Warwick in Africa lauds 2024 volunteer successes in annual report

The Warwick in Africa (WiA) student volunteering programme has hailed its successes in its annual report.

The philanthropically-funded programme, founded in 2006, sends Warwick students on a six-week placement with partner schools in South Africa and Ghana to teach Maths and English.

The WiA programme has long boosted Warwick students’ teaching skills and global outlook, with 70% of 2024 volunteers saying that they gained enhanced intercultural abilities from the programme.

Owing to the initiative, a total of 34,000 learners and 1,100 teachers have been aided through classroom support and cultural exchange in the last three years alone

Moreover, WiA gives Warwick students an opportunity to uplift the academic ability and ambitions of economically disadvantaged pupils.

Owing to the initiative, a total of 34,000 learners and 1,100 teachers have been aided through classroom support and cultural exchange in the last three years alone.

However, the scheme not only provides education for pupils and teachers, but also renovation and funding for learning tools such as iPads and laptops.

In Kayamandi, student Aly introduced over 60 tablets with more than 500 hours of content. Meanwhile, in Accra, Umar boosted morale for over 200 students by holding a sports day and secured printers for long-term use.

Programme Director, Professor David Davies, said that they are building “a sustainable model of education partnership that continues to grow and evolve”.

He highlighted how the initiative has matured by fostering partnerships with schools in South Africa and Ghana, often adapting to local needs, and by integrating student volunteers into a collaborative ecosystem.

At its core, Warwick in Africa is for anyone passionate about teaching, experiencing new cultures, and throwing themselves outside their comfort zone

Tilly Dickinson, 2024 student volunteer

In 2025, Professor Davies will oversee the incorporation of the Undergraduate Research Support Scheme (URSS) into the programme’s mission. The ambition is to widen the programme’s educational scope by partnering with Stellenbosch and Ghanaian universities, and by doing so to continue the clear evolution of the WiA programme since its inception in 2006.

Speaking to The Boar, second-year student Tilly Dickinson, a volunteer in 2024, said of the WiA experience: “Volunteers come to the programme with incredibly diverse motivations and backgrounds. At its core, Warwick in Africa is for anyone passionate about teaching, experiencing new cultures, and throwing themselves outside their comfort zone.”

The exemplary work praised by WiA in its report is hoped to expand in 2025, with work targeted at bridging the development gap and forging connections between Warwick students and South African and Ghanaian communities.