Only 420€ per week!
Construction and Renovation
Bahir Dar - Ethiopia
With your time and effort, you could make a difference at a school. Brick laying, plastering and other such construction activities await you. You would be continuing to the effort in the construction of school buildings, renovation and painting too. Liven up the walls with some your artwork! Clear up unwanted bushes and plant some new saplings to liven up the atmosphere. By the end of this project, you would definitely feel you have made a difference for the betterment of the school and pupils.
Program
Living
Bahir Dar
Ethiopia
Program Description
This is an autonomous school for children from families with lesser privileges. An assured better future would make them more confident in their outlook in life. The school environment is a good start in this effort. The school caters to 3100 children. Your coordinator would assign you various planned activities. They may include helping with masonry work and other such related activities. You could infuse color and breathe some life into the school and also help with landscaping around the school. The School is now in the process of building a second array of classrooms.
Aims & Objectives
Assist in the construction of new classrooms and in renovating old ones. Assist in masonry with current building efforts underway. Paint the walls and improve the ambience. Repair old classroom desks and tables. Removal of unwanted shrubbery and weeds and add green spaces.
Schedule
Monday to Friday
Your coordinator will assign your activities for the day. Help with masonry work with the new block coming up. Painting of the school walls to make them look energetic and lively. And help with the landscaping around the school and the creation of a football ground.
Note: This schedule can be changed and/or amended depending on weather conditions, local conditions and unforeseen circumstances.
Participant Criteria & Requirements
Standard Requirements
Minimum age: 18
Maximum age: 65
Minimum English level: Basic
CRB required: On Signup
Passport copy required: On Signup
Resume copy required: No
Required qualification: None
Additional Requirements
- Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for all participants arriving in Ethiopia.
- Due to the active nature of this program, a decent level of fitness is required.
- Participants below the age of 18 should have parental consent.
- Participants above the age of 65 should have medical clearance.
Additional Equipment
Dress Code
- Cover up as much as possible in the spirit of the local culture to avoid embarrassment.
- Your clothes must not be too short, too tight or too revealing. Kindly make sure your shoulders and legs are covered.
- Dress professionally since you will be working in a professional environment while teaching the children.
- It is completely fine to wear western clothes as long as they fit the local standards
- Be thoughtful of the graphics, symbols or text printed on your clothing and avoid wearing clothing styles that might be inappropriate
- Be thoughtful to poor communities by not displaying expensive items and clothes
- Wearing local clothes could help you build a good working relationship with the community
Location
Bahir Dar is a bustling city with palm tree and flower lined roads and is located in the Amhara region where Amharic is widely spoken. Lake Tana, a World Heritage Biosphere Reserve and the Blue Nile Falls are located nearby.
Daily flights connect Bahir Dar to Addis Ababa. Bus services from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar entail a very comfortable bus journey of 10 hours rewarded with scenic views along the way.
Your accommodation is on the outskirts of Bahir Dar, about 3 to 4 kilometers from the projects, and is part of a gated community. The house overlooks Lake Tana and the Abyssinian Highlands.
About the Accommodation
Your center is located in the outskirts of the town, where you will be staying in a comfortable dorm-style accommodation for the duration of the project. The house is fully furnished, with laundry and store rooms. The center has a well-equipped kitchen. And there is also a cozy living room where you can hang out with the fellow participants and spend time.
Food Arrangements
Your meals will be mainly Ethiopian dishes. Vegetarian dishes will be available most of the days and non-vegetarian twice a week.
Facilities
Facilities include first aid equipment as well as coordinator support. Supermarkets, cafes, shops, ATMs are available nearby.
Activities & Events
No scheduled activities outside the program.
Sights & Surroundings
Your program will take place from Monday to Friday and weekends will be free for you to explore the city on your own. The places of interest and activities which you can visit during your free time include natural sites, town centers, museums, walking tours and many more. Some of the interesting sites are as follows;
- Blue Nile Falls
- The historic city of Gondar
- Simien Mountains National Park
- Tana Kirkos
Transportation
From this location we do not provide free transport to other locations.
Quick Facts
Name: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Population: 102 million
Capital: Addis Ababa
Language: Amharic, English
Currency: Birr (ETB)
Time zone: CST (UTC +3)
Country Information
A country with a unique cultural heritage, the home of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church – one of the oldest Christian denominations – and a monarchy that ended only quite recently. Dating to prehistoric times and also having Biblical references, Ethiopia has a rich and varied history. Ethiopians pride themselves of never being colonized except for a five year period during Mussolini's occupation. Coupled with its beautiful highlands and desert it is a traveler’s delight. Addis Ababa the largest city and capital is like any other city with all its modern trappings. Culture, cuisine, wildlife, welcoming hospitality, these and many other experiences await you in this ancient and modern land. As Ethiopians like to say, "Come and enjoy, 13 months of sunshine!"
Climate
Predominantly of a tropical monsoon weather, but due to the Ethiopian Highlands which cover most of the country, Ethiopia experiences a climate which is generally considerably cooler than other regions at similar proximity to the Equator. Most of the country's major cities are located at elevations of around 6,500 to 8,000 feet above sea level.
Most major cities and tourist sites in Ethiopia lie at a similar elevation to Addis Ababa and have a comparable climate. In less elevated regions, particularly the lower lying Ethiopian xeric grasslands and shrublands in the east of the country, the climate can be significantly hotter and drier. Dallol, in the Danakil Depression in this eastern zone, has the world's highest average annual temperature of 34 °C (93.2 °F).
Culture
From Music and Dance to Attire and Customs, Ethiopia is unique in its own way. The blend of traditional and modern can be seen in its architecture to the way its people dress up and conduct their day to day lives. Steeped in religious roots its culture is as vibrant as any other modern countries’ but its traditions are always visible, never having been hidden or forgotten. The Ethiopian calendar is one of the most unique in the world today that is still being followed. It has 13 months, with 12 months of 30 days each. The last month has 5 days in a common year and 6 days during a leap year.
Gastronomy
Various vegetable and meat side dishes and entrees are the main of staples of Ethiopian cuisine, often prepared as a "Wat" or thick stew. One or more servings of wat are placed upon a piece of Injera, a large sourdough flatbread, which is about 20 inches in diameter and made out of fermented Teff flour. Injera is used, always with the right hand, to scoop up the entrees and side dishes. Pork or seafood, aside from fish, is not used, as most Ethiopians have historically adhered to Islam, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, or Judaism, all of which prohibit the consumption of pork. Orthodox Christians observe numerous fasts, such as Lent, during which food is prepared without any meat or dairy products. Another dish served in Ethiopia is Doro Wat, which is a chicken stew with hard boiled eggs.
Transportation
Air
Air transport is easy and swift in Ethiopia with their national carrier, Ethiopian Airlines which operates across around 30 domestic cities and towns across the country.
Rail
The National Railway Network of Ethiopia owned by the Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC), which is mostly in planning and construction stage and currently consists of four electrified standard gauge railway lines: the Addis Ababa Light Rail, the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway, both of which are operational. The Awash–Weldiya Railway and the Weldiya–Mekelle Railway are under construction.
Road
With around 100,000 kilometers of asphalted roads, Ethiopia is well connected. All of Ethiopia’s cities are served by public transport, including trains and buses. Taxis charge according to the meter.
