Where can I go on Lattitude ICS?
Our first ICS volunteers were sent in January 2014 to Ghana and Malawi and we will be sending volunteers overseas every 3 months until late 2015. During the summer and autumn periods we will also be sending volunteers to South Africa.
South Africa
South Africa is an exciting country, bustling with hope and optimism for the future. Having long endured oppression under imperial rule and subsequently under apartheid, its eventual triumph under the universally admired moral leadership of Nelson Mandela has seen the country emerge as a figure-head for the ‘African Renaissance’. Indeed, with a large abundance of space, people and increasingly money and resources, South Africa is one of the emerging world powers as demonstrated by its recent hosting of the 2010 World Cup. However, it does remain one of the most unequal societies in the world.
South Africa is also a country of outstanding natural beauty and biodiversity; from the Limpopo River to the Great Escarpment, the vast bush covered plateaus to the Cape Peninsula, which juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. If you were to undertake an ICS project with Lattitude in South Africa, you would be based on either one of the following projects:
The Human Dignity Centre
Based in the Walmer Township of Port Elizabeth, this project supports Lattitude’s partner organisation Human Dignity Centre. They aim to restore families, reduce poverty and provide children with quality education, food, clothing and support, thereby uplifting the community into the future. They ask to get support from the ICS volunteers for health awareness campaigns; peer education programmes and needs analysis.
Upstart
Based in the Joza Township of Grahamstown, ICS volunteers will assist with the Upstart Youth Development Project. Through providing an interactive culture of learning, Upstart seeks to develop young people in the township where high levels of poverty, unemployment and a lack of basic infrastructure is still common. In particular, ICS volunteers will help with the planning and facilitation of health awareness events, the development of educational material and media as well as needs analysis.
Malawi
Malawi is a land-locked country in South-Eastern Africa, about half the size of the UK. It is characterised by its long thin shape; Lake Malawi (the 3rd largest lake in Africa), which stretches most of its Eastern border; the Great Rift Valley which runs its entire length; a mix of temperature and equatorial climates; a rainy season between late December and March; and by being one of the world’s least developed countries. If you were to undertake an ICS project with Lattitude in Malawi, you would be based on either one of the following projects:
Mzuzu Youth Association Project
The Youth Association is made up of 30+ youth based organisations (YBOs) in and around Mzuzu, which utilise a wide range of extracurricular activities from sports (such as tennis and ping-pong), arts and IT, to engage young people on social, health and general educational issues. As part of three projects (Young Voices, Appause and Saved By The Ball) volunteers help increase the association’s reach through helping carry out various activities with local young people; planning events, through awareness raising work and through research into helping develop a sustainable development plan for the project.
Sangilo Project
Sangilo is a small rural village found 3 hours north of Mzuzu. It is in an idyllic setting of green bush lands, nestled between the fine sandy beaches along Lake Malawi and the steep ascent of the Ngika plateau. Despite the setting however, the community is very poor and mostly without electricity or running water. Volunteers would be using a range of activities to help children gain access to early years education. This may involve supporting teachers and resourcing as well as the construction of basic amenities such as toilets, sanitation systems and the repair and construction of school blocks.
Ghana
Ghana is a coastal country in Central-West Africa that is about the same size as the UK; nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the tropical savannah of Burkina Faso in the north. Ghana is known for being the first African country to secure independence from colonialism in 1957; for being notably stable and peaceful compared to other African countries; for its tropical forests; and for being closer to the centre of the world than any other country. If you were to undertake an ICS project with Lattitude in Ghana, you would be based on either one of the following projects:
Cape Coast Football for Hope Project
Football for Hope is part of a network of non-government organisations that provides grassroots educational programmes seeking to promote development through sport. It provides a 48 week curriculum to girls and boys aged 4-15 to provide them with health and social skills they need to live healthy and productive lives. There is also a Street League football programme for young people aged 16-22. This is focused on young adults who are not in employment, education or training. The centre also hosts a Community Learning and Media Centre to promote awareness of and skills in the use of IT.
Abrobiano Project
Abrobiano is a small rural fishing village not far from Cape Coast, with basic amenities. The focus of this project is helping young people of all ages access education opportunities, particularly for girls and on issues of health. There is also an aspect of construction as volunteers may be expected to get involved in the building of toilets and washing facilities.
With all of our placements each group of volunteers will be building on from the work and planning of the previous group, An element of research, event planning and awareness raising will be included in all the projects; you will always have the chance to bring your particular interests and skills to the fore, particularly when planning activities to engage with the projects’ particular target groups.
Departures
| Placement | Length | Departure | Application Deadline | Status |
| Malawi and Ghana Projects | 3 months | 4-11 October 2014 | August 2014 | Closed |
| South Africa Projects | 3 months | 21 September 2014 | August 2014 | Closed |
| Malawi and Ghana Projects | 3 months | 19-23 January 2015 | Mid-November 2014 | Open |
| South Africa Projects | 3 months | 11 February 2015 | Mid-November 2014 | Open |
| Malawi and Ghana Projects | 3 months | Early May 2015 | Late March 2015 | Open |
| South Africa - Team Leaders | 3-6 months | 9th February 2015 | Early November 2015 | Open |
| Malawi and Ghana - Team Leaders | 6 months | 12th January 2015 | Early November 2015 | Open |
Where else can I go on ICS?
ICS currently has projects in 30 of the world’s poorest countries. Lattitude is one of 9 charities delivering ICS, as such there are volunteer placements available in countries not provided on the Lattitude ICS programme. See the map below and visit the main ICS website; volunteerics.org for more details.
