Medical volunteers Senegal | Orphanage volunteers Senegal

Volunteer SenegalLove Volunteers has joined forces with a partner NGO in Senegal offering placements on projects such as working with children in orphanages and schools, as well as medical programs.

Having suffered years of famine and other disasters, Senegal is a country which greatly needs the support provided by volunteers, either on short or longer term stays. It is a great location for anyone wishing to help by doing overseas voluntary work in Senegal. Your efforts here will have a direct impact on the lives of people affected by political upheaval, diseases such as HIV and poverty.

Volunteering in Senegal enables the participant the chance to be immersed in an unfamiliar location where the volunteer’s help is urgently needed. Whether you are a gap-year student, a new graduate or between employments, you will find that the country of Senegal presents stimulating challenges. There is work to be done in providing relief to individuals, families and especially children whose prospects have been limited by poverty.

In addition to this, volunteering in Senegal will broaden your experience and you will almost certainly grow as a person as a result. When you volunteer in Senegal, your skills and preferences will be taken into account before a final decision is made regarding the location and project best suited to you.

Ideal for those who already speak French, volunteering in Senegal has the advantage of helping people who want to improve their French language skills. Located in Africa’s far western bulge, and bordered by Mauritania, Mali and Guinea, Senegal is a coastal country, flanking the Atlantic. It surrounds the small country of Gambia on three sides. For more info about both countries get the Lonely Planet Guide

Start and Duration

Volunteers in Senegal can commit themselves to short or long term periods, though ideally not less than two weeks, since two weeks’ program fees are the minimum than can be charged. A great advantage is that placements in Senegal can start on any day of the year. Volunteers whose flights arrive after 11pm are asked to stay at a local hotel and be met the following morning by our co-ordinator. We can recommend local hotels that offer airport pick-ups.

Volunteer Requirements

Love Volunteers in Senegal invites individuals, couples, families, students, researchers, and groups to take part in its programs. Volunteers in Senegal should be at least 18 year old should speak English to at least intermediate level. Knowledge of French is an additional advantage. Younger volunteers may be accepted if accompanied by an adult.

Volunteers in Senegal from all countries, backgrounds and experience are welcome to participate in programs in Senegal. All have a contribution to make and each can benefit from encountering a different culture. Apply Now!

Project Descriptions for Senegal

Working With Children

The orphanages, where volunteers are placed in Senegal, house children aged 0-12 years. Some have been orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS, while others have been taken off the streets or were abandoned at birth. By supporting the overstretched orphanage staff, volunteers in Senegal provide much needed assistance.

Among the orphans are many who suffer disabilities; many will have endured suffering from an early age. The volunteer’s contribution can help bring a brighter future for these children. Volunteer opportunities in Senegal include teaching school-age children, counseling, helping to cook, feeding the children, cleaning, and devising and organising fun activities and recreation.

Volunteers in Senegal are instrumental is ensuring that the orphans in their care are well looked after, that they adhere to a routine and carry out their homework.

Teaching Program

Volunteering to teach in Senegal is a rewarding experience. Placements teaching English, sports, ICT skills are available, as well as teaching life skills to individuals with learning difficulties. Typically, the volunteer in Senegal will work with children of between 4 and 17 years of age, attending one of the poorly resourced schools in Senegal. Volunteers are not required to hold a formal teaching qualification or TEFL certificate. After orientation has been completed, the volunteer teacher will be able to teach on his or her own, or, alternatively, may assist local teachers. One significant contribution you will be making is improving the pupils’ spoken English. In some instances, this applies to the teachers too, who benefit greatly from the opportunity to talk with native English speakers. Having good English language skills can lead to a brighter future.

Medical and Health Program

Volunteers are hugely welcome in the health care sector in Senegal where their assistance is required in clinics and hospitals. A wide spectrum of individuals can sign up to medical programs, including qualified medical personnel, medical students, pre-med students and unqualified individuals wishing to help in the health sector.

Volunteer placements are tailored, where possible, to the level of experience and the interests of the individual, as well as to the size and type of hospital or clinic best suited to their preferences. Opportunities exist in Nursing, Midwifery, Dentistry, Traditional Medicine and Physiotherapy.

Volunteers in Senegal's hospitals get the chance both to observe and assist doctors and nurses directly, which includes accompanying them on their rounds.

There will inevitably be a striking contrast between the medical service delivered in developed countries and that of developing countries. Volunteers in Senegal can encounter many medical conditions that have been left untreated over time and are in advanced stages. While this can be harrowing, it can also be instructive.

Program Costs

Love Volunteers is a not-for-profit organisation and is one of the most affordable ways to help out in a developing country while being immersed in the local culture.

Fees for volunteer programs in Senegal start at US$400 (€316) for two weeks, which includes accommodation, food, an airport pick-up, orientation and 24/7 in-country support.

