2 - 52 weeks
from € 950
Senegal

Volunteer work in organic farming in Senegal

  • Work outdoors
  • Knowledge sharing
  • Varied activities

Environmental protection and sustainability are increasingly becoming important issues in our everyday lives. Would you like to exchange ideas with others and develop innovative concepts together? Then travel to Senegal as a volunteer and do volunteer work in our environmental and farm project! Here you will not only learn a lot about organic farming, you will also get to know everyday life in the Senegalese city of Diourbel.

Location icon Diourbel
Minimum age icon from 18 years
Icon Duration 2 - 52 weeks / from €950
Departure days icon Wednesday, Sunday
Organic farming in Senegal
SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
Sustainable consumption and production

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Project ID : FA-SE495

As a volunteer
Senegal

2 - 52 weeks / from €950
to the cost overview

Volunteer project in organic farming in Senegal

What's the matter?

This project in Senegal focuses on organic farming. Innovative concepts are to be developed and implemented in cooperation with local farmers.

The volunteer site is a non-profit organization that aims to raise awareness of environmental issues. She offers training in organic farming and organizes clean ups and planting campaigns in the town of Diourbel and other small towns and villages in the area. A first success was the conversion of a 30-year-old landfill into an area for recreation and exchange.

The organization has been active since 2018. Today around 100 young people work there in different groups and areas, such as ecological house building and sustainable agriculture. In general, the deployment site is also a popular meeting place for exchanging information on environmental and sustainability issues.

The organization sees one of its main goals as enabling cultural exchange through environmental activities. Ideas and experiences from different places and living environments should be brought together in order to create something new together and to develop sustainable concepts.

Your tasks as a volunteer

In the ecological volunteer project in Senegal, you can expect a variety of tasks in different areas. The volunteers work in teams, with each team pursuing a specific project. The individual activities include the following:

  • Support for sustainable ecological construction
  • Planting and watering of vegetables and trees
  • cleaning and waste management
  • Water treatment
  • fishing
  • processing of agricultural products
  • production of flowers
  • Sale of products and marketing activities
  • Various training offers, such as sports, languages, etc.

As a volunteer, you can choose a specific area to focus on while volunteering in Senegal. You are also welcome to bring your own ideas into the project work!

You normally work six hours from Monday to Friday. A typical working day looks like this: After breakfast at 9 a.m., you go to the assignment site, which you can walk to in about 15-30 minutes. Lunch is served on site at around 14 p.m. After that you can stay at the site and exchange ideas with the visitors, explore the city a little or visit the surrounding villages.

Please note that there is less construction activity during the rainy season from July to September.

Accommodation Catering

Accommodation in Diourbel

During your volunteer work in Diourbel you will live in a single or double room, either in a volunteer house or with a host family.

Two to three participants can be accommodated in the volunteer house. There are two rooms available, each with its own bathroom, and a living room that can also be used as a bedroom. There is also air conditioning in the house, a kitchen and another bathroom.

The host family has a total of four rooms for two volunteers each. In this accommodation, residents can use a kitchen and a shared bathroom. However, there is no air conditioning here, but a fan.

Electricity, WiFi, water and mosquito nets are included in all accommodations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are always prepared for the volunteers. You can either walk to the project in about 15 to 30 minutes, take the bus or rent a motorbike.

Location

Diourbel in Senegal

Diourbel

The city of Diourbel, capital of the region of the same name, is located in western Senegal, about 140 km from Dakar. With around 130.000 inhabitants, it is one of the most important urban centers in the country. Due to its location on Senegal's main road, Diourbel is also an important transport hub. Economically, Diourbel focuses mainly on agriculture - the whole region is known for growing peanuts, millet and corn.

The city is also considered an important religious center. It was founded in the 19th century by the Muslim scholar Serigne Touba or Amadu Bamba. He played an important role in spreading Sufism and Muridism - an Islamic brotherhood of which he is credited as the founder.

Even today the population is mostly Muslim and the cityscape is characterized by impressive mosques. Muslim festivals are celebrated extensively here and overall Diourbel is a very lively and dynamic city. It is known for its traditional music and handicrafts. At the local markets you can admire them and take home nice souvenirs.

Especially if you are interested in history and want to learn more about Islam, Diourbel is definitely a suitable destination for you! In general, this city and region is particularly suitable for those who like to go off the beaten track and want to get to know the local people and their life on site.

Free time in Diourbel, Senegal

Your free time in Diourbel

For your free time in addition to volunteering, the city of Diourbel offers a variety of options. For example, take part in local community events, attend traditional music concerts, or explore the local bars and clubs. There are also various sights to discover in Diourbel, such as mosques and churches.

There are also other cities nearby that are worth visiting. Visit the Muslim pilgrimage metropolis Touba, discover the cultural diversity in Mbacké, stroll through the university town of Bambey or travel to Senegal's capital Dakar.

Would you rather have some peace and nature? Then explore the villages around Diourbel and get to know rural life in Senegal! The landscape will definitely inspire you! Even if you like to spend your free time more actively, you will find numerous options here: Take a long walk in the forest or through the desert or go for a swim.

In Diourbel and the surrounding area you will certainly find suitable activities for your free time as a volunteer - whether together with other volunteers or with locals.

On-site procedure

Arrival in Senegal

Upon arrival at Dakar Airport, you will be picked up by a local team member and driven to the project by car. The journey takes about an hour. Once there, you will be welcomed by the leader and other members of the association. After you have gotten to know the area a little, there is a meal together. 

