Community Development in Cameroon

  Cambodia

Rural Areas

Durations of Program: 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months, 7-12 months, 1-2 years and over 2 years
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks
Dates: all year

Description: We are a small rural organisation that started in 2005. It is only through the efforts of our highly motivated members and the support of volunteers that we are, in turn, able to empower local communities to help themselves. We are working hard to complete our office and to achieve our objectives.

We are situated in the picturesque Bamenda Highlands, in a village called Belo. Belo is part of Boyo Division, in the Anglophone North-West province in Cameroon. The main village and the surrounding settlements are home to about 80,000 inhabitants. The nearest town, Bamenda itself, is situated 45km from Belo. There is a tarmac road between Belo and Bamenda, and it will cost you about 1.5 euros for 1 hour, travelling in a shared taxi.

There are plenty of good opportunities for walking and trekking in the beautiful local areas around the village. The dry season starts in October/November and ends in March/April. During dry season, the temperature is about 30 degrees C to 35 degrees C during the day and 15 degrees C to 20 degrees C at night. The rainy season is the rest of the year, with heavy rains in July and August. At this time, temperatures fall between 25 degrees C and 30 degrees C.

As we are is in the process of expanding to hopefully become a significant presence in the Belo community, there are many important resources that we do not have easy access to. It would be greatly appreciated for any volunteer to bring whatever resources they can, such as books, computers, cameras etc. that will assist with our development. Also, due to lack of funding to initiate new projects or for the everyday needs of the organisation, volunteers are welcome to fundraise before coming to Belo to help with their work.

This project is part of Ecoteer - the solution to travel and volunteering on a shoestring

Ecoteer is a unique volunteer opportunities agency - offering a directory of cheap volunteer work opportunities, volunteer jobs abroad and working holidays. Our volunteer opportunities are cheap because we have eliminated the middleman slashing the price to volunteer abroad for gapyears, careerbreaks and working holidays. Ecoteer is leading the way in a new type of volunteer work opportunities abroad and is changing the volunteer and working holiday industry back to what it used to be   benefiting both the volunteer and the volunteer project.

We have other opportunities in ecotourism, conservation, humanitarian aid and teaching in other 50 countries.

To volunteer with Ecoteer you need to become an Ecoteer volunteer member which costs only EUR20 per year.

Visit our website to search more of our cheap volunteering opportunities

Highlights: Role of Volunteer

Tourism: Volunteer will help the project to establish tourism in the area. You will help to develop schedules for tours, identify tourism potentails and potentially write proposals for projects.

Conservation: We would like volunteers to help in our tree nursery and planting.

School Programme: At present, existing rural schools are understaffed; one government-recruited head teacher has responsibility for a school with some 300 students, and in Nursery school, 3 teachers currently work with one hundred young children. Volunteers are needed to work in schools, with children up to the age of 13, providing additional teaching support in a range of subjects (Mathematics, French, English, Environmental Education, Hygiene and Sciences). Volunteers could teach in the school for varying lengths of time, between 1 month and 1 year. Teaching Orphans and Under Privileged Children: This programme aims to assist children who cannot cope well under normal classroom conditions. Volunteer Teachers would work with these children to provide them with additional support. This programme also caters for children of mixed ages, but they will be taught together, in a dedicated classroom more suited for their particular needs.

After school: Volunteers are needed to provide after-school tuition to children of all ages, in a variety of subjects (Mathematics, French, English, Environmental Education, Hygiene and Sciences).

Cost: You can either stay with a members family, where you will be hosted for free. Alternatively, you can stay in a Rest House at a cost of about 38 euros per month. The Rest House has 4 heated rooms, with a shared bathroom (toilet and shower). It also has one general parlour with a seating area and a kitchen for food preparation. Food costs will be the responsibility of the volunteer.

Qualifications: None

Cost in US$: Between 0 and 20 per week

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Cambodia Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups of 1-5

Application Process Involves:

• Other
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Job and Internship Network

Ecoteer's Mission Statement: To help locally run grass root organisations to achieve their aims via attracting paying volunteers and tourists. Plus we personally help develop and improve the projects we work with to help them to achieve their objectives.

Year Founded: 2005