Volunteering in Senegal

Senegal is known as the “Gateway to Africa.” The country lies at an ecological boundary where semiarid grassland, oceanfront, and tropical rainforest converge. This diverse environment has endowed Senegal with a wide variety of plant and animal life. It is from this rich natural heritage that the country’s national symbols were chosen: the baobab tree and the lion.

Senegal is a country in western Africa with an Atlantic Ocean coastline. Neighboring countries include The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and Mauritania. Senegal's geography is mostly flat, and the northern border is formed by the Senegal River.

The Gambia, occupies a narrow sliver of land along the banks of the Gambia River, which separates Senegal’s southern region of Casamance from the rest of the country. Senegal also shares a maritime border with Cape Verde.

Senegal has a mixed economic system in which the presence of the state in the economy is considerable, but there is limited private sector freedom. Senegal’s economic and political capital is Dakar. Senegal is one of the easiest countries to visit in west Africa and is most tourist’s first taste of the region.

French is the official language of Senegal, but most people speak Wolof. Besides French and Wolof, people speak the language of their ethnic group, such as Pulaar, Serer, and thirty-eight other African languages, some few people speak English.

The Senegalese are overwhelmingly Muslim. Some 90 percent of the population belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. The remaining 10 percent are Roman Catholic.

Tourism industry has grown to be an important part of the Senegalese economy with travelers flocking to enjoy the breathtaking, stunning array of sights, sceneries, sounds and wildlife. Senegal is the home for “Teranga”, meaning “hospitality” in the local language of Wolof. Senegal is a home to to beautiful beaches, good weather, good nightlife and varied and internationally-recognised cuisine are just some of the factors which have been attracting tourists.

Dakar, the capital, is a dizzying, street-hustler-rich introduction to the country: elegance meets chaos, snarling traffic, vibrant markets and glittering nightlife, while nearby Île de Gorée and the beaches of Yoff and N'Gor tap to slow, lazy beats. Whether you’re after a lazy poolside holiday or a pirogue adventure through lagoons and creeks, Senegal is the place for you. 

Go Volunteer Africa offers inexpensive, low cost, cheap, extremely affordable but high impact volunteer projects in Senegal. The volunteering in Senegal program plays an important role in development of Senegal as volunteers get involved in teaching, Care giving, Healthcare, and so many other social volunteer projects.

Go Volunteer Africa is the only volunteer in Africa organization that provides safe, low-cost, meaningful and offer real benefits to the communities served in Senegal. 

VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS

Volunteers need to be 18 years or over to participate, unless volunteering with a parent or guardian. All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance and provide a criminal background check to Go Volunteer Africa's local Coordinators on arrival in the country.

SAFARIS & TOURS

Safaris, day and cultural tours can be organized over the weekends for volunteers. This is a fantastic opportunity to explore Senegal's vibrant cities, rich musical culture, secluded beaches and wildlife. There is a lot to see and do in Senegal.

Go Volunteer Africa programs are run in partnership with in-country NGOs, small community based organizations, local research institutes, academic organizations and conservation agencies. Project descriptions and information are supplied directly by our partners or field staff and are accurate at time of publishing.

We aim to keep information up to date and accurate, however, the nature of our projects and programs and in particular the fact that they are constantly evolving and developing in response to changing needs means that project activities, travel schedules, tour itineraries and daily timetables can change overnight and without notice.