If you’re eager to work with children and you’re ready to use your own hands to support local communities, then this project is an ideal fit for you. Better still, you’ll be working with a group of like-minded people, and you’ll have constant support from the Lion Of Judah staff. It’s one of our team trips, where we run a project on fixed dates so individuals from around the world can come together to form a group. It’s a great way to make a difference while meeting new people.

On this project, everything is organized for you from the moment you step off the plane. Your group will have a full schedule of volunteer work, activities in the evenings, and a weekend trip. You’ll work and sight-see together.

You don’t need any previous experience or qualifications to join this project. You’ll work alongside local teachers and caregivers, and the Lion Of Judah Travel staff are there to provide guidance and answer your questions. You can also brainstorm ideas with your group.

Joining a project like this could help your future career. You’ll gain childcare experience, and the project will give you interesting points to talk about in applications and interviews. You’ll also develop personal skills, like communication and working with people from different countries and cultures.

This is a fixed-date trip that runs at specific times during the year. You can choose the dates that best fit your schedule.

What will I do on this project?

In Ethiopia, your group will support local teachers and caregivers at a daycare center or kindergarten. Here’s what you can expect to do:

• Promote early childhood development through educational and stimulating activities
• Encourage children to practice good hygiene every day.
• Participate in renovation work to improve learning environments.
• Get to know the Ethiopian culture and way of life.
• Meet like-minded volunteers from all over the world.

Your work will be divided into five main areas:

• Promote early childhood development.

Your main role will be to support the work of local teachers and caregivers by focusing on early childhood development. Through games and educational activities, you’ll help with their physical, social, and cognitive development. The skills they learn, like improving hand-eye coordination, will help them cope with the demands of formal schooling.

• Help improve literacy and numeracy.

You will also work towards improving literacy and numeracy in children. Reading, writing, and counting are essential skills that everyone needs in life. By focusing on these skills at a young age, we can give children a head start for when they start school.

• Encourage children to practice good hygiene everyday.

You will also focus on encouraging children to practice good basic hygiene. Poor hygiene is the cause of many illnesses and diseases. By getting children to practice good hygiene everyday, we can reduce the rate of infection and improve the overall health of the community.

• Community work

In Ethiopia, you’ll help with gardening or light renovation work such as painting or decorating. Feel free to voice your creativity and share your own practical, low-cost ideas for renovation work. Assisting in this way will mean the local community with benefit from your contribution even once you’ve left.

By doing this kind of work as a group, you’ll be able to accomplish a great deal in the short time you’re in Ethiopia.

Explore Ethiopia with a group of people your age.

In Ethiopia, you’ll get to explore and experience life in East Africa accompanied by a group. When you’re not working, you’ll have plenty of social and cultural events and activities to keep you busy. You’ll also have constant support and guidance, as the Lion Of Judah Travel staff will accompany you throughout your stay. We’ll also take you on a trip over the weekend.

Where in Ethiopia will I be working?

• Addis Ababa

Your group will be based in Addis Ababa, where you’ll work in the local community and at a care center. Most of the care centers in Ethiopia look after children from families where both parents work. In most cases, funding is limited so the center are under-resourced and, at times, under-staffed.

When you are not working, you will be able to explore this historic town with your group. Ethiopia is a safe country renowned for its kind and friendly people, making it an ideal country for those visiting Africa for the first time.

• Airport pickup

When you arrive at your respective airport, a member of Lion Of Judah Travel staff will be there to meet you.

What are the aims and impact of this project?

The aim of this project is to bring a group of like-minded people together to improve early childhood development and education in Ethiopia.

In Ethiopia, the care centers we work with have limited resources and staff. They need extra support to make sure that each child learns the skills they need to thrive when they start school. Your group will become part of our ongoing efforts to help local teachers and caregivers do this. Each member of your team will be a welcome pair of helping hands. You’ll work together to improve early childhood development, literacy, and numeracy.

