Volunteer with Children in Africa

Teach vital skills in schools to support early childhood development in Africa

Childcare centres in Africa can take many different shapes and sizes. Many have children as old as 18 and as young as infants. These children are in need of educational support, care, and friendship, which local staff are often too busy to offer them on an individual basis.

On our childcare programmes, you can:

Volunteer at a daycare center or school
Work alongside local staff who are passionate about promoting education and the well-being of each child
Learn about early childhood development and the challenges children face every day
Choose to volunteer with children who have special needs, and support their caregivers
Meet volunteers and interns from around the world
Live with a local host family, or in pre-arranged, comfortable accommodation

Your work in a care centre in Africa will provide these children with the support and mental stimulation that all children need to develop healthy social skills and self-confidence. Volunteer work in African care centres can make a large impact on both you and the children themselves. We recommend going for eight weeks or more if you are doing a project that involves social work. However, some projects can accommodate volunteers for as little as one week.

You can view our Childcare Projects in Africa below. You may also be interested in Social Work Projects.

I decided to bite the bullet and just go for it, thinking it would be good for my personal growth and it would be a chance to see a new country. I never expected to have one of the best two weeks of my life, make new friends, and gain confidence and a better understanding of the challenging conditions many people live in. – Eloise G, Childcare & Community High School Special in South Africa

Choose a Childcare Project in Africa

Volunteer Work with Children in Africa

Becoming a volunteer with children in Africa is both easy and rewarding. Volunteering at an African care centre utilises a wide range of the volunteers’ interests, talents, skills, and knowledge. There are opportunities for our volunteers to work in every and any aspect of a centre. This can include teaching the children and helping them with their homework, playing a game of tag or telephone with them, or by simply sharing your time, experiences, and knowledge with them. Whatever you do, it will have a tangible impact on their lives.

As a volunteer on one of our Childcare programmes, you can expect to:

Teach basic English
Teach early childhood development through games, activities, and lessons
Support local teachers in busy classrooms
Create lesson plans and resources that can be used by future volunteers and local staff
Assist with basic renovations like painting classrooms and murals
Encourage children to practice better hygiene during outreaches and presentations, like washing hands and brushing teeth properly

You don’t need previous childcare experience or qualifications to work with children in Africa. You’ll work alongside local staff and support their work. We also run regular workshops at all of our Childcare Projects. These workshops give you an opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss challenges you’re facing with our staff and other volunteers.

At my project, I helped primarily in the classroom and sometimes in the occupational therapy room. During this experience, I always felt as though I was making a difference and lending a helping hand. Sometimes making an impact was as easy as telling the children about America, showing them pictures of places I’ve traveled to, or simply conversing with them so they could practice their English. – Casie S, Childcare in Kenya

Volunteering at Special Needs Centres in Africa

In addition to working in childcare centres in Africa, there are also volunteer opportunities to work with children and adults with special needs. Volunteers are desperately needed and greatly appreciated in these care facilities.

The special needs care centers we work with in Africa are overfilled with people in need of daily care and constant medical attention. This level of care is often not available to them due to the staff being overworked and not large enough to give adequate individual attention to every patient. You have the choice to work in AIDS hospices or schools for the handicapped, the blind, and the deaf.

There is no requirement for a medical degree, specialized training, or any previous experiences in care work of any sort. All that is required is a strong desire to help children and adults with special needs. You’ll support the work of local staff and we’ll teach you everything you need to know for your placement.

By helping these vulnerable children and adults you are giving them a better chance of having a future with hope and the possibility of living independently.

Volunteer in a Day Care Centre or Kindergarten in Africa

Kindergartens in Africa are filled with children eager to learn. As a volunteer, you would help set up and organize daily activities for these children to help stimulate their minds and capture their interests. There are a variety of activities you can do with the children such as art projects, games and songs.

Volunteers who work in Africa can also work in day care centres. These volunteers will be exposed to children of all different ages, from babies to teenagers. You will help prepare meals as well as possibly teaching the children literary skills and about appropriate personal hygiene. Interacting with the children on a daily and personal basis is both incredibly rewarding and enlightening. You will learn all about a new culture by working in Africa, but you will learn about a whole new way of life and a new way to look at things by working with these children.

Volunteering in African Orphanages

Over the years, our volunteers have worked with children at orphanages and residential care homes in Africa. They have done incredible work at these placements, improving living conditions there and creating opportunities for children by supporting their education and care. However, we have decided to move our focus away from orphanages and homes toward community and family-based care. This is because we believe stable family environments are best for the children we work with. Read more about orphanage volunteering and our position on it.

This means that instead of volunteering in orphanages in Africa, volunteers will work in placements like day care centers, kindergartens and schools, or support groups for the elderly and mothers and babies. This will help Projects Abroad build stronger relationships with local communities and – most importantly – help families stay together and flourish.

Keeping Children Safe

On all of our childcare volunteer opportunities, we take the safety of the children and young people we work with very seriously. That’s why we’ve put together a comprehensive Child Protection Policy.