Madagascar

Start your program in Madagascar with a week full of adventures – sightseeing, classes to learn more about the culture and local traditions, and meeting new friends from all over the world!

CULTURE WEEK SCHEDULE
– Monday: Orientation, meet the team and get to know your fellow volunteers, then hike to the summit of Nosy Be’s highest point, Mont Passot, for stunning sunset views
– Tuesday: Walking tour of Nosy Be’s lovely rural landscapes from Ambatozavary to the old village of Marodoka for a picnic, local dance class and pastry class, and Malagasy language lessons
– Wednesday: Visit the sacred banyan tree where locals and mainlanders make offerings and ask for blessings, walk through Hell-Vil

Most people in Madagascar can’t afford to travel, and in villages like Tsararano Ambony there is little chance of contact with the outside world. You, as a foreign teacher, enable the students to form a relationship with someone from a different background and culture. On the other hand, the local teachers can also learn new and up to date teaching methods and techniques from you. You will mainly assist the regular school teachers in the school and therefore even without a formal teaching background you can participate in this project.

You will teach children from different age groups with different learning capacities. You are free to use your own teaching materials and methods in teaching.

The Construction and Renovation project at Nosy Be supports small communities in and around the island. It aims to build and renovate school buildings that are essential for the growth and development of the children along with the local community. You will work under a local coordinator who will provide you guidance and training to work alongside the local families and other participants. The project involves hard physical and manual labor since you will be laying bricks, doing carpentry, painting, waterproofing, laying tiles, landscaping/gardening, as well as, improving the community’s hygiene and sanitation facilities.

The kids at the kindergarten are right at the start of their school careers and the chance to start learning English at such an early age will prove invaluable for them further on. Like in kindergartens throughout the world, the teaching is informal as the children will want to play with you more than be taught. However, just by getting them enthused about coming to school, giving them some very basic English phrases such as simple greetings, you may as well have sown the seeds of a lifelong learning habit. The children will all be excited to see you and welcome you exceptionally, partly due to the natural and genuine friendliness of the people of these villages but also due to the fact that