Volunteer period [weeks]	1	2	3	4	6
Working with children	-	US$400	US$500	US$600	US$800
Teaching and assisting in schools	-	US$400	US$500	US$600	US$800
Medical	-	US$400	US$500	US$600	US$800

Volunteer period [weeks]	8	12	16	20	24
Working with children	US$1000	US$1400	US$1800	US$2200	US$2600
Teaching and assisting in schools	US$1000	US$1400	US$1800	US$2200	US$2600
Medical	US$1000	US$1400	US$1800	US$2200	US$2600

Other volunteers periods available. Please, contact LoveVolunteers for pricing of other periods.

A Love Volunteers registration fee of US$235 (approximately €170) is charged in addition to the program fees and covers any placements you undertake for twelve months from the start of your first placement. The fee is refundable if you choose not to volunteer more than three months prior to the start of your initial placement. This fee ensures 24/7 pre- and post-placement support from Love Volunteers, checking and vetting of local organisations, a comprehensive information pack, as well as administration and marketing costs. Given Love Volunteers is a not-for-profit organisation we also ask volunteers to cover any bank charges incurred by international money transfers.

Food and Accommodation

Volunteers electing to go to Senegal have the advantage of staying with local Senegalese host families for the duration of their stay. Accommodation of this sort provides a unique opportunity to experience first hand what life is like for the ordinary people of the country, while gaining an insight into customs and values. Another benefit is having members of the host family on hand to offer help and to introduce you to the local area.

Your host family will provide you with breakfast and dinner (and with three meals if you are at your accommodation during weekends). On working day, lunch can be taken at small inexpensive cafes or restaurants close to your volunteer project serving local food.

The cuisine typical of Senegal resembles that of other French-speaking North African countries, the staple starches being couscous and rice. Thiou a la Wande is a bouillabaisse eaten in the Dakar area. Thiéboudienne is the national dish and is made from marinated fish which is cooked along with selected vegetables in a tomato paste. Around the Casamance area, you may find yassa, a chicken dish which is cooked with lemon and onions. Predominantly a Muslim country, Senegal cuisine does not include pork. Desserts tend to be very sweet and may feature bananas, raisins, almonds and peanuts.

Mint tea, popular throughout North Africa as a digestif is a great favourite in Senegal, as is Toufam, a sweet yogurt drink. Alcohol is available in Senegal, including palm wine.

Orientation

The format of the orientation depends on your arrival time. Most volunteers in Senegal tend to arrive in the evening. In this case, the orientation begins the following day with a talk at the volunteer house or local restaurant about the country, security, transport, the project and local health issues.

You will be taken to the local town and shown around places of interest such a supermarkets, internet cafes and restaurants. You are also given time to change money, buy bottled water, snacks etc. If time allows, you will be taken to the project and have project orientation the same day.

If you arrive in the morning, you may have orientation later that day, if you are not too tired.

A Typical Week

The structure of the week varies for different projects, but we aim to be flexible. Provided some notice is given, we will try to accommodate your plans. That said, a typical week volunteering in Senegal looks something like this:

Weekdays: At about 7.30am you'll have breakfast with your host family. At 8-8.30am you'll make your way to the project to start at about 9am. Here you'll meet local staff who will start you on the tasks for the day. You'll get breaks throughout the day and finish between 3pm and 5pm.

In the afternoon you are free to socialize or perhaps take a trip to the shops or visit a cafe or restaurant. Alternatively, you can continue helping out on your project.

Weekends: Volunteering in Senegal during the weekends is possible or you may visit orphanages where the children will be delighted to be entertained. Otherwise, this is your time to relax, perhaps just chilling at home or you could arrange to explore the local town or travel further afield. Extended weekends can be arranged to allow for safari trips, but remember our local team need plenty of notice.

About the Country

Senegal in North-West Africa is a semi-tropical land: sunny and warm for most of the year. There are rainy and dry seasons, the latter running from December to April. A distinguishing feature of Senegal is the dazzlingly colourful attire worn both by women and men.

Much of the country is low-lying, consisting of sandy plains near the coast, semi-desert to the north-west and semi-desert, and in the centre and parts of the south, open savannah. There is a lush forest, the Casamance. Senegal's general flatness is relieved by the presence of the Futa Jallon Hills, which reach 1,600 feet at their highest point.

There are four main rivers. Dakar, the capital, on a jutting peninsula reaching into the sea, offers non-stop buzz. This contrasts with the Île de Gorée, a tranquil spot or with the architecturally interesting Saint-Louis - West Africa’s first French settlement. Both of these are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The beaches, especially at Yoff and N’Gor, are famed for their sandiness. Some resorts are rather over-developed, but elsewhere on the coast can be found attractive fishing villages where you can go boating in a wooden pirogue and spot flamingos and kingfishers.

Apply now! Or check out the FAQ or contact page for more information.

Navigation

Destinations

Travel Insurance