Intro.

Are you looking for a way to make a difference in the world while having fun and engaging with people from all over the globe? Look no further than this volunteer project! With the goal of preparing children for their future careers and providing them with English proficiency and a global perspective, you’ll have the opportunity to interact with 260 primary school students, including 130 young girls. With only five people currently addressing the needs of these children, your help is greatly needed and appreciated.

The town where this project takes place has a unique social background, with mothers mostly raising their children alone while working hard. As a result, there isn’t much care or attention given to the children’s education. Meanwhile, the men are either abroad working as fishermen or living in other areas working as labourers. Many children live with neighbours or their grandmothers, and it’s not uncommon for them to change their place of residence within extended families. Despite these challenges, Cape Verde has a strong social structure and bonds between family members.

If you’re ready to make a difference and have some fun while doing it, consider joining this volunteer project. To make your experience even more enjoyable, check out these creative volunteer engagement ideas and community service project ideas to help you get started.

Daily Life

Before you begin your program, it is essential to understand your role, responsibilities, and expectations. In order to help students improve their English, you will be expected to work closely with them and take part in daily lessons with local teachers. You will also be involved in lesson planning and preparation, as well as administrative tasks as required by the class teacher. We encouraged you to bring your own ideas and creativity to the program and help students develop their English skills through fun and engaging activities.

Your typical days or activities may varies from the following:

• Primary School teaching, using English.
• Teaching through activities using board games, playdough, and coloring pictures.
• Games and physical education for team building and health.
• Introducing children to colors, shapes, and other cognitive exercises.
• A basic introduction to numbers and alphabets in English.
• Games in the playground that enhance exercises and translate the actions into English.
• Introduction to the natural and man-made environment in the naming of trees, water, leaves, grass, metal, water, taps, buildings, etc.
• Short stories, poems, and songs that are popular with the majority of the participants.
• Sharing geographical information on the countries that they come from and country locations on the globe.
• Lesson planning and research to plan for the next day’s teaching inputs for the children
• Maintaining a file on each of the programs that have been covered by you to enable other participants to avoid repetition and aid handover to new participants.

In addition, during the teaching activities, always be on time and be mindful of class schedules and come to school prepared, be creative in preparing lessons in fun and engaging ways, smile and have lots of patience as you are working with students with various personalities.Please also wear a dress that covers your shoulders and knees, and basically the more that is covered the better. Men must wear trousers, T-shirts and shoes.Lastly, you are also expected to actively join other school activities.

Thus, join our education project and enlighten the lives of kids by helping to bring out the best in them and of course to enjoy and make the most of your stay and make memorable learning experiences.

Schedule

Monday

• Welcome, introduction to Cape Verdean traditions and culture, House rules, Code of Conduct and handling of documents.
• Basic Kriolu Lesson
• Visit local supermarkets and ATMs, and explore the surroundings of our center.
• Lunch
• Visit Mar De President Beach and spend some time on the beach before returning back to the center for dinner.
• Dinner

Tuesday to Friday

• Breakfast at the accommodation
• Teaching Activities at the placement/School.
• Lunch
• Teaching Activities at the placement/School.
• Assist the class teacher in lesson planning and preparing teaching materials for the next day
• Dinner

***This schedule can be changed and/or amended depending on weather conditions, local conditions and unforeseen circumstances.***

Travel and Accom.

Upon arrival, you will be welcomed and picked up from the airport, before being taken to your accommodation.

For the duration of your stay, the fully equipped house will serve as your comfortable home. You will be sharing a room with other participants; however, gender segregation will be in place to provide privacy and comfort.  The bathroom is shared and western toilets are available.

You will also have lots of opportunities to explore the town especially its crystal clear beaches and participate in programs with your other participants, which is an added plus.

Orientation

On the Monday of your first week at this location, you will join our orientation day, to familiarize you with the surroundings as well as local culture. Your program will continue as usual from Tuesday onward throughout the rest of the week.

• Welcome, introduction to Cape Verdean traditions and culture, House rules, Code of Conduct and handling of documents
• Basic Kriolu Lesson
• Visit local supermarkets and ATMs, and explore the surroundings of our center.
• Lunch
• Visit Mar De President Beach and spend some time on the beach before returning back to the center for dinner.

Culture Week

Get ready for an action-packed week full of exciting adventures and cultural excursions to learn about Cape Verdean culture! During the Culture Week in Tarrafal, you’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the Cape Verdean culture by receiving real exposure to the communities and local areas. The week is designed to give you an understanding of the archipelago’s history, its people, and its flora and fauna.