Your group will also help improve the learning environment. You’ll do this by adding a fresh coat of paint or colorful mural to a classroom wall, or build a vegetable garden.

And our secondary aim is to encourage the exchange of cultures, knowledge, and skills between members of your group and local people.

Management Plans

We set out the aims and objectives of our projects in documents called Management Plans. We use them to properly plan the work you’ll do. They also help us measure and evaluate our achievements and impact each year.

Ultimately, our management plans help us make our projects better. This in turn means you get to be part of something that makes a real impact where it’s needed.

Measuring Our Impact

Our projects work towards clear long-term goals, with specific annual objectives. Every volunteer and intern we send to these projects helps us work towards these goals, no matter how long they spend on our projects.

Every year we take a step back and look at how much progress we’ve made towards these goals. We put together a Global Impact Report, which documents our achievements.

View Details

The area is located in the Afar Region of north-east Ethiopia near the border with Eritrea. The climate here can only be described as cruel. But against all odds, people do live here. The Afar people call it their home.

The Danakil Depression is a contender for the hottest place on Earth, at least if you measure the average year-round temperature (reportedly 34.4C) rather than focusing on isolated bursts of extreme heat. Worse, it only receives 100 to 200mm of rainfall per year and it is also one of the lowest places on the planet, at 410ft (125m) below sea level. Combined, these factors make it one of the most inhospitable environments in the world.

If the climate was not enough, the region’s energetic geology makes it look like an alien land. It is a strange geological phenomenon that should be witnessed by all. Walking around the area you feel like you are on another planet. There are volcanoes with bubbling lava lakes, multi-coloured hydrothermal fields, and great salt pans that dazzle the eyes.

The Danakil Depression is the northern part of the Afar Triangle, a geological depression caused by the Afar Triple Junction: a place where three tectonic plates join. The Depression overlaps the borders of Eritrea, Djibouti and the entire Afar Region of Ethiopia. It is part of the great East African Rift Valley. This is why you see lava lakes lighting up the night sky, faults and fissures scarring the landscape, and steaming hot springs and geysers.

One day millions of years into the future, the plates will have moved apart so much that the salty waters of the Red Sea will spill over, creating a new ocean and drowning this strange landscape forever. Then, the Danakil Depression will be the birthplace of a new ocean.

View Detailed Itinerary

The tour starts in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, but the adventure starts with travelling to the north towards Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile. You will be visiting the monastery of Debre Libanos founded in the 13th century and take in the view of the Blue Nile Gorge. Then take a boat to visit the peninsular monastery of Ura Kidane Mehret that contains beautiful murals and embroidery.

You will see the Blue Nile Falls. The Blue Nile flows from Lake Tana to the south and from the Blue Nile Falls makes it way west and then north into Sudan. The Blue Nile then meets with it’s sister tributary in Sudan, the White Nile from Lake Victoria. The two rivers together make up what is most commonly known as the Nile River that flows all the way through Egypt. Most of the silt that made farming possible in Egypt came from the Blue Nile.

You will then travel further north to the city of Gondar to see the Fasil Ghebbi, the Royal Enclosure, a castle complex founded by Emperor Fasilides in the 17th century and continually built upon by succeeding emperors. The castle complex is known as the “Camelot of Africa.”

Then you travel to the Simien Mountains, plateaus separated by valleys and rising to pinnacles a place that posses a unique and unearthly beauty. You will visit a colony of Gelada Baboons, also known as “bleeding-heart monkeys” for the red patch of skin on their chest that looks like a scarf.

See the rock-cut monolithic churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia. Churches carved out of standing stone, the most notable being the Church of Saint George in the shape of a cross.

The adventure takes you to the air with a flight to the farthest north of Ethiopia to the Stelae Fields of Axum. There you will visit the Tomb of Kaleb, the 6th century King of Axum, then the Tomb of Gebre Meskel, Kaleb’s son and succeeding emperor. Then you will see the Ezana Stone, an inscription telling the story of King Ezana of the 4th century and his conversion to Christianity.

