The Ultimate Sabbatical or Career Break in Africa

Combine skills with passions and totally revitalise!

If you're looking for a truly inspirational sabbatical that enriches your resume whilst enabling you to explore incredible corners of this world, Big Beyond offer a unique solution to combine knowledge and skills with other personal interests through bespoke volunteer programmes in Africa. This experience not only keeps your experience fresh and competitive but furthers it. And, it's a pause to do something you deeply enjoy.

Travel sabbaticals take us away from habits and routines, expands our horizons, gives us fresh and new perspectives, strengthens our sense of adventure, pushes us to challenge ourselves and feeds an appreciation of our own confidence and abilities.

Africa is an inspiring continent, full of inspiring individuals and by joining the Big Beyond team you'll get the chance to live and work alongside remote rural communities within a range of fascinating and high impact projects. While it may feel like a daunting gap in your resume, sabbaticals don't have to be a total break, they can be an integral part of career development. What's not to like about working amongst nature and intriguing cultures, but still applying and building your core skills!

Some people may want to totally disconnect from their careers, but others hold a passion for what they do in the office and just need a new environment for a while. A Big Beyond volunteer placement could mean combining marketing skills with a wildlife and conservation programme, or applying finance to a remote community run school, or perhaps using project management experience to organise a music festival with an indigenous tribe. The opportunities are really broad, stimulating, and all of them lead to great things for conservation and development in some of the most fragile parts of the world. You'll be working hand-in-hand with local communities and living in our house with the rest of the Big Beyond team.

So, email answers@bigbeyond.org to organise a call and we can see how your background works for the local projects or check out the website to find out about some of the opportunities in Uganda, Malawi and Ethiopia. You can choose to work in one site only or across all three.

Where in Africa could I go for my sabbatical?

Uganda - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park - home to the rare Mountain Gorilla

Malawi - Liwonde National Park - elephants, hippos, sable... in true African wilderness

Ethiopia - Mago National Park - and the ancient Hamar Tribe

Where will I live?

We want to make your trip as comfortable as possible and make sure you have a good home whilst you're sharing your time to help Africa. You'll live in a Big Beyond house with the rest of the volunteer team, they're not 5 star but comfy, clean, in great locations and our legendary cooks prepare you three lovely meals a day. True to the ethos of Big Beyond you'll be living right in the heart of the community making many new friends and learning from another culture every day.

Who can join the team?

We're looking for a diverse range of applicants so whether you're employed in the corporate world, have reached a career cross roads, are enrolled in a relevant degree or have retired from your profession you could be a really good fit. We need people with motivation and a willingness to adapt to a different way of life, enthusiasm to contribute to the project goals and commitment to respect the community and environment they're based. The only thing we ask is that you're over 18 and have the right attitude to volunteering and living in rural Africa.

When can I go?

We still have a few places on the programmes left in 2012 so if you're quick you may even be able to jump on board the team quite soon! Call us for availability. We run programme throughout the year and are filling up the teams for 2013 so you just have to reserve your place now.

How long can I stay?

Right now we're looking for individuals eager to take a sabbatical and join us from 3 to 12 months. If you can't get the time off and want to use your annual leave it's still possible to stay for just 2 weeks. The longer the better to really get your teeth into the projects.

How much will it cost me?

The fee to participate in Big Beyond programmes is a hassle free package inclusive of all accommodation, 3 meals a day, bespoke placement design, pre-trip and on-site project management, orientation programme, airport transfers, local project transport and a few more bits. This ensures a seamless experience and also big outcomes for the projects on the ground. When you're out there, you won't need much spending money except for optional travel on weekends and social drinks. It's approximately US$4,000 for 3 months and US$5,500 for 6 months (we're headed quartered in the UK so depending on exchange rates from GBP).