Like Asia, another popular destination for sending volunteer EFL teachers is Africa.
Before embarking on volunteer EFL teaching in Africa, you should fully familiarise yourself with the country that you intend to work in. Here are a few things you should be aware of with regards to religion, cultural habits, and cuisine.
The continent has only two major religions: Christianity and Islam. Although tribal African religions still exist, they are not very common nowadays. If you find yourself teaching in the Maghreb, Egypt, or those African countries that border Egypt or the Maghreb, the predominant religion will be Islam. On the other hand, if you are teaching in the rest of Africa or Sub-Saharan Africa, the predominant religion will be Christianity, with the exception of the Horn of Africa.
There are several cultural habits that you should follow when in Africa. Africans eat with their hands – but never the left hand. Pointing is considered rude. Africans show great respect for their elders. Africans always greet each other and shake hands: it’s important that you adopt this habit since it creates a good impression. Africans will often use hissing sounds or smack their lips loudly if they want to attract your attention. Don’t talk a lot at meals. Long periods of silence are quite common during conversations.
If you are given a gift, accept it with both hands outstretched. Africans don’t offend others in public, they control their emotions. African cuisines are extremely complicated to describe, and their characteristics are regionally dependent; needless to say that where you teach may to some extent determine what you eat.
For instance, if you teach in Central Africa, you can expect to eat Fufu (which is a staple food in many African countries) with grilled meat and various sauces. Fufu is actually made with flour from cassava (also called manioc/tapioca). If you teach in the African Great Lakes region, you may not get the chance to eat meat because animal livestock is regarded as “a form of currency and store of wealth.”
Read more: 7 Alternative Places To Volunteer Teach English As A Foreign Language