Christoph Pauly on volunteering as an older adult: “With my white beard and my 58 years, I am certainly an atypical volunteer.” Learn more about Christoph’s experience here.
What To Consider When Choosing Senior Volunteer Opportunities Abroad
We are driven by a universal longing—to transcend our individual lives and connect with something greater. This passion doesn’t fade with age; instead, it deepens, enriched by decades of experience and wisdom.
At Friends of Senegal and Maison de la Gare, we believe every individual, regardless of age, carries the potential to create transformative change. Our volunteer opportunities in Senegal are not just about giving—they’re about profound mutual understanding and growth.
We focus on two critical areas:
- Supporting talibés: Talibés are street children who have escaped abusive situations that are often found in religious training centers called “daaras,” where they live from a very young age. We offer children protection, care, and hope through our sports, education, health and hygiene programs, and more.
- Empowering communities through supporting entrepreneurs: Developing microfinance programs that promote economic mobility and sustainability, changing the lives of individuals and entire families.
Christoph, one of our seasoned volunteers, perfectly captures the essence of our mission: “When I discovered Maison de la Gare, I was electrified by the opportunity to share African life and discover its complex social and family reality.” In just a short stay, Christoph realized that volunteers gain as much as they give—learning, growing, and connecting across cultural boundaries.
Your lifetime of experiences is not a limitation—it’s your most powerful tool for making a meaningful difference.
Why Should Seniors Volunteer Abroad? Senior Volunteering Abroad as a Gateway to Global Impact and Personal Renewal
Retirement isn’t an endpoint—it’s a launchpad. You’ve accumulated a lifetime of wisdom, skills, and resilience. Now is the moment to transform those treasures into meaningful global contributions.
Volunteer abroad, and you’ll discover:
- Personal reinvention beyond traditional retirement
- Meaningful connections across cultural boundaries
- Adventures that challenge and inspire you
- The profound satisfaction of making a tangible difference
- An opportunity to apply decades of professional and life experience
- A chance to see the world through a transformative lens
Your years are not a limitation—they’re your most powerful asset for creating positive change. The world needs your expertise, compassion, and unique perspective now more than ever.
You Can Share Your Experience With Others
Community studies suggest that between 2% and 13% of seniors report bouts of severe loneliness. It can be isolating to leave the workforce and “settle down” after years of working hard and playing hard. Seniors with a wealth of knowledge and experience to pass on but no way to share what they know can feel stuck and uninvolved.
Volunteering abroad as an older individual gives you an opportunity to connect with others, share your wisdom, and bridge the gap between generations and cultures!
Whether you spend time caring for the talibés at the Maison de la Gare center or help microfinance program participants fulfill their entrepreneurial dreams with Friends of Senegal, your joie de vivre (French for enjoyment of life and spirit) can be utilized to make a lasting impact on others.
You Can Travel the World and Learn About New Cultures
Loneliness can be a silent epidemic among seniors, with studies revealing that 2% to 13% experience severe isolation after leaving the workforce. But what if retirement could be a doorway to purpose, not a dead end?
Volunteering abroad offers more than an escape—it’s a chance to reignite your passion and share your lifetime of wisdom. At Maison de la Gare and Friends of Senegal, your experience becomes a powerful force for change.
Imagine bridging generations and cultures by:
- Supporting talibés at our community center
- Empowering entrepreneurs through microfinance
- Transforming your joie de vivre into lasting global impact
Your knowledge isn’t meant to be stored—it’s meant to be shared. Break free from isolation and rediscover your purpose on an international stage.
You Usually Have More Free Time To Give
Do you find yourself with way too much free time? The 2023 American Time Use Survey reveals retirees now have 7.6 hours daily—a canvas waiting to be painted with purpose.
Volunteering abroad isn’t just travel. It’s transformation.
Imagine trading monotony for meaningful adventure. Plan an international journey that promises personal growth while creating a tangible impact. You’re not just filling time — you’re expanding horizons, connecting across cultures, and rediscovering your endless potential.
Every new experience whispers the same truth: Human potential knows no retirement age.
You Can Travel the World and Learn About New Cultures
It is one thing to be a tourist and another to be invested in helping a community while traveling and seeing new places, the latter of which can also be the adventure of a lifetime. Senior volunteer programs abroad, like that of Friends of Senegal and Maison de la Gare, allow volunteers to live with host families for a wonderful and total immersion into another culture. If living with a host family is not quite what you are looking for, you may stay in a local auberge or even a fine colonial-style hotel, such as
Hôtel de La Résidence Saint-Louis du Sénégal, while doing your very important work in the community during the day.