You will visit the most important church in Ethiopian Orthodoxy, the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, it is said to contain the original Ark of the Covenant.

After this tour of the north, you fly back to Addis Ababa, travel south by car to the Omo Valley in the south where a diverse group of people reside.

During the adventure you may come in contact with eight different tribes, like the Mursi with their lip plating or the Hamer with their hairdressing and “bull jumping” wedding traditions. You will also get to shop at various markets, immersing yourself in the local culture.

The various tribes you may meet are:

• Awra Amba a community not in the Omo Valley but between Gondar and Bahir Dar that promotes egalitarianism between men and women and does not promote any specific religion in contrast to other people in Ethiopia.
• Dorze are known for the their cotton weaving and their bee-hive shaped Dwellings.
• Arbore are pastoralist and have connections to the Konso. In local legend the Arbore are said to have resisted the devil granting Arbore Priests a special strength that other tribes will brings gifts to ask for their help.
• Gurage are an agricultural people that are seen as skilled traders. They are said to be descendents of the Aksumite Empire.
• Hamer are known for their “bull jumping” wedding traditions that are an initiation for a boy into manhood. The Hamer are also known for their body decorations.
• Karo are related to the Hamer in sharing most of the same language and culture but have focused on decorative body painting
• Konso are made up of nine different clans and have a tradition of nominating their own King, who is said to be the symbol of peace and integrity within the clans.
• Mursi are known for their lip plating and stick fighting tradition called Donga, a ritual duel that sometimes ends in broken bones.

During your stay in Oma Valley, you will get to see the Rift Valley Lakes of Ziway and Awasa. The Rift Valley Lakes span the entire east of Africa from north to south. Lake Ziway has many species of birds and also contains hippopotamus.  Lake Awasa boasts having the region’s largest open air fish market.

Your grand tour concludes in Hosanna where you will partake in a traditional dinner and a live dance show before heading back to Addis Ababa, bringing back with you memories that will last a lifetime.

What’s Included

• Accommodation (double room as stated in the itinerary)
• All surface transportation including transfers
• Half board meal with soft drinks in Hotels
• All entrance fees
• English-speaking guide
• Local guides and scout fee
• Boat trip on Lake Tana
• All government taxes

What’s Not Included

• International airfare
• Any airport taxes
• Visa fee and departure taxes
• Camera or video fee where required
• Any alcoholic drinks
• Tips and other personal expenses

Cancellation Policy

Any cancellation of a confirmed booking must be done in writing. Cancellations are subject to the following charges:

• 49 days or more prior to departure: a handling fee of 75 USD.
• 29 days to 48 days prior to departure: 20% of the total confirmed tour price
• 8 days to 28 days prior to departure: 50% of the total confirmed tour price
• 7 days or less prior to departure: 100% of the total confirmed tour price

Special cancellation fees may apply for third party bookings.
Lion of Judah Travel reserves the right to cancel the tour without prior notification in case of circumstances beyond its control and in such an event only agrees to refund all money already paid and received from the client.

Meeting Point

Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa (Open in Google Maps)

Know Before You Go

A guarantee deposit of 25% of the total payment is needed at the time of trip confirmation. The remaining 50% of the total payment is required a minimum of one month prior to the arrival of the tour group, which will be placed directly towards the deposits for hotels, coach companies, ferries and other travel arrangements. The final 25% of the package price should be paid upon arrival and commencement of the tour. In case of late confirmation where the trip begins in 2 weeks time or sooner, we require 100% payment be paid in cash to our account.

A 50% refund of the advance payment will be offered in the even of cancellations made 2 weeks or more before arrival. We will refund 25% of the advance payment made in case trips are canceled in 1 week before arrival. Cancellations made less than 1 week before arrival are non-refundable.

