COMMUNITY SERVICES AND VOLUNTEER PLACEMENT |
1 - HOST ORGANISATION DETAILS:
1.1 Name of the organization: Life & Water Development Group – Cameroon (LWDGC)
1.2 Postal address: P.O. Box 30370
1.3 Post Code: 237
1.4 Location address: Yaounde - Cameroon
1.5 Telephone number(s): + 237 77 71 62 88
1.6 What office hours? (Use 24 hour clock please): 8:00 – 16:00
1.6.1 Office opens at? 8:00 a.m.
1.6.2 Office closes at? 16:00 p.m.
1.6.3 Office is open on which days? Monday to Friday
1.7 Fax number: C/O +237 22 31 46 93 (Att: to Peter Njodzeka)
1.8 Email address: info@lwdgc-africa.rg website: www.lwdgc-africa.org
1.9 Contact person: Founding President
1.9.1 Contact person's Name: Peter Njodzeka
1.9.2 Contact person's Title: Founder
1.9.3 Contact person's After Hours telephone number: + 237 77 71 62 88
1.10 Basic Activities of LWDGC is:
• Organizing Community/Rural Sustainable Development schemes for poverty alleviation
• Promoting Education/Capacity Building for our communities
• Provide Primary Health Care, Malaria and HIV/AIDS programs and Fight against common diseases especially HIV/AIDS.
• Clean Water for All
• Promote Women, Girl Child and Children's programs
• Promote volunteering in our communities
• Fight against Child Labor
• Work with orphans and promote living standard in orphanage centers
• Building the socio-economical and political capacity of underprivileged people especially women and youths.
• Help and support local people discover their potentials through training, guidance and support for sustainable development.
• Integrate water supply, sanitation and hygiene education activities
• Emphasize community ownership of planning and management
• Have the youths and communities connected to the new technologies by having access to computer/internet connection, Audio – Visual Training (Video editing, film/documentary shooting, directing etc…) to be self-employed and create more jobs for others
• Emphasize self-help and community participation; benefit and involve women
• Narrow the gap between the rich and the poor for increase economic independence of the less advantaged people.
• Create a healthy living environment for local populations.
1.11 Aims of the organization are:
Our aims are to change the lives, improve health, education and create good environment for/of our children, women, youths, underprivileged ones in every community through practical training on site together with our volunteers. This way, the communities would be trained on how to help their families and create and train more and more clean and healthy environment for other families.
2 - PLACEMENT DETAILS:
2.1 What will the volunteers be doing?
Life & Water Development Group – Cameroon has so many nice and challenging volunteer opportunities for our volunteers, which you can find below:
VOLUNTEER POSITIONS
Programs includes: (Dental/Eye/Ear/Malaria/General HealthCare/Community development projects/Teaching/Orphanage programs, Orphans educational sponsoring/Micro-finance projects for women groups/Youths Development/HIV/AIDS Education etc..)
Education:
LWDGC aims at working with the rural communities in being able to identify those schools in the rural areas that run short of teachers and institute a volunteer scheme for these schools to have teachers who volunteer for skill development and experience purposes.
We also encourage the introduction of life long learning centers to enable the older generation to be part of the learning process. That is adult literacy centers should become functional. We also advise on educational projects that can be good for our communities.
Health:
Many rural communities do not have enough health personnel while there are so many of them trained out there who do not have work. LWDGC works in close collaboration with some of these communities and hospitals and is able to place general health volunteers in these communities who with the aim of providing a lasting contribution to the sector in the relevant community.
Reproductive Health:
We work with the young people, teaching them skills on how to grow up as responsible citizens with responsible sexual behaviour. We place volunteers in communities needy of this kind of youth education. Ideally, we work with primary and secondary schools with the aim of reaching the pupils and students who are the most vulnerable group to STDs.
Training and lessons to women and young girl about:
a) Avoiding unwanted pregnancies.
b) Contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
Community Development Projects:
We have community development projects like water projects, construction of health centers, nursery and primary schools, bridge constructions, community hall construction, orphanage centre constructions, library supplies, computer and internet centre supplies etc…
HIV/AIDS:
• Our program is looking for social workers and rural community facilitors to come and help out in our rural community centers in teaching programs for children and adults.
• Teaching jobs will involve adult literacy program and people interested in children will help out in with orphans and disable persons.
• We work with the communities through HIV/AIDS education programs.
• We also work with other community organizations to help AIDS Orphans together with our volunteers in the basic needs (school fees, books, uniform).
