Volunteering Projects in Ethiopia

Ethiopia is an incredible country, rich in tradition, culture, and varied landscape. Ethiopia is not widely traveled by tourists and Ethiopians are very welcoming and friendly to visitors. Ethiopia offers high mountains ranges such as the Simien and the Bale Mountains, as well as the heat of the desert and one of the lowest places on earth: the Danakil Depression. The rock-hewn churches of Tigray and the astounding monoliths of Lalibela are just a few of the attractions Ethiopia has to offer. Additionally, Ethiopia has its own calendar system, thirteen months in total; each month has 30 days and the last month is one week long, hence the country slogan "Thirteen Months of Sunshine!" For more information we suggest you purchase the Bradt Travel Guide to Ethiopia.

Our partner is a Christian organisation which was founded in 2004 by a group of concerned locals who saw the plight of street children in and around Addis Ababa. Currently they run a home for children ranging from 7 to 14 years old. They are completely dependent on volunteer support and donations to keep the organization running, and hope that in the near future they will be able to bring in ten more children.

Located on the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia has a varied climate, but overall is quite temperate. In Addis Ababa, where the volunteer project is located, daytime temperatures range from 15-18 C (60-65 F), while in the evenings the temperatures can get down into 5-10 C (40-50 F) range. Around the country the climate can be dramatically different. In the Bale and Simien Mountains one can expect cold temperatures, even snow and frost, due to the altitude. If visiting the Danakil Depression, however, temperatures are often 50 C (120 F). The rainy season is generally between June and early October. Throughout the year many people carry umbrellas, to shade them from the sun and to protect them from the rain.

Volunteers should plan to help out in a variety of areas; this will include planning lessons for the children, teaching classes in English and Maths, organising games and fun activities, and working in a community feeding program.

You can volunteer at any time of the year in Ethiopia; the program starts on the 1st of each month.

Our partner organisation is located in the suburb of Asko, about 9 km outside the capital city of Addis Ababa.

All volunteers fly into Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa (airport code ADD). You will be met by a representative from our partner organisation.

The program begins on the 1st of each month and volunteers need to arrive a day before the program begins.

Volunteers are met in Addis Ababa on the designated pickup day, and driven to their accommodation in Awelia.

Volunteers will live in a volunteer house with other volunteers. There is some running water, but no hot water; however, boiled water can be provided for showers. There are sporadic electricity outages. The bathroom has a western style toilet, and a tub for taking bucket showers. Three meals per day will be provided.

Most of the food served in the house is vegetarian and sometimes even vegan. If this is not acceptable to you, you will need to supplement your diet at your own expense.

There are many holidays and festivities in Ethiopia throughout the year. Because Ethiopia uses its own calendar it is important to clarify which calendar someone is referring to when they give you a date: Ethiopian or Western. The main holidays are: Gena (Christmas, January 7), Timkat (Epiphany, January 19), Kiddest Mikel (St Michael’s Day, January 29), Good Friday and Easter (usually a fortnight later), Assumption Day (August 22), and Meskel (The Finding of the True Cross, September 27). September 11 is when Ethiopia celebrates its New Year, and 2007 inaugurated the millennium; they are seven years behind the Western world! One thing about Africa is that schedules are never written in stone; therefore, volunteers should use the break from the regular work schedule to soak up the culture and get to know the people in your community.

You must be between 18 and 59 years old. You also need to be in good health.

• Diphtheria and tetanus
• Polio
• Hepatitis A & B
• Typhoid
• Yellow fever Rabies
• Tuberculosis

Malaria needs to be closely discussed with your doctor. Preventative malaria medication is strongly advised, however malaria is not as prevalent in Ethiopia as it is in other Africa nations due to the altitude. Generally malaria only occurs in areas below 2,000m, and is more abundant in marshy areas and still water. Therefore, even though volunteers are most likely not at risk while in and around Addis Ababa, traveling on the weekends, and extensive travel before or after volunteering, may put you at risk. Some of these can be taken in oral form, so please do discuss all options with your doctor to see what is best for you. Some people can be affected quite differently to others by medication.

Each GVN program has different criteria depending on our partner's requirements. Every application is reviewed to ensure that the minimum requirements (as set out on the program page) are met. Next we look to see what skills or experience you have that relate specifically to the program. We are also interested in any previous volunteer experience you may have (either local or international), travel experience, and your particular interest in the program.

After reviewing your application, should we require any further information from you, we will email you to request this.

Yes you will need to speak English, as this is the common language and also a subject that the children are learning in school. While there are many local languages also spoken in Ethiopia, the majority of people speak English.

Due to limited placements in this program, the spaces in the accommodation are reserved for volunteers only. If you are volunteering and would like to bring your family, you will need to address this with the partner organisation well in advance to find out if there is space and if this is a possibility at that time. This will be dealt with on a case by case basis. As the demands of volunteering are quite strenuous, physically, mentally, and most of all, emotionally, we recommend volunteering on your own so that you may focus on the community and your personal health.

