Volunteer Programs in Angola

The tourism industry has yet to be opened to even a fragment of its potential, so many of Angola’s cities and towns are still deeply and proudly African. As a volunteer abroad in Angola, you will have the opportunity to experience a culture in its purest form, and see landscapes yet untouched by Western influence.

Luanda is the capital and sits on Angola’s sandy northwest coast. Monikered the “Paris of Africa,” artists, musicians, writers, and dancers abound, often doing their part to help rebuild. Musicians hold impromptu classes in the streets, while (slightly) more conventional schools are set up in backyards teaching language and history. The sophisticated culture and atmosphere of the city has its reaches in modern amenities and high rise buildings, and in an effort to grow into modernity even more, streets are being paved, widened, and readied for a more prosperous future. 

Huambo is Angola’s second-largest city, and sits atop the highlands of the country’s undeveloped central region. Its birth was dependent on the transnational railroad built between Lobito and Katanga, and was once one of the primary economic engines of Portuguese Angola. Though faced with destruction during the war, the people of this city remain as warm as the red and pink color scheme of the buildings, and as eager to move forward as ever. Surrounded by nature as it is, there are significant opportunities here to volunteer in Angola with agriculture and food sourcing.

Lobito is a coastal city worth seeing for its art deco architecture and miles upon miles of sandy beaches. Though stunning, it unfortunately is one of the cities most in need of development. This is a particularly good place to go to work with children, as many are homeless and education is hard to come by.