Affordable Volunteer Programs in Rabat, Morocco from $310

Volunteering with IVHQ was an amazing experience. From getting picked up from the airport, which is very reassuring, to being supported by the organization all along the way and meeting other great volunteers, the experience was indescribable. Teaching women with very different levels of English and French was quite a challenge, however it taught me a lot as well. Also, having the choice to join different programmes along the way (the programme I did was very similar to others) was great as you could decide if you prefer volunteering a lot (ie. 5 to 6 hours a day) or only the mornings/afternoons, for example. That allowed me to balance my time well. Living in a host family was the best way to be really integrated into the culture. Overall the contacts I have made and the new friends I have met, as well as the impact the work had on the women (some learned the alphabet and numbers in only 2 weeks!) made this trip unforgettable.

This trip was by far the most amazing trip I have ever taken. It not only taught me about the culture and people of Morocco, but I also learned a lot about myself. I never knew how much I love teaching before volunteering with IVHQ. I not only tested the students, but the students tested me. None of the students knew how to speak English, and I do not speak a lick of Arabic, but some how we could meet in the middle using body language and symbols.
I am really happy I could work primarily with children. They are so eager to learn and excited to be in a classroom; even though they were no where near as big and equipped as the classrooms in the states.
My host family was also incredible and I will never forget one of their faces or beautiful smiles. They were so sweet and generous. No one spoke English in the family either, but that made communication more interesting and fun. They never made me feel uncomfortable or unwelcome, in fact they always made warm amazing meals, provided nice beds, and even rides if I needed to go to the ATM or train station.
This was a trip that I could write about for days. If I have any advice, it would be to really dedicate to your program. My roommate and I made lesson plans, bought new notebooks and pens for the students, and even stayed after class to help anyone who asked. Also, to go in with an open mind and try new foods and explore new customs.
IVHQ is an amazing program and I only wish I would have heard about it earlier.

Volunteering with IVHQ in Morocco was an adventure. I loved that the culture fosters a sense of respect for other religions and cultures, and that it's okay not to be Muslim and live in Morocco. I appreciated the Muslim customs and traditions, and I was able to learn a lot about Islam in Morocco while still holding firm to my Christian faith. I found it interesting and enjoyable to have conversations with locals about their religious beliefs and customs, and they were equally intrigued to hear about Christianity from me. The weather - I loved it most of the time. Marrakech and Fes are extremely HOT, so I'm glad I was placed in Rabat where the weather is fairly warm but nowhere near those other cities. I looked forward to the fact that there was sunshine every day without fail and the beach was a five-minute walk from my homestay. Of course, I love the people that I met there, both the locals and the other volunteers from all over the world. My placement was perfect. I was working in Women's Education, and the women were so appreciative of my time and effort and really WANTED to learn. The staff at ILCS (IVHQ's partner organization in Rabat) was always kind and attentive, and I made many friends there, as well. My language lessons - I took both French and Arabic - were helpful to me in communicating on a daily basis with the locals. I already spoke pretty decent French before arriving in Morocco, but I hadn't known any Arabic at all, and I learned SO much in such a short amount of time! My host family was full of fun and enjoyed having me there, and I fell in love with the kids in the family. If you go to Morocco, be prepared to be pushed far beyond your comfort zone - and love it.

Volunteering has never really been my thing. Don’t get me wrong, I have a bleeding heart for just about any cause and love people helping people. But there’s something about volunteering that seems more self-serving and superficial than actually providing a service that’s needed. I believe all of that changed when I chose to volunteer with International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ).

Since I had some time to travel and wanted to visit Morocco, I thought Rabat would be perfect. I chose to teach English not because of my exceptional grammar skills, but because it seemed the popular choice and I could envision what my day looked like. I have now both lived up to the stereotype of superficial volunteering and could not have been more wrong about what to expect. The program started on Monday, and I only had one week of volunteering in front of me, followed by a few days’ travel. It’s cliché, but time flies and one week was exceptionally short, especially as soon as I understood just what I was doing there.

Orientation was Monday. We learned all about the Institute for Leadership and Communication Studies (ILCS), Morocco, and each other. We also got a tour of our placements. I would be teaching at La Fondation Orient-Occident, a community center for sub-Saharan refugees. In reality, I was teaching Moroccan adults, some of who traveled from the country to Rabat just for studies. Surprise, I’m not teaching children and I’m getting worried about my actual English skills at this point. Not to worry, I would be meeting up with my two colleagues in the morning and we would taxi to the foundation together.

