Description

Based in the picturesque town of St. Louis in northern Senegal, this placement combines intensive French lessons with the chance to experience a taste of Senegalese culture and contribute to the local community. This is a great project for language students and anyone wanting to view a different culture from the inside. You will receive twenty hours of French classes throughout your placement.

Classes are interactive and you will be given encouragement every step of the way. You can put your new knowledge into practice on a daily basis as you get to know St. Louis and mix with local people. Whether you want to master the basics or improve on the French you already know, the teaching will be adjusted to your level.

During your placement, you will be involved in renovating and decorating classrooms in a local kindergarten, creating a clean and colorful environment for children to return to after their school holidays. You also have the chance to work with some of the street children who live in and around St Louis. You will help prepare nourishing meals for them and may even organize a soccer tournament. Your weekend trip takes you over the border into the Mauritanian Desert, where you can relax and socialize at a tented camp in a completely unspoiled area of blue sea and pristine sand dunes.

Highlights

Saint Louis, where Projects Abroad is based is on the coast in the North of the country, close to the border with Mauritania. Dakar, the capital is about 4 hours journey south down the 600km coastline. Senegal possesses many tropical palm fringed beaches and several national parks including Parc National de Niokolo- Koba where you can view wildlife like hippos, monkeys, chimpanzees, warthog, crocodile and if you're lucky the elusive lion and leopard.

In terms of accommodation, all our volunteers in Senegal stay in a home stay which is a great way to get totally immersed in the culture, and practice speaking French too! There will be a community of volunteers there for you to get to know and socialize with.

This project offers the opportunity to become fully immersed in the culture in a manner which even the most hardened of backpackers could never hope to do.

Qualifications

None.

Languages

• English
• French

Cost in US$:

Please go to our website for prices.

Cost Includes:

• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Medical insurance
• Medical services
• Pre-departure orientation/Training
• Registration fees
• Travel while in host country
• Written materials abroad
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

The price of each placement includes all your food and accommodation, transfers to and from the airport, full travel and medical insurance plus support and 24 hour back-up from our staff based around the world.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

• Community Centers
• Community Development
• Cooking
• Culture
• Food
• Volunteering

Typical Volunteer

Open-minded with a desire to travel.

Age Range

16-19

This Program is open to

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

Typical Living Arrangements

• Home-stays

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Written Application
• Other

Typically The Application Process Time is

10 days

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Projects Abroad's Mission Statement

As part of the global economy, Projects Abroad helps create local employment wherever we send volunteers. Employing local staff overseas and using their talents and knowledge is important to us. This local knowledge and support enables the organization to channel the skills of the volunteers from more affluent countries to regions around the world where they are needed. Volunteers also learn from their placements and the people they meet, and they gain experience in a chosen field. In the 21st century, we believe this mutual respect is what cultural exchange is all about.

Year Founded

1992