Morning: Normally, I got up around 7:30, then had my breakfast in the guesthouse of the organization where I worked. After that, I went to the school to help the cook prepare the meal for about 50 kids from about 3-6 years old.
In mid-morning they had 1/2 hour break and I usually went outside with the children, playing with balls or making soap-water-bubbles, put them on the swing mad of a piece of tyre and other very simple games. Sometimes after that, I went to the classrooms to read a story in English, so they could get used to hear english words spoken. Most of the teachers there don't speak English. This point sometimes made things a bit difficult as we couldn't really communicate together. But I learned very quickly some amharic and it went fine.
I also helped to repair the electricity in the "kitchen". This place was just a kind of shack with a lot of holes in the roof. So the water came in when it rained and everything got wet, the walls, the floor and the electricity cables.
On saturdays, there was no regular school, but many kids, mostly older ones came to play or to do some handicrafts or whatever we prepared for them.
Afternoon: Sometimes I had the so-called afternoon classes. They were for kids who had finished the school but wanted to learn more. So I taught them English. Usually, there were kids from 4-15 years old in the same class and some spoke quite a bit english, others nothing at all. We had to do very basic things and have a lot of patience. The whole school-system is very different from what we are used to. Mostly they learn things by repeating it, over and over and over, just memorizing it. And, also a huge problem for foreigners, they don't only speak a different language, they also use another scripture than we do.
When there were no classes to be held, I did a lot of different things, I went to visit friends I have there, shopping, museums, watching a football-match in the stadium, we even went to play billiards. Sometimes I visited the leper colony or accompanied another women to the poor people in the area to bring them food or just to sit and talk a bit. I was used to seeing poverty, but for someone who never went to poor places, it can be quite difficult to see it. I mean, they are really, really poor. We also visited sick people in the hospital, just to make them feel less alone and to see they are well cared about.
Evening: At least once a week, we went to the city center to do what they call "street ministry". At this point, I have to say that the organization where I was turned out to be part of an evangelical church and they where all very strongly committed to that. For me, that was sometimes very difficult because I could witness scenes who still today make me shiver. I don't have any problem with any religion at all. But I'm not a "believer" and I would say what they did was sometimes close to brainwashing and they were proselytizing strongly. Apart from this, the work with the street kids was a good experience. To see where and how they live and to be able to share some time with them was very touching.
Otherwise the evenings went by going somewhere to eat dinner and sometimes have a drink with friends, or visiting someone at home, sometimes just hang around at home, talking, watching Al Jazeerah (I have been there during the nuclear catastrophe in Japan and the fights between Ghadaffi and the rebels and the NATO.) As I had to get up early, I didn't went to bed really late.
Highlights: The very friendly people in Addis Ababa, all the love and trust the children gave me, without even asking who I am or where I'm from. It's just unconditional love.
And sitting down in the nights with the street kids of Addis, talking, singing or just sitting and sharing time, giving them at least a glimpse of dignity they normally don't get during their incredibly hard time.
I think, volunteering is a great thing for people who stand with both feet on the ground, are able to work independently and to take care of themselves in not-everyday situations. I would not encourage very young ones or those who never travelled (or not to non-western countries to put it this way) to choose a volunteer job in a very poor country or in a place where they have really to be independent, because otherwise they may be more a burden then a real help and that's definitely not the sense of it. Many organizations seem to take just everyone, without really looking close. I guess there are lot of different possibilities, so choose carefully; and compare the prices too!