such as building materials, equipment, supplies, foodstuffs, etc. Project fees are also used to buy vehicles/equipment, and for developing the housing for volunteers to provide for the expansion of the projects.
• All airport transfers from Livingstone International Airport upon your arrival and departure
• Orientation program
• All daily transfers to and from your projects during your stay
• Full board and lodging which includes 3 meals a day at our volunteer house
• Weekly laundry service during your stay
• Full support from your project managers throughout your time on your Livingstone placement

What's Not Included?

• Personal travel insurance for the duration of your placement, which must include cover for evacuation and repatriation
• All transport by air or bus to Livingstone
• All items of a personal nature, such as curios, gifts, clothing (work and other) 
• E-mail/Internet and telephone calls
• Soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and snacks
• All visas for border crossings
• Any excursions over and above your planned volunteer itinerary in Zambia e.g. visit to the Victoria Falls, white water rafting, etc