Volunteering abroad offers a more profound cultural immersion than traveling for leisure. As a volunteer with MDG and FoS, you’ll have an incredible opportunity to explore, experience, and see Senegal through the eyes of the communities and locals you help.
You Can Find a Greater Sense of Purpose
So many people tie their sense of purpose directly to their professional careers and to raising their families. Then, as their children grow older and they exit the workforce, they may struggle with their sense of purpose outside that part of their lives. This is a normal part of the transition, made sometimes more difficult by the fact that our culture does not sufficiently value elders. In contrast, many cultures revere the experiences and wisdom of their elders.
You’re probably reading this blog because you know there is more to life, that you have a lot to offer others, and that you want to do just that. You also know that human beings never stop growing and that so much of that growth comes from having a purpose and helping others, particularly those who weren’t fortunate enough to have all the opportunities we were blessed with.
Volunteering your skills can be extremely useful to others and simultaneously provide deep fulfillment for you, no matter your age.
Volunteering Is Good for Your Health
At Friends of Senegal, we see firsthand how volunteering enriches physical and mental well-being, particularly for seniors working with our partner organization, Maison de la Gare. The research supports what we witness every day.
For example, recent studies in The Gerontologist and other leading journals show that older volunteers often maintain health levels comparable to those of people five years younger. Particularly striking is research from Carnegie Mellon University that found that adults over 50 who volunteer at least 200 hours annually are 40% less likely to develop high blood pressure.
The unique context of West Africa adds another dimension to these benefits. Our volunteers frequently tell us how Senegal’s warm social connections and community-centered lifestyle help them develop healthier perspectives on aging and purpose. Whether they’re teaching English or business skills in our microfinance program, supporting healthcare initiatives, or participating in community development projects, seniors discover that giving back to others returns dividends to their health and vitality.
Chuck’s Experience
Chuck spending time with the talibés at Maison de la Gare.
The Impact You Can Have as a Senior Volunteer With Friends of Senegal and Maison de la Gare
Meet Abib, a proud participant of the microfinance loan program with Friends of Senegal and Maison de la.
Gare.
While Friends of Senegal provides all of the funding for the microfinance program, we also promote and provide some funding for other aspects of Maison de la Gare’s work, including its volunteer programs and work with the Talibé children.
Since 2020, we have provided Senegalese men and women with over 200 zero-interest microfinance loans. Our goal for 2025 is to fund an additional 100 loans. For a very small amount of money ($100, $200, $300, etc.), your donation of money or of your time can literally change the lives of individuals and families in Saint-Louis, Senegal.
As you will see in the story of Abib Seck, we’ve helped many individuals obtain invaluable skills and financial resources to expand their work efforts.
With immense pride, Abib Seck shares his ambition to build a bed in his workshop. Speaking in Wolof, the most widely spoken of the 30 indigenous Senegalese languages, he immerses us in his daily life while demonstrating his immense determination and passion.
Like any young boy, Abib would have liked to continue his studies, but his family’s financial difficulties forced him to start working at the tender age of 13. It’s a story that illustrates the harsh reality of many families in Senegal.
For 16 years, Abib worked tirelessly in a tapestry workshop. Yet his income never exceeded 3,000 CFA ($5 US), barely enough to cover his family’s basic needs. Sometimes, he earned nothing.
But Abib never gave up. He explains:
“In 2018, despite very modest means, I took my destiny in both hands and opened my own workshop, where I dedicated myself to repairing sofas. I work 9 hours a day, 6 days a week to ensure the success of my business and provide a dignified life for my family.”
But the turning point in his life came thanks to a small loan granted by Friends of Senegal (FOS) and Maison de la Gare (MDG). “This support changed my life. It enabled me to go from simple repairs to the complete manufacture of armchairs, beds, and furniture that I can offer for sale.”
“This financial support has given me hope to build a better life for me and my family. I want Ablaye Seck, my 4-year-old son, to continue and complete his studies so he can have the life of his dreams.”
Abib adds with emotion: “I can’t thank FOS and MDG enough for this incredible opportunity. Thanks to them, I’ll be able to feed my family, fulfill my dreams, and even help reduce poverty in my community.”
Abib has become an example of resilience and inspiration for all those who dare to believe in their dreams.
How You Can Help
Our programs are 100% volunteer and donor-supported and maintained. We are counting on mature individuals to help us give people like Abib a chance to thrive and establish financial independence for themselves and their families.
You can learn more about volunteering with Friends of Senegal and Maison de la Gare here. You can donate today and know that you are helping the poorest of the poor in Senegal establish a life of self-sufficiency and pride. Every dollar counts!
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