Projects Abroad in Ethiopia

  Ethiopia

Addis Ababa

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 9-12 weeks
Dates: Year Round/Rolling Starts

Description: Ethiopia, in Eastern Africa, is a fascinating place to volunteer or intern abroad, and a destination where our volunteers can make a huge difference. It is impossible to think of Ethiopia and not recall the haunting images of famine from the 1980s and 2000s. With the unpredictable rains, lack of food in the dry northern areas of the country, this will undoubtedly occur again. However, with an increased international presence and early warning indicators in place, famine on the scale of previous disasters should become an increasingly distant memory. This region of Africa still needs much support, and it is a great location for anyone wishing to help by doing some overseas voluntary work.

Ethiopia is the size of France and Spain combined, and most first-time visitors are amazed by the variety of lush landscapes and spectacular scenery that the country offers. From the fertile countryside and multicolored lakes of the Rift Valley to the rocky backdrop of the world-renowned Lalibela churches or the dramatic snow-capped peaks of the rugged Simien Mountains, most of Ethiopia is nothing like the parched and barren land that comes to mind from news reports.

Our projects in Ethiopia are available for anyone interested in volunteering in the developing world, including those on a college summer break, gap year, career break or volunteer vacation.

Projects Abroad Ethiopia is based in the capital city, Addis Ababa. Our volunteering abroad opportunities are located in schools teaching English, on Care projects in orphanages and care homes, on a physical therapy placement dealing with HIV/AIDS patients and on an exciting journalism placement. Volunteers live with local host families during their placement, which guarantees that they experience another underrated aspect of Ethiopia its friendly and welcoming people.

Volunteering on a Placement Overseas in Ethiopia

Care - Care volunteers in Ethiopia work in orphanages, day care centers, 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 centers 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.

Teaching - Projects Abroad places volunteers in schools to assist local teachers and to give the children exposure to English spoken by a native speaker. Often the teachers will have limited English themselves and you will be popular if you spend some time helping them as well. On top of this, you are likely to find yourself giving further informal English lessons to the members of your host family, who will be eager for you to learn a little of their own language in return, which is a fantastic way for you to get to know each other!

Journalsim - Our journalism project in Ethiopia offers volunteers the chance to work on a variety of English Language publications. You could find yourself writing for the Addis Fortune, an independent business weekly that was set up in 2000, and now has a weekly circulation of 7000 editions, or you may be working for My Fashion magazine, a unique lifestyle magazine in Ethiopia, which exploded onto the scene with a circulation of 5,000 issues in June 2006. Depending on your background and interests, you could also find yourself working for a finance weekly, designing layouts, or even getting involved with the sales and marketing teams.
Interview a local business man

All journalism volunteers in Ethiopia taking part in one of our overseas voluntary work placements must have good computer skills, a strong interest in Journalism and Media and be willing to work hard, but no formal qualifications are required to join this project. Volunteers with an interest in business would find one of our placements especially interesting as a chance to view, at first hand, the business climate in East Africa while gaining general media experience overseas.

Physical Therapy - As a physical therapy volunteer you'll work alongside a catholic charity based in Addis Ababa that provides advice, healthcare and education to families living with HIV. The scheme is a highly progressive project that aims to increase people's knowledge and understanding of the disease, and provide practical physical care to terminally ill children and adults.

During the mornings you'll usually travel around Addis carrying out home-based care alongside a small team of local staff. You'll visit families in their homes, treating common illnesses faced by patients such as TB or unexplained paralysis. You'll help to carry out and explain simple exercises to family members to enable them to keep them up until your next visit. Afternoons will frequently be spent working alongside the local physical therapy staff, passing on your skills and knowledge.

This program is one where you can gain real satisfaction at having made a difference, while simultaneously gaining worthwhile work experience, and all with the added bonus of getting to know a fascinating and strikingly different culture.

Highlights: 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.

All accommodation is organized, paid for and monitored by Projects Abroad. All project placements are regularly visited and checked. We require high standards of supervision and accommodation, which are verified before you arrive in Ethiopia.

This project offers the opportunity to become fully immersed in the culture in a manner which even the most hardened of backpackers could never hope to do.

Qualifications: none

Cost in US$: From US$2,395 Up

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 16-80

This Program is open to World Wide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Ethiopia Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently Or in Groups of 2-5

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Online Application plus Application Assessment

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit DebriefingAbroad
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Projects Abroad's Mission Statement: As part of the global economy, Projects Abroad helps create local employment wherever we send volunteers. Employing local staff overseas and using their talents and knowledge is important to us. This local knowledge and support enables the organization to channel the skills of the volunteers from more affluent countries to regions around the world where they are needed. Volunteers also learn from their placements and the people they meet, and they gain experience in a chosen field. In the 21st century, we believe this mutual respect is what cultural exchange is all about.

Year Founded: 1992