The Gambia
Competitive candidates will have:
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline and a strong desire to teach English
Additional skills that may make you a more competitive candidate:
• Experience in any of the following areas is preferred:
• Teaching and/or tutoring experience in English or a foreign language;
• Interest/experience in working with young children in both formal and informal educational setting in the areas of Science and Math/numeracy;
• Classroom teaching experience at the Early Childhood, Middle School, or Elementary level. Full time Montessori teaching experience
• Primary teacher training
All Volunteers live in remote, rural communities, and will need to be flexible in housing expectations. You will live in simple, private quarters on the property of a host family for your entire service. Houses are situated on or near a family compound with other neighboring houses. You will have a private pit latrine and will likely need to fetch water from the village water source, up to 300 yards away. While your family compound may not have electricity available, Peace Corps The Gambia provides an allowance for Volunteers to purchase a solar system to charge electronic materials such as laptops, phones, tablets, etc. Usually, this solar electricity can also power a standing fan for much of the day and night. You may need to walk or bike up to 3 miles to access public transportation and up to 6 miles to a larger town for shopping.
Communication between staff and Volunteers, as well as among Volunteers, is mainly by phone and text. You will receive a simple cell phone for local texting and calling on arrival if you do not bring your own. The Gambia is a small country. Contact between staff and Volunteers is high and this is appreciated by the Volunteer community. There are a few internet cafes in some of the larger towns, but access is slow, patchy and depends on intermittent electricity. There is internet access at the Peace Corps office near the capital, the Peace Corps Training Center in Massembeh, and in the PC office in the eastern part of the country.
Many vegetarians have managed to maintain a healthy diet here. However, as the supply and range of vegetables in the country is limited, this can present challenges and requires some flexibility. It is very difficult for Volunteers to maintain a vegan diet throughout their service.
Please see The Gambia Living Conditions section of the website for information about:
• Communications
• Housing and site location
• Living Allowance and money management
• Food and Diet
• Transportation
• Social Activities
• Professionalism, dress, and behavior
Even with our newfound democracy that emanated from the 2016 election, The Gambia still has some restrictive laws in our law books that target certain sexual acts. Volunteers will need to be mindful of cultural norms and country-specific laws and use their best judgment to determine how to approach topics in their communities and the country as a whole. Staff and currently serving Volunteers will address this topic during Pre-Service Training and identify support mechanisms available for incoming trainees and Volunteers throughout service.
The influence of colonialism and other countries in The Gambia shapes perceptions Gambians may have of outsiders. Americans may be assumed to be wealthy. Black/African Americans may blend in and initially be seen as Gambians; people may assume that they know local languages and culture. Asian-Americans may be confused as Chinese citizens working in The Gambia. Peace Corps staff are aware of many of the challenges faced by Volunteers and strive to find meaningful ways to support Volunteers to navigate the complexity of living and working in The Gambia.
None
While the official language of The Gambia is English, Volunteers are expected to learn the predominant local language of the village to which they will be assigned.
Instruction in a local language will be provided during Pre-Service Training and additional language support will be available at your work site if needed. Most of your students, and even many of the teachers will speak a local language outside of school, so learning the local language will be very important for your integration and work. This will be particularly important when volunteers are working directly with children through extracurricular activities, working with school administration and community members.
Teaching in schools is predominantly in English, which is the official language of The Gambia.
Languages taught at Pre-Service Training are: Pularr, Mandinka, Wollof, Jola and Serrahulleh.
Education
No
There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position.
The Gambia
15
Yes
PCV
No
No
Shorter term service
As the preeminent international service organization of the United States, the Peace Corps sends Americans with a passion for service abroad to work with communities and create lasting change. Volunteers develop sustainable solutions to address challenges in Education, Health, Economic Development, Agriculture, Environment and Youth Development. Through their Peace Corps experiences, Volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a lifelong commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today's global economy. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 240,000 Americans of all ages have served in 142 countries worldwide.
