Senegal Style Volunteers!

  Senegal

Dakar

Term: Throughout the year 
Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months, 7-12 months, 1-2 years and over 2 years
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: Year Around Programs

Description: Senegal Style Volunteers! is a multidimensional American run organization based in Dakar, Senegal. We have a primary focus on the needs of students, young adults and the working poor who are trying to make their lives better. You will quickly find that it is much more fulfilling to help people who are already motivated and helping themselves and more rewarding than serving communities that are waiting for handouts. Organizing study groups for kids taking their 6th, 10th or 13th grade exams, teaching internet search engine use to university and business school students, forming an English Club in the middle of an African market, coaching a girls (or boys) basketball team and helping with fundraising, these are the types of activities that make Senegal Style Volunteers fun!

In addition, we can incorporate volunteer tourism with an adventure travel program so you can have a good time while doing good things if you are looking for a 'gap year' break or taking some time out for yourself.

Background and Description of Program:

We are flexible and driven by what you want and do not micromanage every second of your time. You give us a basic outline of your skills and specialities and we'll match you up with an individual or group that would be interesting to you. You, with our help, will develop a program that you will be happy and comfortable with volunteering at but still gives you time out to explore the city and the rest of the country.

Our High School Program is for Anglophone students who want to perfect their French by attending a year at a private school here in Dakar. Students will receive private tutoring in their subjects as needed as well as French lessons and housed in a clean and safe homestay guesthouse.

Internships are available and placements made in governmental and business offices here in Dakar. Pleasant accommodation and good healthy foods will be provided in an all inclusive package for breakfast and after a hard days work in your chosen career field.

Language school - professional interpreters & tutors are employed as an alternative to the high priced language programs offered here in Dakar (USD 30 an hour... at the French Institute, USD 25 an hour at the Baobab Center) SenegalStyle Language school (as well as Drumming School!) was started to fill a need created by our Volunteer program and pairs Anglophone students with English speaking French tutors for a full range of skill levels at a reasonable price.

Highlights: Highlights of our various programs:

* Adventure Travel/Volunteer Program

English speaking tour guides will take you on day trips or overnight to wildlife reserve parks, birdwatching tours and even EcoBaobab & Rock Climbing ranges! MotorScooter Tours of the city are scheduled immediately upon arrival so you can work out the best places to go and things to explore in more detail later! Transportation venues are explained and maps of the city as well as tour 'guidance' will be available to make your 'down' time more productive. Drumming, and African dance lessons can also be arranged at your convenience.

* High School Program

Fun! There is always something going on here in Dakar and when you're not studying, there's every sports program in the world (including fencing and in-line skating!) as well as internationally acclaimed Scrabble & Chess clubs! The school system here is no joke however and you do have to study hard to maintain your grades, but the good news is that all the other students study too! You won't be called a 'geek' here as education is important in Senegalese culture. You're more likely to find teenage boys studying together in each others' houses than hanging on the corner drinking beer. Totally different culture - the boys actually play outside as well, soccer, basketball, drumming or going to the beach in groups for good clean fun - no gangs here! If you like to hang around the house with your hands on an X-box all day long - Senegal is not the place for you. If want your son or daughter to get involved in school activities, meet interesting young scholars from all over the world and get out of the western world of drugs, alcohol and teenage pregnancy - welcome to Senegal! It's a great place to send (and raise) your child!

* Internships

Placement in a company/business that you can help grown yourself! We have contacts in the Senegalese business community that are waiting and wanting to have Volunteer Interns to help them explore markets in other places and show them, on an equal level how business is done in your part of the world. You can actually step in and teach as well as learn how things are done here. Senegalese people are all over the world and have been the Masters of West African Trade since they left Egypt thousands of years ago! You will be amazed at how much you will learn about supply & demand in a free market economy based on commodities and imports. As a businessperson here for over 10 years, I am still learning from the Senegalese - where business is still done by a handshake but cutthroat commercialism of everything still rules the day!

* Language School

English speaking individual tutors who teach you French in a respectful competent manner. We don't do 'French immersion' until you are ready. Wasting weeks of time and money sitting in a class where you don't learn a thing... makes no sense to us. Just like you learn to read and write in your home language, that's how you learn here. English and Spanish speaking tutors will guide you through the wonderful maze of Francophone grammar and language as well as keep you up on current events here in Senegal through the amazing selection of 14 different newspapers!

* Study Abroad Program

For Fulbright Scholars and other Students needing a 'home base' to work from - SenegalStyle is for you! As you already have your phD path and know what you are researching, SenegalStyle can assist in keeping you focused and helping with local connections and directions to places, people and programs that will help you with whatever educational journey you are travelling! The best part is you be 'home' away from home in a clean, safe and nurturing environment.

* Volunteer Abroad Program

Not only do you pick your program, you can make one up and run it yourself! Our only rule is: Do No Harm.

Qualifications: Dakar is a wonderful city, full of business, educational, and volunteer opportunities. The people are good natured, friendly, hospitable, well dressed, elegant and beautiful (the women and men)!

Patience, maturity and a willingness to be flexible are very important traits, along with good common sense! You need to be open minded to new ideas but 'keep it real' with a healthy dash of skepticism... if something doesn't seem right to you, it probably isn't! We need people that will step in and stand up and take charge when they have to.

Senegal is not for the faint of heart and you will need a thick skin as you will now be in the minority.

Senegalese are very sophisticated and intelligent merchants, traders and business people. You can get taken advantage of quickly if you're not careful but if you are a business, law or sociology major, THIS is the place for you!   We need people that will not only bring their own cultural perspectives to Senegal, but will blend in, live and learn from the local population as well without being critical, offensive or judgemental.

Most importantly, you have to be able to respect the religion and ceremonies of this wonderful country without Western prejudices whilst trying to understand the culture in this environment.

Cost in US$: 1,000.00

Classes, tours, language programs, etc are paid directly to the local people to employ them at a living wage and put your money where it will do the most good... and not using it to pay salaries and rents for expats living abroad!

Contact us directly and we'll work out an itinerary and budget that personally suited to you!

Salary / Pay: None

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Gap year students and researchers as well as travellers wanting to do a bit of volunteering while in country.

Age Range: 20's

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

Participants Travel to Senegal Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Essay
• Letters of Reference
• Phone Interview
• Resume

Post-Program Services Include:

• Exit Debriefing Abroad

Senegal Style Volunteers!'s Mission Statement: We are a citizen based response to real needs in Dakar, Senegal. We partner volunteers with regular people, people who are trying to make a better life for themselves and their families and need just a bit of help to reach that next level... For example, establishing English and Spanish clubs for students of all levels, working with schools, community centers, libraries and clinics to help them target NGOs for much needed materials and supplies, working in woman's and well baby clinics, coaching girls & boys basketball, softball, football and any other sports you're qualified to coach, including fencing, tennis, golf, etc., adding your expertise to our local international championship Scrabble and chess teams, helping regular working people, artists and musicians get organized and get their products online, sharing marketing strategies to street vendors and fruit sellers, teaching English to business people in the markets, setting up websites and teaching people how to access Real Information on the internet that will help them and their families, and lastly, filling the void in undeserved populations such as refugee centers and prisons,.. This is what will increase individual income levels and this is what Senegal Style Volunteers do! One person (You) can and will make a big difference overall in the fight against global poverty. Help that child's Dad make his product more competitive to sell his items to a larger market - Assist that baby's mother by teaching her English or getting her back in school, and you help that child.

Year Founded: 2001