Community building in Africa

Help build schools in Africa as a building volunteer

Doing volunteer building work in Africa is a wonderful way to experience life within international communities, develop real skills, and see physical results from your time. Our volunteer building in Africa focuses on constructing or renovating essential infrastructure in local communities, like schools.

You don’t need to have a background in construction or engineering to get involved. Our volunteer building in Africa projects let you work alongside local professionals who will teach you everything you need to know, support your work, and check everything is correct at the end.

Not quite what you’re looking for? Check out our other opportunities to volunteer in Africa to find something more suited to you!

Is community building in Africa right for me?

If you like being outdoors, physical activity, and discovering new cultures, then a building project in Africa is perfect for you.

You’ll live and work within the community, contributing to locally-led initiatives to build vital infrastructure where it is needed and learning new skills along the way.

Whatever skills and talents you have, volunteering on a Building Project in Africa offers a rewarding combination of the new, exciting, and life-changing, as well as the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.

What will I do on a building project in Africa?

Depending on community needs at the time, you will likely help build a school in Africa when you join a volunteer building project. For example, in Tanzania, you will work to renovate and improve our Maasai school, set up and run entirely by Projects Abroad to provide an education to children in rural areas. This is also where our childcare volunteers in Tanzania work!

One of the most enjoyable aspects of our volunteer building projects in Africa is that you will often make your own bricks from sustainable materials. You’ll also get involved with laying foundations, plastering, painting, and installing windows and doors. It’s a great way to get actively involved in sustainable development, as you’ll be providing infrastructure that the community really needs.

The materials you’ll use are often much more basic and there can be limited tools for construction. Construction volunteering in Africa is suitable for both long and short term volunteering, and many opportunities to further get involved with the local communities outside of the construction sites are available to those who are interested.