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Volunteer in Morocco

Volunteer in Morocco and discover the most exciting cities, a rugged coastline, the High Atlas mountains and of course a breathtaking desert landscape...

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Volunteer Projects and Internships in Morocco

What are your thoughts on sweeping deserts, ancient cities and epic mountains? Doesn't that sound like a place you would like to spend some time at? If so, then look no further as your ideal destination is definitely Morocco! And is it not even better to spend some time abroad and doing something for the greater good? If you like that idea then you have to become a volunteer in Morocco.

There is a variety of amazing volunteer opportunities in Morocco where you can either work in the fields of education or childcare. All of the projects will be more than happy to welcome you and will be grateful for your helping hands. Getting to know the country and making a positive impact on Morocco through volunteering sounds great to you? Keep on reading, in the following you will get some important information all around your volunteer time in Morocco.

Volunteer work in Morocco

Before you start the adventure of your lifetime and become a volunteer you need to think about the project that you want to be part of. As stated above there is a variety of projects for volunteers to choose from. Volunteers can teach English and other subjects to children at all different ages or work as a childcare volunteer and take care of the younger children that aren't in school yet. Of course, it is not easy to decide which project is the right one for you. In order to help you make the right decision, we prepared a little overview with more detailed information on the different project focuses.

Teach English in Morocco

Education is a fundamental right and in Morocco, it is free and compulsory for children from the age of 7 up to 15 years. Nevertheless, the dropout rates in the secondary stage for children between 12 and 15 years is as high as 90% and therefore it is one of the highest dropout rates in the world. Morocco is both becoming an industrial country and remaining highly traditional at the same time. Especially women are expected to fulfill a certain role which means staying at home and manage the household. Therefore it is no wonder that literacy rates between the 15 and 24 years olds are as low as 72% for women and 87% for men.

As the government shortened the money for the education system, the country is reliant on the help and support of international volunteers in the field of teaching . Especially your help as an English teacher volunteer in Morocco is of great need. The tasks of volunteers in a teaching project might include but are not limited to:

  • leading your own lessons
  • prepare your lessons
  • teaching an elementary of English
  • practicing the kids' conversational skills

Women empowerment

Another volunteer option that might be very interesting for future volunteers is supporting projects that provide opportunities for girls and women from rather remote villages. The focus on these project is to provide education and support for girls beyond primary school level as many women stop their education because they are expected to take care of the families' households or they are unable to afford colleges.

As a volunteer in Morocco in a teaching project like this, volunteers will be located at a female boarding house, where the girls live while they complete their education. Please note that women empowerment projects are only available for female volunteers. However, there are many others where you are able to attend as a male volunteer. If you want to become part of one of these amazing volunteering projects take a look at the following list of your tasks:

  • giving support in language learning
  • giving support doing school work
  • provide pastoral support
  • small-group support for the girls

Work as a childcare volunteer

Morocco is a country that has a poverty rate of around 15% and a rather young population. Furthermore, many families are not able to provide their children with the education they need. These children can find help in day-care centers where your helping hands are more than needed. When volunteering as a childcare volunteer in Morocco your tasks will be the following:

  • plan activities for the children (dancing, painting, singing songs)
  • hands-on care
  • if you feel comfortable washing, changing, feeding the very young children

There are also projects that focus on children with special needs and children from disadvantaged neighborhoods. Engaging these children in activities and enable them to develop cognitive abilities is the aim of projects like these. The overall tasks for you as a volunteer in Morocco will be to provide the children with new experiences and enriching activities such as:

  • designing activities for the children (music and movement, toys and games)
  • arts and crafts
  • activities in the field of language and literature

Please note that for these projects it is necessary that volunteers have experience working with special needs children and can prove that they are skilled and trained for this demanding work as well as providing a criminal background check.

Cost of living

The suggested daily budget for living as a volunteer in Morocco is between 10 US$ and 20 US$. This is an estimate made considering the average price of some of the services you might need and things you might want to buy when volunteering. It gives you a general overview of how much things cost in this country, so you can be prepared and save the money you will need.

