Volunteer in Cameroon - Buea Volunteering Overseas

Buea, the capital of the South West Province is located close to the Gulf of Guinea. Once a German capital colonial city, Buea still boasts a handful of colonial era buildings, and architecture. Today Buea is the provincial capital of Cameroon and a university town. It is the only Cameroon provincial capital that is still considered a rural town mainly because it still lacks the socio-economic development of other areas.

Buea sits on the eastern slopes of Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in west and central Africa. Every, thousands of people gather in Buea in February from many countries of the world for the famous Mount Cameroon Race of Hope (ascending and descending the mountain)

The warm climate, close proximately to the beach and hospitable people make Buea and south west Cameroon a wonderful place to live and volunteer. Our volunteer projects are based in Buea and the surrounding rural villages. Our programs provide you the chance to discover the wonders of rural Cameroon, while doing meaningful and rewarding community service work. This is a great opportunity to explore life in rural Africa, live and work amongst the locals and realize one person can make a difference.

We offer the following programs in Buea:

Program Length : 1-4 weeks
Program Date: Flexible Start & End Date
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8 hour per day
Accommodations: Volunteer residence or local host family
Meals: Yes, 3 meals a day
Requirements: 17 years or older, an open mind to new adventures.

We offer the following programs in and around Buea:

Child Care Assistance - Volunteer assist the staff at orphanages and children's community centers (some with 300 kids) with the daily care of the kids; including feeding and clothing, teaching basic English. You can play games, arrange activities, create arts & crafts projects and share your time and caring with these wonderful children. Prior experience not necessary, volunteers should have a lot of patience, an open mind and a sense of adventure.

Teaching/Education Program - Volunteer teachers needed for all school levels for almost 300 children ages 3yrs-13yrs to teach English and other subjects. Projects also include a mobile school project, remedial programs for village children and adult literacy projects. Volunteers support the lessons of the local teacher by encouraging students to learn and play and instill pride in their schooling. Volunteers can assist with the physical upkeep of the school; painting, decorating, mending desks etc. Most important volunteers should try to develop activities/programs that can be sustained in the future. Prior teaching experience is not required; volunteer simply need an open mind, caring spirit and a compassionate nature.

Health Care Program - Volunteers with medical experience are needed to work in a very busy rural community clinic in Etoho village, north of Buea. The clinic is the main health center for over 15,000 people in the surrounding villages. There is a wide variety of cases but disease such as malaria, HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and syphilis, as well as childbirth/maternity needs are most common. Volunteers with medical training; doctors, nurses, paramedics, lab technicians participate in direct patient care such as diagnosing, injections, IV starts and lab work.. Nursing and medical students are welcome and assist with tasks like dressing wounds, record and immunization chart keeping, helping dispense medications, helping to screen and organize patients and assisting with administrative needs or seminars. *Medical volunteers must submit a copy of their credentials or nursing certificate. Volunteer live within walking distance to the clinic, and are accompanied by ABV staff from Buea.

Community Development/Environmental Program - Recognizing the long-term physical, emotional, social and economic effects of poverty, we offer volunteer placements that place great emphasis on agriculture, environment, and community development. Projects including tree planting, maintain tree nurseries, sustainable farming goals, building wells, pit latrines and new school structures. Water and sanitation projects to help promote healthy living habits. Volunteers with farming experience or a desire to contribute to physical labor projects are needed.

Youth Sports Program - The goal of this program is to identify and develop the rare talents of these special kids. Exercise of the body is also extremely important for growth development. Soccer is very popular in Cameroon due to the national team success. Volunteers will be responsible for developing and implementing a physical fitness program for the children as it pertains to the creation of boys and girls soccer teams, volleyball and athletics. Coaching or sports experience preferred, but not required. A desire to share your time and spirit with children is necessary.

HIV/Aids Prevention Program - Volunteers work within the local community to educate rural village in the fight the stop the spread of this deadly disease. This project focuses on providing culturally sensitive methods of awareness and education with the goal of preventing transmission of the disease and seeks to offer assistance and encouragement to those infected with the virus. Some of the activities for volunteers include: speaking at local schools to promoting safe sex, rural outreach presentations in local schools, churches, and the villages surrounding Buea, providing information and encouragement about HIV testing, and counseling for victims. Experience in this field is not required. Volunteers with a strong interest in making a difference are welcome.

Program Includes: Accommodations based with a local host family or shared volunteer residence within walking distance of project site. Typical rural housing conditions expected, such as limited electricity, pit latrines, bucket flush bathroom facilities. Internet access is usually within walking distance, or short bus ride. Three meals a day are included and on-site support staff. Airport transfers on arrival and departure in Douala. Our local Project Coordinator will provide orientation tour on arrival, project briefing, an introduction to work placement. Percentage of the fee is donated to the project site.

Location pages:

* Cameroon