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FAQ: Volunteering in Africa

The Stephen Lewis Foundation does not have the capacity or mandate to assist the many excellent people who want to go to Africa to volunteer.In this section, however, we have tried to compile answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we’ve received about this type of volunteering.

Q. I am a retired teacher/doctor/engineer and would like to travel to Africa and volunteer there for a short period. Where can I go?

A. See answer below.

Q. I heard Stephen speak and was inspired by him. I'd like to take up his call and volunteer in Africa. Where should I go?

A. Below is a list of Canadian organizations assisting Canadians who volunteer abroad.While we cannot specifically recommend them, most are members of the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC) - an organization in which we have confidence and to which we give our heartfelt support.

CCIC Member Organizations

Canada World Youth

Canada World Youth Jeunesse Canada Monde	cwy-jcm.org
Canadian Crossroads International Carrefour canadien international	cciorg.ca
Canadian Executive Service Organization Service d'assistance canadienne aux organisms	ceso-saco.com
CUSO	cuso.org
MSF-Canada (Médecins Sans Frontières-Canada)	msf.ca
OXFAM-Quebec	oxfam.qc.ca
Voluntary Service Overseas Canada VSO Canada is a development agency that works through volunteers. Skilled professionals are needed in a range of development programs, including many programs with a focus on HIV and AIDS. You can find out more about their work and the skills they are looking for on their website.	vsocan.org
World University Service of Canada (WUSC) Entraide universitaire mondiale du Canada (EUMC)	wusc.ca

Non-CCIC Organizations

Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development (ICAD)	icad-csid.com
United Nations Association in Canada	unac.org

Youth Challenge International

yci.org

Q. I am writing to see if the Stephen Lewis Foundation is interested in helping us send interns to work with organizations in Africa. We would basically need contacts at organizations abroad that are doing good work and could use an intern with technical skills.

A. For overseas employment and intern opportunities, we simply don't have the capacity to facilitate connections with groups on the ground – that's not really the work of the Foundation.  However, we do provide links to organizations which have volunteer programs in Canada or Africa in the 'Getting Involved' section of Links page.

Q. I am planning to do a 6-month internship/exchange in Africa. Do you have any contacts that you could pass on to me?

A. When it comes to employment and intern opportunities, we simply don't have the capacity to to facilitate connections with groups on the ground– that's not really the work of the Foundation.  However, we do provide links to organizations which have volunteer programs in Canada or Africa in the 'Getting Involved' section of Links page.