The in-country fee covers all meals during your placement, airport pickup, a direct donation to the project, transport to placement, and supervision and administrative expenses of our partner organisation. You will need to budget for your other expenses like bottled water, personal costs, beverages and entertainment. If you are willing to live on a tight budget you can get by on $US20 per week. The other costs you will need to meet are your flights, visa, shots, travel insurance, departure tax, and your bus trip back to the airport..

If you arrive early or intend on staying on in Ethiopia for longer than you are volunteering, you will need to budget more money for this time. You will also need money for your weekends off, depending on what you intend doing. For example, a trip to Lake Tana may cost around $12 each way by bus (from Addis), and accommodation around $7-15 per night, while a trip to nearby Weliso may only cost $3 each way on the bus and $6- 15 per night. Other expenses you may incur include the internet ($1-4 per hour), buying extra bottle water ($1 for 2 litres) and having your laundry washed if you choose to do so ($2 to $4). Some volunteers may also choose to buy their lunches or evening meals in the city in order to increase the variety of food they eat ($2-15 depending on the place and type of meal).

Ethiopia is considered a safe, stable country, with relatively low crime levels compared to other African countries, but sensible precautions for foreigners are recommended as you do draw extra attention. Foreigners are perceived as wealthy and although the people are generally warm and friendly towards foreigners, as well as appreciative of the work done by volunteers, not every individual is the same. The most common occurrence of crime is pick pocketing, which usually only occurs in and around the larger cities and bus stations. Volunteers are advised to bring/wear money belts while traveling long distances, however, they can safely lock up their passports, important documents, and extra money in the volunteer house, only taking smaller amounts of money with them into the city. Violent crimes are rare in Ethiopia, however, use good judgment as with any city, and do not travel alone late at night.

The volunteer house can accommodate a maximum of eight volunteers at any given time.

There is a brief orientation, covering aspects of Ethiopia and culture as well as the current needs of the projects. Additionally, practical training as you begin volunteering is given via other local and international volunteers working on your projects.

Volunteers will teach the children between 9.30am-12.30pm and 2.30-5.30pm three days a week.  On the remaining two days, a commitment to volunteering at the community feeding center occurs between 11am and 1:30pm.Free time can either be spent sightseeing or planing games and lessons for the children.

Yes. You can travel during your days off, or you may want to spend some time in Ethiopia before or after volunteering to see more of the country. You can survive on as little as $20 (U.S) a day in Ethiopia. You can also spend much more if you want a bit of luxury. The Bradt Guide contains many traveling ideas and is very thorough in detailing places to stay along the way.

Volunteers are encouraged to wear comfortable but tidy attire. It can be hot at certain times of the year, however covering up is important not only for protection from the sun and insects, but also to show respect to your fellow volunteers and members of the community. For women this means long pants, skirts, and dresses. For men, this means long pants, or even nice knee-length shorts if necessary. It does get very chilly at night, so sweaters, fleece jackets, warm socks, and even a hat and gloves are encouraged, especially if you are planning on making a trip to one of the mountain ranges.

There are limited resources available but it is encourages to bring some teaching resources with you. Some stationery such as notebooks, markers, glue, etc. can be bought at local stationary stores, but do not expect a wide variety or anything you would able to get at home. You can discuss ideas of things to bring with the partner or volunteer coordinator.

Since there are only two volunteer bedrooms at the moment, preference is given to single volunteers. However, dependent upon the situation and space available, this can be discussed with the partner organisation on a case by case basis.

We strongly recommend that you apply for your tourist visa prior to arrival. Tourist visas are valid for up to 30 days and cost between US$40-60.  Visa extensions can be obtained from the Immigration Office on Churchill Avenue in Addis Ababa and your visa can be extended up to 90 days.

All GVN Volunteers must have insurance. You are free to take out insurance cover through any provider of your choice. However, as some policies do not cover volunteering, we recommend you check you are covered during your volunteer placement.

For your convenience we have arranged a comprehensive package specially designed for volunteering. It includes excellent medical and accident coverage as well as “loss of deposits” cover which covers fees paid to GVN, airlines etc. If you would like to learn more just follow this link: http://www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/insurance/

Your application fee secures your place on the program (remember this is fully transferable to a later date or different program if you decide not to take part in the program, subject to the terms of service). Your program fee is payable to Global Volunteer Network 8 weeks prior to the 1st of the month you wish to volunteer. Please note that all charges incurred by the payment of the program fee are at the volunteer’s expense, e.g. if a bank transfer incurs a bank fee at the point of origin, that is at the expense of the volunteer. Eighty percent (80%) of your program fee is refundable until one calendar month before the 1st of the month you are due to begin your program. Refer to GVN's legal terms of service for full details.