Description

As well as our listed projects including teaching, social and health work, Wellingara Volunteer Scheme is open to suggestion on how volunteers can help.

Due to the open and adventurous nature of our programme more successful volunteer projects are becoming available. Most recently football coaching was a huge success and we would be happy to hear from volunteers who would like to contribute, not just to football, but to any area of sports or healthy lifestyle coaching.

Other areas that volunteers can be involved in include DIY and light labour work, dance and drama, story telling and arts and crafts. However, volunteers who wish to start a new project or hold workshops need to be experienced enough to be able to fully implement such a programme while being aware of the financial constraints of volunteering in an under-developed country.

As well as Short Term Programmes (less than three months) and Long Term Programmes (more than three months), Wellingara Volunteer Scheme also has a Daily Visitors Programme. This programme is suited to holiday makers and anyone who is visiting the Gambia independently but would like to make a donation or a small contribution to the school, either financially or by holding workshops or training. Volunteers on the Daily Visitors Programme do not have to pay a programme fee or go through the application process but this is only open to volunteers who have already made prior travel and accommodation arrangements and only wish to visit the school for a few hours to offer their time or make a donation. Although volunteers on this programme do not need to go through the application process, for security reasons volunteers need to apply in writing with their intended dates of visit and receive written confirmation before visiting the school.

Highlights

Wellingara Volunteer Scheme is a Gambian volunteer organisation that is part of a registered Gambian charity CIS (No 116/1998). CIS has UK support staff and is also supported by a registered UK charity 1to3.

100% of volunteers project fees go direct to CIS in the Gambia and none of the money raised or donated is used for administration purposes of running the volunteer scheme in the UK. All UK support staff offer their time and expertise voluntarily and use outside funding for any administration costs.

What does ethical and sustainable volunteering really mean?

When talking about ethical volunteering you will often hear people talking about sending organisations (the international organisation that sends volunteers abroad) and host communities (the communities in under-developed or developing countries that receives volunteers) having good ties and relationships to ensure that the project volunteers work on is beneficial to the community. Wellingara Volunteer Scheme is an entirely Gambian volunteer organisation, meaning it is both the host community and sending organisation. By ensuring that the host community is also the sending organisation, we are giving the community its leadership role and are therefore truly working as an ethical volunteer organisation.

Sustainable volunteering means ensuring that your volunteer work can be carried on when you leave and that the host community does not have to rely on sporadic amounts of foreign aid and help. Unfortunately the very nature of many volunteer organisations means that volunteering in itself is a very unsustainable project. As Wellingara Volunteer Scheme is both the host and the sending organisation, it means that volunteer projects can be planned from within the community to ensure that they are projects that are really needed and are therefore truly sustainable, and that any training needed to continue volunteers work is provided by the volunteer. By operating in this way Wellingara Volunteer Scheme is putting an end to sending volunteers on projects where their skills do not match their projects, or receiving volunteers on projects that are not needed in the community. By allocating 100% of all donations and programmes fees to a Gambian charity means that community projects can rely on a steady and reliable income and plan for the future - the most vital part of any truly sustainable community development project.

Rather than the Gambian community being forced to rely on sporadic amounts of aid from their international partners and being 'host' to an international organisation with little say in the running of its projects, Wellingara Volunteer Scheme is building a bright future for its own community by developing a project that belongs to the people of Wellingara village. Volunteers will have the opportunity to be part of this unique experience and see first hand how a community can flourish and grow when given the opportunity to do so.

As well as knowing that volunteer work and projects are not only helping to build a sustainable future for the community, volunteers will be able to immerse themselves in the rich and diverse West African culture, visit local places of interest steeped in history, and become accustomed to this beautiful way of life on the 'smiling coast' of the Gambia.

(Long term volunteers who volunteer for three months or more and daily visitors are exempt from paying a programme fee).

Qualifications

Essential:

- For anyone volunteering on a Short Term Volunteer programme (less than three months) an enhanced police disclosure is essential
- For those on a Daily Visitors Programme a written letter of confirmation from CIS is required before visiting the projects
- Volunteers who are interested in starting a new project need to have the necessary skills and experience required to implement it

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

From GBP 100 per week (USD160)

Cost Includes:

• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Language instruction
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

- Full and ongoing support for both short-term and long-term programmes, from application through the volunteering project to return, volunteers are also provided with a Volunteer Handbook prior to departure, and receive airport pick up and in-country training (including local language instruction) prior to commencing the project. Volunteers also benefit from the full support of a volunteer mentor who lives in the volunteer compound.

- 100% of volunteer programme fees (only applicable to short term programmes) are given directly to CIS, a registered Gambian charity (No 116/1998). These fees are used to fund vital projects in the village and allow CIS to implement long term programmes. All administration costs for Wellingara Volunteer Scheme are sourced from outside donations.

- Long term volunteer programmes are normally offered to volunteers after completing a short term programme, however, volunteers with extensive experience or qualifications can also apply.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Age Range

Varies

This Program is open to

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

Typical Living Arrangements

• Home-stays
• Independent living

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

Independently

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Phone/Video Interview
• Written Application

Post Services Include

• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Wellingara Volunteer Scheme's Mission Statement

Wellingara Volunteer Scheme is part of CIS The Gambia - a community initiative support programme and registered charity that has been operating since 1996 in the village of Wellingara. This is a volunteer organisation with a difference: as a registered Gambian charity and volunteer organisation, volunteer projects not only provide structured support and development, but they also allow 100% of proceeds to go direct to the local village in which projects are held. This system allows the host community to successfully operate sustainable community projects as well as implement ethical volunteer programmes. None of the money raised or donated is used for administration costs involved in running Wellingara Volunteer Scheme.

Year Founded

2006