Involvement Volunteers International WHY we need you in Madagascar
- Madagascar is one of the world's poorest countries, with around 74% living below the poverty line
- The country is 4th highest in the world for chronic malnutrition, with almost 1 in 2 children under five suffering from stunted growth
- Madagascar is prone to climate change issues and natural disasters, such as cyclones. This can badly damage infrastructure and peoples homes
- Around 46% of the population in Madagascar have access to clean drinking water & 85% lacking adequate sanitation facilities
- Deforestation and hunting have led to over 100 species of Madagascar's Lemur population becoming endangered
HOW can you help?
- Teach in local schools, to children of various age groups from nearby rural villages
- Help give an education to underprivilaged children
- Bring your energy, enthusiasm and creativity!
- The local teachers can greatly benefit in talking with a fluent English speaker
WHAT can you do?
- Teach the children English conversational skills, pronounciation, basic grammer, sentence forming and basic phrases
- Get creative with drawing, painting, arts and crafts and other playground games
- You can also teach drama, games, music, art and other foreign languages
- Help with basic reading and writing in English
Why Involvement Volunteers International?
- Non Profit Organisation & Charity
- Over 30 Years Expertise Globally
- Low Program Fees - From US$295
- Excellent Safety Record, In-Country 24/7 Support & Emergency Assistance
- 1 Application Fee - Multiple Countries
PROJECT NAME: PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHING
LOCATION: NOSY BE ISLAND
START DATES: WEEKLY (SAT/SUN ARRIVALS)
ACCOMMODATION: VOLUNTEER HOUSE (SHARED ROOMS)
MIN DURATION: ONE WEEK
MIN AGE: 16+
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: N/A
Overview
For the majority of people in Madagascar they cannot afford to travel and so rarely get the chance to speak with people from outside the country. In villages like Tsararano Ambony, the children may have never spoken to a foreigner. As a foreign teacher you can enable the children to experience talking with a westerner, allowing them to discover a whole new culture. They will be incredibly excited to meet with you!
The local teachers can also greatly benefit in talking with a fluent English speaker, as well as discovering new and up to date teaching methods and techniques from you. As you’ll mainly be assisting the local school teachers, no formal teaching experience is required for this project.
You will be teaching children from different age groups and with varying learning abilities. You are welcome to use your own teaching materials and encouraged to get creative. You can also use the course book as guide and help the children with their conversational and spoken English. During your volunteer project you can also teach other subjects such as mathematics, history, science, geography, computer, technologies, music and arts and crafts. Through fun, educational games you can help the kids with their personal development, environmental awareness and general health and safety.
A typical day involves teaching English and engaging in daily school activities for a minimum of 4 hours. Since schools operate only for 4 hours a day, if you wish, you could also visit the local community center in the afternoon to teach children for another 2 hours a day.
Your general duties will include the following:
- Assist the teacher in lesson planning and preparing teaching materials
- Helping children who need extra support to complete tasks
- Assist in teaching class in specialized subject under the direction of a teacher
- Supporting local teachers with classroom activities
- Create activities that will keep the students engaged, providing fun and interactive activities in teaching English, Math and basic life skills through story-telling, singing, and dancing
- Regularly evaluating and assessing the progress of the children.
Higher education in Madagascar is taught in French and Malagasy but knowing English is something that will be extremely valuable to them in later life. Nosy Be is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Madagascar so knowing how to speak English can increase the children’s job prospects in the future.
***Please note the below school terms***
Kindergartens and schools in Madagascar will be closed for school holidays from June 23rd to September 11th, 2023 and from December 15th, 2023, to January 8th, 2024.
During school holidays, we organise an English teaching program at a local community centre for students aged 6 to 18 years old. Please note that the number of children attending may vary, with an expected average of 15 to 20 children per day. It’s worth mentioning that some children may be away from Nosy-BE during this time. There will be 3 to 4 hours of teaching time per day, where 1 hour will be dedicated to lesson preparation for the following day.
Location
Nosy Be (meaning ‘big island’) is an absolutely stunning island off the north-west coast and is Madagascar’s largest and busiest tourist destination. The population is estimated around 73,010 and the island has an area space of 320.02 square kilometres.
On Nosy Be island you will find volcanic lakes, lemurs, rum distilleries, Ylang Ylang plantations and beautiful coral reefs. There is just so much to explore on this amazing island! In May, you can experience the 4 day Donia Music Festival. Situated on the Indian Ocean, on Nosy-Be island you can relax on the best white sand beaches, take a boat trip through the jungle, go trekking to see lemurs or snorkel alongside turtles and manta rays in the clear waters.
Project Tasks
- Teach English conversation, reading and writing to primary level children
- Create lesson plans for fun and educational classes and activites
- Interact with the local teachers, sharing ideas
Food & Accommodation
You will stay at our volunteer house, where there is a dining room and lounge area to socialise with fellow volunteers. There is also a beautiful garden to relax in during time off. A balcony and large roof terrace are also available for you to chill out in. Rooms are shared between 2-6 people, there are fans, bed linen, lockable rooms, and water (no hot water for showers). There is no wifi but you are free to purchade a SIM card to get data.