Instantly, I was in over my head. The other two had been there for weeks’ prior. They got to the classroom, began writing on the white boards, and going over the lesson, like a well oiled machine. What should I do? “Talk to the students.” Of course. And since communication is my strong suit, it was easy. Class started every morning at 10:00 and ended at noon. Most of the students didn’t trickle in until 10:30, but a few would stay after class for some one-on-one attention. “Good morning, teacher.” The routine soon became very familiar, and it was great. To begin, we had three vocabulary words to learn and form new sentences with. Then, a grammar lesson. Last, a song or story to go over aloud and talk about at the end. It warms your heart each time someone grabs your attention and says, “Teacher?” It seemed so funny to me, that word, yet these adults are all very serious and eager to learn English. This was nothing like the so many 2-hour group volunteer sessions I’d been a part of. For one, it didn’t require more work of the foundation just to accommodate us. And also, I knew this was very important to the people on the receiving end.

Now, many of my students did speak French, because they’ve chosen to educate themselves and it couldn’t be more evident. The skill levels ranged from elementary to college level, but everyone put in equal effort. They are starved for attention and understanding. And this is when I learned that teaching is extremely difficult. Even with the couple of hours put in at night to prepare, the lessons never go as expected, you hope you had and effect and you wish you could do more. But they learned. I know it because I’ve been a student in so many ways in life. Each day, they took something away and they got to listen to and speak English for two hours.

When Friday came, there’s no doubt it was too soon. A colleague of mine was also leaving that day, and the students were sad. How are they going to learn English without us? We got so many questions for more resources and schools. It’s clear that there aren’t enough inexpensive options, and there are next to no English books in Morocco. I was able to find an Arabic English dictionary to leave with the school, and the other teachers did the same. But we knew it wasn’t enough. This is the moment my heart breaks, and also the moment I believe in volunteering. These people are deserving of knowledge; it does seem to be the least someone could ask for.

Overall, I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. And I will absolutely be looking to IVHQ for my next travel destination.

My one week women's education volunteering was an eye opening experience. I truly felt challenged trying to teach a small group of women how to read and write as well as basic words in French. I bought some books & notebooks and off we went, repeating sounds, syllables & words, drawing objects and playing basic games. One day I was "trapped" in a middle of a very controversial conversation of which vegetables go into a tajine pot, one of the most special moments of my trip. And the hugs I got at the end of the class were the most genuine way of saying thank you!

During one of my solo train rides, I met a woman named Nadia and her brother! They made my 4-hr-long train ride from Marrakech to Rabat much more fun! Luckily her brother spoke a little bit of English so whenever I couldn't remember how to say something in French (and believe me, it happened often) I was able to still communicate with them. We had SO much fun! They laughed a lot (and I did too), specially when they tried to teach me some words in Arabic and I would try to say them with a funky accent.

Nadia runs her own bakery business, it's small because she is the one that makes the pastries and the costumers are people close to her family. She was going to the Italian Consulate in Casablanca because she wanted to visit her husband who is working in Italy. I mentioned that I liked her head scarf and just a few minutes before her stop, I noticed how she quickly and smoothly changed it to another one. I thought that maybe she wanted to wear one with a more sober color to the Consulate. However, it wasn't until we arrived at their stop and they were standing that she gave me her "pretty pink head scarf" as a gift ♥ I also got to try one of her "petits gâteaux" .. IT WAS SO GOOD.

I was worried about being alone in Morocco, but I always felt safe and took the risk to talk to the locals and make amazing memories. DARE MIGHTY THINGS!

My daughter Alex and I volunteered in Rabat, Morocco in Child care during Ramadan 2016. We are very experienced travelers and have volunteered in 8 countries with poverty children. We know to spend time observing a placement and find a way to make an impact on the existing situation. We have had great success bringing bags of educational and fun material to share with the kids. After several days of reading, coloring, painting, beachballs, and music, we decided it was time for mustache Day!!! We had several bags of black pretend moustaches and covered the boys, girls and a few babies with moustaches. It was hilarious and several looked like their grandfathers! One adorable girl gave us a thumbs up and for an instant looked like Borat. Along with bubbles, balloons, beachballs and music, it was a crazy fun day. Even more comical was the look on the parents faces as they picked up their little moustached child! We certainly taught all the kids the english word for moustache!!

I have not been able to stop thinking about Morocco since I left. The culture was amazing, our homestay made us feel like we were family, and the other fellow volunteers have become lifetime friends. I went to Morocco to help people, and I feel like I did, but the biggest impact was on me. Because of Morocco, I am forever changed for the better. So travel out of your comfort zone and make some of the most incredible memories of your life.

This was my first trip out of the U.S. and I took it alone. It was such a wonderful experience. Morocco was beautiful, host family was amazing, and I don't know what I would have done without the people that I met in the program. I was placed at a host residence with another female traveler and we went everywhere together. I loved participating in Ramadan in Morocco! The close knit family dynamic was so comforting. I would 100% recommend and return.

I volunteered in Morocco for five months at a refugee center called Foundation Occident Orrient. It was a great experience that taught me so much, even thought I was the teacher. My students were adult, all over 20 years old, and they were very receptive to knowledge. Most of my students were from Yemen and Morocco and some from Mali and Nigeria.

