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Volunteer in Zambia

Volunteer in Zambia and travel a country that couldn't be further from the mass tourism you can find in other Southern African countries...

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Volunteer work in Zambia

Going on a safari, seeing the magnificent Victoria Falls and watching spectacular sunsets every evening, sounds pretty perfect, don't you think? Well, guess what! You can do all of these things and still stay far away from mass tourism in Zambia. And don't you want to combine both traveling and doing something good? No problem: you can have the best of both worlds by becoming a volunteer in Zambia.

Volunteer work in Zambia

Before you start your journey as a volunteer in Zambia, you need to think about what you expect from this experience and which project will be the best for you. Help is needed in many different areas so in the following you will find information about the different projects you are able to volunteer for. Even if you are new to this topic, we can surely help you to find the perfect program and volunteer work in Zambia.

Teaching in Zambia

Over the last decades, Zambia has experienced constant economic growth. But as the country with one of the fastest growing populations worldwide, a huge number of the inhabitants of this African country live in poverty. Therefore, the country and most of all children from families with financial inabilities rely on volunteers’ helping hand. As a teaching volunteer in Zambia, your tasks will be to reach out to young people through sports and education. Your tasks will slightly differ from project to project, but these are generally what you can expect from volunteering at a teaching project:

  • Teaching English and other subjects
  • Sports coaching
  • After school child care
  • Community immersion

Medical and healthcare

Another volunteering option that might be interesting for volunteers is working in the field of medical and healthcare. Here the projects aim to provide health awareness and education together with different health initiatives in 53 different villages located in Zambia. As a volunteer in Zambia in this field, you will have different tasks that depend on the project you will be volunteering in. Tasks for health care volunteers can be:

  • Hosting health seminars
  • Help with HIV/ AIDS counseling
  • Report to the Management Committee to about your activities
  • Teaching basic health to village representatives and the community
  • Research in the field of malnutrition

Support community services

Creating an environment that promotes health, food security and general economic support in communities is the major goal of community service support. Being part of a community project will bring hope to communities located in Zambia and your volunteering effort will be rewarded by the people living there. The program tasks are rich in variety and volunteers will get an insight into the Zambian traditions and culture at the same time. As a community volunteer in Zambia, you will be able to participate in a variety of tasks that depend on the project you choose to join. These program tasks can include:

  • Visiting the Zambian households
  • Observation and collection of data on the behavior of the community members
  • Participating in teaching health seminars
  • HIV prevention at the local schools
  • Visiting agricultural fields
  • Helping on the fields (planting and harvesting crops)

Animal and wildlife conservation

Sadly, the population of wildlife and particularly chimpanzees in Zambia has decreased over the last decades due to different reasons such as:

  • poaching
  • logging
  • habitat destruction
  • human encroachment

Chimpanzees, one of the six living species of great apes, are also hunted for their meat or captured by zoos to become an attraction. As a consequence, they are highly endangered and rely on the helping hands of humans. Being a volunteer in Zambia at an orphanage for these animals involves you in different and exciting tasks all around the chimpanzees. Some of the program tasks will be:

  • Research on the animals' behavior
  • Creation of behavioral enrichment structures (e.g. swings or shaking boxes)
  • Farming on the orphanage's land (harvesting, sorting, weeding, fertilizing and picking crops)
  • Helping in infrastructural improvements
  • Assisting in the nursery

Cost of living

The suggested daily budget for living as a volunteer in Zambia is between 10 US$ and 14.63 US$. This is an estimate made considering the average price of some of the services volunteers might need and things volunteers might want to buy. 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 for your local volunteering program.

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

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

Things to know before you volunteer in Zambia

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

Safety & Precautions

Zambia welcomes around 800.000 visitors every year and it is considered to be the safest country to visit in South Africa. Nevertheless, as in most countries, there are a few things to keep in mind while staying and attending one of the volunteer opportunities in Zambia in order to travel safely:

  • Make sure to bring photocopies of important documents like plane tickets, insurance papers, passport and visa.
  • If you need to carry valuables make sure to put them in a concealed money belt.
  • Do not carry large amounts of money with you. Take only what you need on that day.
  • Do not drive at night, because the road conditions are more difficult and dangerous in comparison to western countries.
  • Do not take photos of military and government buildings.

Culture and religion

The Zambian culture is highly diverse with more than 70 different ethnic groups. The biggest religion in Zambia is Christianity with over 85%. But there are also Muslims, Hinduism, Baha'ism and traditional indigenous groups to be found.

Health advice

In order to have the best time as a volunteer in Zambia you should make sure that your routine vacancies are up-to-date:

  • measles-mumps-rubella (MMR)
  • diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis
  • varicella (chickenpox)
  • polio
  • flu shot

Furthermore, the US-based health protection agency CDC recommends getting further vaccinations. Of course, this depends on both the length of your time you spend abroad and your volunteer program tasks, but you should consider getting vaccinations against Hepatitis A and Typhoid.

Packing essentials

Planning your volunteer time abroad also requires you to have the perfect packing plan. This, of course, depends on the weather conditions during your time in the country and on the work you are doing. But here are some basic things we recommend you to bring to Zambia:

  • Sunscreen and hat need to be on the top of your list.
  • Insider tip: Avoid black or blue clothing to deter tsetse flies.
  • Military and camouflage clothing are not permitted.
  • A basic first aid kit and insect repellent will come in handy.
  • Light and comfortable clothes are a must.

Who can volunteer in Zambia?

As you will have noticed by now, there is a great number of different volunteer opportunities in Zambia 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 volunteer opportunities in Zambia:

  • You need to be at least 18 years old for most of the volunteer projects. 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.
  • You need to have basic English skills to join volunteer work in Zambia. Please note that some teaching projects might ask for more advanced skills though.
  • Depending on the volunteer work in Zambia you're interested in, you might need to provide a criminal background check and a health declaration before volunteering.

What visa do I need to volunteer in Zambia?

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 Zambia: getting your volunteer visa for Zambia.

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 Zambian embassy or consulate in your country .

General immigration information

Before you start one of the volunteer opportunities in Zambia, there are some requirements that you should comply upon your arrival and volunteer work in Zambia regarding the visa application:

  • Your passport must have at least 6 months of remaining validity
  • Your passport needs to have at least two blank pages
  • Prepare a cover letter/ letter of intent specifying why you are traveling to Zambia

Best practice for short-term volunteers

If you will spend up no longer than 30 days volunteering in Zambia you need to apply for a business visa. This allows you to enter the country, but an extension is not permitted. You will receive an invitation letter from your project coordinator.

Best practice for long-term volunteers

When you are spending as long as 120 days in Zambia you need to apply for a temporary employment visa (TEP). For this, you need to be at least 21 years old.

To make this step as easy as possible, make sure to contact your project coordinator in advance. 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 even though it is possible to apply for an electronic visa, so we would like to advise you to plan enough time for it. The costs for the TEP are approx. $400.