School building and renovation in Cape Verde

🏠 Your home in Tarrafal

For your stay you'll be based in Tarrafal, a coastal town on Santiago island known for its white-sand beaches and the easygoing rhythm of Cape Verdean life. The accommodation is a volunteer house run by our local partner, a few minutes from the centre and the main schools. The atmosphere is friendly and welcoming: you'll share spaces, meals and everyday moments with other participants from around the world.

🛏️ Rooms and comfort

• Shared rooms (4–8 people), separated by gender
• Shared bathrooms with hot showers and Western-style facilities
• Bed linen provided (towels not included)
• Fan in each room, no air conditioning
• Lockable rooms for privacy and security
• Wi-Fi in the common areas
• No mosquito nets or safe: we'd suggest bringing a personal padlock

🍽️ Meals & daily life

• 3 meals a day on weekdays and 2 at weekends
• Cape Verdean and international cooking: rice, fresh fish, vegetables and simple dishes
• Water, tea and coffee always available
• Special diets handled on request when you book
• Meals are served at the accommodation and are a daily chance to catch up

🤝 Common spaces & connection

• Living area and dining room for shared meals and downtime
• Small shared kitchen and fridge
• Wi-Fi in the common areas
• Nearby: ATM, mini-markets and local restaurants within walking distance

🧾 What's included

• Shared rooms (4–8 people, single-gender)
• 3 meals on weekdays / 2 at weekends
• Drinking water and basic drinks
• Ongoing support from the local team
• Access to common spaces and Wi-Fi
• Initial orientation and 24/7 support

💛 More than just accommodation

The volunteer house in Tarrafal is a meeting point between cultures and people. Here you'll share everyday moments with the local community and get a real feel for everyday life on an island where you'll find a warm welcome.

🛡️ Safety and support

In Tarrafal life moves at a calm pace and the community welcomes people from outside warmly 🌍 All our programmes in Cape Verde are carefully chosen and supervised to keep things reliable, run by experienced local staff.

🔹 Background checks

Before you travel, every volunteer needs to provide a criminal record check (DBS or equivalent). We'll send you clear instructions to handle the process easily: a simple but essential step to keep things safe and trusted between participants, staff and the local community.

🔹 High safety standards

• Accommodation and schools in calm, easy-to-reach areas
• A local coordinator always on hand
• Controlled access and daily participant check-ins
• Activities organised in safe, supervised spaces

🔹 Ongoing support

From your arrival to your departure, you can count on the local team 24/7 for anything you need. Our UK team is also on WhatsApp throughout your stay for an extra layer of support.

🔹 Sensible habits

✔ Always keep the emergency numbers we've given you handy
✔ Avoid walking on your own at night or in isolated areas
✔ Follow the staff's advice and respect the centre's rules
✔ Always let the team know if you're heading out somewhere on your own

💡 Our aim

To give you a calm, safe, down-to-earth experience, so you can focus on what really matters: getting to know Cape Verdean life, learning and sharing 🌴

🧭 Orientation day

Your first Monday in Tarrafal is dedicated to orientation: a moment to get to know Cape Verdean culture, see the area and feel at home straight away 🇨🇻

During the day, you'll join a series of activities led by the local team:

• Welcome meeting and programme introduction
• House rules and code of conduct
• A basic Kriolu language session and an introduction to local traditions
• A walk around the area: supermarkets, ATM, shops, local landmarks
• Shared lunch break
• Guided visit to Mar de President beach and back for dinner

📌 After orientation

From Tuesday you'll start the renovation work, with all the useful info you need to settle into life in Tarrafal.

✈️ Arrival and departure tips: Tarrafal, Cape Verde

We'd recommend booking your flight into Praia (RAI) International Airport on a Sunday, between 00:05 and 02:00 on the Monday. That's when our team's welcome service is running and they'll take you to Tarrafal (about a 1h30 drive).

📍 Official meeting point

Tarrafal Square, in front of the main church. The local coordinator will be waiting with a sign. Please don't leave the meeting point until our staff have come to find you.

🚗 Transfers

• Average drive time: 1h15–1h30
• Free Sunday pickup (subject to confirming your arrival time)
• Private pickup possible at other times or days, with a small extra
• Return to the airport on Saturday: transfer not included, but help is on hand to arrange a taxi or shuttle

📱 Internet connection

We'd suggest picking up a local SIM on arrival or activating an eSIM through Airalo before you travel.
👉 https://airalo.pxf.io/e15b2O
You can also pick up the SIM during orientation with help from the local staff.

🛫 Departure

Check-out is by 12:00 on Saturday. We'd suggest planning your return flight for the afternoon or evening so you have time for the transfer to Praia. If you're leaving early or running late, always let the local coordinator know.

💡 Once your participation is confirmed

You'll get an email with a document covering coordinator contacts, maps, emergency numbers and all the up-to-date instructions. With these, your trip should run smoothly.