• Responsible Consumption And Production

Assistant in Agriculture Initiative

location
1 - 50 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+
rating  Outstanding 4.9  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Good response rate

Highlights

  • Experience the Chewa way of life, afternoon siestas of course included
  • Immerse yourself in our cultural traditions
  • In your spare time you can join activities such as drumming, cooking, soap making and weaving.
  • You can climb our mountain, get on a biking tour or visit the local market in Katete
  • You can go to a short vacation into nearby South Luangwa National Park. There you go an a safari and see the Big Five. Tiko volunteers get a discount

Especially good for

Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Families
Groups
50+

About the program

Katete struggles with poor soil and lack of irrigation. Agriculture volunteers can help teach sustainable techniques and introduce new crops!

The project

Our mission is to fight poverty in Katete through better education, health and entrepreneurship; helping people to help themselves while maintaining their traditional values. 

In order to achieve our mission of better health, we have established a number of health initiatives like ...

About the program

The project

Our mission is to fight poverty in Katete through better education, health and entrepreneurship; helping people to help themselves while maintaining their traditional values. 

In order to achieve our mission of better health, we have established a number of health initiatives like HIV/AIDS counselling, teaching basic health to village representatives, malnutrition research, health seminars, and so much more. Katete still follows very traditional beliefs like witchcraft. Much of our work is providing education and reinforcing that education continuously. 

Volunteer work

Agriculture volunteers will be asked to first learn about the methods using currently including bag gardens, compost heaps, mud stoves, etc. Volunteers can then teach seminars or small classes about these methods or any new methods they may know! Volunteers could also develop literature about sustainable agriculture methods for participants or create a model garden for future learners.

Volunteers will also need to keep detailed reports for the Management Committee to inform them about their activities. The Tiko crew will work alongside volunteers. They are very familiar with the villages and can assist in translating as well.

How it works

The individual activities are tailored to the skills and interests of the volunteers. We encourage volunteers to  pick one of the agriculture project or combination of projects. Volunteers can also suggest a program to add to that area of concentration if the inspiration should strike them. Each project does have a different schedule and can also depend so much on the day, the season, what holidays are happening, community events like a headman initiation, how many funerals are going on, etc. It is almost impossible to dictate a typical day because there isn't one. Usually, volunteers establish their own routine

The location

Volunteers will be living at Tiko Lodge which is part of Tikondane Community Centre. They will be able to go into the villages nearby and host seminars at Tiko. You will quickly become part of the Tiko family and community.

Who we are looking for

Volunteers should be open minded, caring, and have a sense of humor. Volunteers can expect support from the Tiko crew and Elke, Tiko’s director. No special equipment is required!

We looking forward to you joining the Tiko family. Zikomo!

Typical day

A typical day at Tikodane depends on the volunteer and the project. Most volunteers work Monday to Friday during the hours of 0830 to 1700. However, volunteers decide what schedule is best for their project.

Typical day

A typical day at Tikodane depends on the volunteer and the project. Most volunteers work Monday to Friday during the hours of 0830 to 1700. However, volunteers decide what schedule is best for their project.

Free-time activities

Free time and entertainment

Katete is a quiet town so you won’t be out partying every night. However, you experience life in a small rural town as many people in Zambia live and get to spend time working with Zambians that you probably won’t find in a city or typical gap year package. There are ...

Free-time activities

Free time and entertainment

Katete is a quiet town so you won’t be out partying every night. However, you experience life in a small rural town as many people in Zambia live and get to spend time working with Zambians that you probably won’t find in a city or typical gap year package. There are activities and places to visit nearby and in the surrounding area!

  • Katete market for local food
  • Cultural safari to Kachipu village – A guide gives a brief tour of a Zambian village followed by a vegetarian feast, and watching a traditional girls’ initiation dancing ceremony, Chinamwali. Depending on availability, Gulewamkulu, the Nyau ghost dance, is performed in nearby village. Recognized UNESCO in 2005, when dancing, the men are believed to be spirits with magical powers and no longer mortals. An intriguing and invigorating insight into local culture and tradition. 
  • Bike ride with Tiko bikes
  • Visit St Francis Hospital
  • Hike up Mphangwe mountain
  • Katete nightclub – maybe not for everyone or every week but worth a visit for the experience!
  • Film afternoon on Saturday and Sunday
  • Pool, once the pool table is done
  • Trip to Msoro cathedral – worst road ever but an adventure to a cathedral build by the first missionaries arriving in Zambia.
  • South Luangwa National Park (3 hours) – You can take a taxi direct (US$ 90) or a bus (US$9). You can stay at Flatdogs Camp sleeping in a safari tent surrounded by elephants and hippos. This is one of the lower end luxury lodges and Tiko volunteers get a discount. Well worth it!

Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 18 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

Language Skills

You need to speak English (basic level)

Nationality Restrictions

No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 08:30 - 16:30

What's Included

What's Included

Services by Tikodane Community Center

This includes 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and accommodation at Tiko.

The standard package includes all meals, but if volunteers stay longer and decide they prefer to self-cater, the price will be reduced for accommodation only.

NOT INCLUDED: Drinks, transfers, accommodation in Lusaka, and tourist activities  

Accommodation

Accommodation is in the lodge at the community centre. Rooms are simple twin or double rooms, most with ensuite toilet and bath. Volunteers will have their own room unless they prefer to share. You can also pick a dorm bed in our traditional African hut, albeit without toilet and bath

Food & Beverages

We include 3 meals a day at our wonderful restaurant. We are able to provide vegetarian meals. We serve traditional African food as well as some western options like spaghetti. Water is available from the tap and is safe to drink.

Internet Access

Limited access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Airport Pickup at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport

An airport pickup isn't included within the program fees either.

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN) in Lusaka. We assist you to find cheap flights to Zambia. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

Travel Insurance

Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Zambia provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

If you are intending to volunteer in Zambia you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Zambia. VACCINE CHECKER

Details on arrival

It takes around 6 hours to get to Tiko from Lusaka, so we recommend spending the night in Lusaka and setting off early in the morning – If you come with a later bus, you may have to wait for hours, until it is full.

(Please contact us for information on getting here from Lilongwe, Malawi which is also around 6 hours away)

Lusaka airport transfer: Taxis can be found outside the airport and cost around US$30 to the city.

Lusaka accommodation: There are a few options for budget accommodation in Lusaka that we can recommend if needed.

Lusaka to Tiko transfer:

Bus to Tiko is US 16 one way from Lusaka Intercity Bus station and takes 6-7 hours.

Taxi is US$ 240, shared between max 4 people, coming from Katete

Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

1 week (min. stay) 224€
2 weeks 447€
3 weeks 671€
4 weeks 895€
8 weeks 1,789€
16 weeks 3,579€
50 weeks (max. stay) 11,184€
Average fees 224€/week

Program fees

224€ per week 1 - 50 weeks Age 18 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES

Duration

1 - 50 weeks

Deposit

The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.

Final Payment

Your final payment will be agreed with Tikodane Community Center during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.

Meet your organization

Tikodane Community Center

Outstanding 4.9 rating (8 reviews)

Non-profit - founded in 1999

Verified by Volunteer World

  Good response rate

Coordinated by

Elke

Spoken languages: English, German, French

About the project

Tikondane Community Centre works to help locals lift themselves out of poverty through better education, health, and entrepreneurship.

Meet your organization

Who we are?

Tikondane Community Centre is run by a diverse crew of 85 local volunteers (the Tiko crew) led by a local Board of Directors and Tiko Director- Elke Kroeger-Radcliffe. 

What we do?

Tikondane Community Centre works to provides technical, educational, and financial supports for charitable activities that reduce poverty, fight disease, provide education, promote entrepreneurship, and create jobs. These activities include our primary school, HIV/AIDS counselling, agricultural shows,lessons for adult learners, and teaching 19 Steps out of Poverty for the Subsistence Farmer. We also provide allowances for our 85 volunteers.

Where we work?

Zambia is one of the poorest and least developed nations on earth. Katete is a rural area in the Eastern Province, roughly 6 hours from Lusaka and 2 hours from the Malawi border. There are 244,000 people living in Katete District. Tikondane’s catchment area covers approximately 16,000 people and 53 villages. Most of our catchment area depends on subsistence farming to produce the staple food crop of maize. 

The soil is poor, due to the use of artificial fertilizer (which is now incredibly expensive) resulting in low crop yields. After the harvest, some produce is sold to provide cash for necessities such as salt, soap, school fees, and clothes.As a result by January, three months before the next harvest, supplies of maize run out and the hungry season begins. Add to this an imbalanced diet, contaminated water supplies, the consequences of HIV/AIDS, and the general lack of educational opportunities, and it becomes obvious that life is extremely difficult in Katete.

However, the local population is very friendly and hospitable. Many rely on extended family for assistance and generosity is a hallmark of Chewa culture. The area is safe as most crime is opportunistic petty theft. For travellers, malarial prophylaxis is strongly recommended as malaria is very common here. Many locals use boreholes for water, which is very safe to drink.

Our history

Tiko owes much of its success to the efforts and wisdom of one woman – Elke Kroeger-Radcliffe (pictured right). A German-born Australian widow, Elke has travelled the world spending many years studying cross-cultural psychology. Sister Elke, as she is affectionately called, arrived at the nearby St. Francis Hospital in 1993, to teach trainee nurses, having just done a nursing course in Sydney to be ready to fight HIV & AIDS.

