Cadip - Volunteer Opportunities in Togo

SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES WITH MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN IN TOGO
Kpalime

Volunteer project: This long-term project is organized in partnership with Envol. Volunteers are needed to lessen the impact of the lack of teachers in the schools for mentally handicapped and special needs children in Togo. The mentally handicapped children are often marginalized by the society and considered as a burden by their own family. The primary purpose of the association is to facilitate the integration of disabled children by offering academic education and vocational training taking into account the skills of each child. Therefore these centers are trying to improve conditions for the children to recover and allow them to live as independently as possible. It proved important that action be made to ensure these children have a satisfactory education and training that will ensure a better future for them.

The project is open to anyone who recognizes these special children and is devoted to their cause. Envol wants to give to the children all their rights: to be fed, dressed, educated, protected, and be well treated. There are nine centres in the country that take care of these children and protect them against ill-treatment, negligence and abuse. The centres send the children to school. As the children become teenagers, they are not able to follow the general education. That’s why they are steered towards vocational training, which leads to some kind of trade: sewing, sculpture, gardening, farming, braiding, mechanics, batik, and cooking. In the holidays, all children come to the centre for their activities and games.

The volunteers will take part in the following activities:
• Assisting teachers in daily work with the children
• Helping educators to supervise children during the various activities.
• Work with children in different workshops: modeling and making of various objects, collage and drawing, games, chat, music and dance, stories and songs, country presentations;
• Organizing arts and cultural activities (volunteers who want can take dance, percussion or fashion design classes;)

Special requirements: The volunteers for this project must be able to work and communicate well with children. Experience in speech therapy, social work, physiotherapy, specialized education, psychology, teaching, farming, nursing will be appreciated, although not strictly required.

Language: English

Duration of the project: 1 - 12 months. Volunteers are expected to arrive at the beginning of the month (from 1st to 5th of the month) because of the training week session for each project.

Accommodation: The volunteers will live with a host family which is an opportunity to learn about the local community, culture and language. Volunteers are expected to be sensitive to the local culture and make an effort to integrate into the community. So the most important qualities we are looking for are enthusiasm, flexibility and willingness to experience something completely new.

Age range: 19 and over

Participation fee: $590 CAD

Extra fee: 290 Euro per month

The extra fee is intended to support the hosting organization who does not have sufficient funds. It is due upon arrival on the project.

                                                                                                          

TEACHING LANGUAGES AND ORGANIZING EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS 
Kpalime

Volunteer project: Through this project, we want to create an efficient communication and exchange between students and international volunteers. The schools are full of students but the lack of teachers doesn’t guarantee sufficient instruction, so that this situation has a negative impact on the exam results at the end of the school year. The aim of the long-term project is to provide an efficient assistance to the students in their study throughout the school year: revise lessons, completed program and get involved into extracurricular activities. The volunteers are invited to bring any kind of materials and books that can be helpful in their work.
We also associate this project with health awareness and education (nutrition, sleep, HIV/AIDS and STD diseases), knowledge of the body (growth, function of organs, tobacco and alcohol use). The children will discover prejudicial or beneficial health behaviours and learn to make good health behaviour and lifestyle choices, and to practice hygiene.
If you want to work for the local development and for a better education for the children, and if you want to have a differet experience in Togo, do not hesitate to join us!

Five types of projects are available within this program:
1. Being part of a local volunteer team to teach French and cultural activities in Middle and High Schools;
2. Being part of a local volunteer team to teach English in Middle and High Schools;
3. Being part of a local volunteer team to teach German in Middle and High Schools;
4. Being part of a local volunteer team to teach arts (Drawing, Music, etc.) in Middle and High Schools;
5. Being part of a local volunteer team to teach Mathematics, Health Science or Physical Education in Middle and High Schools;

The inadequate staff in the communities has been the reason for initiation of this project. It is expected that the volunteers will help to improve the level of education in this region.

The volunteers will be teaching children in a secondary school which also involves taking part in extracurricular activities. The volunteers will have a training period with teachers in the school in the order to learn about the country‘s academic system. The volunteers can help teachers to prepare and organize classes according to the country's academic program. The volunteers will work 5 hours a day according to their agendas and will teach the subjects of their choice.

Special requirements: Volunteers need to be good team players, creative, willing to teach, loving children. Teaching skills, guiding and counselling skills, skills in extracurricular activities are required.

Language: English

Duration of the project: 1 - 12 months. This program is running from September to July. Volunteers are expected to arrive at the beginning of the month (from 1st to 5th of the month) because of the training week session for each project.

Accommodation: The volunteers will live with a host family which is an opportunity to learn about the local community, culture and language. Volunteers are expected to be sensitive to the local culture and make an effort to integrate into the community. So the most important qualities we are looking for are enthusiasm, flexibility and willingness to experience something completely new.

Age range: 19 and over

Participation fee: $590 CAD

Extra fee: 290 Euro per month

The extra fee is intended to support the hosting organization who does not have sufficient funds. It is due upon arrival on the project.

                                                                                                          

SUPPORT THE WORK OF MEDICAL CENTERS IN TOGO 
Kpalime

Volunteer project: This project was initiated in response to requests made by the Directors of two new health centers at Kpalimé. The project aims to alleviate the shortage of nursing staff at these very young health centers which cannot afford to hire sufficient personnel. The project is open to health care specialists: doctors, midwives, nurses, laboratory technicians, biologists, but also to students who wish to get training and experience about tropical health conditions.

