Nosy Be, Madagascar

Volunteer in Nosy Be

Discover, teach, and learn on the edge of paradise.

Our hub in Madagascar is located on Nosy Be, an island with striking natural splendour and precious ecological significance. While exploring tropical seas and forests found nowhere else on earth, you’ll work to assist local communities achieve their sustainable tourism and economic goals by facilitating English lessons alongside more focused economic empowerment initiatives.

Positive
impact

Build a better world by contributing to vital, locally-led project work that strives for a more just and equitable future.

Ethical
work

In line with the UN’s SDGs, we are committed to ethical and sustainable engagement with our local partners and communities.

Beautiful
community

Learn from the world’s most unique and significant cultures, in breathtaking remote locations.

Nosy Be volunteer projects

Overview

Our community development volunteering projects in Madagascar are based on Nosy Be, pronounced NOSSY-BAY, island.

The island

Nosy Be is a volcanic island, off Madagascar’s northwestern coast. We are based on the island’s southeastern coast, in Lokobe Park, one of Madagascar’s national parks. The island has an estimated population of around 115,000 people, with the Sakalava people making up the majority of Malagasy residents and Sakalva Malagasy being the main dialect spoken on the island.

Many local communities and villages surround the park, and some of them have joined together to form their own locally managed area, with the aim of preserving some of the last remaining primary rainforests in the country. We work with a number of these communities to increase English language literacy, a skill that can assist them with furthering their personal goals.

In your free time, you can take the opportunity to see what the island has to offer. Stroll along the long stretches of white-sanded beaches, snorkel or dive in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, or hike up to the summit of an ancient volcano where you’ll be able to see the scenic Mozambique Channel in all its glory. If you have more time on your hands, take a trip to some of the many smaller islands nearby or visit the mainland for additional cultural experiences and adventures in nature.

The GVI base

Our base – where volunteers in Madagascar spend the majority of their time –is newly built from sustainably and ethically sourced local materials, and is fully solar powered. We are located on the edge of town, and the town centre is 10 minutes away by tuc-tuc.

Our community development work

As the number of English speaking tourists in Madagascar and especially in Nosy Be rises, the ability to speak English is becoming more and more valuable. English classes are provided to both school children and adults, offering structured and informal lessons.

We also work on women’s empowerment initiatives in local communities, focussed in three areas: