The cost of the RIPPLE Africa volunteer programme at Mwaya Beach, Malawi, is based on a non-refundable deposit of GB£300 plus an additional amount dependent on the duration of your placement (please see the table below). Please also make sure you read our Refund Policy.
|
Non-
refundable Deposit |
GB£300
plus |
Non-
refundable Deposit |
GB£300
plus |
Non-
refundable Deposit |
GB£300
plus |
|
Duration of Placement
|
Additional
Cost for Placement |
Duration of Placement
|
Additional
Cost for Placement |
Duration of Placement
|
Additional
Cost for Placement |
|
1 week
|
£150 | 9 weeks | £975 | 17 weeks | £1,450 |
| 2 weeks | £300 | 10 weeks | £1,050 | 18 weeks | £1,500 |
| 3 weeks | £450 | 11 weeks | £1,125 | 19 weeks | £1,550 |
| 4 weeks | £600 | 12 weeks | £1,200 | 20 weeks | £1,600 |
| 5 weeks | £675 | 13 weeks | £1,250 | 21 weeks | £1,650 |
| 6 weeks | £750 | 14 weeks | £1,300 | 22 weeks | £1,700 |
| 7 weeks | £825 | 15 weeks | £1,350 | 23 weeks | £1,750 |
| 8 weeks | £900 | 16 weeks | £1,400 | 24 weeks | £1,800 |
We would prefer our volunteers to make a commitment of a minimum of three months. Three months allows volunteers to establish solid relationships in the community and make a significant impact. For volunteer teachers, it allows them in most cases to complete a school term.
We do not advise shorter placements of less than three months. It is important to recognise that, although the volunteers will benefit enormously from their experience at Mwaya, our main responsibility is to the community. It takes time to build relationships with students and patients, and shorter placements simply don’t provide the consistency which the community really needs. In some special cases we have been able to accommodate shorter placements, but please be advised this is not the norm.
Although the vast majority of our volunteers stay for three months, some have stayed for six months, and some even longer. Most of the volunteers who have stayed longer have had a great time and have achieved a tremendous amount, but it does not suit everyone. If you are considering a placement longer than 6 months, please e-mail us to discuss this.
So you are giving up your time to volunteer, why give up your money too? First and foremost, because it actually costs RIPPLE Africa money to host volunteers in Malawi! RIPPLE Africa runs Mwaya Beach as the hub of its volunteer activity: Mwaya Beach only exists so that volunteers have a place to stay! Maintaining the accommodation costs money. There are staff salaries for the watchmen, gardeners, cooks, and cleaners, not to mention the maintenance and running costs to look after the chalets, shower and toilet facilities, water pump, solar panels, volunteer bicycles, and more. Your volunteer fees cover what it costs the charity to keep this accommodation in great shape, for you!
Secondly, any extra money thereafter goes directly to RIPPLE Africa’s charitable projects in Malawi. RIPPLE Africa accomplishes a huge amount in Malawi with relatively little money, thanks to carefully managing our income and keeping our administration costs as low as possible. In addition to our many projects, we also pay the salaries of over 120 local Malawians! Your volunteer fee directly helps the charity to continue its work in Malawi, and your money is a direct investment in the lives and communities of the people you will be helping as a volunteer.
| Before You Go | |
| Return flight from UK (see Kenya Airways) | £700 |
| Travel and medical insurance | £70 |
| Vaccinations (see MASTA in UK, or see CDC in USA) | £200 |
| Malaria prophylaxis (could be more or less) (see Travelpharm in UK) | £50 |
| Total Before You Go | £1,020 |
| Additional Costs in Malawi | |
| Accommodation/meals/taxi/bus at start and end of trip | £100 |
| Visa extension for 60 days (first 30 days free) | £40 |
| 4 day safari: South Luangwa NP with Kiboko Safaris | £400 |
| Food/drink/transport/phone units/trips, etc. @ £50 per week | £600 |
| Total Additional Costs in Malawi | £1,140 |
In addition to the cost of the volunteer programme, volunteers are also responsible for some additional personal costs. This includes the cost of getting to Malawi, and personal daily expenses such as food, drink, and travel. These costs can vary greatly and are completely discretionary. However, please be aware that travelling in Africa is much more expensive than you think! We advise volunteers to budget £50 a week to cover all the personal expenses they may encounter. You may not need that much, but it is better to budget for more money and not spend it, than to be caught short! If you are going to travel through Tanzania or Zambia, make sure you bring additional US$s.
Once you have received and accepted an offer of a placement (please read the section What Happens Next on the Application Process page), you will be required to pay the non-refundable deposit of GB£300 to secure your place. The balance for the period of your stay is payable at least four weeks before departure. If your departure is within four weeks of acceptance, then the total figure is payable immediately.
PLEASE NOTE: You are solely responsible for paying the deposit and balance for your placement. We do not agree with volunteers fundraising from family and friends to pay for the cost of their placement, and you should not use your JustGiving fundraising page for this purpose. This is because your volunteer fee largely goes towards covering your own accommodation costs, so you would essentially be asking people to donate to YOU AND YOUR ACCOMMODATION in Africa. Ethically, this is very different than asking people to donate to the charity itself. If you do want to use your volunteering experience as an opportunity to fundraise, we really welcome you to do so! Have a look at our Start Fundraising! page to learn how!
The deposit of GB£300 is non-refundable. As it is very difficult for us to fill volunteer places at short notice if someone cancels prior to starting their placement or leaves the programme early, we require a 12-week notice period, and we can only refund any money already paid in excess of 12 weeks from cancellation of, or departure from, the volunteer placement. For example, if your placement is for 24 weeks and you decide to leave after eight weeks, you would be entitled to a refund equivalent to the cost of the last four weeks of your placement period (i.e. placement length of 24 weeks minus 8 weeks spent at Mwaya Beach minus 12 weeks notice period = 4 weeks). Please remember that nearly all of the money you pay for your placement goes directly towards running our charitable projects in Malawi. Refunds may be paid in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Directors of RIPPLE Africa.
Please see our Refund Policy above.
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