Orientation program in Diourbel

The day after your arrival, there will be an orientation program that will give you a deeper insight into the work of the organization and everyday life on site. The program lasts one day, and you not only get an introduction to your tasks in the project, but also a guided tour of the city.

Your first day in the project

On the following day you can finally start with your project work. A team member gives you an introduction to your specific work, you get to know the other employees and can take on your first tasks.

Pricing

  • base fee
    € 950, -
    2 weeks of participation
  • extension week
    € 170, - / week
    up to 50 weeks respectively

included
Services

Before departure

  • Individual advice and support from our trained RGV team in Munich
  • Organization including placement in the project and coordination of your stay on site
  • Assistance with preparation: visa, health care, travel insurance, etc.
  • Non-binding flight advice
  • Travel ABC with packing list for your travel preparation
  • RGV t-shirt

On site

  • Orientation program with the team on site
  • Support and guidance from the on-site team
  • RGV 24h emergency number
  • Project t-shirt to wear during on-site activities
  • Airport transfer on the agreed arrival and departure days
  • Accommodation in guest house
  • Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

After return

  • Participation confirmation of your voluntary commitment
  • Reflection course on your experiences abroad
  • Evaluation sheet and optional feedback discussion
useful additional services

not included
Services

  • Round trip
  • Private expenses on site
  • Excursions with microlight flights
  • Travel and cancellation insurance
  • Visa and Vaccinations
  • All nights outside your agreed accommodation
  • Public transport and extra transfers

Individual Recommended additional offers
& must-haves

Picture must-haves

Would you prefer to stay in a single room? Are you vegan or do you have special requests for food? Or do you want to do some cool trips with other volunteers in your free time and explore the country?

With us, you benefit from a variety of optional additional services that you can add individually to your booking, depending on your preferences.

Flight booking icon
" Round Trip
Cheap flights with our flight partner thanks to volunteer rates.
Flight offers with maximum flexibility

Would you like to receive a cheap flight offer for your stay abroad that is perfectly tailored to you? After you have successfully registered, you can have a non-binding offer created.

The excellent rates for volunteers, students and young people are a great advantage. Arrival times and flight time changes can also be sent directly to RGV upon request, so that our RGV teams in the destination countries are always informed about your arrival times.

These special tariffs give you special added value:

  • maximum flexibility for rebookings and cancellations
  • generous baggage allowance
  • Additional discounts on one-way flights: The new volunteer tariffs include attractive discounts to reduce your financial burden on one-way flights (e.g. for stopovers, project or country combinations).
Insurance icon
" Insurance
Benefit from the 4 in 1 ERGO travel insurance.
The 4 in 1 insurance cover for volunteers and internships abroad

You can easily book the long-term travel protection of ERGO Reiseversicherung after you have registered. You will receive the links to this automatically after a successful registration.

The following building blocks are included:

  • Health Insurance
  • Comfort protection: accident, liability and interruption insurance
  • Travel insurance

Diourbel Team
site

In Diourbel, among other things, awaits you Sidy, the president of the local association. is responsible for the project Ibrahima, who is also the vice president of the organization. The team is always at your side during your volunteer work and will be happy to help you with questions and problems.

Portrait team in Diourbel, Senegal

RGV FAQ
to the project

What are the project fees used for?

Although we are a non-profit organization, there are costs associated with volunteering abroad. Find out here, why volunteering requires money and what your project fee is used for.

Which visa do I need for Senegal?

You do not need a visa to enter Germany and stay for a maximum of 90 days. If you want to stay longer in the country, a residence permit is required, which can also be applied for locally.

What language skills do I need for the project in Senegal?

In order to be able to communicate well on site, knowledge of French is definitely helpful. In the project you can also get along with English and German.

What vaccinations/ health precautions do I need?

If you are traveling from a yellow fever area, you need a yellow fever vaccination. Otherwise there are no compulsory vaccinations.

We generally recommend a consultation in a practice for travel and tropical medicine.

You can get general information about recommended health care and vaccinations online Center for Travel Medicine as well as on the side of Foreign Office.

What are the requirements for the project?

There are no specific requirements for participating in the volunteer project. It is important that you are interested in environmental protection, enjoy physical work outdoors and have initiative.

Of course, if you already have knowledge in the fields of agroforestry, permaculture or clay building, that's even better! Pedagogical experience is also helpful, for example if you are interested in giving language lessons in French, English or German.

What do I have to consider as an LGBTQ person?

Please be aware that homosexual acts are considered undesirable in many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America and are even punishable by law in some places. In general, people who are identified as queer are often exposed to hostility.

For example, get information from Foreign Office about the exact regulations in your destination country.

General FAQ about volunteer work

Ready to volunteer in Senegal? Start your adventure abroad with Rainbow Garden Village!

Rainbow Garden Village has been offering volunteer work and internships abroad since 1999. What started as a small student initiative in Ghana has now grown into an organization with over 250 projects around the world.

You can be sure that your work as a volunteer will be an unforgettable experience. Bring your commitment and your knowledge to do good locally - and at the same time benefit from the unique experiences that will promote your personal development.

Become part of our RGV community!
We look forward to you.

RGV Your way
to the volunteer

1
Choose your volunteer project and register online.

2
We will review your application and confirm your participation.

3
Prepare for your assignment online or in our preparatory seminar in Munich.

4
Here we go! During your volunteer work, we will support you at any time with our on-site team.

Gallery Impressions &
Impressions

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