What is the Family Volunteering project: Community Development in Morocco all about?
Volunteer with your family on this community development project in Morocco! Morocco faces many significant challenges, including low literacy rates, bad governance and stagnant growth due to Morocco’s poor education, higher poverty, lack of infrastructure, poor healthcare, corruption and environmental pollution.
Morocco has a lot to offer between its natural beauty and its abundant natural resources. Our project works with a variety of centres in Rabat, the Capital of Morocco. Some of the centres promote professional development so that Moroccan children and teenagers have the opportunity to acquire marketable skills. You may be involved in running small workshops alongside local staff to teach them English, French or even information technology.
Our project also works with childcare centres that host children with special needs and children from low-income areas. In those centres, you will engage with the kids through games and activities to develop their cognitive abilities, physical capabilities, and other creative skills. The objective is to provide new and enriching activities for these underprivileged kids that may not have access to sports, toys, games, music, or arts elsewhere other than at the centres.
Finally, our project work with a variety of women group to lead workshops such as reading, language, sewing, finance, arts, and others. The objective is to increase the women literacy rate, education level and promote work for women by teaching them a new skill. Morocco is still a male-dominated society and those women groups provide the support to women that may have been victims of abuse, violence, or may have been forced to marry young and abandoned schooling. Volunteering as a family will be enriching as you will be completely immersed in a different culture and will be able to show your children how to be compassionate with others while respecting their local culture.
Why choose this Family Community volunteering project in Morocco?
This is a placement that will guarantee cultural immersion and cultural enrichment! You will be able to contribute your skills to the community as a family and make long-lasting friendship with local families.
Role of the Family Community volunteer
Family volunteers will provide additional support to the staff in the different centres, as well as bring some new ideas and possibly new skills that can be taught for the different groups. You may be asked to teach French, or English, or computer technology classes depending on your abilities. Or you may be asked to help feed the children, entertain them or organise recreational activities for them. Family placements will take into consideration the skills set of the entire family as well as the age of your children.
What skills do our family need to volunteer on this community project in Morocco?
A criminal background check is required as you will be working with vulnerable groups. The participants should be open-minded, enthusiastic and have a compassionate attitude to success in this placement. Some understanding of French Arabic will also make this placement easier and more rewarding.
Travel during COVID times
The health and safety of our travelers and our local communities remain central to our plans for reopening countries and projects. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been adapting our programs and protocols to protect all those involved, and ask for everyone’s patience and collaboration as new rules are implemented in-country. For all projects, new standards of sanitation, procedures and social behaviors are in place, including new health and hygiene protocols and social distancing practices. You can read more about how is Kaya responding to COVID-19. Each location may be slightly different in the way they operate. We encourage you to inquire to your placement advisor to learn more about your specific project as you plan for your responsible return to travel!
WHY JOIN THE PROJECT
FEATURED VIDEO
PROJECT TESTIMONIALS
Where will we work in Morocco?
About the Location
You will be based in the medina centre of Rabat. Rabat is the capital of Morocco, and is a well-kept and clean city with a different feel from the chaos of Marrakesh or Casablanca. It’s very rich culturally and very traditional, while very welcoming to foreigners. You will be within walking distance of everything located in the centre of town. You will be fascinated with the little gems Rabat has to offer including its medina quarter, its 12th century kasbah overlooking the water and pristine public beaches.
Family accommodation
You will most likely be placed in a private house close to where the volunteers stay in a traditional Riad. You will be able to have access to a local cook for your meals or self cater if you wish. You will be about 15 minute walk from your project.
What to do in your spare time with your family
Rabat has many points of interest to explore during your free time including the tower Hassan and Mausoleum of Mohammad V, the Musee des Oudaias, the Kabash, the Rabat Zoo, The Rabat Exotic Garden, and of course the medina. Another favourite spot is Chellah, located on the outskirts of Rabat where you will be able to sport storks at certain times of the year.
You will also be able to go explore Rabat’s sister city, Salé, located across the lagoon and reachable by foot, tram or rowing boat. If you are there during the summer and you are a music-lover, you should plan to attend the city’s annual Mawazine festival. For those of you wanting to venture a little further and maximise your time in Morocco, you may organise to visit Atlas Mountains, the Sahara Desert, and cities such as Casablanca, Essaouira, Fes, Marrakesh, and Tangiers.
Details & Costs
- Duration: 2+ weeks
- Cost: – 16 and Above: £1317 / $2056
- Children 10 to 15: £939 / $1466
- Children 5-9: £888 / $1386
- Additional weeks available on request. - Requirements: Age minimum 5 years old
- Location: Rabat, Morocco
- Working hours: Monday - Friday, 9:30 - 16:00
- Project availability: All year round, except during Ramadan
- Arrival day: Saturday
What is included
- Accommodation: Local house near the volunteer house
- Food: 2 meals per day
- Scheduled airport pick up and drop off from Rabat – Salé Airport
- Training: Pre-departure information pack, learning reflection guide, on-site orientation, cultural tour and project induction provided
- Support: 24-hour support from on-site coordinator
- Assistance with planning your weekend excursions from local staff
What is not included
- Flights
- Insurance
- Visas
- Daily transfers to and from the project – walkable
- 1 meal a day (lunch) and weekend meals
- Towels
- Police/Government Background Check; US and UK citizens will be processed through Kaya (admin fee applies) all other nationalities must provide local police check.
Pictures from our Family Volunteering project: Community Development in Morocco
Easy 4-step application process
APPLY ONLINE
Apply for a Kaya program and pay your application fee to apply for your space on your chosen project. Our advisors will then contact you to guide you through the next steps.
TELEPHONE INTERVIEW
Once we’ve received your application, we’ll review your details and be in touch to arrange your informal telephone interview with your Kaya Placement Advisor.
CONFIRMATION
Following your interview, we will provide you a placement offer. Once you are ready to confirm your placement and dates, you can pay your confirmation fee to book and secure your space.
GET PREPARED
When you have confirmed your project dates we'll send you your Welcome Pack and lots of other helpful information to assist you with preparing for your placement.