View Detailed Itinerary

Key Details
Duration
10 days
Mobile Voucher Accepted
Printed Voucher Accepted
Instant Confirmation
Live Guide
Spanish, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian
Wheelchair Accessible
Pick-up service
Addis Ababa Bole International Airport
Easy Cancellation
Cancel up to 1 day in advance for a full refund
Select date and participants:
People x 1
Show availability
What You’ll Do
• Witness an old Judaic religious ceremony at the church
• Attend the Ethiopian easter eve night celebration with the mass
• Visit the ancient historical and religious centers in Ethiopia
• Learn about Ethiopian people’s way of living and their cultural riches
• Admire the wonderful breath taking ceremony

View Itinerary Details

Key Details
Duration
9 days
Mobile Voucher Accepted
Printed Voucher Accepted
Instant Confirmation
Live Guide
Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Russian
Easy Cancellation
Cancel up to 1 day in advance for a full refund
Select date and participants:
People x 1
Show availability
What You’ll Do
• Spend the day exploring the stunning Awash National Park
• Relax in beautiful hot springs amid the groves of palm trees
• Witness the fascinating salt extraction process at Lake Afdera
• Trek up to the mountains to visit the active volcano of Erta Ale
• Visit a local camel caravan and spot and admire the spectacular desert scenery

View Itinerary Details

Explore the wilderness of southern Ethiopia on an 8-day tour of the Omo Valley, renowned for its fascinating tribal groups and huge diversity of wildlife. Drive into the crater lakes region of the Rift Valley, go to colorful tribal markets, and more.

What’s Included

• Accommodation (in double rooms as per Itinerary)
• All surface transportation including transfers
• Half board meals with soft drinks at the hotels
• All entrance fees
• English-speaking guide
• Local guide and scout fees
• All government taxes

What’s Not Included

• International flight ticket (allocated separately)
• Any airport tax
• Visa fee and departure taxes
• Camera or video fee where applicable
• Any alcoholic drinks
• Tips and personal expenses

Cancellation Policy

• Cancel up to 1 day in advance for a full refund

Meeting Point

• Pick-up at Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa

View Itinerary Details

Discover water falls, gorgeous gorges, colorful markets, birds, monastery, ruined bridges, ancient history, ruined palaces, steels, rock-churches, castle compounds and much more during this 15 days / 14 nights tour.
Key Details
Duration
15 days
Skip the Line
Mobile Voucher Accepted
Printed Voucher Accepted
Instant Confirmation
Live Guide
Spanish, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Russian
Easy Cancellation
Cancel up to 1 day in advance for a full refund
Select date and participants:
Adult x 1
Show availability
What You’ll Do
• Eco-friendly tours, tours that participate the local community, personal contact & interaction to the ancient historical & religious sites of Ethiopia
• spending by driving through breath taking sceneries and villages, admire the rock-hewn churches of Ethiopia
• visit to tombs of kings that ruled Ethiopia during birth of Jesus, visit the church that host the original arc of the covenant, visit island monastery
• visit to the parchments that were written on goat skin more than 500 years ago, admire the medieval castle compound
• visit to the source of blue-Nile, one of the longest river in the world, ancient Judaic practices
• Ethiopian Jews villages and magnificent religious ceremonies

View Itinerary Details

What You’ll Do
• Gorgeous gorges, colorful markets, green jungle and Scenery
• Wild coffee plantation, Tea plantation, Exotic tribes, Villages
• traditions and customs, Wild animals, Birds, Crater lakes.

What’s Included
• Accommodation ( double room as stated in the Itinerary)
• All Surface transportation including transfers.
• Half Board Meal with soft drinks in Hotels and Full board during camping Days
• All entrance fees
• Professional Cook and English speaking driver Guide
• Scout service
• Camping gears for the camping days
• Boat trip On Lake Wenchi
• All government taxes
What’s Not Included
• International flight while it is separately given
• Any airport tax
• Visa fee and departure taxes
• Camera or Video fee where inquired
• Any Alcoholic drinks
• Tipping and other personal expenses not mentioned in the including part
Cancellation Policy
Cancel up to 1 day in advance for a full refund
Meeting Point
Addis Ababa, Bole International airport

View Itinerary Details