Lion of Judah Travel

Volunteer Tours & Project Details

Melikte

Arrival Procedures

We have all the information you need to know for your trip, from helping with visa queries to walking you through a placement induction on your first day in Ethiopia. Our hassle-free approach means you can concentrate on what really matters, making a difference at your placement.

You will arrive in Ethiopia at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. Our main offices in Addis Ababa are just a few minute’s drive from the airport. Most volunteers fly into Ethiopia in the evening. As you disembark, the first thing that you’ll notice is the altitude. You will walk across the tarmac to the arrivals building and pass through immigration control to the baggage reclaim area. Once you have your luggage, you need to go through customs. Be ready to have your bags opened by security staff as this is done routinely even when you go through the “nothing to declare” channel.

As you walk out of the airport building, you will be met by a wall of people on the other side of a barrier. It might seem overwhelming at first, but one of our staff members will be there to meet you with a ‘Volunteer Tours & Projects’ sign. Seeing a friendly face there to welcome you and take you to your accommodation will immediately put you at ease.

If your placement is in Addis Ababa, you will be taken from the airport straight to your host family. If you are going to a placement away from the city, you will usually stay overnight in Addis before travelling to your region the following morning.

Lion Of Judah Travel has over 25 years of experience arranging flights for thousands of volunteers around the world. Searching for flights online can be a time-consuming, overwhelming, and frustrating process. Let us do the work for you!

We can help you book the best return flights, making sure you have the safest, most convenient, and cost-effective flight options, no matter how complex your travel plans. Email us for any flight inquiries.

One of the benefits of volunteering with us is the visa guidance we give you. We have a dedicated visa team who have up-to-date information on visa requirements for Ethiopia. You can get in touch with us if you have any visa queries, big or small, and we will talk you through the process. Once you apply, you’ll also get a link to our web page, which will include all the necessary visa information.

The next working day after your arrival, you will be met at your accommodation by one of our local staff. You will spend the day getting a comprehensive induction and orientation. You’ll get to see the city, and where internet cafes, banks, and the post office are located. You will also enjoy a traditional Ethiopian lunch and cultural dances.

You’ll visit our offices and hear more about the different projects that are run in Ethiopia. Our staff are always close and on-hand, no matter which region you are based in. You’ll also receive an induction pack. This contains all the information you need, like a map of the town with important places highlighted.

Your primary contact is the Lion Of Judah Travel Coordinator, who is a full-time member of our local staff who has a detailed knowledge of all the projects and host families in the region. They are available 24 hours a day by phone if you have any questions or concerns.

In preparation for your first day at your placement the following day, a staff member will show you the best route to and from your placement. They’ll also show you how to navigate public transport, usually a minibus taxi. Lion Of Judah Travel covers all necessary work-related transport costs.

On your first day at your placement, you’ll spend time getting a feel for the work you’ll be doing in the coming weeks. Your supervisor will show you around the placement and you’ll get to see some of the work we do there. They’ll also explain your role and where you fit into the running of the placement.

We’ve set aside the whole of your first day for learning to make sure you feel confident and comfortable. You’ll start your project work on your second day.

Support, Safety & Backup

Your safety and security is our prime concern. We have many procedures and systems to ensure you have the support you need to enjoy your trip with peace of mind. Our Lion Of Judah staff are available 24 hours a day to help, and will be on-hand to make sure you settle in well at your accommodation and placement. If you encounter any problems, they will be available to help at any time.

We believe no other provider offers the safety and security to their volunteers and interns that we do. Every single one of our projects are thoroughly risk assessed. Every member of staff is trained to our high standards. Safety and support are at the heart of everything we do.

Here we’ll take you through how our approach to safety and backup is different:

We employ all our staff directly, no matter where they are in the world or what their role is. That means we never use third parties or contractors for our support staff, as some providers do.

We believe that if you’re volunteering or interning with Lion Of Judah Travel, that’s who you should be dealing with every step of the way.

In fact, many of our staff have been volunteers as well, and have a personal connection to Lion Of Judah. This means they understand what it’s like to take part in an experience like this, and how important it is to have great staff support.

Our in-country staff will meet you at the airport, check your accommodation before you arrive and give you a thorough induction and safety briefing. From that point, they’re there when you need them. They will regularly check in on you, but if you ever have a problem, question or just want someone to chat to, you can reach them 24/7.

We also have 24/7 emergency telephone numbers so that you or a member of your family back home can contact us if you need to.

Our projects are driven by the passion and commitment of the staff we work with.

In Addis Ababa we care about volunteering, this is because so many of us have been volunteers ourselves. Our partner, Mark Chapman from Tesfa Tours is one of them. Since 2005, he overlooks the day to day running of projects in Ethiopia.

Mark is supported by highly experienced core teams in Addis Ababa, and by committed and passionate staff in Ethiopia. We are a multi-national organization that works across language, cultural and geographic lines and so cultural exchange is at the heart of who we are.

