Travel to the edge of Lokobe National Park, the sole remaining ancient rainforest on the island of Nosy Be. Here, you’ll assist park rangers with improving their English literacy so that they can better achieve their conservation goals. You’ll also work with teachers in the surrounding communities to improve the English literacy education they offer their students between the ages of six and 11.
Its tropical location and iconic animal species mean there are many opportunities to grow the ecotourism industry in Madagascar. Many local Malagasy people are very much aware of this and know that English language literacy is one more tool they can use to help them achieve this goal.
On this program, you’ll be assisting local Malagasy people with accomplishing their English literacy goals. You’ll be based on the island of Nosy Be, a location with many tourism employment opportunities for local people. Our base is located on the edge of Lokobe National Park, the last remaining rainforest on the island, home to critically endangered lemur species and bordered by a tropical beach.
In the mornings, you’ll take a short walk to the surrounding communities where you’ll work with local teachers to prepare English language literacy resources for their primary school learners. In the evenings, you’ll participate in conversational English workshops with local Lokobe National Park rangers. Other adults from local communities might also join these workshops.
During the course of your program, you’ll have the opportunity to learn the local Sakalava Malagasy dialect. In your free time, you can go swimming, snorkelling and diving in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean among coral reefs, tropical fish, sea turtles and dolphins.
Assist local educators with English language classes aimed at improving access to economic and employment opportunities.
Live and work on the edge of a national park that is filled with rare wildlife, tropical rainforest and adventure activities, and is walking distance from the beach.
Don’t just travel like a tourist. Become part of the local community and culture to experience a unique way of living – authentically.
Support and empower ongoing community development projects on the ground that are led by inspiring local NGOs.
Partner with social impact projects that are owned and led by local organisations who guide initiatives according to community priorities.
Your unique expertise, skills and interests are matched to relevant community projects that address specific challenges.
Share meaningful experiences with like-minded, passionate changemakers from all over the globe.
With expert local staff, excellent reviews and 24/7 support at every step – you can relax and enjoy the experience stress-free.
Some of the example typical activities you could participate in on this program.
Receive expert training on education project objectives and procedures, how to evaluate and monitor projects, and the local cultural context.
Gain experience teaching English as a foreign language to children, young adults and women. Classes can be structured or informal.
Take on additional responsibilities such as working closely with our partner organisations to help train and upskill more local teachers.
Get crucial career-building exposure to working and communicating within a diverse team and a specific local context.
Develop self-awareness, leadership, resilience and confidence, with support and advice from experienced GVI staff members.
Use your spare time during the week to self-reflect, raise awareness about community issues on social media, or fundraise for a local project.
In your free time on the weekend, visit national parks, the local market, enjoy the beach, or see what’s on offer in the bustling streets of Nosy Be.
Some of the partners we work with on base.
Our base is located on Nosy Be island – also known as the “Perfumed Island” because of its ylang-ylang plantations, which give off a beautiful floral scent during their flowering season. This island is also renowned for its extinct volcanoes, ancient rainforests and an abundance of rare and incredible species that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, such as the Nosy Be panther chameleon, the Hawks’ sportive lemur and the Madagascan fish eagle. Nosy Be means “big island” in the local Malagasy language, and is located off the northwestern coast of Madagascar.
Fieldwork on the conservation project includes trekking through the Lokobe National Park, (a “Strict Reserve”), looking for signs of critically endangered lemurs and the great variety of bird, reptile, amphibian and butterfly species that call this rainforest habitat home. Forest surveys are conducted in the morning or at night. You can catch spectacular sunsets and sunrises over the Indian Ocean. There are bound to be many priceless photo opportunities during the course of your program.
If you choose to complete a community development program, you will assist with teaching the English language – supporting the younger students with the language, as well as assisting with their grasp of environmental education. That will take place in the mornings. In the evenings, you will be doing the same for the Lokobe park rangers and other adults. English is a vital skill for people to learn as it’s highly sought after in the local job market and tourism industry.
Your accommodation – which is a stone’s throw from the beach –consists of dormitory style rooms with shared bathroom facilities. We use solar power and backup generators. Condit...
Travelling to and from Fascene Airport takes around 75 minutes, and can be arranged with GVI in advance, to align with your program’s start date. This consists of a 30-minute ta...
You will have limited access to long-distance communications while on the program, so make sure that your friends and family know how often they can expect to hear from you. Par...
The Malagasy diet is mostly rice- and bean-based. A typical main meal consists of rice alongside servings of seasonal vegetables in a sauce, with meat occasionally included. Loc...
Nosy Be has a hot, tropical climate all year round. The rainy, hotter season is between November and April, and the dry season from May to October. You can expect temperatures o...
During your program, you’ll have the opportunity to experience a variety of the following adventure and wellness activities on a monthly basis, specially designed to further immerse you in the diversity and richness of the habitats and cultures around you.
Joining a GVI program not only allows you to collaborate with communities or work toward preserving unique ecosystems – but it also offers plenty of opportunities to explore the surrounding area or travel further to see what other parts of the region have to offer over weekends.
Field staff are a great source of advice and have helped us put together the following information on local travel options. You can choose to travel before or after your experience with GVI (subject to immigration restrictions), solidifying the lifetime friendships you’ve established on the program. Please note that the below options are not included in the program fee, and would be up to you to arrange at your own expense.
You can spend time in the village and visit a local market, café or restaurant, and soak in the laid-back lifestyle and interesting culture. Alt...
Mont Passot is the highest point on Nosy Be island, at 329 metres above sea level. It’s surrounded by eight crater lakes that are considered sacred, where you will often spot cr...
June to September is humpback whale-watching season. During this season you can book a tour with a responsible, ethical tour provider. If you’re lucky, you might spot some whale...
Book a recreational dive to experience the exceptional variety of Indian Ocean marine life up close. Among the vibrant corals, you can spot a vast array of colourful tropical fi...
Visit one of Nosy Be’s many palm-lined stretches of golden beach, such as Andilana, Ambondrona, Madirokely and Ambatoloaka, and enjoy a relaxing day swimming in the warm waters ...
Visit the Sacred Tree, located close to Mahatsinjo village, on the western side of Nosy Be island. This huge banyan tree was planted by the queen of the Sakalava people in 1836,...
We’re based right on the edge of Lokobe National Park which holds the last remaining preserved primitive forest on the island of Nosy Be. The forest is bordered by a beach and i...
South Africa is a mere three-and-a-half-hour flight from Madagascar. Fly to Johannesburg and book a safari tour through the famous Kruger National Park or experience the beauty ...
This breathtaking archipelago of islands is home to pristine beaches, coral reefs, nature reserves, as well as rare animals such as the giant Aldabra tortoise. From the main isl...
Visit the mainland to see a greater variety of species and experience other distinct cultures of Madagascar. See ring-tailed lemurs in Isalo National Park, hike the stone forest...
Madagascar is surrounded by many islands and islets. From our location on Nosy Be island, you can visit the neighbouring island of Nosy Sakatia, where you might be able to spot ...
Engaging intimately with a new context teaches global awareness, adaptability and critical thinking – skills highly valued in the modern marketplace. Local and cultural immersion is encouraged on all our programs around the world, and will also be one of the most enjoyable aspects of your experience. Luckily, there are many different activities that you can get involved in during your free time, or before and after your program.
On our community programs, the focus is on cultural topics, while on marine or wildlife programs the emphasis is more on the environmental element. Use your evenings and weekends to explore topics like local cuisine and religion, or how sustainable development challenges are affecting local contexts.
Marodoka village, which means “the ancient village” in Swahili, is located a few kilometres from Nosy Be’s centre. With exceptional architectural...
As a result of the island’s long isolation from neighbouring continents, Madagascar is home to endemic flora and fauna found nowhere else o...
The warm waters of the Indian Ocean surrounding Madagascar are home to a variety of marine species such as clownfish and manta rays. Depending on the time of year, and your luck...
Many of Madagascar’s cultures have long-standing artisanal craft traditions. Some of these include intricate embroidery and brightly coloured baskets. Madagascar is also the pri...
The most notable festivals on the island of Nosy Be are dedicated to music. The Nosy Be Jazz Festival is held in April and the Donia Music Festival is held towards the end of Ma...
Most people in Madagascar speak Malagasy, a language with many dialects. The dialect that is most commonly spoken in the area in which we are based is Sakalava. Due to the influ...
If you’d like to find out what the experience of joining a GVI project is really like, simply contact us and we’ll put you in touch with one of our many Alumni.
We’ll try to match you to an Alum based on your location, nationality, age, stage of academic career, gender, and program interests. This allows you to gain insights into the experience that is most relevant to you.
Depending on your location you might be able to speak to an Alum over the phone or online, or meet up with them face-to-face at a coffee shop nearby. We also run a series of small events around the world where you can speak to GVI Alumni, Ambassadors and staff members.
Program Manager
Meet Padraig, also known as Pod, our Program Manager in Nosy Be, Madagascar. Pod is a passionate wildlife photographer and used to work professionally in the film and TV industr ...
When it comes to support, we ensure that each participant is provided with unparalleled, 360 degree support, from your initial contact with the GVI Family, all the way through your program, and even after, as you become part of the GVI Alumni Team.
As part of this promise, we will ensure, whenever possible, that one of our dedicated staff will be available to meet you at the airport. In most locations, we also set up a Whatsapp group to help with managing airport arrivals. We will arrange with you prior to your departure that, should you arrive in the agreed upon pick up window, a member of our staff will be there to welcome you, easily identifiable in a GVI t-shirt or holding a GVI sign and wearing a friendly smile. This means there will be someone there to greet you as you land, and from there you will be transported to your GVI base to start your adventure and meet the rest of your team.
All of our programs have short-, mid- and long-term objectives that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). This enables us to report on our collaborative impact across the world in a streamlined manner, measuring which UN SDGs we are making a substantial contribution to. Furthermore, this will help our local partners and communities measure and visualise their contribution to the UN SDGs.
Prior to your arrival on base, you will be educated about the UN SDGs. Then once you arrive on base, you’ll learn about the specific goals we have in this particular location, our various objectives, and also clarification of how your personal, shorter-term involvement contributes to these.
Our aim is to educate you on local and global issues, so that you continue to be an active global citizen after your program, helping to fulfil our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.
With an abundance of diverse natural landscapes, a variety of unique, endemic species and a diversity of distinct cultures, there are many opportunities for expanding ethical and responsible ecotourism and cultural tourism throughout Madagascar, including on the Nosy Be island where we are based. The country’s truly special biodiversity makes it a precious conservation area. Our work on Nosy Be includes assisting local organisations and community members with increasing their English language literacy so that they can better achieve education, economic development and conservation goals.
Conversational workshops with park rangers and other adults
We’re based at the edge of Lokobe National Park and work with park rangers to improve their English language literacy through conversational English workshops. This skill assists them with achieving their conservation and professional development goals. Through communicating with visitors to the park in English, or using English in their marketing materials, the park rangers can build a wider international community of people invested in their conservation work. It also gives them the benefit of communicating with a wider range of organisations and academics specialising in conservation work. In addition to park rangers, our conservational English workshops are also open to other adults from the surrounding communities who are looking to improve their skill sets.
Primary school educator and student support
We work with several primary schooling educators in communities surrounding Lokobe National Park. We support them in improving their English language literary resources for learners between six and eleven years of age. In addition to creating resources for English language literacy, we also assist local educators with improving their resources on a range of other subjects and topics related to their goals for their students.
The main United Nations Sustainable Development Goal’s the GVI Nosy Be community hub contributes toward is Goal 4: Quality Education.
GVI Nosy Be long-term objectives:
1. Improve English language literacy for Lokobe National Park park rangers.
2. Improve resources for primary school educators and their students in communities surrounding Lokobe National Park.
3. Improve English language literacy resources for adults in the communities surrounding Lokobe National Park.
A GVI program is an investment in your career. No matter which you choose, you will be working toward improving your employability by mastering new social skills, gaining further technical expertise and earning qualifications in many cases. Most of our staff are, in fact, GVI Alumni, and we have helped many of our Alumni discover, move toward, and earn their own personal dream jobs. Each program includes introductory workshops, ongoing presentations, as well as on-the-ground professional support provided by our very own trained staff members. In addition, our training programs are critical for helping us to ensure the long-term impact of our sustainable development projects around the world.
Learn about COVID-19 pre-departure guidelines, base expectations, personal and area hygiene practices and what we are doing to keep you safe.
Learn about the importance of child and vulnerable adult protection best practices and how to apply them while on project.
Introduction to the history and evolution of sustainable development, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and how these related to your project work.
Learn about our country locations and further opportunities available to you during or after your program.
Learn about gender equality, skills development and examples of income generating activities.
Learn about our empowerment principles.
In this course, you’ll explore the most common pitfalls of community development initiatives so that you can avoid them. You’ll also learn how to carry out community development work effectively and ethically and how local context impacts program development. After successfully completing the course, which you have the option of doing prior to your in-country program, you’ll receive a certificate from the University of Richmond.
This online course, valued at £295, is included in all volunteering programs. Full course details can be found here.
We won’t sugarcoat it — traveling abroad is usually a complex process that carries an element of risk. But this is exactly why we’re passionate about providing extensive support throughout the process as well as the highest safety standards during the in-country phase. We believe that volunteering abroad should not only be impactful, but an enjoyable experience that carries as little risk as possible. This is exactly how we’ve been able to maintain our reputation as the most highly respected volunteering organisations in the sector over the past two decades.
It takes courage to book a GVI program, get on a flight, and head off to somewhere new. Volunteering offers a level of cultural immersion that typical backpacking or holidays ju...
As the saying goes: ‘Expect the best, plan for the worst’. Cliched or not, we take it to heart. This tenet is at the core of how GVI operates when it comes to promoting the heal...
The weather isn’t just a topic for polite small-talk here at GVI. We have emergency action plans in place for all scenarios. So when the weather, or other natural forces, takes ...
Once GVI has matched a participant to a program that suits their passions and goals, our team aims to set the right expectations for them. In the event that false expectations a...
For over 20 years, GVI has prioritised the health and safety of our staff, participants, partners and local community members. In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, GVI has created the GVI health and hygiene team to put in place new standards of cleanliness, norms and behaviours that meet or exceed international recommendations to ensure the ongoing safety of GVI’s participants, staff and communities around the world. Internationally recommended practices, such as advice from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the governments Australia, UK and US, continue to be monitored and the standards are likely to change if and when international advice changes.
The work GVI is contributing to across the globe remains important and the following measures allow our participants to continue to join GVI’s programs and continue impacting positively on their world and the communities we work with. The following changes to our existing protocols have been made by the GVI health and hygiene team to strengthen our health and hygiene protocols and ensure that international standard safeguards are in place to protect our participants, staff and host communities.
