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Volunteer with Children in Jamaica

Support disadvantaged children and focus on improving early childhood development and literacy

Destination

Jamaica

Age

16+ y/o

Minimum Stay

2 weeks

Start Date

Anytime

Accommodation

Homestay

What’s Included

24/7 Support

Round-the-clock support on the ground and 24/7 back up from our global teams.

Accommodation & Amenities

Clean, safe, and welcoming accommodation. A home away from home with comfortable amenities.

Activities, Training & Equipment

All programme activities and equipment, including training and workshops from experienced professionals.

Certification

Certified record of service hours, workshops, and activities for your CV.

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Starting at £1,950 for 2 weeks

Flexible 0% Interest payments

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Trip Overview

Support early childhood development

Help children learn and grow through fun activities, educational games, and creative lessons, helping develop crucial skills and understanding.

Nurture young minds

Create educational resources and help improve hygiene standards, making a lasting impact on the children’s lives even after you’ve left.

Learn from local professionals

Work alongside experienced teachers and caregivers, gaining insights into Jamaican childcare practices and supporting their efforts.

Make Mandeville home away from home

Discover Mandeville, surrounded by the lush Jamaican countryside and mountains, with majestic waterfalls and varied cultural attractions nearby.

Embrace Jamaican culture

Live with a welcoming host family, savouring delicious local cuisine and immersing yourself in the laid-back rhythms of Jamaican life.

What you need to know

Overview

Are you interested in learning more about early childhood development? Do you want to gain practical childcare experience? Do you want to help those in need at the same time? Childcare in Jamaica lets you do just that.

You’ll get to gain valuable experience in childcare, and can also work on personal skills like leadership, teamwork, and planning. If you love children and have all the energy in the world for them, this project is for you.

You don’t need previous experience. You’ll work alongside local teachers and caregivers, and you can reach out to Projects Abroad staff at any time. We also run regular workshops for all Childcare and Teaching volunteers. Here, you’ll can learn more about childcare, exchange ideas, and discuss challenges.

This project runs throughout the year and you can join at any time. We encourage you to stay as long as possible, so you can have a bigger impact on the children you work with.

A Day in the Life

Your day’s activities will depend on where you are placed. You’ll typically work for about five to six hours a day, starting in the morning around 8am. You will work until about 2pm.

Each day will be different, and you can do different activities every day. We encourage you to rotate between fun games and learning activities. You can also incorporate song, dance, and sports into the children’s day.

You’ll spend every evening back at your host family, where you can enjoy home cooked meals and chat about your day’s activities.

During your free time, you can explore the town. You can go on hikes and explore amazing waterfalls, or relax on beautiful white beaches. We also run regular socials for all of our volunteers and interns that you’re welcome to join.

Aims & Impact

The main aim of this project is to strengthen the educational foundations of children in Jamaica. This will ensure that children are better prepared to cope with the demands of primary school.

In Jamaica, many communities are severely disadvantaged. This causes many associated social problems, including a lack quality education for young children. Parents can’t afford to send children to daycare centres and pre-schools. With your support, we hope to break the intergenerational cycle of illiteracy and other problems in education.

This project also addresses the need to support the elderly in Jamaica. Many of the people at the organisation we work with have been neglected, and aren’t able to provide for themselves.

As laid out in our Childcare Management Plan for Jamaica, we’ve identified five sustainable goals we hope to achieve:

Promote early childhood development
Improve hygiene levels of the children
Raise awareness of healthy living, the environment, and family planning
Improve the quality of life for those living with disabilities
Increase emotional care and support to each child

Support children in Jamaica as a volunteer and help us work towards these long-term goals.

Activities

The specific work you do will depend on your placement. These are some of the main tasks you’ll do:

Support the work of local teachers by focusing on early childhood development and literacy
Help increase the quality of life for those living with learning disabilities
Work at a home for the elderly to provide care and friendship

Your work will focus on these main areas:

Support local teachers by focusing on early childhood development and literacy

Early childhood is extremely important in the development of a child’s life. It lays the foundation for their future learning, wellbeing, and success. At your placement in Jamaica, you can help facilitate activities that allow children to learn. You can focus on areas like counting, the alphabet, and improving hand-eye coordination.

You can also put together learning materials like colourful posters and flashcards. Staff and other volunteers can continue to use these long after you’ve left.

Provide assistance to local staff working with children with special needs

You can help out at a facility which treats children who have mental, physical, and learning disabilities. The severity of the disabilities varies.

You can help run interactive activities that enhance the growth and development of the children. Some of these children might require physiotherapy, specialised education plans, and may be on individual diets. Staff would greatly benefit from an extra pair of helping hands.

Work at a home for the elderly to provide care and support to its members

The elderly are often neglected and they desperately need extra support. You can play a key role in doing activities with the elderly that stimulate them mentally, socially, and physically. You can do things like:

Organise games
Read to the residents
Engage in conversations
Take individuals for walks

Where needed, you can also assist with feeding during mealtimes.

Map & Location

Feel the rhythm of Jamaica, an incredible Caribbean nation renowned for reggae music, the laid-back “irie” lifestyle, and breathtaking scenery. Beyond the famous beaches, find beauty in the mountains and historic plantations all over the island.

Jamaica is also known for its coffee production and unique English-based Patois, which is distinct enough to be considered an entirely separate language. You’ll be welcomed with open arms in Jamaica and encouraged to enjoy the culture to the fullest!

Mandeville

Mandeville, nestled in the hills of central Jamaica, offers a blend of laid-back charm and rich culture. This town of around 50,000 people enjoys a cooler climate than the coastal areas and has a long history, evident in its colonial-era architecture and busy town square.

The town provides easy access to nature trails, waterfalls, and coffee plantations. You will also experience the lively atmosphere of the local markets and enjoy the friendly hospitality of the Jamaican people.

Food & Accommodation

You’ll have everything you need for an incredible experience in Jamaica, starting with a welcoming host family. They will be carefully vetted and will provide you with a comfortable bed, three meals a day, and fresh drinking water. Our team will also handle your daily transport to and from your placement.

Your home away from home will be safe, secure, and clean. It is the perfect place to experience Jamaican culture first hand, giving you the chance to live and speak with local people, enjoy traditional home-cooked meals, and see the sights of Mandeville.

During your stay, you may share a room with another volunteer. If this is the case, they will be of the same gender and a similar age, giving you the chance to make friends, share stories, and have a once-in-a-lifetime journey together.

Free Time and Leisure

When you think of the tropical Caribbean, Jamaica is one of the first countries that comes to mind. With its white-sand beaches and vibrant culture, this island nation has a lot to offer. It’s an amazing location to volunteer in, and explore during your free time.

The local cuisine is definitely worth trying, with tasty dishes like Jamaican patties and jerk chicken. You can enjoy these at seaside restaurants and then head down to the sea for a cooling swim in the ocean.

With a rich culture and friendly locals, exploring markets and museums is a must. Visiting the famous Bob Marley Museum in Kingston makes for an enlightening weekend trip. While you’re there, you can also tour Fort Charles and the National Heroes Park.

There will be other volunteers working on different projects in Jamaica while you’re there. This means you can choose to explore independently or connect with other volunteers and travel as a group.

Your Arrival Made Easy

When you arrive at your respective airport, a member of Projects Abroad staff will be there to meet you. You can find more detailed information on arrival airports, orientation, and visas on our Jamaica Arrival Procedures page.