• We also need volunteers who could assist the underprivileged children and street women and girls, those who are not enrolled in schools to setup a centre where they can have their vocational trainings like; dressmaking, auto-mechanics, carpentry, masonry, computer training.
• We work with people living with the HIV/AIDS virus to live healthy and happy lives.
• Positions are also available for anybody who can assist us manages our HIV/AIDS school programs and HIV/AIDS community education schemes. Give health talks to students, show video, try to organize the various groups.
ICT:
With the constant evolution of ICTs and especially with the arrival of the internet as a major tool for communication and other new developments in the computer age, many are still lagging behind and need to be part and parcel of the development. Volunteers who have any skills and ideas of improving the lives of youths in our community through the computer training, we will appreciate it so much.
SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD ACTIVITIES
LWDGC seeks to offer the opportunity to the underprivileged and women groups to have means to start small enterprises that can enable them to help their families and those in need in their communities.
We encourage and support the setting up of petty trades of the applicant’s choice. (They include; mixed farming, sales of household items, and other lucrative business ideas from volunteer applicants.
TEACHING:
In Nursery, Primary, and Secondary Schools in the rural areas. Here we have many partner schools in need of volunteer teachers to assist them. These are community-managed schools with little resources to pay staffs. Hence, volunteers are highly welcomed from the minimum time of 30days - 12 months teaching. You live in the village with the community. You can teach interesting subjects to schoolchildren and even to the community. Let us know which classes you can handle well and what subjects.
NKUV HEALTH CENTER REHABILIATION:
Here we need volunteers to help us rehabilitate a health center that has been abandoned by the government; the local community is finding it very difficult to rehabilitate this health center because of lack of finance and equipment. We would like to have health volunteers who can help bring back this health center to life and manage it for the community. The community lost so many of its population, especially children under five, because of lack of closer medical attention. Pregnant women deliver their children on the way hiking to the nearest city, some of these women have their babies on the way, and some lost their babies because of tiredness and hard labor without any healthcare. Patients die in this community because they lack medical care, some die on their way up the hills hiking etc… If we can have some volunteers who can renew this health center and equip it with the medical equipment to be able to receive and treat the patients, we would be very happy. We need nurses, doctors, and other health practitioners as volunteers interested in health domain to work in this health and other health centers in other communities. He/she shall live there and feeding is subsidizes. We would also like to have a training program for nurses, you can teach there.
Nkuv Community Hall Construction:
The community of Nkuv seeks volunteers to help them construct their local community hall where they can come together and organize their community activities.
Nkuv Women Association Group:
This Women Association Group needs volunteers to help them setup micro-finance businesses so that they can be able to sustain families, underprivileged, orphans and disable children in the community.
Orphanage Center Construction:
The population of Kumbo and Nkuv seek volunteers to help them setup an orphanage center where they can house orphans that are in Kumbo and Nkuv from around the country and other towns and villages around their localities. Presently, they have more than 2000 orphans living in very bad conditions in host families that do not take good care of these orphans. We would want the center to have other activities like computer center, clinic and a library where children can read and have their medical treatment.
AGRICULTURAL EXPERT
Agricultural expert teach the farmers better ways of crop production so as to have more yield and even more techniques to store their products.
ORPHANAGE PROGRAMME
Our NGO is running orphanage programs, volunteers willing to help sponsor our orphans in their education; training programs should contact us immediately. Our Orphanage programs is either by an individual volunteer or group of volunteers. We have volunteers that are sponsoring few our orphan children by sponsoring their entire education, training programs. We have not created an orphanage center as of now, and we would also welcome volunteer(s) who are willing to help us build an orphanage home. We have more than 2000 orphans in Bui Division, and they are still staying in guidance’s homes, standard of living is not comfortable for most of our orphans, so we really would be happy to have a home for these children. We are working in collaboration with the Shisong General Hospital and their orphanage center, where volunteers can be placed at the moment, while we look forward to constructing the bigger one. This orphanage center is having about 30 orphans including a set of tripple and sets of twins. We will be very happy to have volunteers placed there at anytime of the year.
WATER PROJECTS
Water projects, our communities still lack portable drinkable water and we would be very happy to have some volunteers who can help our communities realize some water projects to enable them have good drinking water. Currently, we have bio sand filter project included in our water project program and we would like to have volunteers who can help us construct more bio sand filters and sensitize many communities to be using these filters because the result we had from the previous 30 filters is very positive and many families have had improved health from it. With the technicians we have trained, they can work together with the volunteers interested in the bio sand filter projects.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT VOLUNTEERS
We are looking volunteers with a background in international development and who are interested in working with rural communities in the area of education and community renewal. Volunteers are will be required to be teaching or capacity leadership building of rural common initiative groups as well as conducting literacy programs. Knowledge in Fundraising and project writing is a plus.
