SFEL’s Gap Year Program are flexible programs for people wishing to spend 1 – 3 months in Konso. The program includes much of the trekking activites included in our shorter tour packages, in depth learning of specific areas of Konso culture as well as volunteering and field research in the areas of health care, education, agriculture and poverty alleviation. By the time guests leave they will be honorary members of the community with a better understanding of the language, people and places of Konso as well as having a better understanding of their own place in this world. They are aimed at students, undergraduates, postgraduates and working professionals wishing to take an extended leave for personal development.
A typical 1 month program will include lessons in Konso language, experience of working on an agricultural project with a Konso community work group, learning how to make the staple food/drink chagga, helping with traditional community construction projects, undertaking valuable research on behalf of SFEL and the local community, giving short lessons in your own language at the local schools as well as a 6 day guided trek of your own design.
A typical 2 month program will include all of the above with a longer trek of 12 days. It will also enable you to spend more time in a village of your choice studying in detail any part of Konso culture that is of interest to you (e.g. learning how to make a traditional drum, how to weave a blanket or about Konso astrology) that will take some time. While you are there you will also take part in more specific research and volunteering activities in a field of your choice.
The 3 month program is aimed at professionals or advanced students such as teachers, doctors and scientists who wish to contribute more of their skills to the local community. The program will include all of the above two programs with two treks taken at different times that will allow you to see parts of Konso that other visitors probably will not. The longer length of time will also allow you to partake in a project specific to your area of expertise or study. As you will be spending such a long time with us SFEL also endeavours to facilitate any other activities that you might wish to undertake after your initial exploration of Konso.