Throughout the week, you’ll learn the basics of the Cape Verdean Creole language, explore Tarrafal and its surrounding areas, and enjoy a mix of local cuisine and Western food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On weekends, two meals (breakfast and dinner) will be provided. You’ll have plenty of clean drinking water and other beverages available.

Tarrafal is full of beautiful beaches, sites, and culture. During your free time, take the time to explore the Portuguese influence on the local culture. The unique Portuguese practices are displayed in the social and cultural patterns of the country. Each day is packed with fun and adventure. You will travel to several nearby tourist attractions and gain insight into the local culture.

Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to learn about Cape Verdean culture and explore the beautiful island of Santiago. And if you’re looking for even more adventure, check out these trekking week and one-week island itineraries to help you plan your trip.

Monday

• On Monday, you will have breakfast and then get an introduction to Cape Verdean traditions and culture. We will do initial documentation before your program begins, including the signing of the Code of Conduct and collection of passport and visa copies.
• Then you will attend a Basic Kriolu class to learn about the local language. This is critical because the majority of people speak Kriolu, Portuguese, or French here. So, it may come in handy if you learn the Kriolu language.
• Then we will leave to visit local supermarkets and ATMs. Then you will visit the Museum, Tarrafal concentration camp, and local market, and explore the surroundings of our centre.
• We will have lunch at the centre.
• After lunch, you will visit Mar De President Beach and spend some time on the beach before returning back to the centre for dinner.

Tuesday

• After breakfast, you will attend a one-hour Basic Kriolu class to continue your course. Today you will learn how to talk about Days of the Week and months in Kriolu.
• You then have the opportunity to witness a local cooking lesson, wherein you will learn to cook Cachupa, which is a famous dish from the Cape Verde Islands.
• In the afternoon, you will visit Ribeira Das Pratas, which is the black sand beach.

Wednesday

• After breakfast, you will attend another basic Kriolu class where you will learn useful words for communication and spelling. Then you will visit Rebelados Village.
• Learn about this religious community primarily found in the interior of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. They were among the groups which revolted against the liturgical reforms and isolated themselves from the rest of society
• After lunch at the centre, you will visit Piscina Natural de Cuba, a hidden getaway off the regular tourist tracks. Residents call these natural pools Esprito Santo. These natural pools can provide moments of leisure.

Thursday

• After breakfast, you will attend a one-hour Basic Kriolu class and start learning how to make sentences.
• Then we will leave the centre and visit the Project site for the following week.
• You will have lunch and continue at the project site till the afternoon.

Friday

• After breakfast, we will have our last Basic Kriolu classes and start making phrases. Then we will head out to go on a fishing trip with the local fishermen.

**This activity is totally dependent on the weather. If the weather is rough or choppy on a Friday, this activity could be done on the following day or on Monday. There will not be any other activity scheduled for the day to substitute this activity**

• We will return to the centre with the fresh catch to cook for lunch.
• After lunch, you have free time to relax.

***This schedule can be changed and/or amended depending on weather conditions, local conditions and unforeseen circumstances.***

Requirements

• Minimum age 18
• Passion and enthusiasm for teaching
• Not afraid to stand up in front of a class
• Ability to work within a team environment
• Minimum 2 weeks commitment
• CRB Police check (or equivalent) showing that you have no previous criminal convictions
• Good English skills
• Necessary vaccinations
• Necessary flight & visas
• Full travel & medical insurance. Full assistance will be provided in getting everything you will need ready if you choose our Placement Support Package.

Costs

£500 GBP per week

* Check the latest currency conversions with xe.com
** All payments incur a 5% bank transfer fee
*** Placements are confirmed with a 1 week deposit, minimum 2 weeks booking

What’s Included:

Project Fee includes food, accommodation, airport pickup, orientation, in-country support and project activities.

What’s not included:

Flights, insurance, visas (if applicable) and vaccinations. Full assistance will be provided in getting all these arranged if you choose our Premium Support.

Premium Support Upgrade

We understand there’s a great deal to plan and organise for your trip. When booking a Placement, many of our participants choose to purchase our Premium Support Upgrade to benefit from the expertise, knowledge and experience of our Project Coordinators.

We can provide the personal advice you need to ensure your trip is organised with excellence and planned with efficiency; ensuring the very best experience possible. Read more about how we can help you.