The volunteers will assist the nursing staff to treat and assist patients. The centers provide testing laboratories, medical services, maternity wards where the volunteers can work. The volunteers may work in other community health centers as well, in the prefectures of Agou or Dagne or Kloto.

Special requirements: Training in the healthcare field.

Language: English

Duration of the project: 1 - 12 months. Volunteers are expected to arrive at the beginning of the month (from 1st to 5th of the month) because of the training week session for each project.

Accommodation: The volunteers will live with a host family which is an opportunity to learn about the local community, culture and language. Volunteers are expected to be sensitive to the local culture and make an effort to integrate into the community. So the most important qualities we are looking for are enthusiasm, flexibility and willingness to experience something completely new.

Age range: 19 and over

Participation fee: $590 CAD

Extra fee: 290 Euro per month

The extra fee is intended to support the hosting organization who does not have sufficient funds. It is due upon arrival on the project.

                                                                                                          

 MANAGING A LIBRARY AND PROMOTING READING AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN IN KPALIME
Kpalime

Volunteer project: The volunteer project will support a community library in Kpalime which was established in the course of the summer 2005. Inaugurated after three working weeks, the library opened its doors and is the pride of the whole town. This long-term project will be used to support the local and young population in their search for information, documentation, intellectual and cultural knowledge.

The volunteers will work together with local teachers in order to create activities which will encourage the population to read and will teach them how to make researches on various subjects. Various activities can be organized in this regard: an introduction to the library; entertainment and scientific activities; awareness campaigns in schools to excite students and teachers about regularly using libraries; organizing games for children; organizing a reading contest with prizes; organizing cultural events (theater, storytelling, African night followed by dance ....)

Volunteers will be trained and will work as librarians in the library or will come in support of local librarians. The volunteers will have to manage the library, the maintenance of books and ensure smooth return of books loaned.

Language: English

Duration of the project: 1 - 12 months. Volunteers are expected to arrive at the beginning of the month (from 1st to 5th of the month) because of the training week session for each project.

Accommodation: The volunteers will live with a host family which is an opportunity to learn about the local community, culture and language. Volunteers are expected to be sensitive to the local culture and make an effort to integrate into the community. So the most important qualities we are looking for are enthusiasm, flexibility and willingness to experience something completely new.

Age range: 19 and over

Participation fee: $590 CAD

Extra fee: 290 Euro per month

The extra fee is intended to support the hosting organization who does not have sufficient funds. It is due upon arrival on the project.

                                                                                                          

SUPPORT THE WORK OF COMPUTER TRAINING CENTERS
Kloto, Agou & Dagni Districts

Volunteer project: This project was initiated following the requests from some officials of computer centers in the city of Kpalime. The project aims to reinforce the capacities in human resources in data-processing centers to support existing trainers to better support learners and use their knowledge of managing system and computer tools.

This program is a unique opportunity for any student who opted for the trade of computers. It immerses you in the specifics of computer training in a developing country.

Volunteers will assist the training staff to supervise and assist students. The will also assist teachers in their daily work with youth. The volunteers can also do a joint program with trainers.

Language: English

Duration of the project: 1 - 12 months. Volunteers are expected to arrive at the beginning of the month (from 1st to 5th of the month) because of the training week session for each project.

Accommodation: The volunteers will live with a host family which is an opportunity to learn about the local community, culture and language. Volunteers are expected to be sensitive to the local culture and make an effort to integrate into the community. So the most important qualities we are looking for are enthusiasm, flexibility and willingness to experience something completely new.

Age range: 19 and over

Participation fee: $590 CAD

Extra fee: 290 Euro per month

The extra fee is intended to support the hosting organization who does not have sufficient funds. It is due upon arrival on the project.                                                                                                        

SUPPORT THE TRAINING PROGRAMS OF CENTERS FOR DISADVANTAGED YOUNG PEOPLE
Kloto, Agou & Dagni Districts

Volunteer project: Togo has experienced a long period of socio-political crisis that has unfortunately reinforced the declining standard of living of the population with consequent wastage and lack of responsibility by some parents towards their children. Moreover, some children are abandoned or left school, and are left to themselves due to extreme poverty. Faced with this situation, some civil society organizations have established training centers for disadvantaged young people to give them a better and brighter future.

The volunteer project will support such centres, which train young people in masonry, joinery, welding, sculpture, batik, sewing, painting, weaving.
Volunteers’ tasks include:
• To help the trainers to manage young people during the training,
• To work with young people in the different workshops;
• To organize cultural and artistic activities;
• To assist the trainers in their daily work with young people.
The volunteers are invited to present typical cultural aspects of their country. The duration of the work is six hours per day. The volunteer can join courses of percussions, dances, etc. in their free time.

Language: English

Duration of the project: 1 - 12 months. Volunteers are expected to arrive at the beginning of the month (from 1st to 5th of the month) because of the training week session for each project.

Age range: 19 and over

Participation fee: $590 CAD

Extra fee: 290 Euro per month

The extra fee is intended to support the hosting organization who does not have sufficient funds. It is due upon arrival on the project.