English Teachers

English Teaching Program:

Madagascar Research and Conservation Institute’s English Teaching Program places volunteer English grammar, and English conversational teachers within the local schools and communities. As volunteers work with the support of MRCI’s local team, they do not need to be qualified or experienced teachers to participate, just a good understanding of the English language is required.

Teaching English in underprivileged communities can be an exceptionally rewarding experience for a volunteer with many advantages for the community and students alike.

Due to the growing number of tourists in Madagascar, there is a great demand among the island communities of Nosy Komba and Nosy Be to learn English in order to enhance their future job prospects within the local area. Tourism contributes significantly to the local economy and by developing their English, locals are able to access a wider range of employment opportunities within this field. Despite this enthusiasm towards learning English, opportunities to learn the language from native speakers on the islands are scarce.

Volunteers in Madagascar have the opportunity to fuel this interest, taking English grammar and conversational lessons within local schools and communities. Volunteers in Madagascar will have the chance to teach English classes to students in small village schools on the islands of Nosy Be and Nosy Komba, alongside delivering classes to adults in the local communities too. Volunteers will also be able to provide classes to the staff members at the Oceanographic Research Institute on Nosy Be, where they will assist in establishing a good working knowledge of English, enhancing their ability to communicate ideas and collaborate scientific research findings internationally.

Volunteers will be briefed on all of the teaching placements on arrival, and provided with basic training to help equip them for teaching in the local communities. Due to the demand for English teachers on the islands, volunteers may find themselves working in all locations during their volunteer week.

Age: Our volunteers range in age from 18 to retirees and everyone in between, though most are in their early to mid-twenties.

Number of Volunteers: MRCI’s research centre at Turtle Cove can accommodate up to 54 volunteers at a time across all programs. There are usually between 5 and 10 volunteers participating in the English Teaching program at any given time.

Languages Spoken: All program staff and volunteers must be able to speak, write and understand English. Our program staff and volunteers come from all over the world and speak a myriad of other languages in additional to English. Locally, our operations staff and the people of Madagascar speak Malagasy and some French. Volunteers have the chance to attend free Malagasy lessons offered on camp and learn more about the language and culture in this beautiful country.

Essential info: Volunteers are expected to have their own health insurance. Vaccinations are not typically required to enter Madagascar, however this may vary depending on your travel path. We recommend consulting a travel doctor about vaccinations and medications. Recommended vaccinations for Madagascar include: yellow fever, tetanus, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, typhoid, and rabies.

In addition, we recommend carrying preventative agents with you including sun screen, after sun lotion, mosquito repellent, re-hydration supplements, anti-malarial medications, and anything else recommended by your doctor.  There is access to good, fairly priced medical care here in country if needed. Due to the hot, humid climate, it is incredibly important to drink enough water. We have filtered drinking water available on camp; just be sure to bring a good reusable bottle.

What Is included in the fee:  

• Sleeping accommodations for the duration of your volunteer time
  
• Three meals per day, seven days per week on camp
• Supervision and training by staff

Insurance: Volunteers are expected to purchase their own health insurance.

Not Included: 

• Flights
  
• Visa costs
• Personal items

Currency:  In Madagascar the official currency is the Malagasy Ariary (MGA), which can only be exchanged in Madagascar. There are a number VISA ATMs located in Hellville which volunteers can draw cash from. We do however advise that you bring some Euro’s along with you

Passport and Visa:  All visitors require visas and a one to three month single entry visa may be obtained on arrival at the airport. We do recommend you check with the Consulate General as visa requirements can change at any time. A passport valid for 6 months after date of return is required. Please ensure you have at least two blank pages available in your passport before commencement of travel.

Internet: Wi-Fi is not available on camp, however there is Wifi access in the neighbouring village of Ampang, about a half hour hike from camp.  Volunteers will also have access to Wifi over the weekends either in Ampang village or on the Neighbouring Island of Nosy Be.