Additional costs you should consider as a future volunteer in Morocco:

An exemplary overview of living costs in Morocco (in US$, for one person) is:

Hotel
$36.67
Big Mac
$5.00
Coca-Cola
$1.43
Eating out
$8.17
Rental Car
$297.95
Hostel
$9.55
Marlboro
$3.47
Beer
$5.42
Fuel
$1.06
Public Transport
$0.41

Things to know before you volunteer in Morocco

Before starting your volunteer work in Morocco, it's important to think about the cultural norms you'll need to adjust to. In addition, learn about the precautions you might need to take. The following list might help you with that:

  • Demonstrations take place occasionally across the country. Most of these are peaceful, but you should try to avoid demonstrations.
  • Morocco is a Muslim country so make sure to respect local traditions, such as adequate behavior and clothing.
  • As a woman you need to make sure to wear clothes which cover your arms, legs and your chest.

Culture and religion

Morocco is an Islamic country. Over 99% of the country's population are Muslims. Keep in mind that Muslims follow certain traditions such as praying 5 times per day. During the month of Ramadan Muslims do not eat, drink or smoke during the day. Please respect that — just as Moroccans tolerate tourists who eat and drink during this period. However, if possible avoid drinking or eating when you are in public places out of courtesy.

Health advice

To make sure you will have a great time volunteering in Morocco, you will find a few tips regarding health and disease prevention in the following list. Before you start your trip make sure to have the standard vaccinations up to date. Those are:

  • Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR)
  • Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis
  • Varicella (chickenpox)
  • Polio
  • Flu shot

Besides these standard vaccinations, the US-based health protection agency CDC also recommends getting further vaccinations to maintain your health. This, of course, depends on the length of your time abroad and your actual volunteer work in Morocco. For Morocco the following additional vaccinations are recommended:

  • Hepatitis A
  • Typhoid
  • Hepatitis B
  • Rabies

Packing essentials

Before you start your time abroad as a volunteer in Morocco, you need to make sure to pack the right things. Especially as a woman traveling to Morocco you need to keep in mind to bring appropriate clothing. And keep in mind the climate as it is mostly hot in Morocco.

  • Bring a scarf to cover your head for visiting mosques.
  • Don't step out of the house without sunscreen on.
  • Loose fitting pants are great to stay covered up in the heat.
  • Bring copies of all your important documents to store in your accommodation in case of emergency.

Who can volunteer in Morocco?

As you will have noticed by now, there is a great number of different volunteer opportunities in Morocco that expect different skills and abilities from their volunteers. While you can find out the specific requirements for each project on their program page, here are some general requirements that apply to most projects in Morocco:

  • Volunteers need to be at least 18 years old for most of the volunteer opportunities in Morocco. When in doubt, we advise you to get in contact with the local project manager, as in some projects you can also volunteer when you're 16 years old.
  • Volunteers need to have basic English skills to join volunteer work in Morocco. Please note that some teaching projects might ask for more advanced skills or basic French skills though.
  • Depending on the project you're interested in, you might need to provide a criminal background check and a health declaration before volunteering.

What visa do I need for volunteering in Morocco?

You have made it to the last section of this guide, which is another really important aspect while planning your trip as a volunteer in Morocco: getting your volunteer visa for Morocco.

Please consider that the following information is based on a best practice approach, which has been made according to the best of our knowledge and in cooperation with several volunteer organizations. That's why you should please make sure to discuss your visa requirements with your contact person on Volunteer World. If in doubt, we also recommend getting in touch with the Moroccan embassy or consulate in your country.

General immigration information

Before you start your time as a volunteer in Morocco there are some requirements that you should comply upon your arrival:

  • Your passport must have at least 6 months of remaining validity.
  • Your passport needs to have at least two blank pages.

Best practice for short-term volunteers

Citizens from Europe/UK, the US and Australia are able to stay and volunteer in Morocco without a visa for as long as 90 days. Please note that traveling this way means that your time in Morocco cannot be extended.

Best practice for long-term volunteers

If you are planning to stay for more than 90 days in Morocco you need to apply for a visa. To make this step as easy as possible, we recommend getting in contact with the closest Morocco Embassy or Consulate. They will provide you with all further information and give you a checklist of documents that need to be submitted. Please remember that the application process can take some time, so we would like to advise you to plan enough time for it.