There is a kitchen and refrigerator which you are welcome to use to store any food and drinks you require. An ATM and a supermarket around 15-20 minutes away by bus or Tuk-Tuk, from the volunteer house. The closest ATM to the house is about 10 minutes away by Tuk-Tuk from the accommodation, the closest local supermarket is around 10 minutes away by Tuk-Tuk, and the closest medical centre is around 15 minutes away by Tuk-Tuk.
*A private room with aircon may be available for an extra fee and subject to availability.
We provide three meals per day during weekdays and two per day on weekends. Your meals will be a mix of Western and Malagasy food, usually consisting of vegetarian dishes including rice and vegetables. You can expect to have a chicken dish around twice a week. There are kitchen facilities for you to cook your own meals or you can eat out at any of the local restaurants nearby.
FAQ...
If you love working with young people, are energetic and want to inspire the furture generation, then yes absolutely! Anyone who loves to teach and inspire will do great on this rewarding project.
- Accommodation
- 3 meals p/day weekdays / 2 meals p/day weekends
- Arrival airport transfer (Sat/Sun arrivals)
- Filtered drinking water, coffee & tea
- 1 day orientation
- Daily transportation to project
- In country 24/7 support & emergency assistance
- Fundraising support
- University course credits (where applicable)
- Certificate of Completion
- Airfares
- Travel Insurance
- Tours, Souvenirs & spending money
On the Monday of your first week at this location, you will join our orientation day, to familiarize yourself with the surroundings as well as the local culture. Your program will continue as usual from Tuesday onward throughout the rest of the week.
Schedule…
- Welcome, introduction to Nosy-Be, Madagascar, and the team, House rules, Dos and Don’ts, Code of conduct, and handling of documents.
- Introduction about the neighborhood and prices for tuk-tuks, etc.
- Visit Hell-Ville to get SIM Card and visit the market area and ATM
- Lunch
- Malagasy Language lesson
- Visit to Mont Passot (time permitting only)
Programs begin every Monday, and volunteers are required to arrive the day prior, for orientation before the project. Your accommodation on the Sunday is included in the program fees.
A free airport pickup is included when arriving to Fascene Airport (NOS). You must arrive between the hours 08:00 to 20:00 on Sunday.
If arriving outside the pickup times on Sunday, you can book a private transfer for US$50.
If arriving during the week, or on Saturday, we charge US$50 for any extra night’s accommodation before your program, and another US$50 fee for a private transfer.
Alternatively, if arriving early you could wait at the arrival’s terminal for the pickup time, book accommodation at the airport and meet us during the pickup times or make your own way to the project (we will advise on how to do this).
From the airport to the accommodation it takes 30 minutes by road.
Schools operate only from 07.30 to 11.30 a.m., kindly regard the schedule given below.
06.30 am: Breakfast at the accommodation
07.00 am: Depart from the accommodation
07.30 am: Activities pertaining to the program
11.30 am: Assist the class teacher in lesson planning and preparing teaching materials for the next day
12.00 pm: Depart for accommodation, where your lunch will be ready
If interested, you could also visit the local community center, where you could teach the students there from 02.30pm to 04.30pm.
02.00pm: Depart from the accommodation
02.30pm: Activities pertaining to the program
04.30pm: Depart to the accommodation
7.30 p.m.: Dinner will be served at the accommodation.
The sun shines year-round here, with Nosy Be being a beach and sea lovers paradise, hosting incredible snorkelling and diving. Nosy Be is packed with activities to get up to during your free, the most popular is checking out the paradise beaches. Here are just a few of the stunning beaches you can visit:
- Palm Beach
- Andilana Beach
- Ambatoloaka Beach
- Andilana Beach
Wildlife lovers and adventure enthusiasts will certainly be at home in Nosy Be too. See if you can spot the diurnal and nocturnal native lemur species, count the unique bird species, see reptiles or indigenous plants, whilst trekking through the lush jungle. There are also scuba diving & snorkelling tours and inland boat trips.
Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for all participants arriving in Madagascar.
Participants under the age of 18 should have parental consent, and participants over 65 should have medical clearance to take part in this program.
Additional Equipment:
- Games, books, color pencils, chalk, rulers, etc.
- Pictures from your country, family, and friends
- Other small cultural objects from your country of origin
Others:
- Modest or business casual attire is required while on the school grounds and when interacting in the village. It must be totally covering the knees and shoulders, (nothing revealing, tight fitting, sheer, low cut, or with any offensive/inappropriate displayed on it).
- Insect repellent.
- Reusable water bottles and hydration packs
- Personal medication/ Personal first aid kit.
Madagascar is the world’s fourth largest island, known for its rich biodiversity and culture. This exotic country is home to some unique wildlife, including 101 different lemur species, 285 bird species (105 of which are unique to the country). You can also find 860 orchid species, that are native to the island, as well as 6 of the world’s 8 incredible baobab trees, found nowhere else in the world. Over 90% of Madagascar’s wildlife is native and cannot be seen in the wild anywhere else on earth. Human presence however, is constantly threatening these natural wonders.