Laundry:  A hand washing laundry station is provided on camp with a clean water tap, concrete work surface for scrubbing, and buckets. Volunteers will need to purchase their own laundry soap (available on neighbouring Nosy Be) and can either do their own washing, or pay one of the local kitchen or care taker staff to do it for them. Typically, it costs 10,000 MGA per bag of laundry, plus soap.

What to bring along:

• Personal Items - Essential Items for all Volunteers
• Lightweight waterproof rain jacket
• T-shirts/vests
• Light long-sleeved sweatshirt/ jumper/ fleece
• Trousers (suitable for going into the forest)
• Shorts
• Underwear
• Swimming costume/bikini/board shorts
• Sunhat
• Sunglasses
• Walking boots or good trainers /sneakers
• Flip-flops
• Day pack (waterproof)
• Dry bag/ziplock bags that will keep items dry
• Lightweight single person mosquito net
• Cotton sleeping bag liner and/or single sheet & pillow case.
• Sleeping bag if coming in the cooler months (June-August)
• Towel or sarong
• Toiletries (soap, shampoo, razor, tampons, toothpaste, toothbrush)
• Sunscreen (water-resistant, preferably biodegradable)
• Insect repellent
• Head torch (with rechargeable batteries)
• Photocopy of passport, travel insurance details, dive qualifications (if relevant) and other important travel documents
• Debit card/credit card
• Spending money
• Solar Panel Charger
• Personal Medical Kit (example items: Anti-malarial tablets; Paracetamol / Ibuprofen; Antihistamine pills / cream; Rehydration tablets / sachets; Immodium; Multivitamins; Antiseptic cream or spray; Motion sickness pills if prone; Bandage / Plasters; Dressings / Micropore tape; After sun lotion or gel; 

• Battery pack (to use in conjunction with your solar panel)
• Mobile phone (you can buy a local SIM card for around US$10)
•  A padlock to secure personal items
• Laptop/iPad/iPhone
• Camera (waterproof)
• Books
• Water bottle
• Sarong
• A nice set of clothes if you want to go out for dinner or dancing
• Rash vest
• Talcum powder
• Treats/food difficult to get in Madagascar
• Travel guide (many volunteers find Lonely Planet to be very helpful for preparation and once they are in Madagascar)

Generally, each program has morning and afternoon activities. After dinner each day, we have a briefing to go over activities for the following day. NOTE: The schedule will vary depending on the project, weather etc. for that day.

Sample Schedule:

• 05:00-07:00 Breakfast on camp
• 06:00-08:00 Start of morning activities on project
• 12:00 Lunch on camp
• 14:00 Start of afternoon activities on project
• 16:00-17:00 Volunteer activities for the day usually conclude
• 18:00 Dinner on camp
• 18:45 Board Briefing to go over activities for the following day

Only cash is accepted on Nosy Be and Nosy Komba. There are no ATMs located on Nosy Komba, therefore all cash needs to be drawn ATMs located on neighbouring Nosy Be. The ATMs all take VISA; only one or two will accept MasterCard. Depending on weekend activities and the number of souvenirs and snacks purchased, volunteers typically find between $50 and $100 USD per week to be sufficient spending money.

A few popular weekend activities / places to visit are listed below. NOTE: Unless marked otherwise, volunteers organize trips to these places on their own, not through MRCI, however there is contact information available on camp from past volunteers on how they booked trips.

• Lokobe Forest Reserve
• Discovery SCUBA Dive (through MRCI)
• SCUBA Dive Training (through MRCI)
• Explore different areas of Nosy Komba with a local guide and learn about medicinal plants, the endemic wildlife and more
• Tanikely Natural Reserve
• Visit Nosy Iranja or Nosy Sakatia (swimming and snorkelling)
• Whale Shark Watching (seasonal)
• Visit the Sacred Tree or Sacred Waterfall on Nosy Be
• Hike up Mount Passot on Nosy Be
• Visit Lemur Land park on Nosy Be, or the Lemur Park on Ambpang Village on Nosy Komba
• Ankarana National Park
• Amber Mountain National Park
• Visit plantations on the mainland in the city of Ambanja
• Visit the city of Diego Suarez including the Emerald Sea, the Three Bays, Tsingy Rouge rock formation and more