2.2 What is the maximum amount of time a volunteer can stay?
Two weeks minimum. to two months, three months, six months, eight months, twelve months+ maximum.
2.3 Can you accept volunteers over the Christmas & New Year period?
YES to any other opportunity and NO to the teaching opportunities because school children and students will be on holidays.
2.4 Are there any times in the year that you cannot accept volunteers?
Available all year round EXCEPT to volunteers who wish to come and teach not to come in from July to August, Mid December – Mid January
2.5 Are any qualifications or skills necessary or required? NO
2.7 Can more than one volunteer be accepted at the same time? YES
2.8 Can couples (married or unmarried) be accepted? YES
3 - ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD:
3.1 Accommodation:
3.1.1 Will the volunteer be living with a Host family: YES
3.1.4. Or will the volunteer be living in a house with other volunteers: YES
A Host family is strongly recommended so that the volunteer can learn about local culture, local foods; perhaps learn the local language or help a child in the family to learn spoken English
Please describe the accommodation so volunteers are aware what to bring with them:
Volunteers who accept to live with host families should bring in their sleeping bags, mosquito tents and if willing to sleep on the beds or mattresses would need to buy them. Host families do not have enough beds and mattresses, but there is enough free space.
3.1.3. What is the money value contribution required for accommodation per week? $60 USD
3.1.4. Is a Bed available? NO
3.1.5. Is a Mattress provided? NO
3.1.6 Are Sheets provided? NO
3.1.7. Is Electricity available? YES in some communities and NO in some communities (have generators)
3.1.8.1. What is the Voltage? Volts 220
3.1.9. Is Tap water available? YES in some communities and NO in some communities (bio sand filters available)
3.1.10 Is a Telephone available? YES in some communities and NO in some communities.
3.2 FOOD:
3.2.1 Is local food provided by the host? YES (twice a day)
3.2.2 Does the volunteer have to contribute to cover food costs? YES $50 USD/week/volunteer
3.2.4 Can you accept vegetarian volunteers? YES
3.2.5. If willing, could volunteers cook their own food with cooking & storage facilities provided by their host? YES
3.2.6 If no food is provided and no cooking facilities can be provided, are there restaurants near to the accommodation?
YES in some communities (nearer restaurants) and NO in some communities (there will always be cooking facilities provided)
3.2.7 If volunteers need to take a bus to get to restaurants. What is the fare? Half $ (250 FRS CFA)
3.2.8 What is the estimated cost for a local restaurant's breakfast? $5 (2000 FRS CFA)
3.2.9 What is the estimated cost for a local restaurant's main meal? $4 (1500 FRS CFA)
4 - LOCAL TRANSPORT DETAILS:
4.1 Will the volunteer be met on arrival at the International Airport? YES
4.2. If NO how do they get from International Airport to the place where they will be met?
4.2.1 Do they catch a Train at? NO
4.2.2 Where does the Train take them to?
4.2.3 What is the fare?
4.2.4 Do they catch a Bus at? YES at 9:00 a.m.
4.2.5 Where does the Bus take them to? Yaounde, Bamenda and Kumbo in respect of your program site
4.2.6 What is the fare?
$16 EURO (10.000 FRS CFA) from Douala to Kumbo, $8 EURO (5000 FRS CFA) from Douala to Yaounde and $8 EURO (5000 FRS CFA) from Douala to Bamenda
4.2.7 Do they catch a Ferry at? YES and NO
4.2.8 Where does the Ferry take them to?
4.2.9 What is the fare?
4.3 The volunteer will be instructed to ring 48 hours before their arrival to discuss arrival and meeting arrangements.
4.3.1 Who do they ring? Peter Njodzeka
4.3.2 What telephone number(s) +237 77 71 62 88
4.3.3 What are the best days to ring? Monday-Friday, 24h/24h
4.3.4 What is the best time of day or night to ring? 24h/24h
4.4 Will the organization provide transport or fares for the volunteer to get to the 'job site’? YES
It depends, some are just few minutes walk, and some are about $5 per day (2000 FRS CFA)
5 - HEALTH RISKS:
Is there any known health problem unique to the area which should be particularly considered by volunteers with their medical advisers before leaving their homeland?