In the years that followed, she immersed herself in Zambian culture, attempted to learn the local language and very soon started to work on the most pressing and obvious problem of illiteracy. When villagers came to join the classes in the nursing school hospital, management became a bit worried and restricted this to staff personnel only. A venue for literacy classes was found next to the hospital, given by the Chief. ‘Tikondane Community Centre’ was born!

Professor Jack Radcliffe, Elke’s late husband, provided the real foundation on which Tiko was built. It is the independence through a widow’s pension that allowed Elke to found Tikondane. He is respectfully commemorated at ‘Agogo House’, which means ‘Grandfather’ in ‘Chichewa’.

It was obvious from the beginning that Tikondane could not survive solely on donations, and so it was necessary to establish Income-Generating Activities (IGAs). Thus, other than the verandah for teaching, the existing structure was turned into guest rooms. A restaurant was also added. Elke’s brother and his wife helped to set up other activities, such as soap making and a first attempt at the now famous peanut butter. 

Tikondane Community Centre was formally established as a community-based organization under the Societies Act on 30th July 1999 when it was granted a certificate of registration, and officially opened in September of that year. From the beginning, the centre received support from many different areas, all over the world. Such generosity is recognized by the names given to the various buildings and guestrooms.

 All of this has allowed a strong foundation, on which Tikondane is built today.

Our mission/vision

To fight poverty in Katete through better education, health and entrepreneurship; helping people to help themselves while maintaining their traditional culture and values

Our goals

  • To promote sustainable farming techniques and entrepreneurship through our 19 Steps out of Poverty for the Subsistence Farmer
  • To encourage responsible sexual behavior including knowing your HIV/AIDS status and encouraging child spacing
  • To provide education for children and adult learners
  • To teach about hygiene, sanitation, and clean water
  • To provide resources about a balanced diet and the importance of proper nutrition, especially for children

Who are we looking for?

We offer our volunteers a chance to work in the fields of education, healthcare, agriculture, marketing, handcrafting, radio production, and more! We also encourage our creative volunteers to propose their own ideas and projects, and independently execute them with us at Tiko. Love art? Perfect, start art classes for children or adults. Have a degree in Business? Hold seminars for our workers on how to invest. We are always working to encourage creativity that can be used to better both the volunteer and the community of Tikodane.

We accept volunteers from all backgrounds and experiences as long as they come with a sense of humor, an open mind and a willingness to become a part of the Tiko community. 

 Why choose us?

Katete is not part of your typical traveller route, offering a look into an area seeped in history and ‘Chewa’ culture. As such, volunteers will have a unique, authentic Zambian experience. You will quickly become part of the Tiko family and community. Your work and presence will leave a lasting impact.

8 reviews · rating4.9

I was there last year. It was certainly a great experience, very kind and warm people, despite hard living conditions and malnutrition. Definitely ...
Ulrike Stierle rating4.8

2018 at Assistant in Agriculture Initiative

I visited Tiko with 2 friends. All in all, Tiko staff showed us so many things, and we learned how much people there struggle on a daily basis. An average European person can certainly not imagine. It was a very different experience and we are glad we were able to help a little bit. We will ...
Tomer Froedman rating5

2008 at Assistant in Agriculture Initiative

it was a amazing exprience. i fell like i do a really something good for the community. Eelke the manager of the place treat me like i one of her family. its the first time in my life that someone gave me a really opportunity to change something. i recoomend to any person that want to fullfill ...
ero christine HABER rating5

2024 at Assistant in Education Initiative

I have spent 5 weeks at Elke's wonderful Tikondane Community Centre. Initially I just wanted to teach English. Nevertheless these incredible, kind and hardworking people make you feel a part of their family. I have sung, danced, taught literacy to adults, learnt how to grow organic vegetables, how ...
Mark Burke rating5

2019 at Assistant in Education Initiative

From the ground up and with remarkable vision Elke built from scratch a community centre in rural Africa that redresses the failings of other developmental and governmental organisations. Development is a policy area awash with jargon and lip service, but Tikondane Community Centre was from the ...
Jan Beterams rating4.8

2014 at Assistant in Education Initiative

We found the project in our Lonely Planet guide and contacted the leading lady Elke Kroeger who 15 years ago had started the project. It was a real pleasure to do volunteering at this place. The Tikondanians are so warm, open and positive! It's really a pleasure to realise things together with ...

Location

Africa > Eastern Africa > Zambia > Katete

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Volunteer Abroad  >  Environment  >  Agriculture in Zambia
Contact Elke
  Good response rate
English, German, French

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