The staff at IVHQ/ILCS was amazing! I love Najat and Samad--they are willing to help you with anything. My host family was great and very accommodating.

The staff at my placement--the Foundation--were very hands off. Volunteers should be aware that they will have to plan a curriculum and might have to pay for transportation to their placement. I had very little contact with the administration and when volunteers came and went, I was the one handling everything. By the end of my five months I was teaching three classes at the foundation, but the administration had nothing to do with scheduling.

Overall, it was an amazing experience and I would 100% do it again. I was working a lot but had plenty of time to travel and have fun. I met some amazing other volunteers and made friends for life. I highly recommend this program.

I participated in the ILCS / IVHQ teaching English program in Morocco for six weeks. The students in my class were adult refugees with the largest demographic being Yemeni.

It was challenging work. We had no common language, meaning that my instruction was limited to examples, drawings and actions. In spite of this, however, my students kept returning to class. I was inspired by their determination, and I worked hard to improve myself as a teacher.

As native English speakers, the volunteers are responsible for the curriculum. While you don't need any teaching qualifications, a good understanding of English grammar is essential. If you're not familiar with the more subtle points, be prepared to learn on the job.

The teaching center was nice, thought not always well equipped. I would recommend for you to bring some simple English books, as stories make for engaging lessons. Be sure to buy or bring a large number of whiteboard markers. They run out quicker than you'd expect, and I often had trouble finding more.

My host family was lovely, but beware! Moroccans love food, so it's likely that you'll put on a few pounds.

I also took Modern Standard Arabic classes with ILCS. I thoroughly enjoyed myself during my forty hours of instruction, and liked my teacher.

If you have any questions about the program, feel free to contact me. Yes, I am a real person. No, I'm not paid to say any of this. It's a good organization run by honest people who do strive to do meaningful work.

- Hudson Leone

It was nothing of what I expected! I had the privilege to stay with an amazing caring helpful warm welcoming host family, with 4 beautiful children. I worked at an amazing school with talented refugees who need as much support as possible! It was a truly life changing experience!!!!!! Incredible food!!!!! Beautiful city especially for Europeans. I loved every single day! And I had the opportunity to share the whole experience with another extraordinary volunteer from New Zealand.

Travelling with fellow volunteers was wonderful but I wanted to go somewhere on my own for a different experience. I met the most friendly people on the train who gave me suggestions on what to do and not miss. I had randomly chosen a riad hotel from the internet. I loved where I was living but I was ready for a short stay in a hotel with a western style bathroom! The trip to the coast was lovely and the town so charming. My riad hotel was located inside the medina. Thanks to Google Maps, I found the place very easily, conside ring few of the strees have noticeable signage. When the hotel owners answered the door, I met the most lovely couple from Switzerland originally. They had bought a ruin and made it into a small hotel. My room was so representative of Morocco,with beautiful lights, fabrics and tiles. Then I noticed the bathroom which had lovely tile, completely modern and rose petals on the edge of the tub. More rose petals on my bed, the breakfast terrace with an ocean front and it just couldn't have gotten better considering it wasn't extravagently priced. The visit there was even better after befriending a young woman working at the Argon Oil coop store. She helped me pick my gifts for friends and then asked me to stop and visit when I'd be walking past her during my stay.

Overall, I had a great experience. The staff was very supportive and responsive, and the placement I was at helped me have a meaningful experience. Our host family was very accommodating and generous. However, I would like to have more organized outings for volunteers, as well as some information as to how our work was contributing to an overall goal. I would have also appreciated some accountability system for volunteers. I observed that some volunteers would spend just one or two hours at their placement. I felt that this could damage the image of IVHQ, and that it was a bit dishonest on the part of other volunteers to be coming for a volunteer program, but not staying true to their commitment. I understand that volunteers are mostly accountable for their own actions, but it made me somewhat question the long term impact of the IVHQ volunteer programs if there is little oversight or communication with the in country non-profit organizations as to how volunteers are contributing to the placements. I really did appreciate that we could call the staff there at any time, and they took the time to check in with us. I would encourage IVHQ to do that even more, in order to provide an even more supportive environment for volunteers.

Going to Morocco through IVHQ was an incredibly enriching and important experience in my life.

From the moment I got to Morocco there were never any doubts in my mind that I had made the right choice. My host family was incredibly warm, welcoming, and helpful as well as the staff of IVHQ's partner organisation in Rabat.

I spent most of my days teaching English and French in a youth center and a woman's rights organisation. My students were incredibly grateful and it was great (and humbling) to see how much they really enjoyed having me there.

On the weekends I had free time to travel all around Morocco and do lots of fun things like go to music festivals, visit the Sahara desert, and all sorts of other fun and exciting things.

The whole experience couldn't have been better. Bravo to IVHQ for running a class act.