Madagascar is a very culturally distinctive island, with 18 ethnic groups forming the Malagasy population, whose customs are based on the respect of their ancestors and the harmony of the living. The country also has many multi cultures, taking influence from Arabic, Chinese, Indian, French and English settlers.
Although being a large island, it is also a very poor country, with 75.3% of Malagasy living below the poverty line. The gap between the rich and poor is increasing more and more. Despite this poverty, Malagasy people are very much open-hearted to anyone and welcome visitors to explore their beautiful island and cultural heritage.
You will be greeted with smiles and friendly locals and can be sure that a trip to Madagascar will be the ultimate adventure! Not only will you discover an entirely new culture (think of it as a mix between African & Asian influences), you will also explore the incredible flora and fauna this island has to offer.
Madagascar has a hot, subtropical climate with cooler temperatures in the mountains. There are two main climate seasons: the rainy season from November to March and the dry season from April to October. The length of each season does vary from one region to another. As Madagascar is a large country, terrain, weather patterns and climate can change quite dramatically between regions.
Central Highlands
Because of the altitude, the temperature in the Central Highlands sits around 25°C. From June to August this goes down to a chilly 5°C. The wet season starts in November until March or April but is also the warmest season in the Highlands, with an average of 28° / 30°C.
Northern Madagascar
There are several climatic zones in Northern Madagascar.
On the North-Western coast around Mahajanga, there are two distinct seasons, a dry and warm season from May to November and a hot and wet season from December to April, with temperatures reaching over 35°C. Around Ambanja and Nosy Be, there is a micro-climate with wet and dry seasons, although rainfall is more evenly dispersed throughout the year. Temperatures are warm all year round, with an average of 28°C.
Southern Madagascar
The rains start from January to March. The rest is almost completely dry, especially on the South-western coast from Toliara. Around Fort-Dauphin, there can be a little more rain, but still very dry. It gets really hot from February to May and between October and December. The most pleasant period is during the winter, from June to September, with temperatures around 25°C.
Eastern Madagascar
Eastern Madagascar is known for consistent rainfall, although this decreases when moving southwards. The driest season is from August to December, but still with downpours almost every day. February to March is cyclone season with heavy rain, so best to avoid. March, April and December are the warmest months with an average temperature of 30°C. Temperatures are cooler throughout the rest of the year, sitting between 20°C to 28°C, and nights being a little cooler.
Western Madagascar
From May to November is dry season with little rain and pleasant temperatures from 20°C to 25°C. Wet season is from December to April, and it rains heavily, depending on the area. The warmest months are March and April and November and December, with an average temperature of 30°C or more.
In general, the best months to visit Madagascar are between April to mid-December.
January to March is cyclone season, so we would advise against travelling to Madagascar during this time.
Heavy rains can still be expected in April, May and June, but between these showers there’s sunshine. However, the wet season does make the landscape lush and green, with wildlife such as lemurs and reptiles often visible.
July to August is a great time to spot humpback whales as they arrive in Ile St Marie. The weather is cool and dry, making this a pleasant time to explore. During September, Humpback whales can still be seen in Ile St Marie, whilst lemurs begin to give birth to their babies.
In October, temperatures begin to increase around the country, but you will see colourful purple jacarandas in bloom. From November to December, temperatures continue to increase, as well as an increase in rainfall. At this time lemurs, reptiles and tenrecs can often be spotted.
Some of Madagascar’s people, such as the Indonesian-looking Merina’s, are believed to be descendants of sailors from Indonesia and Malaya, who reached the island by travelling over the Indian Ocean. These Asian migrants introduced their beliefs to the country, as well as their rice-based diet.
There is also an African and Arab influence in the population. Arab merchants and African migrants travelled to Madagascar centuries ago and include the Arabic Antaimoro people in the east of the island and the Sakalava to the west. The Malagasy language includes several Bantu and Swahili words.
Today, there’s 18 diverse ethnic groups living in Madagascar. These include Merina, Betsimisaraka, Betsileo, Tsimihety, Antaimoro and Sakalava. Despite the ethnic variety, Malagasy people share a common culture and language.
The Malagasy language has Asian origin, similar to the language spoken in Borneo. The dialect is very poetical, descriptive and rich in metaphors. For example, where we might say “dusk”, the Malagasy will say “maizim-bava vilany” which means “when the mouth of the cooking pot is dark”.
The Asian-African origin of the island’s inhabitants has led to a unique and distinguished culture, with a multitude of set beliefs and customs.
One of the main beliefs is in the power of dead ancestors, or “razana”. These spirits are believed to still look after their descendants even after they have passed. The wishes of these ancestors are to be respected and obeyed. Because of this, families and communities have certain taboos known as “fady”, like avoiding certain actions to ensure the approval of the “razana”.
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