EAST AFRICA
Everyone knows Africa is poor and East Africa is no exception. Kenya is reasonably well developed economically and Tanzania has been politically quite stable for many years now. Even so, these countries are among the poorest in the world and the political troubles faced in Rwanda, the Congo, Sudan and Ethiopia have been apparent to all of us.
It comes as no surprise then to learn that paid teaching positions are few and far between. More experienced teachers can apply for work with the British Council – they have teaching centres throughout this region but usually require teachers to have 2 years experience. You can find them in: Kenya (Nairobi and Mombasa), Sudan (Khartoum), Uganda (Kampala), Zambia (Lusaka), Mozambique (Maputo) and Tanzania (Dar es Salaam).
For new teachers there are many other schools that offer volunteer positions. The School of St Jude in Arusha was opened by a young Australian six years ago and now has 700 students – and requires many teachers. It is a registered charity and relies on volunteers and donations. A recent Teach International graduate from Sydney worked here for a few months and had a very good experience – see their website: www.schoolofstjude.co.tz
There are several volunteer organisations that can arrange volunteer teaching placements for teachers and will ask a fee for their efforts (they will usually provide basic services like food and accommodation). No doubt the money goes to a good cause but if you don’t like the idea of paying to volunteer there are other ways to get direct information on schools that need teachers. Try forums like this one on working in Africa www.africaguide.com/work.htm where I found several offers for teachers in this area in a short space of time.
There are also significant health risks associated with living in this region. This website gives a good overall picture: www.cdc.gov/travel/eafrica.htm; there are some particularly unpleasant diseases that you do not want to take home as a souvenir. Although the political situation seems to be slowly stabilising, government warnings for areas like Burundi and Uganda are still not to be taken lightly. This area still has millions of displaced refugees and deep scars from recent brutality. Political tensions simmer beneath the surface and many people are afraid to go home or to speak out against others. Trouble can flare up anytime and it did in the Sudan this month.
So you are probably now thinking twice about going to this region. Ask yourself what you can gain from the experience. Of course there are the beautiful national parks with their wildlife safaris along the shores of Lake Victoria and the Serengeti plains at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro; the romantic coastal areas like Zanzibar Island; you can witness the amazing cultural diversity among the many different African tribes and breathe in a rich history that includes mysterious Arab and Indian traders who can still be seen sailing up and down this coast line in the same boats they used 800 years ago.
These experiences would also be available on any tourist trip. Working and living here, however, will give you a far greater understanding of the region and its culture. It will be a shock to your system and the vast difference between our world and theirs will cut right through you. You will want to help. The best contribution you can make will be to the growth of this region by educating the next generation. You will make a real difference to the lives of your students. No doubt they will also capture your heart and make it difficult to come home.