Most of our volunteers and interns live with a local host family. Each of our host families are carefully chosen for security, comfort and friendliness. The family, their home and the neighborhood are all fully vetted by our expert staff before and during your visit.

Many hosts are associated with our programs – for example, a teacher or headmistress at one of our partner schools or a doctor at one of our medical placements. We also try to place you alongside a fellow volunteer or intern so your stay is sociable and you can share your experience with likeminded people.

As part of your project fee, we arrange accommodation for you that is secure, comfortable, and close to your placement. Our accommodation options and the culturally immersive experience they offer is just another reason why we are the resource for volunteer and interning within Ethiopia.

One of the things that makes volunteering and interning abroad so worthwhile is the chance to discover a different way of life. By living with a host family, you get to experience something far beyond what you would as a tourist.

Our projects empower you to explore the world, experience different cultures, and truly understand the specific issues in the places you visit. Through our host family accommodation, we offer the chance to live like a local and truly immerse yourself in local culture. In the process, you’ll grow as an individual and broaden your understanding of people.

Your host family will be like a home away from home. Having a warm, caring family to come home to each day is an ideal way to adjust to living in a different country. A supportive home environment gives you the confidence to focus on contributing at your placement and exploring the country. You will live with a host family alongside at least one other Lion Of Judah Travel volunteer.

Our host families are carefully chosen for security, comfort, and friendliness. Many of our hosts are associated with our programs. For example, you might live with a teacher or principal at one of our partner schools, or a doctor at one of our medical placements.

Your room will be modest but comfortable. Host families live in secure houses and neighborhoods and are closely screened and monitored. Our full time local staff hold regular check-ups, including one right before you move in.

We also ensure they can provide you with quality home-cooked meals. Food is at the heart of a society, so be prepared to eat your fill of local cuisine!

In line with our commitment to being a positive influence in the communities where we work, host families are decently compensated. They are also interviewed for friendliness and to make sure they’re motivated by the right reasons. They will welcome you into their family and home, eager to share their customs and have you teach them about your own culture.

We believe that living with a host family offers an incredible experience that really makes a program with us unique.

You’re not just a number to us. Our staff are passionate about making sure you get the most out of your time with Lion Of Judah Travel. We keep in touch with you before you leave, during your project and after you come home.

We have whole teams of staff in every destination, but you’ll have a dedicated supervisor assigned to you. They know the local area inside out and will be the first to know if there are any security or safety risks. They also know your host family and the local community well. If you have any problems or illness, they’ll be there to keep you safe and secure.

We know that you can only achieve your best when you’re in a safe and stable environment. The same is true for our staff and project partners. It’s for this reason that safety is our number one priority. We only send volunteers and interns to places that are safe and politically stable. If they are not, we don’t go.

We carry out thorough risk assessments for all of our projects, and have health and safety checklists for our staff to complete regularly. We also devise and train our staff on crisis management plans, so they know what to do if a problem occurs.

Safety is at our core, so we provide health and travel insurance for all volunteers as interns included in the price.

All of this is designed to give you and those who care about you peace of mind, so you can focus on enjoying your time abroad.

Insurance, Visas and Vaccinations

As a resource for volunteering tourism, Lion Of Judah takes the safety and well-being of our volunteers and interns very seriously. This is why we’ve partnered with Allianz Global Travel Insurance, a specialist in travel insurance to provide you with insurance cover during your project.

We can also advise you on specific visa requirements:-

Insurance for volunteers under the age of 66

Insurance is included in the program fee, and covers you throughout your placement. Unlike normal travel insurance, this insurance policy has been tailored specifically for volunteer projects.

Insurance coverage includes:

Subject to limits and an excess (deductible).

Click here for the full details of our insurance cover.

Note that pre-existing medical conditions must be reported and are not covered by this policy.

Our insurance comes into effect once you’ve paid for your project in full, and covers the dates of your project.

If the dates of your international travel fall within the dates of your project, insurance also covers your airline travel.

If you’re planning independent travel before or after your project, we highly recommend that you purchase an insurance extension to cover those days on the same policy.

Insurance for volunteers over the age of 66

Our standard insurance cover is unfortunately only available to volunteers under the age of 66. If you are, or will be, 66 or older at any time during your project, you must arrange your own travel insurance and send us the details before you depart from home. In these cases, we offer 1 extra day on the project for every 2 weeks originally booked.

Visas

For many destinations, you will have to buy a visa before traveling. In some cases, you can buy a visa at your port of entry into the destination. We will give you the relevant documents and advice. Currently, prices for visas vary from $30 to $400 according to destination.

Our Visa Team will provide you with detailed information about the specific visa requirements after you have applied.

Vaccinations

We advise you to consult your GP or health center for up-to-date information about vaccinations. Since we are not medical experts, our advice on vaccinations and other medical matters can only be informal.

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