Volunteers just need to take their vaccination, bring some medicine good for calming illnesses like headache, stomach problems like change of food might cause running stomach, malaria tablets, spirit for wounds etc...
6 - OTHER FACILITIES AVAILABLE LOCALLY:
6.1 How can the Volunteer send and receive mail?
Internet Services in some communities and some long distance walk or drive from others to reach the Internet Services.
6.2 Where is the nearest shop to buy medicines? Kumbo (Shisong General Hospital or Banso Baptist Hospital)
6.3 Is there an English Speaking Doctor available? YES
6.4. In an Emergency, what is the Telephone number of a contact person who can use & understand spoken English?
Tel Nº + 237 96 88 35 63 Mrs. Ita Fondzeyuf at the Shisong General Hospital (our partnered hospital)
6.5 Is there any advice Special requirements that should be given to volunteers? (i.e. the need to bring mosquito net, torch, 15+ sun cream etc.):
Yes, volunteers would need to bring mosquito nets, sleeping bags, torch, 15+ sun cream, cameras to capture happy moments.
WHAT VOLUNTEERS CAN BRING FOR THE LOCAL KIDS/PEOPLE:
• The Children and schools love and need toys, paper, chalk, paints, crayons, markers, colored paper, coloring books, glue, children stories and other things that children in a nursery and primary schools might enjoy. Books for children in primary school, sign language books and videos, art supplies and sports equipment.
Things always needed in the LWDGC’s office that volunteers might love to donate through their own will:
• Computer supplies such as: Laptops, desktops, printers, mouse, diskettes, USB port/flash memory devices
• General office supplies such as: pens, pencils, staples, paperclips, notepads, highlighters / markers, calculators
• Digital Cameras/Camcorders
Program Requirements, Visas and Fees:
Requirements:
Cameroon requires the following documentation prior to any health professional volunteering:
- You must obtain a visa from the Cameroonian consulate/embassy in your country prior to approval. Apply early.
- Other Citizens check country guidelines
- Cameroon is a bilingual Country of English and French languages
Visas:
Volunteers bear the cost of their own visa. LWDGC will assist those volunteers who need assistance like a letter of invitation. Visas can be obtained in your home country from the Cameroonian Embassy. You will apply for your visa depending on how long you will like to stay in Cameroon, and the visa will be issued with the duration period of your choice.
Fees:
All volunteers are responsible for their flights and personal expenses. Contact us at info@lwdgc-africa.org for more information regarding the program fee.
1.6.1 Office opens at?: 8:00 a.m.
1.6.2 Office closes at?: 4:00 p.m.
1.6.3 Office is open on which days? Monday to Friday
1.7 Fax number: C/O +237 22 31 46 93 (Att: to Peter Njodzeka)
1.8 Email address: info@lwdgc-africa.rg website: www.lwdgc-africa.org
1.9 Contact person : Founding President
General Information
Life and Water Development Group - Cameroon organises a number of volunteer projects and workcamps that welcome international volunteers from all over the world to involve them in a number of these important local projects. We welcome diverse groups of people and individuals with diverse national and cultural backgrounds who come to Cameroon to spend some weeks or months to assist us in an important project. They are always united by a common goal - to donate their voluntary work for a useful project and to gain a better understanding of different cultural views and lifestyles. Moreover, working and living together with other young people from around the world provides an excellent opportunity for local youth and community workers to make many new friends, learn about unknown places and culture, and gain new skills and experience. We constantly need volunteers to help out with all aspects of our work. The success of our work depends on the enthusiasm and commitment of our volunteers. Your time, energy, talent and enthusiasm can make a difference in areas where help is really needed. Application and enrolment for positions is available annually. Many volunteers apply annually wishing to have a place to work with us.
Working as a volunteer:
Working as a volunteer:
In sShort-term and long term projects, volunteers are expected to work between 7-8 hours a day, from Monday to Friday. Saturdays and Sundays are referred for resting, general cleaning and some sight-seeing.. Work is voluntary. No special skills, experience or knowledge are needed. The activities carried out are always respective of each participant’s physical abilities. Don’t be afraid to try doing something different, something that you haven’t experienced before. Technical leaders in each project lead the working process and constantly monitor the safety of volunteers. The common work is foreseen as a way for getting better understanding, building friendship and also as a good example of awareness of the problems.
ClickHERE to download our volunteer application form and return to us by e-mail at: info@lwdgc-africa.org
Application and Reservation: