Care Work in Ethiopian Orphanages

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Ethiopia is a fascinating country in which to volunteer with orphans and disadvantaged children in Africa. Only two decades ago, Ethiopia was ravaged by massive famine and cruel conflicts that left many hundreds of thousands of children orphaned. Today, the onslaught of HIV/AIDS combined with desperate poverty means that many children are left to fend for themselves. The need for volunteers cannot be over-emphasized.

Despite the rapid growth of the capital, Addis Ababa, and the emergence of a small Ethiopian middle class, over three quarters of Ethiopians still live on less than $1 a day. A placement on one of our volunteer Care projects is sure to be challenging but there will not be a single moment when you doubt that you are needed, or valued.

You can experience volunteer development work on a Care placement in Ethiopia as part of a gap year in your education, a college summer vacation, on a career break, as part of an extended holiday or during your retirement. You could be a trained professional or totally new to the field.

All we ask is that you have a passion for and a commitment to the work and to the people you are there to help.

Volunteering on a Community Development Project

Projects Abroad is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital. Located in the centre of the country at an altitude of 2400m, Addis Ababa is the third highest capital city in the world.

Care volunteers in Ethiopia work in orphanages, day care centre, kindergartens and care homes in and around the capital. The homes provide full-time care for orphaned or abandoned children and are places where children are given friendship and support while they wait to be adopted.

The children who have made it to these homes and centre crave the love and affection that volunteers have the time and energy to give. This is where your help is most needed. Volunteers also organize occasional trips out from the orphanage and sometimes assist with fundraising events.

We also work with a local organization that arranges activities like games and sports for street children. These extra activities usually run a couple of times during the week and on Saturdays and all our volunteers in Ethiopia have the opportunity to be involved.

Volunteering Abroad in a Day Care Centre

Day care centres and kindergartens provide a safe haven where children can be free to play and learn away from the stresses of their home or street lives. Apart from fundamental childcare activities such as feeding and dressing the children, you will find yourself getting involved in other essential activities.

Whether you are helping a child to learn to count, organizing a game of catch or letting a child braid your hair, volunteer work in Ethiopia will make a difference to the quality of their daily lives.

Many placements will appreciate you providing an extra dimension to the children's education by giving them some informal English lessons. With Ethiopia increasingly becoming a tourist destination for visitors from the developed world, this will be a valuable skill for young people trying to find jobs.

Independent travel in Ethiopia is hugely rewarding, even though the infrastructure of the country is fairly basic. You'll get used to the curiosity that you attract as a Westerner, and you'll make many warm and genuine friends here.

Feel free to call or email us, we have a friendly team ready to answer your questions. Visit our website and complete the online application. Complete the application form as fully as possible. While it is useful for us to have your passport number and referee details they are not immediately crucial to start processing your application.

A deposit of £195 / €295 / AUS $ 495 is required with your application. We will immediately acknowledge receipt of your application and deposit payment.